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September 3, 2019:

220%!!! AND A FUN FIRST REHEARSAL AND FUN PLAY READING

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, in the breaking news department, may I just say: 220!!!  As of around noon today we’ll be in our final forty-eight hours.  We’ve just about covered the Indiegogo fees and now hopefully we can cover the money they’re going to withhold for six MONTHS.  And then, if we continue to beyond that, then I simply keep adding to the extras. So, let’s take this puppy home – to infinity and beyond, baby, we can go the distance.  Puuuuuush.

https://igg.me/at/creaturecampaign

Yesterday was a fine old day as days go.  I got up at noon after nine hours of necessary sleep. Once up, I answered e-mails, did some work on the computer, did a Facebook puuuuush, had telephonic conversations and realized I didn’t have time to go grab a bite to eat.  I had a tiny bit of pasta left in a box, so I made that, put a bit of butter and cheese on it, and wolfed it down.  Then it was time for rehearsal to begin.

First up was Kay Cole. As in the cabaret evening we did at the Group Rep, Kay is opening and closing the show – opening with our very cool arrangement of Once in a Lifetime and closing with What I Did for Love.  We ran both, she was great and that was that. Then Robert Yacko arrived, back from his New York stint in a play.  We ran his three numbers – a very rare cut song from Sunday in the Park with George, called Soldiers and Girls, then another cut song, this one from My Favorite Year, entitled Clarence Duffy.  And finally, my arrangement of Bookends/Old Friends, which my close personal friend, Mr. Guy Haines, recorded on The Paul Simon Album.  Robert does it beautifully.

After Robert, it was Eric Petersen.  We ran The Impossible Dream and frankly it’s impossible to understand why we’ve never in our nine years and 101 shows done this song.  Then he ran Fast Food Calypso, a song I wrote for my food musical called Feast – I updated the lyrics and he’s super funny with it. Finally, a put-together of the Broadway and movie versions of the title song from Sweet Charity.  I chose the put-together because we’re also doing You Wanna Bet, which is what the Broadway version started out as, until a new lyric for Oscar was written.  I thought it would be fun to do all three back-to-back.  But hearing the two songs, I wasn’t sure – but Eric didn’t know them well, so we’re holding off on a decision until we hear them on Thursday.  We have another put-together in waiting.

After Eric came Brittney Bertier.  We began with Irving Berlin’s rarity, Torch Song, which is very amusing.  Then it was my song, It Doesn’t Get Easier, which I’m going to have to play on the piano because the chart I have, which reflects the way Lanny Meyers arranged it for the Sandy Bainum album, just doesn’t reflect the song as I like it. There’s no time to do another chart so it’s just easier for me to play it – and now I have to practice so I CAN play it.  Finally, she ran With One Hand Tied Behind My Back, a song I really love that we recorded for Prime Time Musicals – it’s by Livingston and Evans.

Then came little Peyton Kirkner.  She began with The Boy from… from The Mad Show – I’ve had young people do it before and I really think it’s funny that way.  Then we ran her second number, a rare song that was cut from the huge flop, Georgy, based on Georgy Girl, called Toy Balloon.  I’d paired it with Up, Up, and Away, but that song is so all over the place in terms of octave jumps and I just cut it instantly, especially as Peyton sings Toy Balloon so beautifully.

Next up was Laura Wolfe.  We ran her two solos, My Own Space from The Act, a beautiful song that no one ever does, and then another ME song, Falling Out of Love, another song we’re doing exactly as I wrote it, rather than with the “new” feel that Lanny gave it.  She does it really well.  Then Kerry O’Malley arrived and she and Laura ran their duet, The Hit Parade, a ME song from my unproduced musical, Pals.  Every time we do a song from this show everyone asks to hear more, and this song has not been performed since the last reading of the show, back in 1991.  They are superb together.  Then Kerry ran her two solos, the Sweet Charity song when it was called You Wanna Bet, and then the title song from the flop musical, I Had a Ball.

Then we waited for our other readers to arrive to read the play. What a cast we had: Kerry O’Malley, Peyton Kirkner, Bill Hayes, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, Daniel Bellusci, and Brittney Bertier.  It went really well – the play plays much better than it reads, but then again I hate reading plays.  Since I’m going to be directing this, it was very helpful for me to hear it out loud.

After that, I had to get some food, so I just went over to Taco Bell and got this new thing they have – a triple double crunchwrap supreme, as I’ve always enjoyed the regular crunchwrap supreme.  I got two crunchy tacos, too.  I came right back home and ate it all up, and the triple double thing was actually really good.

Then I wrote the blurb for our release, got the tracks where they needed to go, and the packaging is in for approval, so hopefully will announce on Wednesday or Thursday.  Then I listened to music and it was time to write these here notes, which, as you can see, I’ve been doing.

Today, I’ll try to be up by eleven, and then I’ll do a Facebook puuuush as we go into our final forty-eight hours.  Then I’ll go eat, hopefully pick up some packages, do some banking, and then finish the second set of liner notes and get them on their way where they need to go, and then I can relax.

Tomorrow, I’ll get everything ready for the announcement, do a big final twenty-four-hour puuuuuush for the campaign, and then just begin the countdown to crossing the finish line.  And then we’ll either announce at midnight, in the morning, or that midnight or next morning.  Thursday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal, Friday I think I can relax a bit, Saturday is our stumble-through, and 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, do a final forty-eight-hour puuuuuush on Facebook, eat, hopefully pick up packages, bank, finish liner notes and then relax.  Today’s topic of discussion: What is the strangest, most exotic foodstuffs you’ve eaten?  Spare no detail.  Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, thrilled we’re up to 200% and hoping to still go to infinity and beyond, and happy the play reading went well.

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