Well, dear readers, we had us an opening night last night for Welcome to My World and I was pretty damn pleased with the show. We had a fun audience and while we’re still finding the balance of the first two monologues in terms of landing the comedy, the rest of it was just terrific, thanks to a splendidly splendid performance by Sami, who lit up the stage and captivated everyone. As I’ve said, the goal from the beginning was to get people to fall in love with Molly and Sami, and I’m thinking we have met that goal. Sami got a standing ovation at the end and I’m just so proud of her and this accomplishment. These kinds of shows are never a walk in the park, and it’s especially not a walk in the park for a teenager – to carry a show like this and never let energy flag and to hold the audience for eighty-five minutes – I’m telling you it would tax a seasoned adult performer. The songs seemed to all go over well, some really big laughs throughout, and I had so many lovely compliments and comments after from folks who ranged in age from thirteen to folks in their 70s. All in all, a wonderfully wonderful night. Here’s Sami in her nightmare prom dress, one of the two quick changes that have audiences rather baffled.
In attendance were Barry Pearl and his ever-lovin’ Cindy, Doug Haverty and his ever-lovin’ Dorathy, five critics, including our own Rob Stevens, Stephanie Fredericks (from Inside Out), Sharon McNight, our very own Amy and Mark, producer Ed Gaynes, Michael Sterling, and lots of others. It was an almost full house, so that was nice. We had a little opening night Do outside the theater after. The Staitmans had cleverly gotten all of Molly’s favorite foods – pizza, cookies, Flaming Hot Cheeto’s, Skittles, cake, and other fun stuff. Sami had some school chums there, as well as her sister and grandparents. After that, Sami had to get home because she has the matinee tomorrow and needs a good night’s sleep, and a few of us went over to Little Toni’s – I had a salami submarine that was very good.
Prior to all that fun, I’d gotten eight hours of sleep. I got up, did some work on the computer, had some telephonic calls, and then I moseyed on over to LACC to the Cindy Williams signing event. It was sparsely attended (Cindy’s been doing a lot of LA signings), which was too bad. I came out and introduced the afternoon, talking about the department and this rather astonishing bit of tid: Yesterday was September 12. Back in 1965, September 12 was a Sunday. On September 13, 1965, fifty years ago exactly, Cindy and I walked onto the campus of LACC for the first time to begin our training in the theater arts department. The theater building had JUST been built and our class moved them in over the first two weeks. It’s hard to believe it’s been fifty damn years but it’s been fifty damn years. It was nice to see Cindy and we promised each other to go have a meal in the next few weeks.
After that, I went and had a turkey sandwich, bought Sami flowers, wrote thank you cards, and then it was time to mosey on over to the theater.
Today, I’ll be up by ten and to the theater by noon to do some interview thing for Broadway World TV. Then Sami and I will go work a couple of things before she gets into makeup, and outside the meet and greet with Corey Fogelmanis will happen from one to one forty-five, after which all those folks will go get their seats. I think we have a decent-sized crowd tomorrow, with a lot of young folks. After the show, we’re going to the Smoke House for a nice celebration dinner.
Monday, I have to relax, but also have to begin prepping the Kritzerland show. Tuesday night we do the first of our two recording sessions – we’re working three hours per night and should be able to get everything done easily in that amount of time. Really, all we have to do is get three songs per hour and we’ll finish with time to spare and time to do any fixes we need. Wednesday is the second session, then my engineer John will mix it pronto, sending me each mix as he finished so I can give notes or approve. Then that goes to mastering on Friday or Saturday, and to the pressing plant by Tuesday. After that, it’s just a few days until we get the CDs. We’re going to actually announce the title on Monday, I think. Then we do our second weekend’s performances.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do an interview, see the matinee, and have a celebratory meal after. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a wonderful opening night to welcome in Welcome to My World.