Well, dear readers, we are almost cast but not quite. Yes, you heard it here dear readers, we are almost cast but not quite. In other words, we are almost cast but not quite. Thirty-two people confirmed they’d be auditioning. Eighteen showed up. And if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about a lot of young actors today, nothing will. I think we now have all but two women of the eight women and I think we have all but three men of the six men. Men are the problem. They are the PROBLEM. For example, I need a terrific black male performer and not a one has auditioned. I mean, don’t you find that odd? I hear nothing about how we don’t give equal opportunity to all races, and yet, no one shows up. What is one to do? We’ll keep looking, I guess. But thus far, we do have a nicely diverse company, not just for the sake of it but because that’s how I designed the show six years ago before all this “now” stuff that goes on. Then again, I have always cast the best person for the role, and I don’t care what race that person may be. Anyway, I do think we have a very nice cast thus far. We won’t have any more in person auditions – anyone else can submit a self-tape. Hopefully, we’ll be fully cast by the end of next week. In the meantime, Birgit Nilsson and company are singing their little lungs out in Puccini’s Turandot. It’s a very good performance in slightly tinny sound, which could probably have been helped a bit. But oh, that music. And prior to that I finished watching a motion picture on the Firestick thing courtesy Prime, The Rock. This movie was a huge hit with the populace. Somehow, I d never seen it. Let’s start with the positives: Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage are fun and very entertaining. As to the movie, yes, mindless hooey, which is apparently what audiences want. A ridiculous plot, stupid characters, lousy writing (the original screenwriters were aided and abetted by, if one believes Wikipedia, Aaron Sorkin and Quentin Tarantino. I, however, find it hard to believe that something this risible could be attributed to either person. And the thing just lumbers along at about two hours and twenty minutes. This is a Michael Bay film, so you know what you’re in for. Action scenes that are so over the top it’s laughable. But apparently, audiences ate it up. Critics were divided, encapsulated by Siskel hating every minute of it and Ebert loving it. Of course, the pounding non-stop score makes it all even cheesier. But the two stars really are fun to watch, and poor Ed Harris tries his best with a terrible role. Astonishingly, Criterion, that toniest of companies, released a DVD, which is more than a little baffling.
Yesterday, I got about seven hours of sleep, got up, showered, then moseyed on over to the theater for our casting session. That lasted about three hours, I think, then we went to the Coral Café, went over all the auditions and decided on who we wanted. And as I always tend to do, I cast one person who was extremely nervous and unseasoned, because I just loved her look and energy and because I enjoy helping people be stronger performers. In fact, that was a unanimous decision. I had the patty melt and fries – very good.
Then I stopped at the mail place and picked up two packages – the important envelope is still MIA. The two packages, one tiny and on larger, contained SAG screeners, all of which were duplicates of things the DGA had sent, which is annoying. There were a couple of TV things, but not anything I really was that interested in. Then I finished The Rock. For my evening snack, I made a ham sandwich on an onion roll – I think I have to take a break from the onion rolls. My tummy isn’t loving them. I had a few telephonic conversations and that was pretty much it.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll have a ME day, but will finish the damn liner notes, and then I’ll have a fun supper with Peyton and her mom at one our favorite jernts. Then I’ll come home and do stuff, and then I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll Zoom with David Wechter, I’ll do a little writing, I’ll enter fixes from proofer two, and continue prepping for LA Now and Then. The rest of the week will be more of all that, some meetings and meals, and I think something may be going on on the weekend but can’t remember what.
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, finish the damn liner notes, have a fun supper, then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy we found some good folks and that we’re almost cast.