Well, dear readers, our second blocking day was, for the most part, fun. I actually had our full cast for two hours and that was great. We began by reviewing the opening number – the shared actors, who weren’t there for the final part of it, had to get worked in and used to doing it, but they did so quickly and by the fourth or fifth time through, they had it down – the number looks really good, I think. I added one little extra fun thing to it and then we moved on to the three sections of the gay experience number. That’s actually very easy in terms of where they go and when, so that’s more about the singing. The very end of it, when the MD has them go into harmony on the very last two bars, isn’t working yet, but I’ll let them keep slogging away at it.
Then I began staging a number with a male quartet, a song by Wayne Moore called What’s So Good About the Good Old Days. I love doing those kinds of numbers and on a standard proscenium stage it would be a piece of cake. Here everything is on an angle so I have to constantly be aware of sight lines, which is really only solved by keeping them upstage a bit. But it’s super cute and I did all of it except the very ending. They went out to work on their own while I blocked several of the quick blackout sketches – those are simple, but really fun and the kids like doing them. Then I just did positioning for a duet – it won’t have much beyond what I did, but the two actors were struggling with notes so we just kind of hammered away at that and they now have a plunk tape. I’m not at my best when hearing wrong notes on my songs, so I do tend to really cut to the chase in order to nip in the bud anyone getting so used to singing the wrong note that it becomes hugely difficult to correct. That happened a few times during the day, and I think the solution is for me to just not be near people learning stuff and to just let our MD deal with it however he so chooses. But the cast is just fun to work with. After we lost our shared actors, it was more of the same until we finished. A very good day’s work.
Then I went to the House of Pies to have dinner with our very own Pogue, who I haven’t seen in three damn years, which is three damn years too damn long, damn. It was grand to see him, and great to catch up, and we laughed and laughed and just when we thought we could laugh no more, we laughed again. We lamented how much LA iconography has changed since he left lo those many years ago. We both had the broasted chicken – two breasts – and it was really good. He had mashed potatoes with his and I had a few french fries with mine. We both had little dinner salads, too. Of course, we couldn’t be at the House of Pies without having, you know, pie, so he had the yummilicious coconut cream pie with whipped cream, and I had a piece of cherry pie a la mode. The mode was excellent and I’m a big fan of cherry pie. Then I came home.
Prior to all that, I was up at six-thirty to do corrections on the new Black Dahlia song. That took a while – about forty minutes – then he sent me the corrected version but in fixing certain things other things got omitted so he fixed those and resent and then it was good to go to Lanny. He’s orchestrating the Sherman Brothers song and then he’ll do Dahlia and, amazingly, he’ll be done. As we knew we would, we’re making an occasional adjustment to the charts based on staging needs, and our MD is getting those to Lanny as we go. Then I went back to bed for a couple of hours, then I had to get ready and mosey on over to LACC for a production meeting.
Today, I have to be at LACC at ten for our long day. We’ll begin with the finale of act one, which is a very complicated and long sequence involving everyone – of course, we won’t have everyone, but we’ll just have to make do with the folks we do have. It’s a VERY physical sequence and we have to move very slowly so no one gets hurt, but I’m hoping it will be hugely fun when it’s all put together. I’ll work that sequence until it’s finished, and it may very well take up most of the day – we shall see. If there’s time left, then I’ll continue blocking the handful of sketches/blackouts that are left and placing people for solo numbers that have no blocking requirements. At four, I think a few of the actors will stay and work with the MD, and I’ll brave the traffic to drive to Calabasas, first to sup at Maria’s Kitchen, then to see Sami’s show at seven. Really glad it’s an early curtain.
Tomorrow and Sunday are all Kritzerland stuff. We’re almost finished casting – we have to get the event page up so we can sell tickets, and I have to choose songs and get them to singers. Luckily, I’m pretty set with one performer, and I know definitely what one of the numbers two of our ladies will do, and I pretty much know what Sami will do. And I have the What If, too. We just have to cast the final two actors. Then we begin choreography on Monday and I get to just sit there and watch and have fun.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, rehearse, sup, and see a show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, Kritzerland stuff. Blu-ray, the new Twilight Time titles, starting with Julia. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a visit with the Pogue.