Well, dear readers, it is very, VERY late and I am very VERY tired so let me just tell you that we had an amazing show last night – every seat filled and people turned away (don’t like that part, but what can you do). The audience had great energy and the cast felt it from the get-go and gave it their all. We’ve had more consistent shows but this one had stuff that was the best it’s ever been. We started almost fifteen minutes late because the box-office line was so slow and we were trying to get everyone seated somewhere. I finally gave my speech, but just before I went out to do it I was informed the bulb had just gone out in the spotlight – that was very worrisome since there are numbers that would pretty much be in the dark without one. I was assured they were trying to find the replacement bulb and they hoped to have it working not too far into the show. So, I mentioned that to the audience, just so they wouldn’t think the lighting was bad or lame. I had a lot of fun with the welcome speech, with lots of laughs. I have taken a very interesting tack with it and I’ll tell you what that was after we’ve done the final performance – I think you’ll find it intriguing.
So, we were sans spotlight for the first twenty minutes of the show, basically, but thankfully everything in that twenty minutes is fully lit or uses the moving lights. But Midnite at the Roxy is totally a spotlight on the lead singer and she was pretty much in the dark for much of it. But right after that, they apparently brought in another spot and got it up and running, so we did have it for the rest of the show, but without any gels so the light was a bit harsh – but it was needed and thankfully there. I’m told they’ll either find the new bulb (it’s a thing where you have to take apart the entire spot to change the bulb) or they’ll use this other machine and gel it before the matinee.
We had a pretty instant standing ovation, just as we did the previous night. We don’t get them automatically and I think people mean them, so I think it’s nice for the cast because they know it’s heartfelt.
We had lots of fun folks in attendance, including Jason Graae and his ever-lovin’ Glen, Juliana Hansen and her family, Cindy Pearl (she drove with me), and lots of other really nice folks. April Audia’s husband brought a gal with him and I was introduced to her – she’s the daughter of John McMartin, so I got to tell her I did the play at the Taper with her father, which she remembers, so that was really fun. She’s a sweetheart. We had a sub bass player who did fine.
After the show, a few of us met at Jerry’s Deli, where I had a sandwich and no fries or onion rings. Prior to all that, I’d gotten eight hours of sleep, did some errands and whatnot, had some good news, picked up a couple of packages and no mail, got sheet music that I can now send to the singers, attended to other stuff, and then Cindy Pearl came over and we moseyed on over to Palermo, a good Eyetalian jernt not too far from the school – in fact, right across the street from the House of Pies. I had a little dinner salad to start, and then some penne with meatballs and a light pink sauce – very good but VERY filling and I didn’t finish the pasta and it wasn’t even that much pasta. We shared some dessert that I just had a couple of bites of.
Today, I’ll have to be up by ten, so I will not get eight hours or probably even seven hours of sleep. Normally I wouldn’t head over to the school until about 12:30 but I have to be there by noon to help the engineer get set up to record both performances tomorrow. Then we’ll do our matinee, and then our closing evening performance. We’re all hoping this will not be the end of the show – everyone who’s seen it thinks it should have a long shelf life here in LA and I completely agree. I think I’ll come home between shows unless the engineer needs me to be there for some reason. I’m not sure what’s happening after the show – I don’t know if the kids have plans or a party or not, but I think a few of us at least will mosey on over to Genghis Cohen for some fun food.
Tomorrow, I sleep as late as I feel like, make a show order, start writing the commentary, and then at 5:30 I’ll be at The Federal to see a show with a singer we’re thinking about using. Next week is all dedicated to the Kritzerland show, plus we’ll make a sizzle reel from the video Sami’s mom shot, plus we’ll begin mixing the CD – if I need to do any vocal fixes, we’ll just take a couple of hours at a studio and do so. So, a busy little week.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, see a matinee and evening show, record both shows, and then go to Genghis Cohen or somewhere else fun after the show. Today’s topic of discussion: You guys figure it out – too late for me to attempt to think of one. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as we go into the final two performances.