Well, dear readers, our trivia question is baffling one and all and I for one am proud as a peanut for it was I who came up with the question. Have you ever been proud as a peanut? Peanuts, by their very nature, are proud. Just look at them lying in a bowl like so much fish, defiant as all get out, saying, "Eat me, baby". After all, a peanut's whole lot in life is to be eaten. Not all nuts are proud, however. For example, just look at a walnut. A walnut is not proud, it hides in its shell and when someone decides to open that shell it just cracks up, goes to pieces. What the hell am I talking about. Proud nuts? Where was I? Oh, yes, our baffling trivia question. I'm going to clarify a few things, because confusion is running rampant. Sometimes rampant runs confusion, just for the hell of it, but right now confusion is running rampant because confusion is currently in control. In any case, the Tony Award-winning performer who also, subsequent to his Tony Award, went on to win awards for a whole other profession - we're looking for the name of the show the performer won for, the name of the performer, and the other job which won them awards. The other profession is totally non-show biz-related. So, we're not talking a performer who won humanitarian awards, or anything like that - this performer won awards for doing a job that had nothing to do with their show business life. We're not talking a performer who won a Tony and then went on to win an Emmy or an Oscar. I hope that clarifies things a bit. I will give you one clue: This performer won their Tony for a classic musical, and this performer has a small connection to me.

Last night I saw Mr. Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues. I thought the play very interesting (somehow I've missed it all these years), very funny, very weird and, at times, very sweet. The Sgt. character is masterfully drawn, as are the recruits. Interestingly, Mr. Simon's alter ego doesn't seem to be as interesting as the other characters around him - maybe that's the point, but I wanted more of Eugene in this show. Perhaps if a stronger actor had been playing the part I wouldn't have felt so. This production is a bit on the lazy side, pace-wise, a bit flaccid. Well, the show started at nine and finished at eleven thirty-five, which seems long to me. We're not talking Eugene O'Neill here, we're talking Neil Simon here, and the scenes needed to be punchier.

Oops, there I go again, writing all the notes in the first section - I keep forgetting about the Unseemly Button and its need to be clicked. So damn needy, this Unseemly Button is. Click me, click me, click me. Whine, whine, whine. Oh, let's click the damn thing and give the devil his due, whatever the hell that means.

There, satisfied, Mr. Unseemly Button? Take a page from the peanut's book - be proud, defiant, don't whine like a prune.

On Friday I went to Tower Records and whilst browsing the vocal section, I came upon a new CD, actually a reissue of two sixties albums on one CD, featuring the singer/songwriter, Oscar Brown, Jr. Mr. Brown, Jr. had several albums on Columbia Records and was hot for a short time. I had them all and loved them all. However, Sony has seen fit to only reissue one of them, but it's a great one. Now, Collectables (I think that's the label) has licensed two more and generously put them on one CD - it's like revisiting an old friend. The first is the Tells It Like It Is album. It's got wonderful stuff on it, including the strange and hypnotic A Young Girl (Mr. Brown's lyric to Charles Aznavour's tune), the very funny The Snake and lots more. It's hard to describe what Mr. Brown, Jr. does - it's sort of folk, funk, blues, and Broadway all rolled into one. Basically, he's a storyteller and a damned good one at that. The second album on the one CD is In a New Mood, and it's totally great, with orchestrations by the fantastic Ralph Burns. This album doesn't have any of Mr. Brown Jr.'s originals on it, it's all standards and he does them wonderfully. If you don't know Mr. Brown Jr.'s work, I'd recommend the Sony reissue first - it's got lots of his originals, including four songs from his musical, Kicks and Co. Yes, Virginia, Mr. Brown, Jr. wrote a Broadway musical, although it closed out-of-town. It was directed by Burgess Meredith, and I have a memory that it played Chicago for some reason. I would love to have seen it because I love those songs - especially the sassy Hazel's Hips and the mournful Worldful of Grey.

As a teen, I was lucky enough to see Mr. Brown, Jr. do his live show at a weird theater which, if I recall, was located right at La Brea and Hollywood Blvd. I was so impressed by him that I went back and saw it four times. I also went backstage and met him and he was the nicest man, very generous and very sweet. I was a brash teenager who wanted to perform, and I had no shame about going backstage to meet people - I'd just boldly go back there and announce I wanted to meet so and so and I guess I did this so forcefully that they let me. I met (in their dressing rooms yet) Tammy Grimes, Jason Robards, Jr., Joel Grey, Martha Schlamme, John Astin, Robert Weede, and many many others. Anyway, give Oscar Brown, Jr. a shot - it's great to have this new two-fer CD available.

Today I'm going to the Music Center to attend a 70th birthday celebration concert for John Williams, with special guest, Yo Yo Ma. The concert will feature all original Williams compositions, classical only. I'll have a report for you tomorrow. Donald will have a new radio show up tonight, so do tune in - his shows are always fun and entertaining - in fact, I think he's got the best theater music radio show going, and we're delighted he's doing it here at haineshisway.com

Well, dear readers, I must shower and get ready to leave for the concert. I will be, as you might imagine, proud as a peanut, my attitude all day will be, "Eat me, baby". I will not be like that cowardly walnut, hiding behind a shell. Today's topic of discussion: What was the first album you ever owned - in the following categories: Classical, vocal, cast album, jazz, rock. And how many of those do you still listen to?