Well, dear readers, we did the best we could at our long rehearsal, what with half the cast in absentia until 12:30, at which time we had eight of our fourteen people. So, I spent the day drilling stuff over and over, plus our choreographer was there to do the disco number with the fellow who does that. I did detail work on the big monologue, so that was good. The projectors arrived, but they had to go by cables for them – they’re working separately but they can’t get them to sync yet, so hopefully they can figure that out. They also don’t have PowerPoint on their computers. So, I’ll bring in my laptop for tests, but my laptop is so old (a decade) PowerPoint isn’t optimized for even that ancient laptop, being the old version of Microsoft Office. So, I think they should just purchase Microsoft Office for their computers – it’s really not much money. I’m glad we’re working on this early. Anyway, I let everyone go thirty minutes early. I’d put my favorite sunglasses in my coat pocket but unfortunately someone apparently sat on my coat and broke them in two. I’ve had these since 2009, I think, and I love them dearly. Thankfully, I went online and found the exact pair and color – there were several for sale, all expensive, but I got lucky and found a pair that were much cheaper than the list price I originally paid and less than half of what other eBay sellers were charging. I have a different pair of sunglasses that I got at the same time but have never worn, so those will do till the replacement comes. Otherwise, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the eleventh out of thirteen Felix Slatkin CDs and one of the best performances of the Khatchaturian piano concerto ever, with Leonard Pennario at the keyboard in a superb-sounding recording, the only downside being no Flexitone. This set is just wonderful. There’s even one of those Slatkin Liberty Records Fabulous Fiddles albums that’s so much fun – kind of hoedown versions of some classical music.
Yesterday was a day. I was up at eight-thirty after seven hours of sleep, and out the door by nine, went to the mail place and picked up three packages, then moseyed on over to the theater. After rehearsal was done, I had a hankerin’ for some of that yummilicious fried catfish I had the other day, so I stopped at Uncle Andre’s and got that same thing, with my sides being mac-and-cheese and a tiny corn on the cob thing. I came right home and devoured it all and it was great. This time there were three filets – last time there were two, but they’re only 200 calories each so it was all fine.
Then we had a Zoom thing with our costume designer, and we went over every number and sketch in the show, so he now has all the information he needs. After that, I decided I needed a sweet, so I had a Coldstone ice cream delivered – some peanut butter/chocolate concoction with roasted almonds that I’d had a couple of weeks ago. Whilst waiting for the delivery, I began watching the new Blu and Ray of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm – my pal Dave Strohmaier sent it to me – he did the restoration and I’ve watched it come together over the past fifteen months or so, seeing snippets of the work and knowing how good it would turn out. And it has indeed turned out wonderfully. Anyway, the overture played, then the main titles began and halfway through them I fell asleep. I was awakened twenty minutes later by the doorbell – the fellow in the back house saw a package on the doorstep – my ice cream. They’d texted me, which I hadn’t heard, of course, what with being asleep, so thankfully it was still cold and not even a little melted. I ate just a tiny bit of it, then began the movie over again. I first saw Brothers Grimm at the Warner Cinerama during its first weekend. It was mighty impressive on that huge Cinerama screen with seven-track sound and three projectors. I went back about twelve times during its run and until How the West Was Won replaced it. Believe me, even then I knew it wasn’t any great shakes as a movie, but still, it was BIG, it had good music and great sound, and it was an event. I saw it one more time when it went into general release in 35mm and it looked terrible, was in mono, and that just made its flaws all the more evident. I believe it had a laserdisc release that was terrible – faded color and looking crappy. And that’s been it, until Warner Bros. finally gave Dave the go-ahead to restore it. I watched up until the intermission and in Smilebox it’s just a load of fun. No, it’s still not great, but they don’t make ‘em like this anymore, and so one forgives its missteps and just enjoys it for its many pleasures. I’ll watch the second half tonight.
After that, I had to do some work on the computer, had some telephonic calls, had the rest of the ice cream, and then finally started listening to music.
Today, I’ll be up by nine and out the door by 9:45 or thereabouts. I’ll mosey on over to the Dale of Glen to do the paperback book show signing – I’ll be signing for an hour – 11:00 to 12:00, should any LA dear readers be reading these here notes. After that, I’ll see what the dealers have, and then I’ll stop by the theater to see how the projectors are working and to see if PowerPoint on the ancient laptop will work. Then I’ll get something to eat, then I’ll come home and watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’m hoping I can just relax during the day, then we have our semi-optional rehearsal. Richard Allen will be there to play, and our choreographer will also be there. Then the rest of the week are all run-throughs – no stopping. During the week, sound will come in and get set up, and on Friday I’ll be writing the light cues with the designer, so that on Friday night we’ll run the show and he’ll run the cues and we’ll take notes. Saturday, we have a cue-to-cue from three to six – dinner break – and then we do a full tech run with lights, projections, and sound. Pray for Rosemary’s Baby.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by nine, get ready, do a book signing, visit the theater, eat, and 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 topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had that fried catfish again and to have watched the first half of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.