Well, dear readers, there’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on – not literal shakin’ but non-literal shakin’ as in a whole lotta stuff to talk about and I better get crackin’ as they say in the chiropractic trade. So, let’s begin with the fact that this is somehow not only the final day of March but also Easter, or Wester as we call it on this side of the country. That must mean that tomorrow is a new month, one I like to call April, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that April will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. So, yesterday – a nice day as days go. I got eight hours of sleep, had a telephonic conversation, answered e-mails, and then I made a small amount of pasta in pink sauce for food, ate it, and then I went right to the mail place and picked up a package and two important envelopes. I couldn’t wait to tear open the Amazon package – for you see, I’d ordered a copy of the softcover of the new book, because my test book won’t be here for a week probably. Well, it’s a spiffy-looking book. I came right home and photographed it in my hand in the kitchen and here is the proof.
Then I saw that our very own JohnG’s review of the new book is now up on Amazon – they STILL haven’t linked the three together, so the reviews currently only show up on the eBook – I’ll be writing another strong missive tomorrow because they must fix it and also make the hardcover immediately available. Anyway, here is JohnG’s most excellent review.
5.0 out of 5 stars Let me direct you to DIRECTED BY
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024
When I was younger, I wanted to be a director. I grew up watching the films of Frances Coppola, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Truffaut and Hitchcock, marveling at their protean storytelling abilities as well as their gifts for visual greatness. I didn’t make it that far. That’s why I love Bruce Kimmel’s latest volume, DIRECTED BY. He did make it. He’s directed several films, of which The First Nudie Musical is a classic, as well as TV shows, a pair of online series and a host of plays.
Kimmel’s been a writer as well as a director, so he knows what it takes to sell a story to an audience. And he presents his lifetime of knowledge in ways that are easy to absorb and follow. He doesn’t shy away from telling tales of how to deal with less-than-cooperative people, whether they be actors, writers, producers or critics, but he always approaches a story as a learning situation and how to handle things in the most positive manner possible.
In a world driven by sarcasm, petty jealousies and negativity, that positive approach is a breath of fresh air — and one I’ll be applying to my own life, even though directing still isn’t on my horizon. Think of this as a guide to being better in your dealings with other, whether you’re a stage director or a mid-level business director. The end effect is the same. It’s just that all of the examples used are tied to the dramatic arts, which makes for more interesting anecdotes and examples.
I especially appreciate Kimmel’s method of dealing with actors. He tries to work with them to develop the best performance for the production. It worked when he was an actor and his own directors would trust him. In other words, he never compares actors to cattle, a quote that followed Hitchcock for the rest of his life. Again, Kimmel’s offering great advice on how to work with others, which doesn’t have to be confined solely to the director’s chair.
DIRECTED BY doesn’t skip the failures or shortcomings in Kimmel’s career, as there are as many lessons to be learned from a drawback as there are from a success. You get it all in highly conversational writing that makes it seem as if Kimmel were speaking directly to you.
Isn’t that a lovely review? Then I settled down to watch Star on the Rise: La Bayadere – Re-imagined, orchestrated and arranged by our very own Larry Moore aka elmore. Well, it was a delightful late afternoon treat, filled with fun melodies, expert scoring by elmore, and the ballet itself was fun and fresh. The only thing I could have lived without was the too-long remarks at the start – shorter is better – and then Misty Copeland’s remarks. Otherwise, the entire thing was captivating, the cast was excellent, the band sounded fine, and it moved along very quickly. Being a college production, we were occasionally subjected to that kind of audience, if you get my meaning and I know you do. Dear reader elmore should be very proud – what a huge undertaking it was and how well it all turned out.
After that, I had some sauce left over and since I only ate about four ounces of pasta, I made some rice and used up the rest of the sauce and that was surprisingly good. I had some frozen yogurt (sweet vanilla – low-fat) and that was a nice little treat. Much later, I had some crackers and onion dip – not a lot, just a snack. I did watch some irritating videos and I did relax.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up and it will be a ME day any way you slice it. I think I’ll make the remaining hot dogs for food, otherwise the buns will go bad. I also have half the frozen yogurt left, too. Mostly, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow I’ll be up early and do my banking, and then I’ll probably write, I’ll check in with the glasses place to make sure the new glasses will be ready on Tuesday, and the rest of the week is more of the same, hopefully getting soft and hardcover test books so I can place the order and get everyone’s books shipped, and some meetings and meals.
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, have a ME day (it’s been raining for hours as I finish up these here notes), 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 been at the ballet.