Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the film music of marvelous Masaru Satoh – he wrote some wonderful Godzilla scores (although not the original film), some brilliant Kurosawa scores (including my favorite Kurosawa film, High and Low, but also Yojimbo, Sanjuro, The Hidden Fortress, Throne of Blood, Red Beard, The Bad Sleep Well), and some fun sci-fi and horror scores. Earlier, I tried to get with this new film of Cyrano, which they call a musical, but which really isn’t much of anything, especially a musical. The woman who wrote this wrote it for the stage – it was done at Goodspeed and then off-Broadway, where it starred the man for whom she wrote it – her husband, Peter Dinklage. Then director Joe Wright got it into his head it should be a movie and here we are. The first thing to be said is that Joe Wright’s movies put me to sleep – I just don’t care for him. This is no different – for me, it just lays there like a dead herring in the moonlight. I suppose the idea is okay – get rid of the big nose and have a short person (I’m not sure what we’re supposed to call a height-challenged person today) play the role and then, just to tick off another box, have a person of color play Christian – doesn’t exactly work in this context for many reasons, the biggest of which is the one everyone tries to avoid – a black person going to a white person to help him sound like a romantic and smart person. Everyone seems fine in it, but it’s slow going and although I’ll try to make it to the end, I’m not sure I will. And prior to that, I heard the master for one of our upcoming year-end releases, our first film score in quite a while and it sounds pretty great, thanks to a lot of work and TLC.
Yesterday was a nice start to a big week. I got about eight-and-a-half hours of sleep with one of the all-time weirdest dreams I’ve ever had – the only thing I remember about it now is that it took place at some form of Disneyland, and it would have made Salvador Dali proud. Once up, I had to answer e-mails, I went to the bank and made the ATM deposit I’d tried to do the night before to no avail, came back home and shaved and showered, and then it was time for the first Kritzerland holiday show rehearsal.
First to arrive was musical director, Lloyd Cooper, instantly followed by Kerry O’Malley. We blabbed for a while (she’d just seen The Power of the Dog and loved it), then we ran her three songs. One of the three is All I Want for Christmas from A Carol Christmas, and she does it superbly, I must say and have said. She’s one of my favorites and a joy to work with. Then our two young people arrived – cute as buttons – and we ran our standard opening number for the holiday show – Be A Santa – and then ran the solo one of them does, and then Alexa Margolis and I ran You’re Just in Love, which she recently did in the Laura Wolfe show – and we just had so much fun doing the song together.
Then Adrienne Stiefel arrived – in one of life’s little ironies, the recently married Stiefel is now Adrienne O’Malley. She has not only three solos but also a duet, due to the fact I couldn’t find a second male performer. What a gorgeous voice this woman has. We ran her three solos, then Robert Yacko arrived, and we ran their duet – A Wonderful Life from the Joe Raposo/Sheldon Harnick musical of It’s a Wonderful Life – really tuneful and really cute. Robert also had three solos to run, but two of them are things he’s done before, and the third is very well known and easy to do.
Finally, Maegan McConnell arrived, and we ran her three songs. She has the most unusual selection we’re doing – the Kim Andre Arnesen Cradle Hymn, which is, of course, written for a female chorus, but it works beautifully as a solo and Maegan is doing it really well. And that was that. There were no stumbling blocks, and it all went quickly and smoothly.
I’d ordered food earlier in the day to be delivered between six and six-thirty and that arrived around six-fifteen. I got a fried catfish po’ boy – huge sandwich, it was – and it was fantastic but so filling. From a local jernt called Taste of New Orleans, I think, just five minutes from here, but I had a nice discount coupon, so it was worth it not to have to drive over there. For my side, I had their excellent mac-and-cheese. I love fried catfish and could probably eat it every day.
Then I tried to watch Cyrano but shut it off after thirty-five minutes. I then did a quick Gelson’s run for a few sweets to have in the house. More Jelly Bellies, some fudge sauce since I had some vanilla ice cream left, and I can’t remember what all else. I came home and had a scoop of ice cream with hot fudge and that was pretty good. After that, I had some work to do on the computer and then it was time to write these here notes, which, in case you haven’t noticed, is what I’ve been doing.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I have two sets of liner notes to finish, I want to write some more on the project with David Wechter and at least get four or five pages done, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is, of course, a big day around these here parts – a birthday for my very own self, and so I’ll just do whatever I feel like and then Barry Pearl is taking me out for a birthday dinner around five and that will be lovelier than lovely. I already got a couple of presents at our rehearsal, including the new Mel Brooks memoir, which I’m looking forward to – and a gift card for Barone’s, which I’m also looking forward to. Thursday’s birthday lunch has been pushed a week, so it’ll just be writing and then our second Kritzerland rehearsal, we have our stumble-through on Saturday, and then sound check and show on Sunday.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s break out the cheese slices and ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora and the Swim, for today is the birthday of our very own beloved dear reader Jane, who I’ve known since she was a mere fifteen years old. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own beloved dear reader Jane, who I’ve known since she was a mere fifteen years old. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BELOVED DEAR READER JANE, WHO I’VE KNOWN SINCE SHE WAS A MERE FIFTEEN YEARS OLD!!!
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, write two sets of liner notes, write for the project with David Wechter, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite holiday songs? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a first rehearsal with no stumbling blocks.