Well, dear readers, we had our first rehearsal for the April Kritzerland show and it was really fun – I love putting together the April show and with a cast like this, it’s just a little of everything – a few very pretty songs, but a LOT of comic musical moments. First to arrive was Sharon McNight. We ran her two solos, a song called One Woman’s Story and Everybody’s Girl from Steel Pier. Then Jason Graae arrived and we ran their duet, I’ll Never Be Jealous Again from The Pajama Game – you’ve never quite heard or seen the number done this way – it is hugely funny from start to finish and more than that I cannot say. Then Sharon left and Jason did his two other numbers – he’s doing a song called The Slasher Song, which is very funny, and a duet with John Boswell – All for the Best from Godspell.
Then came Robert Yacko – we began with the put-together of three songs: Maria, They Call the Wind Maria, and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria – it’s pretty funny for reasons I’m not going into. Then he ran Race You to the Top of the Morning from The Secret Garden, and finally the stunning You Must Believe in Spring. Next up was Shannon Warne. We began with her first number (she opens and closes this show), which is a What If, which I don’t want to give away just yet – it’s newly written, though. Then she sang her second number, Both Sides Now, which she does beautifully. And then she did my song, Sunset Strip 1965, a seven-minute paean to the glory days of the Strip – which has turned out to be maybe my favorite song I’ve ever written. Once Shannon has it down she will really hit it right out of the park.
Then came Keri Safran. She’s new to us, but we’d seen an audition tape when we were casting Inside Out last year – she’s really terrific. She began with her huge The Sound of Music medley, which is absolutely stellar and hilarious and more I cannot give away at this time. Then she did The April Fools, and finally I Never Know When from Goldilocks. It all went very quickly and smoothly and I’m looking forward to Thursday, when all the same folks will be here again, plus little Hadley Miller.
Prior to that, I’d only gotten about four hours of sleep. Just couldn’t fall asleep and then of course these damnable workers started right at seven and for some reason they love to talk as if they were trying to be heard in another city, and the noise level is fairly outrageous. I just stayed in bed and toughed it out and eventually fell asleep, but once up, of course, they quiet right down and it’s as if they’re not even there. I’m probably going to mosey on over there tomorrow and have a little chat with them. Then I answered e-mails, then went and picked up the books. Before I came home to unpack them, I went and had an omelet and a bagel.
Then I came home and unpacked one of the boxes and immediately saw that they either used the wrong file or are just plain inept. Once again, portions of the book are too damn light. I approved the first galley because it was perfect, and they told me there was a problem with it so we provided another one and I approved that when they told me that one was perfect. I got a soft and hardcover proof from that new file and both were perfect. So, I don’t know what’s going on but I’ve had it. I got my helpful gal on the phone, sent her a couple of damning photos and she simply could not believe it. She feels it may be the printer in the state in which it was printed – they have different branches, and the minute I gave her the code numbers on the back page of the book she knew it was Pennsylvania and intimated that’s a problem. So, she’s doing whatever she has to do, they will replace all of these and overnight them to me – I told her the latest I could get them would be Monday, but I have the paperback show on Sunday and would really like to have the books by then. If I don’t, I’m probably going to cancel doing it. So, that was irritating. I also had a nice chat with Shelly Markham, who’s composed a couple of songs for the LA show, just nitpicking a little on one of them – he’s very easy to work with – and Adryan Russ, the lyricist, was kind enough to adjust a lyric that wasn’t working for me in terms of its storytelling. Then we had our rehearsal.
I’m still fighting hoarseness due to being overtired. I just need three or four days of good, solid sleep and I’ll be fine for the show. I think I’ll do a swig of NyQuil before bed. After the rehearsal, I got some snacks at Von’s – just junk but fun junk and not too horribly caloric. Then I was thrilled to finally get the Bruce Vilanch sketch, so now we, at long last, have all the material for the show. His sketch is very funny but it’s a little similar to another sketch we have, so that one will get cut. Hard to believe that we go into rehearsal very soon.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then Sami and her mom are coming over, we’ll lunch, and then have a little informal work session. After that, I’ll do some work on the LA show and make sure I’m absolutely happy with the structure of each act – if so, then I’ll lock this version of the script and get it to my cast and the tech folks. They all know that it will most likely change and morph during rehearsals.
Tomorrow is our second Kritzerland rehearsal. Friday I may see a play, Saturday is our stumble-through and I’m sure a few of us will go eat after, and then Sunday is our sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have lunch, have an informal work session, work on the LA show, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that our first rehearsal was so damn much fun.