Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 11/01/2002 08:28 AM PST

I'm not listening/watching anything mechanical this evening, because I will be watching BK's great good friends Jason Graae (my friend, too!), Brent Barrett, Brian D'Arcy James, Klea Blackhurst (and others) in concert instead. Dearest BK, I shall give them all your regards!

Posted by Pam @ 11/01/2002 08:34 AM PST

In what city is the concert? Say hello to Brent and Klea for me if you chance to speak to them. I had hoped to get to London in August to see them perform Oklahoma! in concert, but I couldn't get away then.

Posted by Robert Armin @ 11/01/2002 08:52 AM PST

Robert -

What happened was.. a few times during the year, the blog was altered for whatever reason and the "count" is off.. so tomorrow is numerically the 365th post.. if you actually count the posts one by one.. you will fall short of a year.. November 9th was the very FIRST posting on this site, and therefor, in my eyes.. the true anniversary and birthday of HHW

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 09:05 AM PST

Pam--I'm going to the same concert tonight. Maybe you'll see me; I'll be the one freezing to death, since I'm from Arizona and I think it's cold here!

Posted by Laura @ 11/01/2002 09:14 AM PST

Please do say hello to Jason, Brent and Klea and anyone else I have ever met who happens to show up at the concert.

Posted by bk @ 11/01/2002 09:24 AM PST

Well, right now in my CD player here at work is Hairspray. Somehow grading papers while listening to "Cooties" seems appropriate. Actually, in recent years my selection for grading final exams is always Bernard Herman's score to Psycho.

In any case, Hairspray seems to signal that people are sick and tired of momentous operatic musicals with humongous sets and very little laughter. The Producers proved that everyone was longing to go out to the theatre and have fun for a change. (They certainly didn't want an evening of watching an evil gossip columnist ruin everybody's lives.) And that should bode well for The First Nudie Musical: The Musical.

Since Joe and I actually buy videos only on very rare occasions, in the VCR is 13 Ghosts, which we time-shifted last night. Oh, we did watch it once last week, and poor F. Murray Abraham, while I love him, is not Vincent Price, and nobody can do over-the-top quite like Vincent.

Also, I would like to commend Donald on his radio show this week. I actually clicked right over to Amazon.com and bought several records after hearing it. The only one that disappointed me, frankly, was James Naughton. He has done such a variety of exciting roles on the stage. I personally have seen him in I Love My Wife and Chicago (not to mention the movie The Paper Chase)--and there is of course City of Angels. And yet his CD, from what I heard, is rather banal. I expected more from him.

Anyway, thanks Donald.

Posted by William F. Orr @ 11/01/2002 09:31 AM PST

Laura, this is not cold. January is cold. February is cold. October/November is just....brisk.

Posted by Pam @ 11/01/2002 09:38 AM PST

Craig -- I suspected something as mundane as that, but I was (in my feeble way) attempting to make a joke. Of course, November 9th should be the anniversary of HHW, but several of us will again celebrate on November 15th -- the day Susan Gordon's name was first invoked on this site. Check out the latest issue of Fangoria for further details. :)

Posted by Robert Armin @ 11/01/2002 09:56 AM PST

Robert.. I have indeed read said article... You, Bruce AND Susan are all stars to be reckoned with ;)

And I'm sorry I missed your attempt at a joke. Perhaps if you were to warn us ahead of time you were about to make one, we would all "get jiggy with it". You know.. have a preface.

Warning, Joke lies ahead - you know.. something like that. I mean.. it's not like you were suggesting that Bruce gets around a lot ;)

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 10:00 AM PST

But he DOES move around a lot...

Posted by Robert Armin @ 11/01/2002 10:13 AM PST

Bruce... are you going to take that from Armin?

And where is Susan.. how come she hasn't posted about her Halloween activities?

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 10:23 AM PST

CD: Jerry Herman's PARADE; now that the ice has been broken with this (and last year's release of TWO ON THE AISLE --- plus the Bagley shows) one hopes for CD reissues of several other revues of the 50s and 60s. Three different NEW FACES have been recorded and certainly '52 and '56 belong on CD - perhaps as a 2 disk set. '68 is another story. And will we ever see CD releases any of the wonderful Julius Monk revues or Bette Davis in TWO'S COMPANY?

VHS - Last night's "ER". I never watch any commercial show when it is on. Why spend an hour when you can be done in forty-five minutes?

