haines his way

09/13/2002:
"A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT"

Well, dear readers, today’s notes will be short because today is short notes day. Conversely, today’s announcement will also be brief. I found it interesting, especially in lieu of yesterday’s announcement, that the news didn’t appear anywhere else on the Internet, especially at either of the two big (or so they think) chatspots. Which is what I’ve been saying all along – this is where it’s happening, this is where it’s at, this is the only place to be in with the in crowd, ahead of the game, aknee of the lagging throng, with it, the coolest, the ginchiest, in the know and in the fast lane. Let those others go along thinking they know what is happening, let them read their announcements after the fact on playbill.com or broadway.com or wherever the official press release appears – but just remember, dear readers, you heard it here first.
The other reason these here notes must be short is because I am leaving shortly, for a short trip to Santa Clara – sort of a last minute thing for the TV show I start working on on Monday. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
But I shall have my handy-dandy laptop computer with me and will check up on the activity from time to time, plus write the weekend notes.
But for now, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so I can wrap these brief notes up.

Has anyone noticed how brief these fershluganah notes are? Well, how about a brief announcement? Very well then. My lunch meeting of this week was a very interesting one. It was a very preliminary discussion, but one that I think will come to our new favorite word – fruition. I’m taking baby steps, however, for obvious reasons, and nothing would happen as regards this brief announcement until mid-next year at the earliest (I suppose something could happen sooner, but as I said – baby steps). So, I will tell you, dear readers, that this meeting was about the possibility of starting up a brand spanking new label. That is all I can say at this time, oh, yes, that is all I can say at this time. I will tell you that the party that I lunched with seems to want to do this but all the details would have to be worked out very clearly and methodically for me to want to go down that road. So, keep your fingers crossed and I will let you know the progress of things a little further down the line.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must prepare for my brief sojourn, I must pack a brief overnight bag and be on my merry way. Today’s topic of discussion: Since someone asked me this yesterday, I shall ask it today: What is the most recent play or musical you’ve seen and what did you think of it? I answered yesterday, so today it’s your turn.

Replies: 26 Unseemly Comments

YAY!!!! (for the new Label) Have a good time in our Bay Area today!
Posted by Matthew @ 09/13/2002 07:16 AM PST

HOORAY! I will need to build a new CD shelf after that announcement.
As far as today's topic, I haven't seen anything recently, though my calendar is chock-a-block with things in the near future. I am seeing Boys from Syracuse at the Roundabout Selwyn (AKAK American Airlines) Theatre on Wednesday. The Tuesday after that I am seeing the latest show from one of my favorite small theatre companies, The Drama Department. It's called The Dark Kalamazoo. Then on Sunday, September 29th I am seeing Take Me Out, the new show at the Public Theatre, about a baseball player who comes out. Finally (for now), on Saturday, October 5th I am seeing Frankie and Johnny at the Clare de Lune w/Edie Falco and that hunk Stanley Tucci (who says bald men can't be sexy:-)
That's it from my corner of New York. Oh, yes, I am just about to put It's a Grand Night for Singing, a BK produced CD into my work computer to help me through the late morning.
Posted by Ben @ 09/13/2002 07:39 AM PST

Congratulations; how grand.
A new label huh? New CD's to come? I better start applying for a second mortgage.
Posted by Kerry @ 09/13/2002 08:08 AM PST

Now THAT'S the good news we've all been waiting for!!
The girls and I saw Beauty and the Beast last weekend. That's all we've seen for a few months, as the Phoenix theater season was very slow over the summer. Coming up next is "The Fantastiks" and "Into the Woods" at community theaters this month.
Oh, and BK, when you start looking for some new talent for the new label, Dear Reader Kerry and I can make a couple of recommendations!
Posted by Laura @ 09/13/2002 08:13 AM PST

The last play I saw was Chekhov's (deservedly) lesser-known first play, Ivanov.
Suffice to say that after the eponymous lead character spends the entire play screaming that he's going to commit suicide and depart this vail of tears, this murky, dreadful existence from which there is no other escape, etc., etc., he finally, in the very very end, makes good on his threat and shoots himself in the head. The woman sitting directly behind me muttered "Thank God." She was no doubt channeling the feelings of the entire audience.
Posted by Lulu @ 09/13/2002 08:28 AM PST

