Well, dear readers, Kritzerland at Sterling’s 73 was a wonderful evening with a wonderful audience – almost full, but not quite. There were enough different things in the show that kept it completely fresh, and it all moved along at a steady clip. I kept the patter a little shorter than usual. The first laugh in the patter is always after my now-standard opening line after I ask who and who hasn’t been with us before. I then always say, “For those who are new to us I always have to explain that I am elderly and I must read from the paper” and then I follow that with what will happen if I don’t read from the paper. It’s daunting coming up with something funny every month, but I knew this month’s would a) make people nervous for a second and b) get a nice laugh – both things happened. I said “Because if I don’t read from the paper I’ll just start doing this parlor game I’m really good at. I can look out in this audience and I can tell you, without fail, who in this audience voted for…” a beat of a pause and then, “the legalization of marijuana.” It got a good laugh and then I looked at a fellow at the table in front of me and pointed at him as if to say, “I’m right, aren’t I?” Anyway, it was a great show all around.
The cast was just amazing – Brittney Bertier doing a bang-up job with my song This Christmas and a great duet with Robert Yacko on Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Robert shone on his other numbers, Count Your Blessings and Christmas in LA (a Sherman Brothers song from LA Now and Then – and of course Richard was with us), Maggie Randolph (this year’s winner of Michael Sterling’s Next Great Stage Star competition) doing a swell job, Kerry O’Malley – I’m not sure she could have been more perfect – the best. And then our youngsters – Brennley Brown doing a beautiful job on a song our very own elmore did the harmonization and arrangement for (and as far as I’m concerned, should share writing credit for), and doing a great job with Sami Staitman on our opener, Be A Santa – we’ve done that for all six holiday shows and this time was the best – it was their performance and energy, but also the hats – you’ll see what I mean when I post the video. And Sami doing an absolutely beautiful version of A Place Called Home. And finally, eleven-year-old Hayley Shukiar, doing the Shirley Temple number, I Love to Walk in the Rain – not only singing, but also playing trumpet and tap dancing – she stopped the show cold and I mean she stopped the show cold. I adore this little bundle of energy and we will have the video. The icing on the cake was, of course, Bill Hayes, doing a wonderful job with The Christmas Song. Happy to say my voice was fine on Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Richard Allen at the piano – and a new sound guy who did a really good job. And everyone sang me Happy Birthday, which was lovely. We get January off (the first Sunday is the first, so no way to do a show), but we’ll be back in February with Kritzerland at Sterling’s 74.
After, several of us went to Little Toni’s and I had a salad and the Eyetalian cold cuts sandwich, all excellent. Then I came home and relaxed with some more wonderful Villa Lobos music – finished all the amazing Choros and moved on to the Bachianas – the sound and performance is, for me, much better than the EMI set with Enrique Batiz.
Prior to all that, I’d gotten nine hours of sleep, and then did a two-and-a-half mile jog then just relaxed until it was time to mosey on over to The Federal for sound check. Oh, and here’s a photograph of our merry troupe.
And the obligatory Sami and li’l ol’ me photograph.
And our three young performers – Sami, Hayley Shukiar (check out her costume), and Brennley Brown.
Today, I shall try to relax a bit, but I have some banking to do, I’ll jog, hopefully pick up some packages, eat something light but amusing, and do a little work on the computer.
Tomorrow we have a rehearsal for the Richard Sherman event, Wednesday we have a sound check and then the event, Thursday is my very own actual birthday and I’m begin taken for a birthday lunch by Kay Cole, and then Friday we’ll start comping vocals and get all that finished up. As soon as we settle on the cover photo and Doug designs it, then we can announce it, probably just before Christmas.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do some banking, do a jog, eat, hopefully pick up packages, do a few things, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your plans for the Christmas holiday? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had such a fun Kritzerland at Sterling’s 74.