DVD - "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". Certainly this is the 2nd best of all the Peanuts specials over the years.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 11/01/2002 11:00 AM PST

Hi guys! I'm so excited about my trip to see DISASTER OF THE VAMPIRES tonight that I can hardly stand myself. I can't remember the last time I was this excited about seeing a show...particularly a BAD show. I'll be sure to provide a full report. :-)

CD Player: John Bucchino's "Grateful" (one of my VERY favorite CD's. Tom from Oz: If you don't have it let me know. You NEED it.)

Jason Robert Brown's THE LAST FIVE YEARS (another must-have)

Sir Andrew's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (did I mention I'm auditioning for this show on the 21st of this month? Just two days after my birthday...wouldn't THAT be a swell birthday present?)

Original Broadway Cast Recording of THE PAJAMA GAME. I know it's a bit dated...but I think we need a Broadway revival of this show with Mr. Brent Barrett in the lead. Didn't he do it for Encores! or Reprise! or someone??

VCR: Waiting for Guffman. ("There's no swimmin' in my show!")

I think the alternating days for the chat sounds super-swell. I'm excited for it!!

Posted by Jason @ 11/01/2002 11:18 AM PST

Jason---
Yes... BB did PAJAMA GAME at Encores last Spring opposite Karen Ziemba. It was excellent but not really the kind of lesser known shows that Encores is supposed to do.

BB also was in Encore's CLEAR DAY a couple of years ago and stole the show in a secondary role.

I hope he will be in the Encores Highlights concert later this month, and he is definitely right for a role in their first operetta NEW MOON leter this year.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 11/01/2002 12:06 PM PST

On another chat board (certainly not as jiggy as this one of course) someone was talking about the reprise doing She Loves Me. Since this is a show that is on many faves list here.. I thought we might have fun casting it... here are my thoughts:

Georg: Brent Barrett
Amalia: Susan Egan
Ilona: Alison Fraser
Kodaly: Jim Dale
Sipos: Bruce Kimmel
Headwaiter: Jonathan Freeman (yeah.. I know.. but he was great doing it on bway already)
Arpad: Josh Bergasse (he's an ensemble member of Hairspray)

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 12:32 PM PST

CD: Marry Me a Little with Brent Barrett and Sally Mayes

DVD: The Best of Boys in Love
Which is a complaitions with a gay theme. Some good. some fair and some outstanding.

The best of the lot is Achilles an excelent animated short about "Greek bad boys Achilles and Petroclus battle the Trojans and their desire for each other.

Next best is Karen Black Like Me. Really a homage to a Karen Black movie called Trilogy of Terror and one segment in particualr. (In which an african tribal doll that comes to life and terrorizes a woman in her apartment.) In this case something quite unbelievable and halirious chases a man around his apartment.

The other one I enjoyed was Boot Camp which mixes an RKO style musical in a S & Leather Bar.

Other titles include Death in Venice, Ca; Dirty Baby Does Fire Island, SPF 2000 and Twilight of the Gods (which was the most ambitious of the films but ultimately fell flat.)

and in my car CD player the 1994 studio cast recording of "Oh, Kay!" with Robert Westenberg (whatever happened to him?), Patrick Cassidy, Liz Larsen, Kurt Ollman, Dawn Upshaw and I kid you not Susan Lucci.

Restores much of the material cut from the store and puts the classic Someone to Watch Over Me in the correct place in the story.

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 11/01/2002 01:07 PM PST

Thanks for the offer Jason. Can you imagine me not having an Art Garfunkel song in my collection? the Bucchino song is beautiful.(As is the new Garfunkel recording - "Everything Waits To Be Noticed").
In my CD players: Art Gafunkel, "Puttin' On The Ritz" Erich Kunzel - (Thanks Francois), and in preparation for Mr Shayne, The original AUSTALIAN cast of "Side By Side By Sondheim" (from vinyl).
Video: home recording from local TV of Barbara Cook's "Better With a Band" concert from a few years back.
Question: Where are the archive notes for October 31?
BK: At last a note from Amazon to say that Second Avenue is on the way. Have you received yours yet?

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 11/01/2002 01:22 PM PST

And a mention for "Death In Venice". IMHO one of the best fims ever and one of the truly great performances by an actor who knew his craft so well and also had a second career as an entertaining an competent author - Dirk Bogarde. And here's to Mahler too.

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 11/01/2002 01:33 PM PST

For the chat on Sunday:

The first thing you'll need is AOL's Instant Messanger (AIM.) It is a free program and you do not have to be a member of AOL to download the program.

Go to http://www.aol.com.