Whoop-de-doo! A new label for BK - exciting news, indeed. How long will we have to wait, though?
I posted a couple of weeks ago that I'd seen "Follies" in London, which was wonderful and a thankful return to the original show, rather than the misconceived London revamp. I was sitting in the front row right behind the orchestra, which made me realise just how great Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations are.
Posted by Allan @ 09/13/2002 09:36 AM PST

Whoop-de-doo! A new label for BK - exciting news, indeed. How long will we have to wait, though?
I posted a couple of weeks ago that I'd seen "Follies" in London, which was wonderful and a thankful return to the original show, rather than the misconceived London revamp. I was sitting in the front row right behind the orchestra, which made me realise just how great Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations are.
Posted by Allan @ 09/13/2002 09:38 AM PST

The last Broadway musicals I saw were
Hairspray
Hairspray and
Cabaret
Two VERY different shows LOL
Posted by Craig @ 09/13/2002 09:39 AM PST

Sorry about the double posting - we have a really bad internet service at work which tells you things haven't been sent when they have!!
Posted by Allan @ 09/13/2002 09:40 AM PST

Last night I saw BLUE at the Pasadena Playhouse. This is a play about an upper class black family who happen to run a funeral home in a fictional town in South Carolina. (BLUE has been mounted in Washington, D.C. and New York; this was the play's west coast premier.)
Although this work had ample opportunity to dig deep into some serious emotional territory, I fear that it played largely like a sitcom.
That said, it was great seeing the always radiant Diahann Carroll on stage, as the central protagonist's mother-in-law. Clifton Davis played the protagonist's husband and Diahann Carroll's son, and he turned in an excellent performance, too. As the protagonist, Phylicia Rashad was fine, but I thought the performances of the two aforementioned players outshone hers.
Last week I went to the L.A. Opera to see THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST. This is one of Puccini's less performed works, and while it was very well staged and sung (Placido Domingo and Catherine Malfitano starred), it has a lot of corn in it. The opera opens with a "Hello" chorus, and at one point, there's a call for "Visky per tutti." The final words of the work are "Addio mia California." (As Anna Russell used to say, I'm not making this up, you know.)
I know opera doesn't get much mention here, but I bring up GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST because smack dab in the middle of the second act love duet, what should flow out of the orchestra but the complete melody for "Music of the night" from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
Whaddaya think of that?!
Posted by Jay @ 09/13/2002 09:46 AM PST

Congrats to Bruce on this and all his announcements!!
The latest play I have seen was last night, an extremely campy and funny piece called Eula Mae's Beauty, Bait and Tackle. Has played over nine years in Atlanta and just made its premiere here in good ol' Richmond, VA.
The last musical I saw was a very bad production of Company -- but I have to cut the cast a break since up until four days before opening night, they were rehearsing a version that changed Bobby to Bobbie and made the girlfriends into boyfriends, until Mr. Sondheim got wind of it and sent a very quick cease-and-desist order. So it was very shaky show when returned to its original form.
Talk about revisals!
Posted by Philip Crosby @ 09/13/2002 09:48 AM PST

As I wrote last Saturday, the most recent show I saw was HAIRSPRAY.
Regarding the above production of COMPANY, that idea may have been stopped before it opened, but according to The Sondheim Review, there was a Sondheim-approved production that changed Marta to Marty so that Bobby has a boyfriend in addition to two girlfriends. It was a college production and according to the article was a change for that production only and would not be allowed in the future.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 09/13/2002 10:12 AM PST

Well.. since no one has made any comments about it.. let me be the first to wish everyone one a very happy Friday the 13th --insert cheesy horror music here--
May The Luck Be With You
Posted by Craig @ 09/13/2002 11:00 AM PST

Oh my, another book, a movie, TFNM on stage, and now a possible new record label?!?!? I can see my already-meager bank account dwindling before my very eyes!
Posted by Jed @ 09/13/2002 11:21 AM PST

I'm lurking...lurking...lurking...and very excited about Bruce's latest announcements...but still I lurk...I will tell you the reason later...till then...lurk...lurk...lurk...
Posted by Jason @ 09/13/2002 11:45 AM PST

