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August 28, 2018:

TRIPPINGLY ON THE TONGUE

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, it is VERY late and I am VERY tired and yet I must write these here notes, and I’ll try to write them trippinly on the tongue.  What am I, Hamlet all of a sudden?  It is VERY late because the singing contest didn’t really end until after ten-thirty and then Kay Cole and her ever-lovin’ Michael Lamont, Barry Pearl, and I went next door to The Federal and were there until almost one – chatting eating mac-and-cheese and a Caesar salad, and having tons of fun. 

The singing contest was a long evening.  All the contestants did an opening number, on which we judged their dance ability. Then each one did a monologue and a song, but oddly, given that it was the finals, they did songs that the producers chose for them.  I should have thought that to truly shine for the finals it should have been a song of their own choosing, but that’s just me.  When the final person finished, there was a fifteen-minute intermission and we all handed in our scoring sheets.  And there were a LOT because not only was it all of the judges for the past four or five weeks or however long it was, but there were also guest judges just there for the evening, including Sam Harris, John Lloyd Young, George Chakiris, and Michael Learned. 

Once the votes had been tallied, they brought everyone on and chose the top two vote getters. One of them was someone I really liked, but her song was just not a good fit for her – but her monologue, for me, was the evening’s best.  Then they let the judges do a “save” – one performer getting the most saved cards becomes the third finalist.  As soon as that happened, I knew that person would win because that’s what happened last year and one other year I was there.  And that is what came to pass and he was excellent and deserved it, which begs the obvious question as to why he wasn’t part of the two finalists to begin with. Kay and I sat next to each other and we had a lot of fun.

It was fun catching up with Sam Harris and I may try to get him for a Kritzerland show, since he lives here, and I had a nice chat with John Lloyd Young, too. 

Prior to all that, I’d slept seven hours, the alarm didn’t go off but I woke up just five minutes later anyway.  Once up, I was happy to see a healthy number of orders, with at least a few people ordering all three CDs, which is what I was hoping for.  Then I did the big week two push, but unfortunately I didn’t have enough help and after an initial burst of action, we petered out for the day and evening, but everyone is on it now and we’ll keep forging ahead, at least that’s the hope. 

Then I went and grabbed a bite to eat to tide me over until after the show.  I had a side salad and a grilled cheese sandwich. Then I picked up no packages or mail, came home, had some telephonic conversations, printed out more orders, monitored our campaign, was happy to see we got more reservations for the Kritzerland show, and then we had our first rehearsal, although three of our cast won’t have their first rehearsal until Wednesday.  First up was Maggie Balleweg and Autumn Jessel – they ran the number they’d done in the Richard Sherman concert – Let’s Get Together – so cute. I adjusted things since we don’t have head mics so they have to not move as much as they did.  They’re both adorable. 

After them, it was Johnny Whitaker.  He’s doing the number he did at the Sherman concert – If’n I Was God, but he asked if he could also do River Song from Tom Sawyer and of course I said yes.  He’s just great, and a terrifically nice fellow. After him it was Eric Petersen, fresh from his Broadway show Escape to Margaritaville (and prior to that, his year-long stint playing the lead in School of Rock on Broadway.  He’s doing a number from that show called When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock.  He does this number brilliantly.

Then it was Jenna Lea Rosen.  She ran her three numbers: It’s Good to Be Here from Happy Hunting, Ship in a Bottle from Heartbeats, and What Do I Do Now by li’l ol’ me, from my musical version of The Comedy of Errors.  She’s great on all three.  After that came Peyton Kirkner.  First we ran the number we’re premiering from A Carol Christmas, Little Miracles, which she and I are singing.  Then she ran her Shermanized Words Medley and was perfect.  She was going to come to the second rehearsal on Thursday but it’s such a long drive I told them just to come a bit early on Saturday. 

After that, it was time to mosey on over to the El Portal to judge the finals of the singing contest, and the rest you know.

Today, I have a lot of little things to do.  I will hopefully print out more orders, I’ll do errands and whatnot, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and at some point I’ll relax.

Tomorrow we have part two of the first Kritzerland rehearsal, Thursday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal, Friday I have a lunch meeting, Saturday is our stumble-through, and Sunday is our sound check and show, the first in our new venue. Then the whole thing begins again. 

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a lot of little things, hopefully print out more orders, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and at some point relax.  Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Shakespeare plays and your favorite Shakespeare speeches?  Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall dream trippingly on the tongue.

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