You will see a link
FREE AIM
DOWNLOAD HERE
AOL Instant Messanger

The link will take you to the following screen:
http://my.screenname.aol.com/_cqr/login/login.psp?siteId=aimregistrationPROD&authLev=1&mcState=initialized&createSn=1

In which you will be asked to devise a screen name. password, and your email address and your birthdate.

Whoever is on first can start a chat room and start to invite people into the room.

Of course we will need to know what your AOL Instant Message screen name ahead of time so will be able to invite you into the private chat room.

If you can post them ahead of time we can then added them to our buddies list and that way we will know when you sign on and then we can invite you to join us.

Also we can chat not only on chat nights, but at any other time.

I have been chatting with Susan Gordon, Anthony Dale, and BK during this past week and It's been a lot of fun. TD is especially amusing.

From the AOL AIM Help to ivite someone into a chat room

To invite a buddy to chat:

1 Select the screen names of the buddies you want to invite to the chat room.

To select multiple screen names, hold down the Ctrl key as you select each name. You can also select an entire group of buddies.

2 Click the Send Chat Invitation icon:

The Chat Invitation window opens.

If you want to send the invitation to additional buddies, type their screen names in the Screen names to invite field.

Click Send to send the invitation.

When you are inside the room this is how you chat

After your buddy accepts your invitation, AIM displays the message, “username” has entered the room,” in your Chat Room window. You can start typing your chat messages in the text area after you receive the notification.

Tip: You can invite a buddy to join a chat in progress. In the Chat Room window, select People on the menu bar and click Invite a Buddy to send an invitation.

To send a chat message:

1) After you have invited a buddy to chat, with the Chat Room window open, type the message that you want to send in the text area box.

You can send chat messages with hyperlinks and emoticons (smileys). You can also format them using different styles such as bold, italic, or underlining. Using color or a different font can also help emphasize messages you send.

2) Click Send.
When you are finished with your chat conversation, you can save it to a file.

Tips:

To display a user’s profile, click Get Info.

To stop receiving messages from someone in the chat room, select the person’s screen name in the field that lists everyone in the chat room and click Ignore. An X appears next to the selected screen name. Click Ignore again to toggle the ignore feature off.

You can use the toolbar to change text color or emphasize text with bold, italic, or underlining.

For a list of popular chat rooms, click More at the right bottom of the Chat Room window. To remove the listing, click Less.

I hope this helps

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 11/01/2002 01:37 PM PST

Welp... I was going to suggest NOT posting AIM names publicly, but exchanging them via emails - just in case there were unseemly interlopers on here.. but oh well.. too late LOL

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 02:07 PM PST

Since we are all fans of Miss Hayley Mills.. thought those in NY might be interested in this news about an event on Nov. 4th.
---------------------------------
There's the ''Only Make Believe'' benefit at 8 p.m. at the Westside Theatre, 407 W. 43rd St., NYC. Here are some of the featured performers on the illustrious lineup, which will be hosted by Hayley Mills:

* Louise Pitre (''Mamma Mia!'') singing the ABBA song ''Angel Passing Through My Room''
* Chad Kimball (''Into the Woods'') performing ''Lost in the Wilderness'' from ''Children of Eden''
* Brian D'Arcy James, Andrew Lippa and Kevin Pariseau singing Maltby & Shire's ''Fathers of Fathers''
* Marc Kudisch doing ''Come Home'' from ''Allegro''
* Anne Runolfsson, Shoshanna Bean and Janet Metz teaming up for ''W-O-M-A-N'' from ''Smokey Joe's Cafe''
* Ann Harada belting Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich's ''15 Pounds Away From My Love''

Also on the bill will be Brad Oscar (''The Producers''), Orfeh (''Love, Janis'') and Liz Larsen.

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 02:08 PM PST

Where are BK's notes and the
posts for YESTERDAY ????

Did the Grinch steal them ?

Wanted to check yesterday's
LATE posts and
EVERYTHING'S GONE !!!!

Posted by François @ 11/01/2002 02:16 PM PST

Yesterday's notes and posts are there, at least to my eye.

Posted by bk @ 11/01/2002 02:40 PM PST

Craig's comment was a good one, and I have taken the liberty of deleting the e-mail addresses in question. Let's keep private e-mails (people who want to keep them that way) between us, via e-mail.

Posted by bk @ 11/01/2002 02:44 PM PST

BK:

For us, foreigners, october 31
is gone !!!!

but to get it I type 363 in the
address info , instead of 364,
and IT WORKS !

