Well, dear readers, I gotta tell you, this July Kritzerland show has been the toughest to put together out of all 58 shows we’ve done (this will be 59). First of all, choosing the damn songs practically killed me. Certainly there were lots to choose from, a huge number, which is always part of the problem. But Paul Williams is known for the ballads – he’s a ballad boy and so I had like thirty ballads and three ups when I was choosing. Eventually I got it pretty evened out, and we have a LOT of put-togethers in this show. I cast the first person easily, then it went completely to hell – I was trying to get some new folks, have a more pop sound, but it was just impossible and in the end I brought back the always-reliable Robert Yacko and other regulars, plus a lady we’ve only used once before. We still don’t have a guest star and we may not have one. Meanwhile, we’re only two weeks away from the show. The singers all got their music this week, which is a week later than I like, but that’s because choosing was so damn difficult. Then there was the musical director. We’d spoken to John Boswell about it, and he said he’d let us know right away. Well, right away turned into two weeks and then he couldn’t do it. Alby is off musical directing a show, and none of our regulars could do it, so we decided to try a new gal. She was very excited until I told her that there would probably be some transposing, as there always is. That sent her running for the hills, so we got someone who’s done one show for us. That was good. But his schedule was wacky so we’re having our two rehearsals and the stumble-through all back to back on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – then we’re all off until show day on Sunday – don’t like it at ALL but we had no choice at ALL. I believe the next obstacle we’ll have to overcome is actually filling the house on the day after the fourth of July. Hopefully we can. But this whole experience, thus far, has made me want to eat the head of a chicken.
Yesterday was a day that I could take or leave. I wanted to sleep till ten but the phone rang at eight-thirty and that was the end of sleeping. I got up, did my morning stuff, then the helper came by. After that, I went and had a turkey sandwich and no fries or onion rings, then came home. Then there was all the scheduling volley of e-mails, and I think it’s all finally worked out. I checked on our Kritzerland a GoGo Indiegogo campaign and we went up a bit and are now 35% funded. We must keep going up and up and up. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I just needed something that wasn’t challenging to watch, as I was overtired, so I went to the Flix of Net and found one of those 90s thrillers, this from 1992, entitled Jennifer 8 (although the on-screen title card reads Jennifer Eight), starring Andy Garcia (in a role targeted for Al Pacino), Uma Thurman and others. It’s a serial killer film crossed with a blind woman in jeopardy film. At two hours and five minutes it’s too long, but there are good moments and I really liked Miss Thurman. The writer/director, Bruce Robinson, had such a miserable time on this film with his battles with Paramount, that he didn’t direct another film for nineteen years. His version was longer, and Paramount made him take out several of John Malkovich’s scenes, and had the ending changed. The ending as it is in the film is a little weird but okay. I was curious about the original, but you don’t have to be curious for long on the Internet and I found the original last scene as written in the script. It’s basically the ending as it is, but the bit that happens after is gone and a final shot is tacked on. Frankly, the ending in the film is better than the original one, which I think would have been very clichéd. The film is beautifully shot by Conrad Hall, and Christopher Young’s score is terrific (his score replaced one by Maurice Jarre).
After that I did a jog, then Sami’s mom came by (she’d gone to see Doug Haverty and Adryan Russ’s show) and showed me a little website she’s building for our show. Then I had a little pasta with butter, only about four ounces, for my evening snack.
Today I’ll relax, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and then tonight I’m seeing a show at the Fringe Festival in the Wood of Holly.
Tomorrow, I meet the replacement helper while the real helper is off to London for three months, then I’m attending a Father’s Day partay. Next week, I have to figure out the show order, write the commentary, have meetings and meals, and do a ton of other stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and see a show. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite serial killer movies and movies in which there’s a blind woman in distress? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that the ordeal of the next Kritzerland show is pretty much done and hoping it will be easy sailing from here on in.