haines his way

08/14/2002:
"THE NOTES WITH NO NAME"

Well, dear readers, there are so many interesting things going on right now and it’s very frustrating because I want to share all of it with you but, as I’ve said before and will say again, I don’t like to talk about things until they’re signed and sealed – I’ve always been this way. However, one of the interesting things I can tell you because it has just been signed and sealed is that we will definitely be doing our Tourette’s Syndrome benefit in New York, on March 3, 2003, at the Danny Kaye Playhouse. It’s one performance only, and the Kaye doesn’t seat nearly as many people as the Alex does, so I suspect we will sell out the house without problem. Several years ago (way back in late 1995, I think) we did an Equity Fights Aids benefit there, based on the Unsung Musicals albums, and it’s a great theater, really comfortable and with a really nice atmosphere. I do hope our East Coast dear readers will be able to join us. I’ll keep you posted on the performer details as we set them (I think, schedule permitting, we’re only bringing one performer from the Los Angeles cast). We’re tightening the show a bit and making a few song changes, otherwise it will be the same show that we did here at the Alex.
As to the other interesting things, they are exciting and fun and I will tell you about them just as soon as I possibly can.
Last night I finished watching the Wolfen DVD. It gets quite strange at the end, but it’s very stylishly done (and very gruesome at times, so don’t say you weren’t warned) and Albert Finney and Diane Venora are very good, as is Edward James Olmos and Gregory Hines. The DVD looks great, too.
We’ve received another excellent Nudie Musical review, this time in the DVD Newsletter, a small magazine that’s usually sold at any store that sells DVDs (for example, Tower carries it). And if you haven’t picked up the latest issue of Scarlet Street, you should – it’s not only a great issue but I was very pleased with the interview with my very own self and our very own td’s review of the film. But Scarlet Street has many pleasures and is very addictive, and its publisher, Richard Valley, loves Broadway and musicals, and is a true genre fan. It’s available at most newsstands and stores, but if you can’t find it, just use the link I provided and you can purchase it online.
Well, today is Ask BK Day, the day you get to ask your excellent questions. Remember, you have to post them by nine o’clock tonight (California time), or I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to include the answer (although I’ll try).
Speaking of trying, try as we did, we are not going to be able to get the Buddy Bregman interview up for this Friday (it is really long and it’s taking a long time to organize), but we will get up our brand spanking interview with Mr. John Treacy Egan, who is currently wowing them on Broadway as Franz, in The Producers. It’s a wonderful interview, full of good and interesting stories about The Producers and Jekyll and Hyde and Mr. Wildhorn, and Mr. Hasselhoff, and Mr. Brooks, and all manner of things. So, be sure to check it out, starting on Friday (that is if the errant and truant Mr. Craig Brockman gets off his butt cheeks and puts it up on time – I know Mr. Craig Brockman has a very busy week this week, but after all this is haineshisway.com and we must be current and hip and with it and happening).
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because, frankly I have nothing more to say in this section. I am written out in this section. This section is over with, done, finished, finito, fine – adios section, adieu section, shalom section, this section is kaput for today.