Posted by François @ 11/01/2002 02:58 PM PST

CD: Carmina Burana

VCR: as with most Fridays, it
currently holds last night's CSI
waiting to be watched

DVD sitting empty lately

Looking forward to Sunday!

Posted by Jed @ 11/01/2002 03:07 PM PST

Found the Oct 321 notes but NOT by clicking on October. It would have been dreadful to have missed that last post by Ron. I think I should now have a Gin.

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 11/01/2002 03:07 PM PST

Make that October 31.

Posted by t @ 11/01/2002 03:07 PM PST

Michael

When did Brent and Sally record MARRY ME A LITTLE and on what label? I saw them do the show a few years ago but thought the only recording was the original cast.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 11/01/2002 03:45 PM PST

William:

The original cast album of Marry Me a Little is the only legit one. A friend gave me this recording. Different songs, done live. Not a perfect recording, but I like these two singers so much I over looked the flaws.

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 11/01/2002 04:06 PM PST

No one wants to play my casting game?

...sob sob sob

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 04:12 PM PST

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A
LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS !

Julie Andrews and
Christopher Plummer to tour
in musical evening, A Royal
Christmas.................................

They will be joined by young
soprano Charlotte Church and
scores of ballet dancers and
musicians, London's Royal
Philharmonic Concert
Orchestra, the Westminster
Concert Choir, the
Westminster Bell Choir,
principal and solo dancers
from London's Royal Ballet,
Winnipeg's Royal Ballet,
Russia's Bolshoi Ballet,
Ukraine's Kyiv Ballet and the
Shumka Dancers....................

Dec.3 USB Arena in
Cincinnati, OH
Dec.4 Van Andel Arena In
Grand Rapids, MI
Dec.6 Mellon Arena in
Pittsburgh, PA
Dec.7 Joe Louis Arena in
Detroit, MI
Dec,8 Nationwide Arena in
Columbus, OH
Dec.10 John LaBatt Centre in
London, ONT.
Dec.11 Air Canada Centre in
Toronto, ONT
Dec.12 Corel Centre in
Ottawa, ONT
Dec.14 Dunkin' Doughnuts
Center in Providence, RI
Dec.15 Fleet Center in Boston,
MA
Dec.16 Pepsi Arena in Albany,
NY
Dec.17 Giant Center in
Hershey, PA
Dec.18 Nassau Coliseum in
Uniondale, NY
Dec.20 St. Pete Times Forum
in Tampa, FL
Dec.21 Office Depot Forum in
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Dec.17

Posted by François @ 11/01/2002 05:24 PM PST

CD Player Car: Robbie Williams - Swing While You're Winning.
CD home: Liza's Back. Betty Buckley - The Doorway. Brian Setzer Orchestra - Boogie Woogie Christmas. Nancy LaMott - Just in Time for Christmas. Hairspray - OBC. Darling Lili - OS.
DVD Player - SPIDER-MAN, EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS, THEM! (Does anyone notice any theme happening here?)
VCR - REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, and the Cliff Richard musical, FINDERS KEEPERS.

Posted by td @ 11/01/2002 05:25 PM PST

TD-

Ironic that you are listening to SWING music AND watching Spidey/8 Legged...

Posted by Craig @ 11/01/2002 06:00 PM PST

in my CD player: my own compilation CD of different songs that are sung at the same time or songs with counterpoint in general (it's the 10th compilation disc of my ongoing series).

in my VCR: a tape to record the Caroline Rhea show and Antiques Roadshow.

in my DVD player: disc 1 of "24" with Kiefer Sutherland. I missed the first episode of season two (I TOTALLY FORGOT TO SET MY VCR!), but found out that it's being rebroadcast on Monday night!

Tom from Oz, I also have the Australian SxSxS (on vinyl and transfered to CD) and have a question for you or any and all, and even Bruce, to help me with a changed lyric that I can't understand. There is a short solo section sung by the man in "Waiting Around for the Girls Upstairs" that goes (each '?' is a syllable):

Anyway, there we'd stay until the curtain fell
And when the curtain fell
Then all hell broke
Race off the stage I gotta ?-?-? Who wants to get a bite
Rip off the wigs, come on will ya ?-? Jesus, I/you look a fright
Run up the stairs, who knows ?-?-?-? See ya tomorrow night
Girls looking frazzled and girls looking great...

Then it's back to the known lyrics. It's the only time on the whole recording that I've noticed a lyric change, and it would be nice to know what he's actually singing.