The last show I saw was the Japanese production of Pacific Overtures at the Kennedy Center - wow, just realized it was only a week ago today.
Although I will admit to being somewhat of a Sondhead, I was really only familiar with PO through the recordings and a brief reading of the script and score many years ago. This production literally had me breathless and trembling when I left the theatre. I actually felt like I wanted to cry, had to cry. It totally caught me off guard.
Although I was familiar with the lyrics, I did spend some time gazing at the surtitles, but from where I was sitting, it wasn't too distracting going back and forth to the stage. I enjoyed hearing which words and phrases they kept in English, and I give major kudos to the translator. *And hearing "Please Hello" in Japanese was quite fun.
The whole scenic design was wonderful and imaginative, and the use of the walkway through the audience - sorry I can't remember the actual Japanese term - was very effective.
The show kind of snuck up on me, I guess. I loved the way the story of the two men was portrayed, but when the show ended with "Next" it just all came together. Truly, the bigger picture was revealed. And with the very visual way the dropping of the bomb was depicted, as well as the brief reference to 9/11.. like I said, I was literally trembling when I left the Ike.
So, that's that.
As for BK's announcement - there's a nice big grin on my face right now as I type this post :-)
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 09/13/2002 12:00 PM PST

The last musical I saw was a lovely, moving CAROUSEL at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre in suburban Chicago.
The next one I will see is I DO, I DO, this very night.
Posted by Pam @ 09/13/2002 12:13 PM PST

What a way to start my Saturday. good news from BK all week and now the possibility of a NEW LABEL. WOW! And I was hoping for news of Cape Man OBC. This is of far more significance. An end to my early retirement is now in sight. New label, new discs, more money = Work. I had better put my name on the "substitute" teacher list.
Happy weekend to you all at this Good News site.
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 09/13/2002 02:22 PM PST

With all thea t excitement. I forgot the topic. "Local" production of "My One And Only" starts next month. The last show I saw was "Man Of La Mancha".That was months and months and months ago. Thank goodness fo Cds.
Posted by Tom Guest (from OZ) @ 09/13/2002 02:24 PM PST

With all that excitement. I forgot the topic. "Local" production of "My One And Only" starts next month. The last show I saw was "Man Of La Mancha".That was months and months and months ago. Thank goodness fo Cds.
Posted by Tom Guest (from OZ) @ 09/13/2002 02:25 PM PST

Sorry ! Did not stop my post in time. The excitement is too great.
Posted by Tom Guest (from OZ) @ 09/13/2002 02:26 PM PST

The last musical I saw was the revival/revision of R&H's FLOWER DRUM SONG at the Mark Taper Forum. I quite loved it.
The last play I saw was SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES which has been running forever in a 99-seater in LA. Sort of a musical - it uses everything from hymns to country-western - I guess one's response would depend on how one feels about religion. The playwright obviously never got over his heavy SB religious upbringing, and I felt maybe he should...... :). But it's quite a popular hit.
Posted by Ross Care @ 09/13/2002 04:52 PM PST

Ross:
At long last, I am going to see SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES myself, tomorrow night. Everyone I know who has seen it really enjoyed it.
Have you (or anyone else here) seen SORDID LIVES? It is a film written and directed by Del Shores, the author of SISSIES. It is quite a funny picture and has developed rather more than a bit of cult status.
Posted by Jay @ 09/13/2002 05:07 PM PST

Jay, Interesting revelation about GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST. (I only know the Jeanette MacDonald version).
Are you disappointed the LA Opera is not doing WAR AND PEACE? I am.
Posted by Ross @ 09/13/2002 05:43 PM PST

Pam, I saw the ad for "Carousel" when I was in Chicago last weekend. Wish I could have seen it.
Posted by Laura @ 09/13/2002 10:18 PM PST

The last musical that I saw was a children's (well, mostly teenagers with a lot of performing experience) production of CHILDREN OF EDEN. It was quite good. A few of the performers are in the benefit revue that I'm doing (tomorrow night) and they really make me feel like I have one of the weaker voices in the cast. Many of them started when they were in elementary school! I always remember a line from GYPSY: "I was born too soon and I started too late!" But it doesn't intimidate me enough to stop doing it!
Posted by George @ 09/13/2002 10:58 PM PST

Ask BK: Got a question? Ask Bruce Kimmel...

© Copyright 2001-2003 Bruce Kimmel.
All Rights Reserved. Site design by hijinks design.