Well, dear readers, the Group Rep cabaret is done. The second performance was better than the first and the first was really good. Everyone seemed more secure, and several people were what we call in the show business – on fire. Kerry O’Malley brought the house down twice, the surprise appearance of mystery guest Barry Pearl went brilliantly, with him singing What Causes That from Crazy for You, which he’s done several times as Bela Zangler. The actors for whom I had a few notes, took those notes and went to town and they could hear how those little adjustments got them huge laughs. Couldn’t have been prouder of the Group Rep folks, our lighting guy, Doug Gabrielle, our sound guy, Sammy Strittmatter, and all the people who helped with setting up. And I am the human who got Doug Haverty to sing, and HE brought the house down. Robert Yacko and Daniel Bellusci were their usual excellent selves, but everyone did great. My Opening Numbers song went over well – many lovely comments about it and my performance of it, which was nice. We must have had over fifty people there – they can only really seat about sixty comfortably outside – so, that was nice. I wasn’t as thrilled with my patter performance for this second show – it was fine, but I began going off the paper and those bits worked best of all, including one that had a laugh go on for a very long time. After the show, there was the desert buffet, which I again did not partake of. My favorite moment was when the daughter of a Group Rep member and former LACC gal came up to me, introduced herself (I suspect she was around eighteen) and told me she thought I was the best host of a show ever. That really tickled me. But there were so many lovely compliments and everyone at the Group Rep knows from having done formless cabaret shows that the ones we do are the only way to do them. I knew several people there, including my Nothing in Common collaborators, Adryan Russ and Rick Podell, Adryan’s ever-lovin’ Dale was there, Barry Pearl had friends there, my big Partridge Family fan was there, some Group Rep folks, and some folks I didn’t know at all. All in all, I think we had a success and hopefully they made some bucks – I’m sure they did, and every little bit helps. We were all planning to go to the Coral Café when I was told they close at eleven – it’s been an all-night place forever, so that was really upsetting. And so, I ended up at In-N-Out again – didn’t really want it but there were no other choices, frankly. I got my usual cheeseburger and animal fries, came home, wolfed them down and then decided I needed a damn treat, went to Uber Eats online, found a frozen yogurt place that’s open until one and got some vanilla with a chocolate shell, almonds, something else I can’t remember. It just arrived, so it’s currently in the freezer staying chilled.
Prior to all that, I got about seven hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails and did a few things on the computer, but mostly relaxed and rested my voice, although I really wasn’t having any problems, which was nice. I had a small chicken Caesar salad to tide me over, listened to the rest of the Shostakovich quartets, shaved, showered, and then it was time to mosey on over to the theater for set-up and a short sound check. We did our show and the rest you know, which means you dear readers are all caught up with yesterday’s events. I’ll have some photographs for tomorrow’s notes.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll dive in to choosing the rest of the songs for the Kritzerland cabaret – I’ve got five chosen so far and a few ideas for others. I’ll eat something fun and good, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and envelopes – I haven’t been in five days, so hopefully there’s something of interest there, and then whatever is left of the day is for ME – I’ll most likely watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow will be more of the same, I may have to trek out to storage as the helper ran out of Tonight’s the Night song folios and I got some more yesterday. I really want to finish choosing the songs so I can get the singers their music, and I still have to find two guest stars and that is proving very daunting indeed. But I will persist and hopefully land a couple of fun folks. Friday, I may be having a meal, and then the weekend is for ME. Monday, I think I’m having a lunch meeting with David Wechter – he moved recently, so I’ll see his new abode and we’re talking about writing another screenplay, based on an idea I had – basically resurrecting a long-dormant genre. I have a good instinct, as I did with The Faculty, for when it’s a good time to bring something back and it’s a genre we both love.
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, choose songs, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and then have a ME rest of the day, in which I’ll 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, happy to have had an even better second show.