Well, dear readers, we have survived the play reading. I suppose it went reasonably well, or as reasonably well as three two-hour rehearsals would buy us. I’ve spoken about my feelings vis a vis readings. So, while the actors all did fine, certain scenes and relationships just couldn’t and didn’t come through correctly, simply because we had no time to really work through those beats. It’s a fairly complex piece for the actors, for many reasons, and the characters really have to be played perfectly for the piece to work. When you do a three-hander, there is no room for anything to not work. As I said, nothing was the fault of the actors – it’s the fault of no time to get things right. Still, we got some good laughs from our small but appreciative audience, and people seemed to enjoy the plot. I’m sure there were some things that caused confusion, simply because they weren’t played the way they need to be, but all that will work itself out when we actually do the play. That’s what I’m really looking forward to, because the staging will be so much fun to do, especially the visual tour-de-force that ends act one. The one really good bit of news was the running time, which I’ve been petrified was too short. But, it was perfect – a total of ninety minutes for the two acts. And it will actually run a little longer than that when you add the staging component. So, that was very happy news. After the reading, Tammy, her mum, the Pogue, and myself went out to Mel’s Diner. We had a sweet waitress, and the food was okay.
Prior to the reading, I spent most of the day at home, because the motor car was having new brake pads installed. My motor car has spiffy new brake pads and is running as smooth as a gazelle eating a snow cone. My car is running so well that I thought that I, BK, might get some new brake pads as well, so that I may run smoother. I feel my brake pads are shot, frankly, or, frankly shot. Enough with the brake pads already. Whilst I was home, I began writing the CD notes for the Stages/Together Again booklet. They’re already twice the length they can be, but I figure I’ll get it all down, then edit it to its proper length. I also had several telephone conversations, and caught up on some e-mailing. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because these here notes are starting to feel like they need new brake pads.
And so, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.
And now – Dino at the piano.
No, no, no (that is three nos), not Dino – no, we’re talkin’ about the answers to the Unseemly Trivia Contest. We had a few correct answers, but this one seemed to stump a few of our regular players who always get the most convoluted questions correct. Here was the question:
This flop play closed out of town and never made it to Broadway. Its star had appeared with one of the play’s co-stars in a film that is generally considered one of the greatest ever made. Its star was also married to one of the play’s other co-stars. Appearing in the play’s other central role, was an actor who had appeared in one of cinema’s most beloved holiday films. Now, here is where things get interesting. Years later, this flop play, done in another medium, would introduce to the world a character who would become legendary (played in the flop by the actor who’d appeared in one of cinema’s most beloved holiday films, but ultimately played by someone else who would make the character their own).
Name the flop play and who wrote it.
Name the star of the flop play, and name the co-star who’d appeared with the star in a film that is generally considered one of the greatest ever made, and name the film.
Name the star’s real-life spouse, who also appeared in the play.
Name the actor who appeared in the play’s other leading role, and name the famous holiday film in which the actor appeared.
Name the character in the play that would become legendary, and name the actor who made the character famous.
And here for your mental delectation – the answers.
Prescription: Murder by Levinson and Link.
Joseph Cotton and Agnes Moorehead – Citizen Kane.
Patricia Medina.
Thomas Mitchell – It’s a Wonderful Life
Lieutenant Columbo (played by Thomas Mitchell in the play). Peter Falk.
Congratulations to all our winners, who are: Dan the Man, Robert Armin, Michael Shayne, Macchus999, and Fambf. Our Electronic Hat has chosen our High Winner entirely at random – Macchus999. So, if Macchus999 will send us his address we will send him a sparkling prize.
Shortly I shall be on my way to a meeting with the LACC folks regarding our upcoming benefit. After that, I’ll be having a meeting about a potential upcoming recording project that I’m not sure if I want to do – it really depends on the vibe I get at the meeting. After the meeting, the rest of the afternoon and evening shall be mine all mine. Perhaps I’ll use that time to replace my brake pads.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must attend two meetings, I must pick up some packages and ship some packages that I never got around to shipping yesterday, and I must continue on my Strange Diet. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s wrong casting day here at haineshisway.com. So, let’s have the most wrong cast imaginable for the haineshisway.com revival of Annie. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we ponder our brake pads or, at the very least, our break pads.