Well, dear readers, it is the fourth of July and therefore a day of Independence, fireworks, barbecue, outdoor shenanigans, and general joy or at least lieutenant joy. I’m sure many of our musical theater dear readers may end up watching their new Blu and Ray of 1776. Of course, normally we’d be doing our stumble-through today, but we did it yesterday instead, which felt completely weird and which I’m never EVER doing again, no matter what. Thankfully there was no blood bath at the stumble-through, just a handful of pilot error hiccups for both singers and pianist. We got through 90% of it without any real problems. It was a tough show to structure but I think I did as best as I could, given the large number of ballads. We didn’t have our guest star and that, of course, is two more ballads. But I will keep the patter energy high and the patter for the show is really fun, I think, so that will help the pace. The cast is really good and I know they’ll be drilling their stuff today and tomorrow prior to sound check, and then we get to run everything there. After we finished, I adjusted some tempos, cut half of one song in a put-together (and am thinking about doing the same for one other put-together), and gave my singer notes, which were minor. I made a list of the important things for our musical director to work on prior to sound check, so we should really be good to go by Sunday.
After that, the youngsters and their parents and I went to Casa Vega for a meal. It was really good and I was a good boy – one beef taco and one cheese enchilada (and no sides of guacamole and sour cream), and a little salad. I didn’t overdo the chips either. We all had fun and then I came home.
Last night, I finished watching America, America on DVD. It’s a very personal film for Elia Kazan, the story of his uncle’s coming to America – he wrote it and directed it and even narrates the opening of the film. It’s REALLY long – 178 minutes, but while it rambles, it’s always interesting and very well done. It’s a film you hear very little about it – most people don’t even know it exists, which is interesting since the film, which came out in the final week of 1963 (playing the Beverly Theater in Beverly Hills here), just in time for Oscar consideration), got rave reviews and did very well at the box-office despite its huge length. It’s one of the few films I missed and I can’t even tell you why – prior to showing it at the Beverly, the Beverly had a very long engagement of Tom Jones and because I saw that film over and over again, I saw the trailer for America, America over and over again and it was the kind of movie I really liked back then. Not only was it well reviewed and a hit, it also got up for four Academy Awards – Art Direction Black and White (it won), director (Tom Jones won), screenplay (How the West Was Won won), and Best Picture (Tom Jones won). So, it’s always a little surprising that a best picture nominee is all but forgotten. The photography is by Haskell Wexler, shot in kind of a documentary style that works really well – the editor is Dede Allen, who’d go on to edit Bonnie and Clyde and Jaws, and the score, and it’s a good one, is by Manos Hadjidakis. The actors all do well but it’s Kazan’s film from start to finish, and it’s story of a young Greek man longing to come to America, is compelling and heartfelt. The DVD from Warner Archive is fine – it would be lovely to have something like this on Blu-ray but that probably won’t ever happen.
Prior to all that, I’d gotten eight hours of sleep, I did a jog, and my usual morning stuff. After finishing the movie, I did a second jog, for a total of three miles.
Today, I shall hopefully awaken after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then I’ll definitely jog, watch some motion pictures whilst relaxing on the couch like so much fish, and then I have a partay at neighbor Tony Slide and Bob Gitt’s home environment.
Tomorrow I’ll relax until it’s time to mosey on over to The Federal for sound check and then our show. Next week, I begin planning the August show, we’ll start organizing all of the Indiegogo contributors into categories so we can be ready when all of that kicks in, and I have several meetings and meals and a couple of things to see.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, relax, attend a partay, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite songs and scores, both film and stage, for one of my favorite composers, Mr. Andre Previn? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, whilst I wish everyone a happy, festive, joyous, and above all safe fourth of July.