Well, dear readers, Kritzerland at Sterling’s 82 was a rousing success in every way. We had a nice crowd but more importantly a very demonstrative audience (but not in that phony way that plague most cabaret shows), the performers were all on their A game and of course those Styne songs are just magical. The pace was really good, the structure worked like gangbusters and I had a great time doing the patter, which got some really great laughs. I knew it was going to go well when the first of those big laughs came right away with my first elderly joke (the elderly joke has been a running gag from the beginning). For some reason on this show I veered from the writing a few times for humor reasons and I love doing that and when I feel free enough to do it. Even Sami, who was in the audience for this one, said, “Good jokes,” as I sat down after one of the intros. But it was the singers – what a group. Roger Befeler was charming and in great voice on all his numbers, Sarah Uriarte Berry tore the roof of the place with her opening and closing numbers, Kim Huber was on fire – she’s never been better, Keri Safran was her unique, winning and totally quirky and hilarious self, Nick Tubbs sounded wonderful on all his numbers, and young Mackenzie Wrap did an absolutely stellar job on her two numbers – this young gal not only has singing chops, she really knows how to act a song. They were all supported wonderfully by Alby Potts at the piano. We had a new sound guy who did a good job. All in all, it was just a really fun show and is certainly up there with the best Kritzerland shows.
After the show, a few of us went out to Little Toni’s – I had something new – pasta in butter with mushrooms and romano – it was much lighter than the regular pasta and butter I get and I really enjoyed it. I also had a slice of pizza – I’d only eaten an artichoke prior to that. On the way home, I stopped at Gelson’s as I needed a couple of things.
Prior to all of that, I got ten hours of gloriously glorious sleep, which I really needed. I reset the two clocks that needed resetting, and then I relaxed until it was time to leave. I packed up a few more things, too. Then I got ready, went to sound check, and then we did our show. When I got home from Gelson’s I prepped our new release – did the blurb and got the audio samples to Doug Haverty, so we should be able to announce tonight at midnight, hopefully. This one is a cast album reissue.
Today, I’ll be up by ten. I’ll load as many paintings as I safely can in the car, then between noon and one the piano movers arrive to move the piano to the new house. Once it’s packed up I’ll drive over and meet them there. Grant will be there to help me position it. We’ll also get the bookcases in the book room secured so we can begin unpacking boxes of books tomorrow. I’ll have to be on the road by three o’clock if I’m to grab a bite to eat, which I’ll need to. I also have to call Spectrum and discuss further the possibility of them buying me out of my DirecTV contract (it only has a few months but Spectrum is willing to pay it off no matter how many months) – if we do that it will save me over fifty bucks a month. We’re also talking about them installing a wireless alarm system – it’s basically free to do and adds a charge to the monthly bill but it will still be cheaper with all of that with what I was paying to DirecTV. I have to let the gas company and DWP know when my last day here is, and I have to do a change of address for any mail that still comes here – DGA, SAG/AFTRA, that kind of thing, as I’m not planning on doing a forwarding address at the post office. Then we have our Levi rehearsal – thirty minutes for Kay to clean up stuff, and then a run-through and notes.
Tomorrow, I’ll be taking lots o’ stuff to the new house – I’d like to get all the boxes over there and into the garage, and I think we may take the garage shelving over there on Wednesday and Thursday. We can’t take the CD shelves until the LACC kids come back to pack up the rest of the CD closet. The whole week will basically be taking stuff over, and then doing run-throughs every day (and planning the December Kritzerland). Friday the phone company makes the new phone number live. Saturday we begin tech for Levi, which I can only pray goes smoothly, as normally it would begin the day before but the day before is an official school holiday – so we’re losing one day of tech. Sunday, my day off, the TV and all stereo equipment and stands go to the new house and get hooked up. Then the following week is madness as everything else has to move over to the new house by Tuesday. Luckily our dress rehearsals will begin a bit later so I should have full days to do what’s needed. But Monday won’t be a day I can be there very much so the helper will supervise that day and that should be fine – plus Grant will be around to help, too – we have a band rehearsal followed by a sitzprobe followed by a dress rehearsal. And Tuesday I should be fully in the new house and if not the rest will come on Wednesday, but I sleep there on Tuesday night for the first time.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, load paintings into the motor car, move the piano, secure the bookcases to the wall, eat, and have a run-through. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite British musicals – not the ones of the last decade or two, but say from the 40s to the 80s? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a wonderful Kritzerland at Sterling’s 82.