Well, dear readers, the Elmer Bernstein concert is done and I am exhausted. Two-and-a-half hours of show and, for me, constant gabbing plus a song to sing. And it was very cold outside and that’s never good for the voice. That said, after Henry Stanny’s opening remarks, I knew the minute I began the commentary that it was going to be a great and fun audience and it was. Our drummer, M.B. Gordy, who’s one of the greatest, loves to play rim-shots anytime I get a good laugh. When we did this at the Autrey, those didn’t really begin until act two. But here, he did one right in the middle of the opening patter and did I have fun with it and it became a running gag, one of several fun things that weren’t planned. I suggested that before the show, M.B. was perhaps partaking of the marijuana cigarettes. And on it went. The show was smooth and the musicians, Maegan McConnell and Robert Yacko, and the So-Cal Chorale were all in tip-top form. The biggest laughs in the show became the main running gag, when I somehow skipped five songs and jumped almost to the end of act one. I guess I got confused because the copy was hard to see and Maegan had just finished a song, and her name was near the bottom of the page – I’d forgotten I’d just changed the page and that the song she’d finished was from the previous page. So, I did this long introduction to a suite from The Ten Commandments. I said, “Take it away, Billy” to musical director Billy Malpede. He said, “I guess we can play it now.” I realized instantly that I must have jumped, and I handled it very quickly and got great big laughs, went back and introduced the song we were supposed to do. Then, for the next three songs, I began, “Next up is NOT The Ten Commandments” and that all got great big laughs. Then I went to re-introduce The Ten Commandments and Robert Yacko said, “Not yet” – but according to my commentary it was next. Well, turns out I must have nuked a song when I was revising the commentary – I Love You, Alice B. Toklas. So, I had great fun with that, as you might imagine. And I carried The Ten Commandments running joke right into Act Two, along with all the M.B. Gordy marijuana cigarettes jokes. I also went off on a few tangents and those were fun, too. By the end of it, I was ready to go to sleep. Robert and I beat a hasty retreat and headed back to his place, and I came straight home from there.
Earlier, around one o’clock, I had a bagel, lox, and cream cheese to tide me over. After the rehearsal, they had Togo’s sandwiches for all the performers. I had a quarter of a sandwich. I was really hungry when I got home and almost ordered a Subway sandwich, but I had more bagels, lox, and cream cheese here, so I ate another sandwich, then had a fruity fruit bar. That satisfied the hunger pangs. I had some e-mails to catch up on and did.
The house at which we performed was very large and pretty and located below the Hollywood Sign near Lake Hollywood. The back yard and a long, thin pool and the chairs were on either side. Marshall Harvey was at the back to do the video projections. And we had a sound man, too. If we’re ever to do the house thing again, I’ll recommend September, when it’s still warm in the evenings.
We’re supposed to have two really rainy days – funnily, you’d never know it and I think both days will pass with no rain. I do hope I’m wrong because we could really use some rain.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll finish choosing the last of the songs for the Kritzerland show and then get everyone their music. I’ll eat something, hopefully pick up some packages – hoping screeners will now come regularly – and I do believe the helper managed to get everything shipped – given that she purchased $800 in postage, that’s the hope anyway. I’ll catch up on a few other things, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, some meetings and meals, and doing whatever needs doing.
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, finish choosing the songs and get music to everyone, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and then watch, listen, and relax. And the topic of the day is: What are your favorite scores of Elmer Bernstein? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that the concert in the yard went so well.