I do hope those dear readers who have lately been missing in action (MIA, in Internet lingo) will be coming back soon, because we miss you when you are gone, gone, gone (that is three gones). So, let the errant and the truant come back and we will welcome them with open arms right after we bitch-slap them from here to eternity.
I really must do something about my kitchen, dear readers. There are things everywhere, piles of this and piles of that and it is beginning to drive me crazy. So, today I shall get some boxes and box up what I don’t need to be there and I shall move said boxes to the garage and then my kitchen will be sparkling and lovely once again. Luckily, it is quite a large kitchen and most of the piles are off in a corner (the piles contain all manner of papers, and manuscripts of Benjamin Kritzer, and research materials and empty boxes and it’s all just too too, in my opinion (IMO, in Internet lingo).
I will remind you from time to time that the first of our book signings is coming up in less than two weeks, on August 24th, a Saturday, at Bookfellows in Glendale. It goes from 3-5pm, and I will, in addition to signing, be reading excerpts from the book. I hope that some of our dear readers will be able to make it, for we will have cheese slices and ham chunks and even Cissy Wechter’s famous chocolate Bundt Cake. I suppose it would be a good idea for me to figure out what I’ll be reading from the book. If you have any suggestions, do let me know – they should be self-contained portions and not too too long.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must rid myself of these piles, I must get in my automobile and traverse the streets of my fair city. In addition to asking your excellent questions, discuss anything that you feel is worth discussing. I shall check in later to see how we’re all doing, and I do hope we have lots and lots of posts from lots and lots of dear readers like your very own selves, and I hope that lots and lots of our dear reader lurkers will come out of the woodwork and out of the shadows and out of my dreams and out of the frying pan and make themselves heard, loudly and clearly, and then and only then will we be the most popular site on all the Internet, and only then will we be the envy of one and all and also all and one, and only then will we be numero uno, the big cheese, the big Kahuna, the big bus, the top of the heap, the king of the road, the queen of the damned, the high and the mighty, the first and the foremost, the latest and the greatest, the duke of Earl, the Earl of Sandwich, the ginchiest, the grooviest, the coolest, the craziest, and do you know what just happened? I will tell you what just happened, because I am not going to keep such things from you – AOL just said “goodbye”. That stupid bunch of wazoos, can you imagine? Just like that, “goodbye”, when I’m in the middle of a roll and also a role. How dare them. There’ll be a letter about this in the Times tomorrow. Luckily, I write these here notes in Word so I did not lose anything. These here notes are safe and sound. I do believe we must now all bitch-slap AOL from here to eternity. I shall now take AOL off my buddy list, damn them, damn them all to hell. Where was I? I have lost my train of thought. I have lost my plane of thought and my automobile of thought and my scooter of thought. All modes of transportation, thought-wise, have been lost and all because of AOL and their fershluganah “goodbye”. Well, “goodbye” to you, too, AOL, and “goodbye” to Barton, and Kitchell, and Hastings, too. I am not putting up with this, and I am not putting down with this, what do you think of that, AOL? What does AOL stand for anyway? Archaic Old Losers? I’m hopping mad now and I shall get back online and I shall write AOL and I shall write them a nasty note and I shall say “tut tut” and “phut phut” and I will snigger at them and tell them “yechhhh” and “blechhhh”, not necessarily in that order. All right, I must calm down now – it’s time for you all to ask your excellent questions and to post until the cows come home. Post away, my pretties.

Replies: 36 Unseemly Comments

I have a couple of questions for you!! I've followed you from
Varese Sarabande to FA and now to Haineshisway.com. I respect your
work and the work you bring forth from the various singers and
musicians you work with.
1) How did you get involved with music and the entertainment industry
and why is the Broadway musical theatre an important area for you to
bring to people?
2) Do you think the internet is still a valid place for those
Broadway artists who may not get the mainstream notice as say the Pop
groups of today? Do a lot of them take the risk of going unnoticed
even on the internet if they've self-produced their own albums?
3) And finally, have you ever ridden a horse (as I've not) and was
wondering if it's something I should try.
Posted by buckleyfan @ 08/14/2002 10:09 AM PST

I've been ridding my PC of unneeded things...and still find AOL stuff when it shouldn't be there at all because I "uninstalled" it way back when I got DSL.
There are some things that won't go away...they hide, but then they re-invite themselves into your life and ask if you've had a change of heart.
Talk about your fatal attractions!
Ask BK: What is your opinion of the musical score to "Carmelina"?
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 08/14/2002 10:11 AM PST

First of all you must get off AOL or any phone modem and sign up for DSL. Your cable company should have it. This way your online time will be much faster, you won't tie up a phone line and you will always be on-line.
For ask BK Day:
With the amount of old television series being rerun on cable, are you ever aware in advance when an episode you appeared in will be shown and if so could you let your dear readers know so we can watch? Other than the M*A*S*H episode on DVD I don't recall seeing you in any of your myriad of appearances.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 08/14/2002 10:12 AM PST

Before I ask my question, let's take a second and pay silent homage to Don Chastain, who passed away today. He was a "musical theatre character man" (from Playbill On-Line) who was in Parade, Floyd Collins, No Strings and other shows.
http://www.playbill.com/cgi-bin/plb/news?cmd=show&code=112022
Mr. BK: My question for today is:
What do you think of the current state of cartoons and animation? Some of the stuff I see on Cartoon Network is mystifying to me. I look back on things like Rocky and Bullwinkle and Warner Brothers cartoons and Disney cartoons and even as late as the early 80s with my everlovin' DangerMouse (Penfold, shush) and think somehow, they were better. Maybe I'm just getting old sigh deeply.
Granted, not everything from back then worked for me. I never got the attraction to Popeye and once Tom and Jerry started to talk (in the 60s I think) they lost any charm. What do you think?
Posted by Ben @ 08/14/2002 10:37 AM PST

