Well, dear readers, we had us a pretty terrific return of the Kritzerland shows last night. We ended up with at least ninety people and it may have even been one hundred. They were a great crowd, too. Lots of folks I knew, so it was fun to make the rounds and gab, although I kept my gabbing to a minimum. I had a small Caesar for food – it was okay. And then the show began. I did my usual welcoming patter and that went well, the Jason Graae and his oboe opened the show with What’s New, Pussycat – the same arrangement that was on our The Burt Bacharach Album and which opened that album. He was his usual hilarious self. Then it was A House is Not a Home, with Adrienne Stiefel doing the honors and doing them beautifully. After that, our newbie, Brittany Anderson did the Dionne Medley, consisting of Walk On By, I Say a Little Prayer, and Anyone Who Had a Heart. The Robert Yacko did a beautiful Wanting Things from Promises, Promises, followed by Kerry O’Malley hitting it out of the park with Knowing When to Leave from Promises.
Next up was Guy Haines to recreate his performances of It Doesn’t Matter at All from the album Prime Time Musicals, and then They Don’t Give Medals to Yesterday’s Heroes from the New Guy in Town solo album – both songs being from the original TV musical, On the Flip Side. Guy Haines, of course, was a no-show – as I explained he got confused and went to Catalina, where he was still looking for a jazz club. I will admit to fumfering a couple of times, but because no one really knows those songs I don’t think anyone knew – it wasn’t bad – I was certainly in the ballpark, just a word or two screwed up. Don’t know why really, as I’ve sung the two songs many times over the past quarter century. After that, Jason was back with Half as Big as Life from Promises. Then came One Less Bell to Answer with Adrienne – she has the voice of an angel. Then we had a put-together of two songs from Lost Horizon – Living Together/Growing Together and The World Is a Circle with Brittany, who did a great job with them. I went off-script and said I was originally going to recreate the fertility dance but no one needed to see a seventy-six-year-old Jew do a fertility dance and that seventy-six-year-old Jews don’t even know what fertility is. That got very nice laughs.
Then we did the world-premiere put-together of two songs from a never produced musical called Snow White in New York based on the book of the same name. That had lyrics by B.A. Robertson. The reaction to them was great, especially the ballad, Once Upon a Time, beautifully sung by Adrienne and Robert. Then Kerry did a gorgeous Whoever You Are, I Love You from Promises, followed by Bacharach at the Movies, a bit medley I created for The Burt Bacharach Album, consisting of The Blob, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Hot Spell, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, and Arthur’s Theme. Robert did it and did it to a T – maybe even a W. then came Brittany doing a lovely Alfie, followed by Kerry and Jason doing I’ll Never Fall in Love Again from Promises. Finally, Joan Ryan did a bang-up A Bacharach Love Story, another thing I created for The Burt Bacharach Album, consisting of Magic Moments, close to You, Wives and Lovers, Breaking Up is Hard to Do, and Promises, Promises, that received lots of cheers. Our sing-along was What the World Needs Now is Love. John Sawoski, our musical director, did a wonderful and exemplary job. Here are some photographs.
We all hung out for thirty minutes or so after the show, and then Doug Haverty, Robert, and I went to Little Toni’s – I had a salami submarine sandwich that was really good. Then I came home and had to dive right into writing these here notes.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll definitely go to the mail place, I’ll eat something light and fun, I’ll have a telephonic meeting with David Wechter, and then I can watch listen, and relax.
Tomorrow begins the long weekend and I, for one, will be relaxing and recharging and gearing up to plan the next Kritzerland show for June.
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, go to the mail place, eat, have a phone meeting, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: If you could get in a time machine and see any concert by a singer or group, what would it be? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy Kritzerland shows are back and that it went so well.