Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon and I must get a good night’s beauty sleep so that I can be beautiful in countenance for my book signing at Mystery and Imagination Books in the Dale of Glen at two o’clock. Remember how I was hoping for no annoyances yesterday – well, as you know thanks to your vibes and xylophones we avoided them all week, but they were just being saved up to all drop at the same time and yesterday was the day. It began almost as soon as I got up. I have no idea how long I slept, probably around seven hours because I was having phlegm issues and constantly clearing my throat – naturally by the time I arose my voice was pretty trashed, but I took it easy and it’s getting back to normal.
So, the first annoyance hit while I was having a cup of chicken soup and a bagel for lunch. Obviously I couldn’t deal with it then, so I came right home after lunch and dealt with it swiftly and that was one bullet dodged. But then a barrage of other bullets began coming my way, one after another, all potentially brutal, but I’m happy to say that I dodged them all pretty much, using as much honesty and charm as I could. I was much relieved by the end of the day, and it really did take up most of the day. I also checked out my first pass show order, which I thought I’d need to change, but it actually looked really good to me. Then it was time to get ready for my dinner and show.
I met Barry Pearl at the Coral Café. His ever-lovin’ Cindy was under the weather. I had their yummilicious chicken strips and a tiny piece of pumpkin pie. Then we moseyed on over to the theater to see Doug Haverty and Adryan Russ’s new musical, Love Again, three one-act musicals in one act. I believe I’ve seen every reading of this show, at least the ones done in theaters, including their staged reading last year. Directed by my pal Kay Cole, who did a nice job with not easy material. I liked a lot of the cast and yes I could nitpick things but I’m always happy to see hard work and new work. For me, it still has a few of the problems I felt it had last year, but that’s just my personal opinion and I’m sure everyone will feel whatever they feel about it. The one thing I can say the unequivocally did not work for me was the way the music was handled. Their musical director, who was the original musical director of The Brain from Planet X, is very talented, but they went this route where he plays the piano against pre-recorded “orchestrations” – he does all this in his computer. But really, you couldn’t hear his actual piano playing most of the time, just the synth stuff and they may as well have used tracks because it SOUNDED like they were. A simple piano and bass would have been much better because it would have had a live feel, an organic feel and it would have given the director and the actors room to breathe – when you have stuff locked to a tempo, there is no room to breathe organically. I don’t know that everyone will feel as I do, but for me the approach sapped the music of real life.
They had a little partay after, and I saw lots of nice folks I know. Then I came home.
Today, I must be up early, I’ll do errands and whatnot and may have a bagel to tide me over till I eat a real meal. I will pick up the two cakes first thing, and then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, then come home and get ready. Then I’ll head over to Mystery and Imagination Books and get set up for the signing. I’m really hoping for a nice turnout – the last couple have been very nice and I’m hoping for even more folks this time. I’ll read chapter one, then do a Q&A, then we’ll have CAKE. After, I’m sure some of us will go have something to eat somewhere nearby. I will, of course, have a full report and some photographs. After that, I’ll probably come home and relax and start writing the commentary.
Tomorrow I’ll finish the commentary, then watch the final episode of Mad Men. Next week is meetings and meals, a work session, and seeing a show or two.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, pick up CAKE, do errands and whatnot, have something to tide me over until the big meal o’ the day, hopefully pick up packages and then do a book signing. Today’s topic of discussion: What do you think about the use of tracks in musicals? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall do a book signing.