Since these are the Notes With No Name we could form a group like America and sing (since Mr. Pulliam's last post was a song, I figured I'd jump in also.)
"Oh, I've been through the desert reading Notes With No Name. It felt good to come out of the rain"
Now I've got that silly song stuck in my head. Oh, well, I'll put The Rothschilds in my CD player. Hal Linden should help remove that pesky tune.
Posted by Ben @ 08/14/2002 10:48 AM PST

Good Morning All,
Question 1: If you were to cast Barbara Harris in a musical today(any musical, old or new), which part(s) would you choose for her?
Question 2: I don't know if they have attempted to make a musical out of any of Neil Simon's plays or movies, but which ones do you think would be suited to being a musical? AND who would you have write the music and lyrics? For our bonus round, are there any paricular performers that you think would be just perfect for one of these musicals?
Posted by Kerry @ 08/14/2002 10:53 AM PST

I don't post for a while and now I'm posting like crazy! I just wanted to mention re yesterday's mention by BK about possibly stopping Ask BK Day unless we dear readers really like it, I want to put in my vote for really liking it. I would like it to continue.
Back to work.
Posted by Ben @ 08/14/2002 10:58 AM PST

Oh, definitely keep Ask BK Day - it's my favourite (or rather, Answer BK Day is my favourite).
My question: I was listening to Petula Clark's 'Here For You' the other day and on 'Seasons of Love' there's a bit of 'Easy To Be Hard' from Hair. Did you think of that? If so, why that particular track? And have you ever interpolated a song from a different show by different authors into any other tracks? (OK, 3 questions).
Posted by Allan @ 08/14/2002 11:12 AM PST

Oh, definitely keep Ask BK Day - it's my favourite (or rather, Answer BK Day is my favourite).
My question: I was listening to Petula Clark's 'Here For You' the other day and on 'Seasons of Love' there's a bit of 'Easy To Be Hard' from Hair. Did you think of that? If so, why that particular track? And have you ever interpolated a song from a different show by different authors into any other tracks? (OK, 3 questions).
Posted by Allan @ 08/14/2002 11:12 AM PST

OK, 6 questions - sorry!
Posted by Allan @ 08/14/2002 11:12 AM PST

Dear BK: Regarding your upcoming appearance at Bookfellows, should we bring our own pointy hats, or will they be supplied?
Posted by S. Woody White @ 08/14/2002 12:31 PM PST

Dear BK: I noticed in the liner notes of Celebration and A Doll's Life that you were the reissue producer on CD. How exactly were you involved in the Bay Cities label? Did Varese buy them out? What's the story here?
Also, what's your favorite Strouse/Adams score? (Mine is Applause.)
Apologies if you've already answered these questions; I only started reading your column recently.
Posted by Mark @ 08/14/2002 12:44 PM PST

I have returned from my errantness and truantness! While on my fabulous theatre trip in Canada I also picked up a copy of the BK produced reissue of Celebration. So I have questions related to that:
1: How long were you at Bay Cities, and why did you leave?
2: In the included catalogue, one of the CD's was Brent Spiner's "Old Yellow Eyes Is Back". Were you involved with this record? Is it any good?
3: What is your opinion of the score to Celebration?
Can other dear readers fill me in on whether anything fascinating has happened while I was gone?
Posted by Hapgood @ 08/14/2002 12:59 PM PST

Hapgood,
What happened while you were gone? Well, first the earth cooled. Then the dinosaurs roamed the planet......
Glad to have you back. Tomorrow (not today because it's ASK BK DAY) let us know what plays you saw on your theatre trip.
Posted by Kerry @ 08/14/2002 02:13 PM PST

My Ask BK Day Question:
Can you describe the moment when the lyrical concept to "Let 'em Eat Cake" came to you?
Posted by William F. Orr @ 08/14/2002 02:24 PM PST

My questions are:
What is next?
Do you have a new favorite ice cream or other frozen dessert?
Why do people have difficulty believing that Frankie and Johnny was written for Kathy Bates and she appeared in it nude?
Do you think a motion picture adaptation of either Rent or tick…tick…BOOM! will be made?
Kerry Butler gives an excellent performance in Hairspray and is quite funny and endearing.
The motion picture How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is excellent and a lot of fun. I wish there were another Broadway musical for Michele Lee.
The motion picture A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum seems not to hold up well by itself. I wonder if it might be better in a large, dark theatre filled with a receptive audience.
The motion picture Gypsy has never interested me, and I have seen only pieces of it.
The forthcoming big-screen Chicago holds less and less interest for me as its release approaches. I hope to be surprised pleasantly when I see it.
A Chorus Line has never been made into a motion picture.
I had wedding cake on Sunday not far from Un dimanche après-midi à l'Ile de la Grande Jatte.
Let Them Eat Cake was the name of a chocolate-mousse-obsessed bakery in the Chicago metropolitan area. Their specialty and signature was a tall creation made of layers of chocolate cake covered and filled with chocolate mousse and then covered with chocolate cake crumbs. The cakes used to be all the rage.
Posted by freedunit @ 08/14/2002 02:49 PM PST

