Well, dear readers, sometimes decisions need to be made. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, sometimes decisions need to be made and yesterday morning I made one, swiftly and easily, and it will result in a certain aspect of things being much easier and that’s a good thing. Although occasionally it has taken me time to reach a decision on something, I’m usually pretty swift once I make it. I tend to approach things very logically: Is something a burden? Is something causing negativity? Is something becoming a bother? If it’s any of the above, I remove it if at all possible. In the case of yesterday’s decision, it became possible. There may be another decision or two coming very soon, although I hope in my heart of hearts that I won’t have to make any more decisions this year. We’ll see how things play out and I, for one, hope they play out well because that’s always the ideal solution.
Other than the decision making, yesterday was a rather serviceable day. I don’t know what that means, but I like the sound of it. I was up after only about six hours of sleep, had a telephonic call, which resulted in the decision, then I had to mosey on over to Doug Haverty’s house to do some works on the instrumental tracks from Inside Out. Our musical director, Alby Potts, was with us, as was composer/lyricist Adryan Russ. It turned out to be quite easy – only three tracks or so had to be futzed with and those were just quick editing jobs. We finished in less than an hour, even though we’d scheduled three. So, we all went to Tallyrand coffee shop a couple of blocks away. I love the idea of Tallyrand, but I’ve been there many times and I’ve never had anything that was more than average there. Yesterday’s average meal was an egg salad sandwich with bacon on toasted white bread with no french fries. It was certainly average, but it took care of my hunger pangs. We had lots of conversation about lots of things and I got a few opinions on certain matters.
After that, I picked up a couple of packages, then came home. It was over 100 degrees so I decided to hold the jog until the evening. I had a lot on my mind so I pondered for a while, listened to some music, which always helps me ponder, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
I wasn’t really in a movie mode, so instead I watched a little documentary about the filmmaker Georges Franju, who made one of my favorite French films, Eyes Without a Face. This little forty-five minute thing was on a new UK Blu and Ray of Eyes Without a Face – I already had the Criterion, and this has the exact same transfer, but this also had a bunch of extras that were not on the Criterion, including a couple of short films from the 1950s. After the documentary, which was interesting, I watched the short film called La Premiere Nuit. Photographed by Eugene Shuftan (who would also photograph Eyes Without a Face), it would seem to be the story of a young boy of about eleven who has perhaps a crush on a blonde girl from school (sounds like Benjamin Kritzer). He’s from a rich background. But it’s really a mood piece – he goes to the Metro and walks around, finally falls asleep (I think) and has dreams of seeing the girl on the subway but not being able to get to her. That’s about it, but the mood of this thing is incredible, the photography is amazing, and the score by Georges Delerue, much of which plays without any other sound, is stunning. I will be watching it again soon.
After that, I jogged, then I sat a the computer like so much fish, thinking of this or that, and listening to music.
Today, we have a long rehearsal day, which will include going through the show slowly so I can give very specific notes and fix some stuff that isn’t sharp enough, then we’ll have a one-hour lunch break, and then we’ll do a complete full-out run-through starting at three. Our costume designer will be there to watch and see how everything works, and my pal Kay Cole will also be there, as I always like her to see my stuff at this stage and offer her thoughts about the musical staging. After we finish, I’ll come home for just a bit, then I have to go out to the Gardenia to sup and see a friend’s club act. IF I eat very lightly at lunch, then I’ll have the pasta dish. If I don’t eat that lightly at lunch, then I’ll have the salmon.
Tomorrow is another long rehearsal day, but other than that, I have no plans, which is a good thing. Some of us may go out for a bite after, but then it’s home for me. Monday is our first Kritzerland rehearsal, and a day off from Welcome to My World. Then Tuesday and Wednesday are Welcome to My World rehearsals, and we should hopefully have at least most of our set by Wednesday. Thursday is the second Kritzerland rehearsal and a day off from the other show, the Friday I go in early and work with our lighting guy and see all the cues, while he’s writing the show, then we have a full-out run-through that night. Saturday is a completely insane day – we begin at the theater with a cue-to-cue or a run-through – I’d probably prefer the latter, but we’ll have to see. Then we have to be done by two, and then we have our stumble-through at three and then if I feel we need to, we’ll reconvene at the theater to do more work for a couple of hours. Sunday is the same – a tech run-through at one, then directly to The Federal for sound check and then the show. Whew!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a rehearsal, do a jog (if there’s time before going to the Gardenia), have supper and see a club act. Today’s topic of discussion: How are your decision making powers – are you logical, swift, slow, methodical or do you go with your instincts? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping I do not have to make another decision.