Well, dear readers, the Indiegogo campaign got off to a very good start – in about eight hours we were 31% funded, which is really very good for the first day. By the end of the second day of the LA Now and Then campaign, for example, we were about 22%. So, I’m hopeful we can go up a bit more today, then it will level out and we’ll have the big push. Of course, what would really be nice is to just fund completely early so there’s no worry and it would be even nicer to go over what we’re trying to fund, as that money would go directly to the Theatre Academy. So, if you haven’t checked it out yet, please do so. As always, we’ve tried to make the perks fun and we have more signed musical quotes from Richard Sherman, some original art, and you can also just get your tickets to the show at a pretty good savings by contributing. Here’s a handy-dandy link.
https://igg.me/at/y4KSb6IaWD4/x/9165600
Other than that, yesterday was moderately okay. I got about seven hours of sleep, answered lots o’ e-mails, forwarded some Amazon orders, and launched the Indiegogo campaign at 11:00. I spent a few hours keeping my eye on it, then did a two-and-a-half mile jog. I ascertained that there were not packages to pick up, then I did some work on the computer and continued trying to cast the next Kritzerland show. Then I had to get ready for a dinner thing at the Smoke House. I moseyed on over there and arrived at six.
I was dining with a very nice chap who worked at Disney for thirty years – he wrote a fun book called Mouse Tracks. I found out something I never knew – if you go on Thursday early for dinner you get the filet mignon for fifteen bucks. Yes, it’s smaller than the regular priced version (I’d say this couldn’t have been more than six ounces) but that’s a great deal and I couldn’t resist. I also ordered a small Caesar and some creamed spinach. The salad never did arrive, so didn’t have those calories and it was removed from the bill. The steak was really great and because of the size and the no salad I felt okay having three small pieces of the garlic cheese bread, which was out of this world great. We had fun chit-chatting about many things – he likes our Kritzrland shows, but he was also interested in maybe doing some liner notes for CDs, which I’m sure I’ll let him do at some point. And speaking of liner notes for CDs I need to do two sets this weekend. After dinner, I came right home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night I began watching a DVD that my dinner companion gave me – called London Town, a Brit musical from 1946, a movie that clearly wants to emulate the MGM musicals of the time. It’s in Technicolor and stars Sid Field, Greta Gynt and lots of other folks, including “Introducing” Kay Kendall, but is especially interesting because of the kid who plays Fields’ daughter, the then thirteen-year-old Petula Clark, who is cute as a button. Apparently this was a very expensive production and a complete box-office and critical disaster. It’s clunky, certainly, and way overlong at 126 minutes, and it’s poorly directed by Wesley Ruggles, but it has its charms. The original songs are by Johnny Burke and James Van Heusen. There’s not much plot, but there are some vaudeville routines and production numbers (one of which is choreographed by Agnes de Mille) – the vaudeville stuff, even though filmed as playing in front of a big crowd, is played without any audience laughter, which is a huge mistake – it needed the laughter. I find this same bad decision in Limelight. Anyway, it was interesting and I only dozed off twice.
After that, I listened to music, had some telephonic calls, and relaxed.
Today, I have to finish casting and choosing songs, and I have some going and doing and doing and going to do and do it I will. At some point I’ll eat, hopefully pick up packages, jog, and then relax.
The weekend is unknown to me – I may have to see a show, I have to write some liner notes (two sets), and I’m sure I’ll sup and jog and have telephonic conversations and hopefully see more Indiegogo action.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, finish casting and choosing songs, I must go and do, I must eat, jog, hopefully pick up packages and relax. 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, the three movie albums I did with Randy Miller – Godzilla, Superman, and Titanic – really fun to revisit these. Blu-ray, Murder My Sweet. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy the first day of the Indiegogo campaign did well. We can DO this.