Why didn't you like the TV version of Gypsy which was truer to the original stage production?
Mulitpart question:
If someone wants to use a song or instrumental track from one of your produced albums in a film or as part of a play who has the rights?
If you pay a royality how is it distributed? The producer of the track? The Singer? The Composer/Lyricist? The label?
Sometimes a credit will say "Courtesy of__" (fill in label name) does that mean the label has given the song for no royality in return for appearance in the film?
When the music track is giving permission by the rights holder does the person who doesn't have rights (eg performer or the composer) have any say how it is used? (In other words another person lipsynching to the track or perhaps only a few seconds of the song being used? Or the song being used to underscore a robbery or a murder.)
Amazon.com plays 30 second clips of tracks from the cds that they have for sale. Does that 30 seconds preclude them from paying royalities? If so if one used 30 seconds or less of a song in a film (or play) would that preclude the producer from paying royalities?
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 08/14/2002 03:39 PM PST

There's a "hate thread" going on over at Film Music Messageboard for the new "1776" DVD.
All the folks who hate the fact that the DVD does not include everything the Pioneer laserdisc issue has state most adamantly that they will NOT buy the DVD and will NOT watch it.
And then they rave on and on about how inferior it is to the LD, without having the courtesy of seeing it before dismissing it out of hand.
I say, if they're disinterested, is it really necessary for them to make fools of themselves in public?
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 08/14/2002 03:55 PM PST

Ron. Is Carmelina the new vewrsion of Mama Mia?
BK. Do you think Paul Simon will every try Broadway again. What did you think of his SCORE for Capeman? When I first heard the Cd of "Rent" I thought it was "hair" revisited - particularly "Seasons Of Love". I tolerate the CD but really did not enjoy the show. Waht do you think of those "Mikes" in shows like this and "Smokey Joe's Cafe". I would rather Billy Joel be involved in a new book show. (I think he is talented). What do you think of this trend (can we blame the Brits?) for this type of musical?(ie compilations of songs not specifically written for the stage).
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 08/14/2002 03:57 PM PST

Cake is being discussed, and all is right with the world.
Posted by Kerry @ 08/14/2002 04:02 PM PST

BK - What issue # of SCARLET STREET? I was at Drama Book Shop today (the 98-99 THEATRE WORLD is finally out - will they ever catch up?) and the issue of SCARLET STREET they were selling did not have the interview.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 08/14/2002 04:20 PM PST

It's issue number 45 - Drama Book Shop always seems behind a bit. It's got the words Nero Wolf on the cover in quite large letters.
Posted by bk @ 08/14/2002 05:00 PM PST

Tom From Oz:
Mamma Mia is a reworking of Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell starrring Gina Lollobrigida
Carmelina was an uncredited version of the film as well.
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 08/14/2002 05:05 PM PST

Bruce,
If you were to cast Diana Canova in a musical (old or new), what part would it be?
Posted by Kerry @ 08/14/2002 05:06 PM PST

Some people are pie people and others cake people. Just for equal time, what are your favorite pies?
Posted by Kerry @ 08/14/2002 05:47 PM PST

Bruce:
May I call you "Bruce"? Even though I've asked questions on previous Ask BK Day, we've never been formally introduced. (Hello, my name is George. How do you do?) Or, would you prefer "BK" or "Mr. Kimmel" (this one could be confusing if that Jimmy Kimmel guy is around) or is there something else that you would like better? Or, do you think I'm using the word "or" too many times?
Posted by George @ 08/14/2002 06:07 PM PST

Hey peoples! I just got back
from a matinee of "South
Pacific" starring Robert Goulet.
It was very well done, I
dismissed that fact that "bob"
doesn't have the voice he used
to and saved the high "E" at the
end of "Some Enchanted Evening"
to the end of Act One, which he
got out quite nicely and didn't
embarass himself. It's a very
well done show. See it if it
comes your way.
So, BK, (not to be confused with
Burger King), my question to you
is... In all your years of
producing, which "star" that
you've worked with has been the
easiest to work with and which
has been not-so-easy to work
with?
Posted by Matthew @ 08/14/2002 06:42 PM PST

My theatre CD collection is becoming most unseemly. Do you have any tips on how to organize them?
Posted by Paul Fairie @ 08/14/2002 07:11 PM PST

