Well, dear readers, this month is flying by, like a gazelle in Ketosis. And I? I? I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to one of the greatest musicals ever written via its original cast recording. Yes, I’m talkin’ about Frank Loesser’s magnificent masterpiece, The Most Happy Fella. I, of course, bought the CD the day it came out, in one of those double CD cases from Sony. I played it several times and what a treat it was. As a teen, I had the three-LP set, which I cherished. And I shan’t repeat my oft-told story about seeing the show in the round at Circle Star Theater in San Diego, with two of its original stars, Robert Weede and Art Lund. It was a life-changing experience for me, mostly because of meeting Mr. Weede after the matinee and having him invite me to that evening’s closing performance and then its cast party. The score is so glorious from start to finish. I haven’t played it in many moons, but I found that there’d been a subsequent CD release on Sony in a Digi-Pack style packaging. And that it had been remastered in 20-bit sound and that it carried the curious credit, Remixed by Thomas Z. Shepard, producer. Why is it curious? Because sadly The Most Happy Fella was recorded before Sony switched to stereo recording. So, what exactly did Mr. Shepard, producer, remix? A mono recording? I don’t get it. I have to find the earlier release, which came out in the late 1980s so I can compare the sound, but I’m thinking this new mastering is superior – it sounds excellent. I do wonder if the earlier release was from the album master and if this one’s taken from the original tapes, pre-album master. Robert Weede, Jo Sullivan, Art Lund, Susan Johnson, Shorty Long, Mona Paulee and the large company are brilliant. The English cast album, which came out here on Angel, has never had a legitimate release – Sepia put it out from vinyl, and it doesn’t sound so good, but hearing it in stereo is great. I also have the JAY recording, which I don’t care for much. What a pity that Sony was so late to the stereo party. They experimented on the Li’l Abner cast album but only released it in mono as they didn’t record the whole thing in stereo, just a couple of tracks. The following year, of course, would bring their first stereo cast albums and they were great – West Side Story, Bells Are Ringing and more. Still, the mono here is very good, very clear. Listening to it, I can tell you that I’M the most happy fella. I’ll do the comparison today and let you know what I find. But these songs, one after another. It just doesn’t get any better. Prior to that, I listened to Previn doing Ravel – a nice album – not my favorite performances, but very good, nonetheless. And prior to THAT, I finished watching the “final cut” of Blade Runner. Other than the narration being gone, and a few shots being reinserted, I don’t see all that much difference. And the film still has its problems, at least for me it does and no amount of “final cuts” are going to fix them. I especially feel the long sequence with Deckard and Roy Batty at the end just goes on and on and on.
Yesterday was a crowded and very busy day. I only got about five hours of sleep, got up, and then started going through the script, page-by-page, with Adryan Russ. There was a lot wrong with what was purportedly our most updated script – old versions of lyrics, stuff missing. I gave notes on every page, she typed them in, so it was a very laborious process. Act one took about two hours. I haven’t looked at the fruit of our labors, but I’m hoping she got everything right. Once I see the script is right, then the authors and I are going to make a handful of adjustments prior to the reading, but I’ll be entering them with Adryan so it’s not too many cooks sending things back and forth, which has been the problem. So, that was four hours of the day, split between two sessions. I had one other lengthy telephonic conversation with “Lulu” from Bluth Brothers Theater. That was both weird and fun. After we finished the first session, the CD guy came and picked up CDs, and then I went right to the mail place and picked up some packages and, more importantly, both important envelopes. I then went right to the bank to cash the pension check. Thankfully, there were no people in the bank, and I was in and out in less than five minutes. Then I walked to the nearby Bank of America. There were about six people in line, but no one in line at the business window, save for the person AT the window. So, I went there and the person at the window was just walking away, so I went right up, made the deposit and was out of there in less than five minutes. Then I came home, and the piano tuner came soon thereafter. He got the piano in tune – it was really out, especially the mid-to-low notes. Once he was gone, I finally ordered food, a chopped salad from Stanley’s, with a ten-dollar off coupon. It arrived and it was really good. Otherwise, I just had some pistachios and some salami and cheese much later in the evening. And then it was The Most Happy Fella. I’ve posted this in the discussion board but here it is in the notes – the magnificent Robert Weede doing the great act two closer, Mamma, Mamma. He sang this on TV, but you’ll get the idea of just how incredible he was.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll continue to cast the reading and Kritzerland, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat, and then we have a Zoom read-through of the playlet, then I’ll send the author some notes. And then I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’m having photographs taken, then dinner with David Wechter, so that will be fun. Friday is dinner with Barry Pearl, Saturday is our first live rehearsal for the playlet. That will give me the lay of the land as to how much work this will be, but the play is only ten minutes, I think, so I’m sure we’ve booked enough rehearsal time. Then we don’t meet again until next Tuesday. I’m hopeful we can announce our new titles sooner than later, too.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, continue to cast, hopefully pick up packages, eat, have a Zoom read-through, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, in heaven being the most happy fella listening to The Most Happy Fella.