Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish and I’ve decided to tell you about the dirty letter “A”. This is a curious phenomenon, this phenomenon of the dirty letter “A.” It’s a bafflement, a conundrum, a mystery, a puzzlement, etc. etc. etc. What am I, the King all of a sudden? No, I am the I, not the King and here is the phenomenon: I have a handy-dandy wireless keyboard, which I use to write these here notes and on which I type all the livelong day and evening. I occasionally clean it, although it’s never that dirty. Well, that is except for the letter “A”. For some strange reason, that specific letter is always black with dirt – you can’t even see the “A” very well. So, I clean it with a damp cloth and it’s quite difficult to get all that dirt off that single letter. When I do this, I don’t shut off the keyboard, which, if I’m in the midst of writing something, results in aaaaaaaaa ad nauseum. But now the dirty letter “A” is clean as a whistle, although I’m not really sure how clean a whistle actually is. And there you have the tale of the dirty letter “A.” It was a corker, wasn’t it? Otherwise, I have just this moment finished listening to another CD of the Carl Nielsen opera entitled Saul and David, which I believe is the only other commercially released recording. This one was/is on the Unicorn label, is conducted by Jascha Horenstein, and is sung in English rather than Danish. Unicorn CDs were some of the worst CDs ever issued. Whoever mastered them was an idiot and knew not what they were doing, and then whoever pressed their CDs pressed what were extremely problematic CDs in that after a decade or so, many copies “bronzed” and became unplayable. I lucked out in that regard with my Unicorn CDs, in that the last time I played some of the Bernard Herrmann CDs they played fine as did a few others I have. The first copy of the Unicorn Saul and David had bronzed so badly that I couldn’t even get it entered into iTunes – the CD player would just automatically eject it. So, that went back, and I got a refund, and I found another copy. That one arrived yesterday and while it clearly had bronzed (you can always tell as the CD turns bronze rather than its original silver), it wasn’t as bad, and I managed to get it into iTunes. Half of each of the two CDs plays fine, while the other half has quite a bit of noise due to the bronzing, rather like bad LP noise. I suspect in another few months these will also be unplayable. But it was fun to hear this performance – I thought I’d like it better than the other one, but alas, that was not the case.
Prior to that, I’d gotten the Shout Factory Blu and Ray of The Dead Zone, so I checked out the transfer and it’s really excellent – a new scan off the camera negative. It’s rock-solid with perfect color. Since I’d just watched it, I watched the special features – a few new interviews, including one with female lead Brooke Adams, and then all the featurettes that were on the special edition DVD from 2006 or whenever it was. I hadn’t seen any of them, so they were fun to watch for the interviews. Christopher Walken was in absentia (I suspect he doesn’t like to talk about his work), but Cronenberg was there and he’s always interesting. He spoke lovingly of composer Michael Kamen – normally his composer of choice is always Howard Shore, but Shore couldn’t do The Dead Zone. Kamen’s score is wonderful and I’m listening to it now as I write these here notes. It’s just perfect for the film and really captures the emotions of the film and its characters. I don’t recall the ins and outs of the CD release or who did it, but the main title track begins with some really off-putting electronic stuff – thank goodness, saner heads prevailed and that noise isn’t heard at all in the film. The main theme “borrows” its motif from the Sibelius second symphony, but it works very well and it’s not all that many notes, ultimately.
Yesterday was an okay day. I got eight hours of sleep, answered e-mails, picked up a package that contained both Saul AND David, came home, got it into iTunes and listened to a good deal of it, occasional noise and all. Then I had to get ready for the early dinner meeting at five at the Encino branch of the California Pizza Kitchen aka CPK. I do believe it’s the only Valley location I haven’t been to. It’s an excellent branch, with a very nice female host and very nice wait staff – very attentive and fun. I was meeting with the mom and dad of an eleven-year-old girl, also in attendance. I met with them once before and they came to the Kritzerland show. So, I told the girl that she can do the Kritzerland holiday show as well as the all young folks show in January and she seemed very happy about it. I have a good feeling about her, and my instincts are usually correct in that regard. I had my usual roasted garlic chicken pizza, which was quite excellent.
After that, I came home and thankfully there was little traffic on Ventura Boulevard, so that was nice. I will admit to stopping at K’s Donuts and getting a chocolate peanut butter thing, just because I’d been talking about it at dinner and once you talk about it you kind of have to have one.
Once back home, I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched the extras on The Dead Zone Blu-ray, then had a telephonic conversation, then finished the opera and the rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, as I’m stuck here all day until six because they’re doing something stupid to the street – I think they call it sluicing. I know what I call it, but this is a family site, you know. So, I’ll do whatever needs doing, including reading Doug Haverty’s play – the one we’re doing a reading of, which I’m directing. He’s done a little rewrite, based on notes and thoughts I gave him, so I’m anxious to read it and I know he’s addressed the one thing I felt really strongly had to be changed in order to keep the lead character likeable and sympathetic. Kerry O’Malley is coming by at three to run her patter and stuff for a double act she’s doing on October 10. In one of those funny scheduling things, now there’s a going away party that night for Hartley Powers and hubby at Doug’s house, so I’ll have to come to it late right after Kerry’s show ends. Not sure I’ve mentioned it, but Hartley is pregnant, and she and her hubby have pulled up stakes, sold their condo and are moving to Florida, where they bought a nice house and where his folks are. I wish they weren’t going, but they feel it’s a safer place and a better place to start their family.
At six, I’ll go to the mail place if there’s anything to pick up (they’re open until six-thirty), and I’m not sure when or what I’ll be eating. I can make Wacky Noodles or some pasta with red sauce but I’m kind of not in the mood to dirty up pots and pans. We shall see. And then, at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I have a three-fifteen meeting with another young kid and her folks. So many of our kids are, of course, aging out of our young folks show so I’m trying to find some new kids on the block who can join our Kritzerland family. Friday, I rehearse with the singer and then have a belated birthday dinner with Marshall Harvey, and from there I’ll go watch the opening of act two of London Suite to see my friend perform the lead female role. Since Marshall also knows her, perhaps he’ll tag along. Not sure what the weekend will be yet.
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, be stuck here all day, read a play, meet with Kerry O’Malley, eat, hopefully pick up packages, 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, happy to have told the tale of the dirty letter “A”.