Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, thoroughly delighted whilst listening to Mr. John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera. I gather there are quite a few performing versions and knowing when it was written I’m sure the original is very much of its time. I know that Benjamin Britten did an adaptation that’s well thought of that I’d like to hear at some point, Arthur Bliss did the musical adaptation for the Olivier film version, but I’m so glad I took a chance on the one I got because I’m absolutely loving it. It has orchestrations by Douglas Gamley that are stunning and quite lusciously luscious, Richard Bonynge is the conductor and what a cast – Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Angela Lansbury, Michael Horden, and more. It sounds like a cast recording, actually. My only criticism is the recording itself, which is one of those “spacious” concert hall things, where volume levels vary wildly and dialogue sometimes is so low you can barely hear it. But the band sounds great (the National Philharmonic) and it’s just so delightful and I cannot imagine liking any other version as much, although I have the Olivier film here and now I’ll actually watch it. Of course, Mr. Brecht and Mr. Weill did their own adaptation of The Beggar’s Opera – The Threepenny Opera. Anyway, cannot recommend this highly enough. Otherwise, I never had time to watch much of anything, although I did watch some of the motion picture musical, 1776, which I’ve been meaning to watch. Other than the inept direction (Mr. Hunt did great onstage – not as much on film, since he was a complete novice), you get most of the original cast, the Peter Stone book is really something else again, and I’m enjoying it and, of course, I really like the score. Some don’t, but it just works perfectly in the show (and film) and Eddie Sauter’s orchestrations are just wonderful.
Yesterday was a nice, calm day, just what I needed, frankly. I only got about six-and-a-half hours of sleep, was up at eleven-thirty, answered e-mails, did a little work on the Group Rep cabaret show order, did a few other things, and then moseyed on over to the Coral Café for a lunch meeting. I can’t remember if I talked about this or not, but a young woman who did several of the online Kritzerland shows’ ensemble numbers, sent me an e-mail telling me about a Kickstarter campaign she’d begun a couple of days earlier, trying to raise seven thousand bucks for a short film. I visited the Kickstarter page, saw she wasn’t very far along, and knew that if she didn’t start working in a different way that she would never fund. I e-mailed her and told her she wasn’t going to succeed and that if she wanted help and advice, I’d be happy to help her. She called instantly, desperate to know how to fix what she was doing. And I coached her, told her she had to do immediate damage control, and then told her exactly how to do it all. I could probably become a coach because what I’ve found over all my campaigns, always works. And to her immense credit, she did exactly what I told her instantly. At two days in on a three-week campaign, she was at seven hundred bucks, and I told her she needed to be at two K by the end of that evening. That was daunting, but by the end of that evening she’d surpassed two K and I told her if she got to three K within the next two days, she would absolutely fund. She kept doing everything I told her to do, meeting every goal, and she funded several days ahead of the finish line and went over by a few hundred, therefore covering her fees. And because she was also taking contributions on Venmo, she actually raised a total of 8K. She’s a very sweet person and I was happy to help. She filmed a week or two ago.
But I didn’t want her to end up with an editor who was a beginner, because films are made in the editing room. I felt she’d do best with a pro and told her about Marshall Harvey. I guess she’d been talking to several folks about it, but I told her she really needed to meet Marshall before deciding. That was today’s lunch and I think she really liked him a lot, understood that it’s a good thing to have a seasoned person editing, and I think by the end of it she decided to go with him. So, she’s in REALLY good hands now.
I had a chicken salad sandwich and a few onion rings, all excellent, and then a piece of cherry pie for dessert – cherry pie is one of the lowest calorie pies you can have and since I knew I wasn’t going to be eating anything else, I figured it was okay.
After that, I went to the Group Rep and had a two-minute meeting with the sound guy about the cabaret, and then I headed home. I had a lot of e-mails to answer, I answered them, I watched the bit of 1776, then did a quick Ralph’s run – all beverages – Diet Coke and Sparkling Ice – came home, and began listening to The Beggar’s Opera, which is still playing as I type these here notes.
Today, I’ll be up by ten-thirty, then I’m meeting Sami Staitman and her mom for lunch at noon – she’s in town for only about eight days, so I’m glad to be able to see her. After lunch, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, then I’ll come home and continue making a show order and hopefully start writing the commentary. Later in the evening, I may go over to the Group Rep to see the last of the playlets, as there’s a replacement actress Doug wants me to see. We’ll see how I’m feeling.
The weekend is bereft of plans, but I’ll just do the stuff I have to do, watch movies, listen to music, have some meals, and then next week is super busy getting ready for the Group Rep cabaret.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten-thirty, have a lunch, hopefully pick up packages, finish making a show order and start writing the commentary, maybe see a playlet, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, a new little set of Bernard Herrmann Phase 4 albums. Blu-ray, the rest of 1776. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a nice, calm day.