Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, as I have been for most of the day and evening, listening to all the music I finally got into iTunes – three CDs and the contents of a small box set of seven CDs. That is a lot of listening, but frankly I wasn’t in a watching mood. I’ve been watching a LOT of stuff lately and I just couldn’t get with anything yesterday, not for want of trying. I tried to get with some Benedict Cumberbatch movie on Amazon Prime entitled The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, about the man who popularized cat illustrations, something dear reader elmore might enjoy. I might enjoy it, too, but the first thirty minutes were just not really engaging and I can only take Mr. Cumberbatch in small doses. And I watched the first twenty minutes of one of those Eyetalian horror movies from the 1960s, another Mario Bava wannabe, this one featuring the star of Bava’s Black Sunday, Barbara Steele, who starred in many of these Eyetalian things – this is one of the few films of hers from that era that I was never able to find, so it is fun to see it finally. It’s pretty average so far, but the black-and-white photography is excellent and there’s a nice score by Francesco de Masi. And, of course, there’s Barbara Steele at her most beautiful. But you have to be in the mood for these things and I wasn’t. I also wasn’t in the mood for love, either, but that’s another story. And so, it was basically an all-listening day and evening. I began with the Broadway cast recording of The Sound of Music. Most people know and love the film version, as they should, so this one rarely gets mentioned. I had it when it came out, purchased from the Columbia Record Club, and I enjoyed it a lot back then. Mary Martin is warm and inviting as Maria, Theodore Bikel is fine as The Captain, and the supporting players are all fine, as are the children. It’s also nice to have all the songs that weren’t used in the film. I think screenwriter Ernest Lehman was correct in removing them – they work onstage but they would not have landed in the film. And oh that Columbia stereo sound of that era cannot be beat, and Goddard Lieberson does his usual brilliant job of producing. I can imagine it would be an ear shock to anyone who only knows the film version – very different song order and very different orchestrations. One of the kids, Marilyn Rogers, would go on to star in a favorite low-budget film I love called Ladybug, Ladybug. She also originated the role of Amaryllis in The Music Man (under her real name of Marilyn Siegel), and also originated the role of Shprintze in Fiddler on the Roof. She didn’t have much of a career after that, which was a real shame. She passed away in 2010 – she was born the same year I was. Here she is on the left as Brigitta.
Then I listened to an album called Hamlisch Uncovered, very much an “homage” to the kinds of albums I produced (surprised they just didn’t call it Unsung Hamlisch), but without any of the production values. It features songs with piano accompaniment by Michael Lavine from Smile (both the Ashman and Carolyn Leigh versions), one song from Ballroom, which he was revamping, three cut songs from Sweet Smell of Success, two songs from The Nutty Professor, one song from Bullets Over Broadway, one from The Entertainer, and six from Imaginary Friends. Some good singers and some ordinary singers. The best-sounding selections are from Imaginary Friends, because that was an actual demo recording that was just stuck on here. The other stuff is, I’m sorry to say, not very good-sounding – the piano sounds cheap and so does the recording and the engineer certainly did no favors to the singers. A few of the songs are very nice, most are just okay. Wanted to like it better, but frankly all these songs are crying out for the kind of treatment we used to give these kinds of albums – orchestrations and a band.
After that, it was a lovely album of British flute concertos – the best of them, for me, was by a favorite Brit composer, William Alwyn, but there are also wonderful things by Poulenc and Lennox Berkeley. A composer I’ve never heard of called Jonathan Dove has a lovely opener. Very enjoyable CD. And then I began the box set of Alexis Weissenberg’s complete RCA recording on seven CDs. I didn’t know his piano playing at all, but so far it’s a very enjoyable set. The oldest recording is in mono, from the early 1950s and is terrific – Prokofiev, Scriabin, and Rachmaninoff, which is also the name of an accounting firm in Duarte. The second disc is all Chopin music by Chopin and it’s a lovely disc. The third is the third Rachmaninoff piano concerto, which I thought was a splendid performance, right up there with the best of them. Disc four is all Debussy all the time and it’s fantastic. That’s where I currently am – the other CDs contain Haydn, Bartok’s piano concerto, and finally the Rachmaninoff preludes. All discs but the first are in excellent stereo sound.
Yesterday was fine. I got eight hours of sleep – could have used a bit more but I had to get up and Zoom with the singer and it’s a good thing I did. We ran at least some of every number and I had to make several fixes with the pianist. The first was the oddest – he was playing the opening vamp and first few lines of Back in Business in a major key. I stopped them and suggested he play it in the minor key in which it’s written. Then it was just some tempo things and transition things within medleys. I hear the show went well and the new kid did very well – that number they shot on the phone and sent to me. I’m supposed to get a call to hear how the show went and how the audience was.
I had two small turkey sandwiches right after that, then did some finessing on what I’d written for the project with David Wechter, wrote a blurb for the Kritzerland holiday show so we can get the flyer done and start selling tickets. Then I tried and failed to watch things. I did a quick Gelson’s run and got a chicken Caesar salad and a chocolate chip muffin, came home, tried and failed to watch more, then began the listening adventure. Eventually, I ate the salad and the muffin and both were good. And that was pretty much it and it was pretty much that, not necessarily in that order.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’m still hoping to pull off a miracle that would be most helpful – I’m close – just a few more orders and I’ll be able to do it. I’ll have a telephonic conversation with someone and that could lead to something good, perhaps really good, and then I’ll Zoom with David Wechter for our project. I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, finish choosing songs, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same – some meetings and meals to be had, and then on Saturday I’m seeing a youth theater production of Fiddler on the Roof, featuring one of the young people we’ve used in a couple of the Kritzerland young people shows.
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, hope to pull off a miracle that would be most helpful, have a telephonic conversation, Zoom, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, finish choosing songs, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What do you think the most successful stage to film adaptations have been most successful – both plays and musicals? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had an all-listening day.