Well, dear readers, another day, another notes. So it is written, so it shall be done. For a day without notes would be like a gazelle without a Wurlitzer organ. I gotta tell you.
Yesterday felt like a Wednesday to me, perhaps because it WAS a Wednesday. I got eight hours of sleep, had some weirdo dreams, got up, answered some e-mails, had a telephonic call, and then went and did some banking. I decided on an earlier than usual meal o’ the day and went and had an omelet and a bagel, not necessarily in that order. I came home, had a conversation with Richard Sherman about the end of act one of the Sherman Brothers musical, and then I spent the next few hours trying to make it work. In the end it’s certainly smoother and better than it was and I think it will stage well. I gave some characters who showed up out of nowhere with a musical number a bit more purpose and reason for showing up, which helps set those characters in motion and helps the number not be so arbitrary. I ended up leaving the reprise in because Richard likes it, but I added a coda to it, cleaned up some dialogue, wrote a few new lines and made the end of the act more dramatic and fun. That took most of the afternoon. I might try to get into act two just a bit – we’ll see. I then picked up one little package.
At some point, the general manager of the musical I’m directing dropped by with the rehearsal script, so I can now start prepping that over the next few days. Then I went to the theater for more auditions – one person cancelled (for the third time – three strikes, pal, and you’re on my list of people who will never audition for me), so we only saw two, neither of them right for this show. So, we’re putting out the word a little wider and hopefully we’ll see some people on Friday and perhaps Saturday.
We also confirmed the fourth person for the Kritzerland show, so just one more and we’re done. I stopped at Gelson’s on the way home and got a few items. Then I made two low-cal no-fat hot dogs and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I managed to watch a motion picture entitled Seven Days in May. I never remember much about this film, which is odd because every time I see it I remember how good it is. This is John Frankenheimer in his prime, and that’s pretty prime. It’s a crackerjack story (based on a novel) with a script by Rod Serling, a small but very good score by Jerry Goldsmith, and a group of superlative actors, the likes of which we no longer have. Kirk Douglas is understated and great, Burt Lancaster is chilling and also great, Fredric March is always wonderful to watch, Ava Gardner is fine, and the rest of the cast, filled with great character actors, is terrific. Frankenheimer’s direction is brilliant, and I’m happy to say that the transfer is immaculate and absolutely fantastic. Highly recommended by the likes of me.
After that, I did some more work on the computer, listened to some music, and that was that.
Today, I may or may not dive into act two of the Sherman Brothers musical, but if I do it would only be for an hour. Then I’ll go through the script of the musical I’m directing, make notes on all manner of things, hopefully pick up some packages, and then I’m thinking about Wacky Noodles for my home-cooked meal o’ the day. Then I have two back-to-back meetings, the first with my costume designer, the second with my musical director. After that, I should be able to relax.
Tomorrow I’ll do more of the same, mostly prepping the script of the musical I’m directing, then I have a meeting with Kay Cole, and after that I’m hoping we’ll audition some more actors. Saturday I’m seeing a private reading of the first act of a new musical, then we may or may not see more actors. I’ll stay put after that. Not sure what’s happening on Sunday but I wouldn’t be unhappy if it wasn’t much of anything other than more prepping. Monday I’ll have a brief visit in our rehearsal room to make sure the floor’s being taped out the way I like, and then on Tuesday we begin our rehearsals for the musical I’m directing. Those each last six hours a day.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, maybe dive into act two of the Sherman Brothers musical, begin prepping the script for the musical I’m directing, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and then have two back-to-back meetings. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and Fredric March? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have completed another day and another notes.