Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to a marvelously marvelous violin concerto by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco as played by the marvelously marvelous Jascha Heifetz. It’s a historic mono recording and the sound is incredible. Castelnuovo-Tedesco was an Eyetalian composer who wrote a lot of great guitar works. He came to the US and worked at MGM on tons of movie scores, mostly of the B variety, but in the end he had music featured in over 200 films, the most well known of which is probably the classic Rene Clair version of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. This violin concerto sounds like classic film music. There are some nice trio fillers, but it’s the concerto that’s the calling card. What am I, a music reviewer all of a sudden?
Yesterday was some kind of day and as soon as I figure out exactly what kind of day I’ll let you know. I only got five hours of sleep due to ABS – Active Brain Syndrome. I couldn’t sleep past nine-thirty so I got up, answered e-mails and began reading about they morning’s drama, which continued throughout the day. Since I knew if I watched any of it that I’d end up screaming, I opted out and just read various accounts. I finally finalized the final two songs – one beautiful ballad one comedy number from the rock-and-roll era, so that was good. I had many telephonic calls, and then we had our work session for the Kritzerland show – that went VERY quickly and smoothly.
After that I got ready for our audition session and finally moseyed on over to the Group Rep for our four o’clock start. I first stopped at the mail place and picked up no mail and a couple of packages – most importantly a new batch o’ checks for Ye Olde Checkbooke.
Of course the first scheduled person was a no-show, but happily that was the only no-show. We saw some very good folks – we were just trying to fill the one remaining ensemble gal and we had three good candidates – no one listed any conflicts. I chose the three candidates in order of preference and we have the ask out to the first one on the list, who just happens to have been a contestant in the recent Michael Sterling singing contest. We only saw one candidate for our leading man – he’s a little old for it, as was our other candidate. Our other candidate has a handful of conflicts whereas last night’s guy doesn’t, so even though he’s not perfect for it, we’re going to give him the role and I think he’ll be fine. He did a good reading with our leading lady and he sang okay. And we had two good female kids, so one of them is cast for sure and the other has to make some decisions about missing all her other activities to be in the show – we’re fine whether she does it or not but I’m hoping she can do it because I think it would be a good adventure for her.
After that, I went to Ralph’s, as I didn’t feel like sitting in a restaurant for an hour. I wanted their salad bar but the lettuce was pretty rotted, so I just got the ingredients – onions, egg, onions, asparagus, some ham, and cold salmon, then I bought one of those packages with lettuce. I also bought some salad dressing, a brand simply called Simply Dressed. I’d had the balsamic vinaigrette at Muse Margaret’s and really liked it. I came home, put the lettuce with the ingredients, dressed it and voila, a salad is born, not to be confused with A Star is Born starring Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga. It was good but I’m quite over salads now and this is where diets like Keto get difficult – I have to take a two or three day break from salads, so it’s eggs and I can certainly sautee up some chicken and vegetables and stuff like that. I can also have a filet mignon with Bernaise, shrimp scampi – all of that is fine. But I have not lost a damn pound yet on this stupid Keto diet.
I caught up on stuff on the computer, listened to more music, had more telephonic conversations, and relaxed. And that was the some kind of day day.
Today I have a lunch meeting during which I’ll eat lunch, which is what I enjoy doing at lunch. I’ll probably have an omelet of some sort but sans bagel and fruit. After that, I’ll hopefully pick up packages, and then I’ll come home and finish writing the commentary. After that I’ll probably watch some motion picture or other.
Tomorrow I’m not sure what’s happening. I hope to sleep in and mostly I need to relax and clear my head because we have a very busy week ahead. Sunday will be more of the same and then Monday we have our first Kritzerland rehearsal, Tuesday we begin music rehearsals for A Carol Christmas and we’re off and running.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora and the Tango, for today is the birthday of our very own dear reader JohnG. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader John G. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER JOHNG!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a lunch meeting during which I’ll eat lunch, I must hopefully pick up pacakges, I must write, and I must relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and you DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, lots of stuff including an opera I’m very anxious to her – Gottfried Von Einem’s opera of Kafka’s The Trial. I’ve heard a bit on the Tube of You and quite liked it. I knew nothing of Von Einem’s music until hearing a concerto for orchestra on the Tube of You – that led me to The Trial. Blu-ray, I have no idea. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had some kind of day.