Well, dear readers, we had an oversold house for yesterday’s matinee and for the second time I had to stand in the back and watch. It was a very good show – the audience was a little quieter than the previous two, but boy did they cheer at the end. The best part of this entire thing for me is seeing how happy and cheery our audiences are after the show. This is what I wanted most for A Carol Christmas – something to lift the spirits and send you out happy. And in that I think Doug and I succeeded. Robert Yacko was back seeing it for the second time, and also Kritzerlanders Sophie Ullet, Adam Wylie, and Adrienne Stiefel were there. Peyton’s mom’s side of the family were there – about eight of them, I think. For the first time ever, Hartley, our Carol, who has done an absolutely fantastic job of carrying this show on her shoulders – she is literally off the stage for a total of about five minutes after the first sequence and that’s it – and I’ve directed her to be a powerhouse motor and to never let her energy down and since just about every other line of dialogue is hers that is no mean feat – not to mention her songs – well, in her eleven o’clock number she got to the second verse and started to repeat the first verse, caught herself but couldn’t quite get the words to come out and so repeated some more and got through it and then hit the bridge and was fine. But she did it in such a way that all actors should learn – she had so much fun with it and it let the audience not be uncomfortable – she just went with it – later we laughed so hard about it because I told her it was like Jerry Lewis had suddenly showed up. It was hilarious. And I have to say, that eleven o’clock number does exactly what it’s designed to do – get a huge applause – and there’s not been one performance where that hasn’t happened. And my little pro Peyton learned exactly how long to wait before coming in with her line that follows the song – I gave her one little note about it at one of the previews and she just has the most perfect timing.
I hung out for a bit, then stopped at Gelson’s, which wasn’t too crowded, thankfully, and I got the rolls for the Do, along with some ham from the deli counter (not dopey ham – real ham they’d just made), a little seafood salad, and a couple of other little things, and then I came home, made two little ham sandwiches for my meal o’ the day, ate the seafood salad, and listened to music and finished choosing the last of the songs and got everyone their music.
Prior to that, I’d gotten seven-and-a-half hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, and then got ready for our matinee.
After if finished eating, I made two big batches of tuna pasta salad. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a Flix of Net comedy special with Ellen Degeneres. I’ve always like her – I like that she never pushes, she’s always real and understated, and just lets her jokes play naturally. And thus it was for the eighty minutes of this comedy concert in some huge theater in Seattle. It moved quickly, some of it is moving, and I love to watch any comic who really understands subtle timing.
Then I began the chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing routine and that took the rest of the evening, but it’s all done and ready for me when I get up today.
Today, of course, is the Day of the Do, the day we do the Do even though the Do isn’t in the day, it’s in the evening. But the day is spent in preparing everything. So, upon arising, I’ll begin the spaghetti sauce preparation – that usually takes thirty minutes or so and begins with sautéing the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in quite a bit of something called butter. Then the other ingredients get added, and then that simmers right up until six, when people begin arriving. I stir a lot, all through the day. At some point I’ll hopefully pick up some package, but that’s the only time I’ll be out. As always, I have no idea how many people will show up as I don’t ask for RSVPs, but I know there will at least be fifteen, and it will probably be much more than that – but that’s the minimum. I’ll kick everyone out at around ten-thirty. And of course there WILL be photographs.
Tomorrow is Christmas, and I’ll open whatever presents I get, then I think the Darling Daughter will come visit at some point, otherwise I’m stayin’ put. Then come Wednesday I’ll do a show order and get the commentary done. Since we’ve done several of the songs before, that’s just a cut and paste job, but I will have to write new stuff, too. Otherwise, I think I’m doing a lunch with dear reader, Jeanne, and there be one other meeting/meal to do, and then on Friday we begin the final weekend of A Carol Christmas.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, sleep in, prepare the spaghetti sauce and simmer, get everything ready for the Do, hopefully pick up packages, then I’ll get ready and wait for the first arrivals. Today’s topic of discussion: If you could have Santa bring you anything, what would it be? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as I get ready for the Day of the Do.