Well, dear readers, Kritzerland at Sterling’s 59 was a really good show any way you look at it. It almost killed me, this one, but in the end it all worked very well – structure, performances, everything. It was also nice that we had a pretty full house (several walk-ups for this show). I think people enjoyed the new buffet for the main courses and it sure helped the service. The patter got lots of laughs and I was very proud that I did the entire opening patter by heart – have never done that before, I think. We actually had a lot of newbies in the audience, which is always great fun for us. Our cast did a beautiful job – Brittney Bertier, who, in the show’s only real hiccup, made the key change at the end of Old Souls while the pianist did not – but she just carried on and they did the final note in the correct key. I can only imagine the terror coursing through her body, because there was no way for her to have dropped down to the other incorrect key at that point. Hadley Miller, all of ten, did a great job with Fat Sam’s Grand Slam and Speakeasy. Joanne O’Brien wowed everyone with her three songs. Sami did a really lovely job with The Rainbow Connection. Jeffrey Todd was great on his three numbers – with his The Love Boat bringing down the house. Robert Yacko was his usual terrific self, and first-timer Jaidyn Young could not have been better on Flying Dreams. Gloria Loring was a master class in phrasing and delivery doing Close Enough for Love and closing with Evergreen. And the three young gals opened the show perfectly with Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song. I think there was only one tiny lyric fumfer early on. Shelly Markham accompanied with his usual aplomb.
Amusingly, when I announced that the next show would be Andre Previn, there was total silence – I think people simply don’t know who he is as a composer – for me, he’s one of the greats and I do feel it’s our duty to do those kinds of shows, but I may put it on the back burner for a few months and see if I can come up with something that would jazz people more. Then again, I may just stick to my guns and stay with Previn. We shall see.
The audience was great. In attendance were Andrea Marcovicci, Kay Cole, Dan Frishman (I gather he was a popular person on a TV program called Head of the Class), sometimes Paul Williams collaborator Ken Hirsch, and, of course, our beloved Elizabeth and Richard Sherman, who, today, are celebrating their fifty-eighth wedding anniversary. Amazing. After the show a bunch of us went to Little Toni’s. I had no pizza at all nor my usual salad, just my pasta in butter. Here’s our merry troupe – left to right: Shelly Markham, Joanne O’Brien, Robert Yacko in the back and Hadley Miller in the front, Gloria Loring, Jadiyn Young, Adryan Russ, Sami Staitman, Jeffrey Todd, li’l ol’ me, and Brittney Bertier.
Prior to all that, I got eight hours of sleep, got up, did a two and a half mile jog, enjoyed the controversy that my comments about The King and I have caused, and just relaxed until it was time to be on my way to sound check.
Today, I have a noon o’clock meeting with Miss Kay Cole – we’ll lunch and we’ll have palaver. Then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, do a jog, and then it’s back to The Federal to see John Gabriel’s cabaret evening.
Tomorrow I have a lot of catching up to do, song choices to finalize, casting to finalize, and then a late supper with Jenna Lea Rosen and her mom. The rest of the week is meetings and meals and seeing a couple of shows, I think.
Well, dear readers I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a lunch meeting, hopefully pick up packages, decide whether to stick with Previn, jog, and eventually relax. Today’s topic of discussion: If I were to put Mr. Previn on the back burner, what show would you like to see us do – composer or themed show? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that Kritzerland at Sterling’s 59 is behind us and that it turned out so well.