Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, not listening to music because I spent most of last night watching YouTube videos of favorite Broadway musical clips that I never tire of watching – things like Turkey Lurkey Time, Wilkommen, Kickin’ the Clouds Away, the challenge dance from My Sister Eileen, Pick Yourself Up from Swing Time, Magic to Do from Pippin (original), the Danny Daniels numbers from Pennies from Heaven, the Ed Sullivan clips from The Most Happy Fella plus an amazing clip of Robert Weede singing the act two finale, Mamma, Mamma, Who’s Got the Pain, Steam Heat, the opening of A Chorus Line with the original company, the Annie numbers from the Tony Awards, and others. A very pleasurable viewing evening and watching all that classic choreography and comparing it to whatever it is they do today is both amazing and nauseating, not necessarily in that order. Those great choreographers knew that dance had to come from story and character, and they also knew how to build a number. And watching the likes of Robert Weede, Susan Johnson, Shorty Long, Jo Sullivan, Donna McKechnie, Bob Fosse, Tommy Rall, Christopher Walken, Robert Fitch, the Annie kids, Dorothy Loudon, Ben Vereen, Gwen Verdon, Carol Haney, Tommy Tune, Fred and Ginger, Joel Grey – and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. And half of them wouldn’t get past a first audition today because none of them, not a single one, was cookie-cutter. I may have to do another deep dive this very evening. Otherwise, I got seven hours of sleep, I followed along on another online book auction – not much action and some incredible deals to be had on some pretty rare stuff – then I had a pastrami sandwich from Mr. Pickles – it was okay – then I had a work session that went VERY smoothly and quickly, and then I just played on the computer until I went down the YouTube musical numbers rabbit hole. In the early evening, I had a cheeseburger for my evening snack – pretty okay it was. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I have zero plans for the day and evening, it will be a ME day and I don’t care who knows it, I’ll eat something amusing or I’ll make myself pasta (no mean feat) – I have a lot of pasta here and I have some Rao’s pink sauce, so that could be a thing and a thing that could be. I’m hoping it will cool down this week. And, of course, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I rest up and get prepared for our first Kritzerland rehearsal on Tuesday, which I’m very much looking forward to. Wednesday, I have things to do, Thursday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal, then we don’t meet again until our stumble-through the following Monday, then the sound check and show is on Wednesday. The schedule is a little wacky but that’s what worked for everyone.
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 me a ME day, 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 watched some classic Broadway and movie musical numbers by choreographers who really knew their stuff.