Well, dear readers, we had us a fun stumble-through for Monday’s Kritzerland show. More lyric fumfers than usual, but happily we have an extra day for them to fix those problems. But the songs are so much fun and so great, and the cast is just fantastic – each unique with a unique voice. There were lots of laughs (I must say, Adrienne Visnic brought the house down with the opening number – the What If song), a few tears, and it all moved along swiftly. And our surprise closing number also got a great reaction. I gave my usual small notes afterwards. I hadn’t eaten all day, so I went and got a pastrami sandwich with cole slaw and Russian dressing and a few fries, as well as a side Caesar salad, all good and all filling. I left about a third of the fries.
Speaking of fries, let’s wish a very happy Father’s Day to all the father’s out there in the dark – I, for example, happen to be a father out there in the dark. My Darling Daughter sent me a nice thing of fresh cherries. So, let’s have us the mother of all Father’s Day.
After that, I came home and spent the entire evening listening to marvelous music from all eras and all kinds of composers, all part of the massive Andre Cluytans box set. I finished all his Ravel recordings, which are brilliantly done and now my favorites of all I own. And after those and a few others I went back to the beginning of the set, the transfers from 78s starting back in the 1940s. I was surprised to find myself enjoying a Beethoven piece – the piano concerto number four. But while I heard a lot of music that isn’t my particular thing, there was something so charming and old-fashioned listening to these old recordings of superb performances of pieces I’ve never heard, rather like sitting in one’s living room like so much fish seventy years ago, before television, and listening to the radio. It was a lovely way to spend an evening and relax, which is what I absolutely needed to do.
Prior to all that, I got about six hours of sleep, then we had a run-through of Dial ‘M’ for Murder – the blocking is getting firmer but there are still some pesky mistakes. But we go over them between acts and hopefully they’ll get it all down sooner than later. After watching the first part of the first scene I decided I wasn’t happy with the staging – I got the actors on their feet and moved them around, but watching it again it all seemed arbitrary – I did it because they’d been sitting for a couple of minutes, but today I decided that since it’s the beginning of the play with a lot of information coming the audience’s way that it’s fine to sit. And one of them gets up a couple of times to get a drink, so there’s that – sometimes simpler is just better. I did that two other times where I thought things would be simpler without moving, just to make certain the information was crystal clear. Rehearsal lasted three hours. There were no packages to pick up. The rest you know.
Today, I shall sleep in, I shall be lazy, I shall read through the commentary, futz and finesse if necessary, then print it out. I do know one package is arriving today so I’ll gather that up at some point. I’m going to get some food from Gelson’s rather than go out – I just need to stay home and rest my voice and body, not necessarily in that order. I’m hoping to actually watch a motion picture or two – haven’t done that in three weeks and must get through the piles on the couch. Piles on the Couch – that’s the title of my next novel.
Tomorrow, I’ll do banking and a few things, but mostly I’ll relax until it’s time for sound check and then we do our show. I will, of course, have a full report for you. Tuesday we’re back with Dial ‘M’ but my days should be freer. I have some music work to do for the Sherman Brothers musical and I also have to get a group of actors together for our private reading on July 10. I have about four confirmed so far, but we need about fifteen. But I have a lot of stuff to catch up on that I’ve let slide over the last four weeks due to the crazy schedule I’ve had. No Kritzerland show in July, but I’m going to cast and figure out the August show now so I’m not up against the wall like I was with this one. I already have three of our five performers.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must for example, sleep in, be lazy, futz and finesse the commentary and print it out, watch movies, eat, pick up a package, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, wishing all our fathers out there the mother of all Father’s Days.