BK, on behalf of Richard and the gang over at Scarlet Street, allow me to say, "Thanks for the plug!" It really is a fine issue, quite possibly the best in SS's stormy decade. btw (By The Way in internet lingo) I had NO IDEA that Richard was going to request a review of TFNM from me! I thought that with the interview, he was going to handle the reviewing himself! So, thank you again for creating such a wonderful piece that allowed me to wax poetic over TWICE! You're the man, BK!
Questions, questions, questions. I should leave the asking to a few others who have never queried, but, I'm very excited about the MGM Double Feature Disc dvds arriving in a few weeks time, so, I have to ask:
On the subject of Vincent Price:
How do you feel about his work for Roger Corman? (PIT AND THE PENDULUM, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, etc).
Are you a fan of THEATRE OF BLOOD?
On the subject of Christopher Lee: Do you have a favorite Lee performance?
What do you think of Anthony Shaffer's THE WICKER MAN? (my personal Lee favorite)
On the subject of Ray Milland:
Do you like the 1940s performances more than his later work?
How do you feel about his performance in X- THE UNKNOWN?
What in the world possessed him to do FROGS and THE THING WITH TWO HEADS?
On the subject of Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters:
Do you think that WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? is a highly underrated film?
Remember, coming soon to a dvd player near you: THE PREMATURE BURIAL, THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN, THE OBLONG BOX, WHO SLEW AUNTIE ROO?, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN?
Posted by td @ 08/14/2002 08:06 PM PST

Michael: Thanks for clarifying for Tom about "Carmelina." I'd only recently learned about it, read Ken Mandelbaum's assessment of it in "Not Since Carrie" and won it in an eBay auction. I am very much looking forward to it.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 08/14/2002 08:24 PM PST

What?
Has there been a biohazardous spill or something?
No one has posted in the past two hours?
What is this, day-old fish?
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 08/14/2002 10:11 PM PST

It's like this over at the message boards of Scarlet Street, too!
Wow! what a wicked Wednesday! And what a way to go! (a favorite Shirley MacLaine movie, to boot!)
Posted by td @ 08/14/2002 10:15 PM PST

By the way (BTW in internet lingo), I agree with Ben about keeping Ask BK Day.. Why would you want to quit Ask BK Day? If it's too much work, I can see going to every OTHER Wednesday or soemething. But not quitting completely.
So, I have another question. The idea of doing a musical of "The Parent Trap" (musical movie or play) came up some time ago. If it were to be done, whou would you have write the songs? And where do you see the opportunities for songs? Where would the comic numbers be? The wistful songs? the ballads? The character exposition songs?
Posted by Kerry @ 08/14/2002 10:29 PM PST

My other questions are:
Why would you stop Ask-BK Day?
What is the definition of errant and truant? Is it possible to be truant and errant?
Would you ever bitch-slap someone who is formerly errant and truant on the waterfront, rather than from here to eternity?
Is apple or cherry my favorite pie?
Posted by freedunit @ 08/15/2002 12:02 AM PST

Freedunit: Welcome back! Since it's Thursday and not Ask BK Day, I'll ask you a question. Has your Las Vegas sojourn happened and did you see Rick Springfield in EFX Alive? (the title makes it sound like some horror movie "Jerry, watch out, it's ALIVE!!!)
Posted by Ben @ 08/15/2002 07:18 AM PST

Have to comment on the Rick Springfield thing....
My wife is - always has been - a huge fan of Rick Springfield. She has all the CDs, has seen him in concert several times, etc. So when we heard that he was appearing in Las Vegas, it seemed like a great trip for our 10th Anniversary: a fun trip to Vegas, catch a couple of shows, see Rick Springfield - who could ask for anything more?
Well, as I recall we arrived on a Wednesday, and our tickets were for the Friday. We were staying at the MGM Grand, where the show (EFX) was playing, so after getting unpacked and having dinner, we walked past the theatre, and could hear the show ending. Minutes later, we found out that Rick Springfield has taken a nasty spill during the show, breaking a couple of bones in the process. He had been shipped off to Los Angeles for treatment, and his understudy performed in his place for the next few weeks. Needless to say, my wife was heartbroken. We still saw the show, and it was enjoyable enough, but it clearly did not hold the same appeal as it might have with it's star.
As for the name of the show, it is really a combination of the original name of the show - EFX - and the name of Springfield's live album, from his recent tour - Alive! Nice bit of cross-markeing going on there.
Posted by Dave @ 08/15/2002 07:38 AM PST

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