Well, dear readers, it is late, I am feeling ornery and persnickety (not necessarily in that order), so I don’t know how pithy I can make these here notes – pissy, yes, pithy, we’ll just have to see. My foul and/or fowl mood doesn’t have anything to do with the events o’ the day or the evening, but have to do with getting home late and then having to deal with fundraiser stuff (for group sales) that should have been dealt with a week ago. I cannot stay on top of all this stuff, and people keep inundating me with e-mails about it, and I keep telling them to take charge and deal with it themselves because I’m just a little busy right now. I couldn’t even relax when I got home – and it took almost an hour to get it all sorted out. Now I have a headache and I’m ornery and pernickety and that’s a fine how do you do if you ask me. What the HELL is pernickety? Where the HELL is the “s”? But, aside from that, the day and evening were quite enjoyable. For example, I got up. That was enjoyable. I then toddled off to rehearsal. It was quite a loud rehearsal, as our choreographer was putting our wonderful ensemble through The Brain Tap. It has a slightly different structure now, so I made a few adjustments, and our terrific musical director did a spiffy dance break between the first two verses. Dear reader and orchestrator elmore came down to pick up the new music. I blocked the actual scene within the song (similar to the LA staging with a few key differences) and Barry Pearl and I continue to find amusing things for The Brain. The Brain Tap took up most of the day, and then we moved on to Cason’s number – there’s still work to be done, but it’s very different than LA and pretty funny. A lot of that has to do with the scene and number’s new setting, which really helps. After that, I restaged all the Rod and Donna scenes. It’s always fun to adjust things for new actors, when you see what they’re bringing to the table, and we did a bit of that. And that was our rehearsal.
I then came home, answered some e-mails and telephonic messages, and then I toddled off to sup and see Skip Kennon’s show. I dragged Miss Patti along, as she loves seeing shows. We supped at the Brooklyn Diner on 57th, where I’ve eaten several times. I had a delicious lettuce wedge with Russian dressing, and a fried shrimp platter. For dessert we shared their famous coconut cake, which was dreamy. We then toddled off to the theater.
It was an evening of four one-acts, which were, as these things usually are, a mixed bag o’ stuff. The first play was a slight affair, not really funny enough or anything enough – it was short, though, and there’s always something to be said for that. The second one-act was not short – in fact, it was long. The audience seemed to enjoy it (and apparently it got good notices) but I thought it was arch (and I know from arch, baby) and repetitive (and I know from repetitive), and ultimately just annoying. But, the actors in both shows were very good. After the interval, we had a play about war and the way it affects the generations of one family – it was an interesting play, well-written (with a little too much narration for its own good) and with excellent performances. Then came Skip’s show, written by Eduardo Machado – Mr. Machado also wrote the lyrics for which Skip provided the music. It’s a sweet show about J.M. Barrie and his lady fair (he married the same woman twice), and the entire piece takes place at the titular Afternoon Tea. The music is lovely, the lyrics a little less so, but it all moved by quickly and the two actors did a fine job. My only real complaint was with the staging (I think someone else here at haineshisway.com mentioned it, too) – I really wish the director had found a way to get people up from the table and/or do more with lighting. The way it is, they just sit there until the very end, when they get up and dance – just the one light cue (which may have been due to budget constraints). After the show, we walked across town and back home with Skip – it was a beautiful New York night, I must say.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because my head is throbbing and frankly I’m still feeling both pernickety and persnickety.
Today, of course, we shall have another rehearsal. I think we’re doing another musical number or two, then some scenes. I’m going to try and come home directly after rehearsal, so I can attend to many things that need attending to, and so I can relax and just spend a quiet evening and try to get to bed a bit earlier than I have been.
Oh, I paid a visit to the Apple Store, which is quite the store in New York, New York. It’s huge and it was jammed with people, most of whom were playing with the iPhones. I played, too, and did you know that when you play you can make real long distance calls (I did), and surf the Internet, too. In fact, I checked out haineshisway.com while I was there. That aspect of the iPhone is extraordinary – you get full graphics and it really looks good.
Since we get out early on Saturday, I may go back and play some more, and then take a nice long walk along Fifth Avenue all the way down to the Village.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, rehearse, sup, do things, and try to relax and get to bed early. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I try to lose all traces of anything that reeks of pernickety or persnickety.