Well, dear readers, I do believe we launched our Levi Indiegogo campaign and it was all quite exciting, other than the Indiegogo site not updating totals quickly, which is very irritating as it saps the excitement when perks are begin grabbed and totals going up, but after an hour or so it righted itself until the early evening, when it got slow again at a critical rise in perk purchases. I have written several e-mails to no response, each successively stronger. But the bottom line is it was a great first day, and actually the first day is not over until ten this morning. And by ten last night, after twelve hours, we were a mere 1% below my dream goal for the first two or three days – 30% and perhaps by the time I arise this morning we’ll be at 30%. That would be the best first day of any Indiegogo campaign – in fact, we did so well that in the category of “Dance and Theater” we were trending, something that has never happened before and got us on that home page for all to see. And if you clicked “Explore” and just went to the general page, we were there, too, trending. So, a big than, you to all you early responders – several of the one-off items sold, and I put up a few new ones, which I’ll continue to do all throughout the campaign. So, now all we have to do is achieve the next 70% and it would be so wonderful if we could do that sooner than later, and then we could do our stretch goal of covering all the fees, and then if we go beyond that we could attempt to fund a cast album, which would be incredible. In any case, let’s keep on puuuuuuuushing and going up, which is the key – daily action is imperative in these first days. Here is the direct link to the campaign.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/levi-a-new-musical-by-the-sherman-brothers/x/9165600#/
I only got about six hours of sleep, got up, went to Indiegogo and went into preview and publish mode – it turned out that I hadn’t completed one section of information, so I got that all done and we went live a little after ten. The rises were pretty consistent all day and really only slowed up around nine at night. I still have to send out a Kritzerland eBlast, since there are a few items that may be of interest to film and stage collectors. The fastest sellers were the two Harvey Schmidt doodles, and I’m hoping to find others, but that will take a few days. The Sondheim note went right away and I’ll probably put on one more. And the Byrd art to The Anastasia Affaire went, so that was a good one. Also, the Disney cel went – I think those were the two highest ticket items. But I’m hopeful that some wealthy fan of the Sherman Brothers will come in for one of the much higher ticket items like producer or one of the two big-boy packages. It was fun staying on top of it save for the frustrating Indiegogo slowness.
I had a chicken Caesar salad for my meal o’ the day, and then we had our first Kritzerland rehearsal. First to arrive was someone named Sami Staitman. She ran her first two numbers, both of which she knew because she’s done them both before – the first was Pulled from The Addams Family and the second was Good Girl/Bad Girl from The Brain from Planet X. Then Daniel Bellusci arrived and they ran their duet, Reach Out from The Last Starfighter. Of course the amusing thing about him doing this number is that he worked with Lance Guest in my production of Hit Song, The Musical. Small world, isn’t it? Then Daniel ran his two solos, Loving You Keeps Me Alive, which was added to the Austrian production of Frank Wildhorn’s version of Dracula, and then Grow for Me from Little Shop of Horrors.
Then Robert Yacko arrived. He ran his three songs – Puttin’ On the Ritz from Young Frankenstein, then a put-together of Without Your Music and Home from the Maury Yeston Phantom. And finally it was back to Skip Kennon for the put-together of She Dies and Time and Time Again from Time and Again, which is now a Yacko staple. Then it was Lauren Rubin – she began with the song she introduced in The Brain from Planet X, Here on Earth. Then it was Touch’a Touch’a Touch’a Touch me from The Rocky Horror Show, and finally Someone Like You from Jekyll and Hyde.
Then Sharon McNight arrived and did her two songs – I Never Do Anything Twice from The Seven Percent Solution, and I Want to Be Evil, an Eartha Kitt song, both hilarious the way Sharon does them. Finally it was Hayley Shukiar, who’s opening the show but I’m keeping that opening a complete secret. Suffice it to say, she’s doing a wonderful job with a very complex number. It was a fun rehearsal.
Then I went to Gelson’s and got about four little things for my evening snack – although filling, none were really very caloric. Then I came home, kept up with the Indiegogo stuff and got a nice e-mail that could potentially lead to a long-time dream come true project – not one we’ll sell much of, but sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. More as things develop. And I listened to Bruckner and then this potential project, which was issued on CD in an ineptly done transfer thirty years ago – it sounds like utter crap, is mastered at a pathetically low level – it would really be grand to get this sounding fresh as a daisy, which I know we could.
Today, I have other things to catch up on and I’m trying to get a jump on the November show, as I’m not going to have much time to think about it once October rolls around. I already have one guy and one gal for it, so I’m on the road and I know what the show is and have been choosing its songs. I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up packages, I’ll stay on top of the Indiegogo campaign and put up some new perks, and I’ll do a Kritzerland eBlast for the campaign. So, you film music fans keep your eyes peeled – I’ll have signed sheet music by Elmer Bernstein and some one-of-a-kind items.
Tomorrow is more of the same, then Thursday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal where additional cast member David Burnham will be with us. Friday we have Robert Yacko’s second rehearsal as he has a gig on Thursday. Saturday is our stumble-through, and then Sunday is sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, catch up on things, get a jump on the November show, keep my eye on Indiegogo and add perks, eat, hopefully pick up packages and at some pont relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What other perks would you like to see in our campaign? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have just about gotten to our dream goal of 30% and in less than a day.