Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the last of Puccini’s three short operas Il Trittico. I really enjoyed the first, Il Tabarro, didn’t love the middle, Suor Angelica, and absolutely love Gianni Schicchi – such beautiful music. This recording is from 1962 – it’s not the one I originally had on CD – can’t remember which that was. The one’s on Decca and stars Robert Merrill, Renata Tebaldi, and Mario del Monaco. Delightful stuff. Otherwise, I’m writing these here notes late because I’ve had several long telephonic calls. Prior to listening, I watched the first seventy minutes of The Beguiled, starring Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page, Elizabeth Hartman, and others, directed by Don Siegel. It’s not my favorite Clint or Siegel, but it’s interesting and has its moments.
Yesterday had its moments, too, although I’m trying to remember what exactly they were. I did ultimately get seven hours of sleep, because I was up for ninety minutes at five-thirty in the morning. Once up, I had a lot of e-mails to answer and answer them I did. Then I went to the mail place and got a couple of packages – more Sambucol and Pecid and more Airborne will be here tomorrow. Then I met Sami and her mom at Casa Vega. I had my usual one beef taco and one cheese enchiladas. I was good and had zero chips. We had a lot of fun and I heard more about Sami’s New York auditions.
After that, I came home and had to catch up on more stuff, had some telephonic conversations, then had a Zoom session with David Wechter for our project. He was very happy with what I wrote, this very important four-page monologue. He had a few thoughts and we talked through them and I told him to just do them and then we’d either keep or discard or I’d revise so that the tone of the dialogue is consistent. I’ve written a lot of one specific character’s stuff and I feel I have her style of talking and thinking down pretty good. We work very differently – he’s very strong on structure and dotting I’s and crossing T’s, while I’m looser and like to just write straight through without locking stuff down too much – that frees me to let my mind go where it goes or, more importantly, where the characters lead me. But that’s why we’re a good writing team. So, we’re just about to enter the final third of the film, which I believe has to really move along quickly. And when we’ve finished there will be a lot to remove, probably thirty to fifty pages would be my guess. Getting rid of any repetition, any fat, anything that impedes the flow of the story or makes it lugubrious.
After that, I had to catch up on several other things, which I did. Then I watched the first seventy minutes of The Beguiled, then watched some random stuff on YouTube, had a few potato chips and onion dip, then had two long telephonic conversations, and then had to jump right into these here notes.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, but mostly I’m hoping to just relax. I will take a thumb drive to Staples to get my proofing copy of the new book printed out, and I’m also out of paper for the printer so will get a couple of reams of paper. Then at seven-thirty, there’s a preliminary production meeting for L.A. Now and Then that will hopefully not last more than an hour. I’ll probably eat something light during the day and then have a snack or dessert at the restaurant where we’re having the meeting. Then I’ll come home and watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is our second Kritzerland rehearsal, which doesn’t start until four and won’t end until after eight-thirty, so I’ll definitely have to eat prior to the rehearsal. Friday it’s a trip to Palm Desert to see the Cindy Williams evening. Saturday is our stumble-through and then a meal, and then on Sunday we do our sound check and show.
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, relax, get a book printed out for proofing, eat something light, hopefully pick up packages, have a production meeting, 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 had a day that had its moments.