Posted by George @ 11/01/2002 06:24 PM PST

Dunkin' Doughnuts Auditorium???

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 11/01/2002 06:26 PM PST

Auditorium ?

No ! Center... which is usually
FILLED.... when it comes to
Dunkin' Doughnuts and if
remember the ones i used to
buy in Florida....

Well, I guess if Pepsi has an
Arena and Office Depot a
Forum, Dunkin' Doughnuts
can have a Center !! Fair un
oeuf, I mean, fair Enough !!

Posted by François @ 11/01/2002 06:37 PM PST

In my CD player - the original cast recording of "Spend Spend Spend". Specifically, right now I'm listening to Barbara Dickson singing "Scars of Love". It's wonderful. She's wonderful - and it's equally wonderful to be sitting in my living room in Canada listening to someone singing a showtune in something very close to my Pennines accent!

In my VCR - "Election"

Posted by Stephen Farrow @ 11/01/2002 08:19 PM PST

>

Craig, thank you for pointing that out; honestly, I hadn't noticed the irony!
(What would have been even more ironic, would have involved having Manhattan Transfer's "Swing" in one of the cd players as well).

Posted by td @ 11/01/2002 08:36 PM PST

Oh my God.

That's about all I can say about DEBACLE OF THE VAMPIRES. It was truly hideous. In the words of Mr. Ken Mendelbaum..."not since CARRIE." I've never felt sorry for a cast before...but for this show I was embarrassed for them. I've never seen such laughable choreography in my entire life (though there was one pretty cool dance number involving some flying...that's all I'll say so I won't give too much away). Michael Crawford looked like he'd been dressed in some of Grizabella's hand-me-downs...red nails and all...and I'm pretty sure he only sang about 20% of the show live (but I could be wrong). I would comment more but I really don't want to spoil the show for those of you who enjoy watching the Titanic go down.

Not since CARRIE...

Posted by Jason @ 11/01/2002 09:16 PM PST

What a day!

Yes, Tom, it would have been dreadful to have missed the last post in yesterday's Unseemly Message Board. Now pass that bottle of Gibson's and let me make a martini!

Francois: I, too, found Oct. 31 was missing from the "October archives." Oddly enough, Oct. 31 is in the November archives...or it was this morning, when last I looked. Somebody either committed a bitch-slappable faux pas or it's just one of them thangs!

My day was full -- went to the dentist to have a temporary crown replaced after I lost one late last night while flossing!

I also decided I deserved a treat (since I took the day off from work) and bought myself software for creating CD/DVD labels/inserts AND a color printer on which to print them.

I'm going to be having some fun real soon, I just know it.

Everything isn't hooked up yet. I've been doing a DVD marathon -- "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" --- and to come, "Gosford Park." All the 2001 British epics, don't you know!

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 11/01/2002 09:57 PM PST

Well, well, well !

Look who's back ?
You're a king again, since your
crown is back...
Hope Miss Vickie Catplin is
fine.... Miaou, miaou !

Do you have Billy Elliot on dvd?

Michael Crawford with red
nails ???? Must have been
because of Halloween.....

My cd player has Judy Kaye
Where, Oh Where ? cd....

The
site-that-should-not-be-named
has a nice interview of Mr Jerry
Herman, in which they keep
spelling Angela Lansbury with
a "d" -- Landsbury !! -- Must be
somebody else I guess....

It's raining right now in Paris !
Thought you'd like to know : )

Posted by François @ 11/01/2002 10:27 PM PST

In the car CD at the moment:
Liza's Back - and yes, she's singing all the old Cabaret songs, 'Some People' and 'New York, New York' .... again!
James Naughton - I agree with William F. above - it's very disappointing. Sounds like a 45 record being played at 33.
Betty Buckley - The Doorway - the jury's still out on that one, but I think I could do without the hymns.
Parade (the Jerry Herman one) - very much of its time.
Mario Frangoulis - Sometimes I Dream (an Andrea Bocelli clone)
Herschel Bernardi - Sings Fiddler on the Roof, etc - surprisingly good!

On the home CD - Vince Jones & Grace Knight - Aussie singers, courtesy of Mr Thomas Guest of the Antipodes. Thanks Tom!

In the DVD player - Snow Falling on Cedars. Rather complicated, but the director's commentary is fantastic and explains a lot, about film-making as well as the story.

Sadly, I won't be joining your chat as it's 2am my time (I think) and I'll be in the land of nod. Have a great time, though!

Posted by Allan @ 11/01/2002 11:32 PM PST

The Herschel Bernardi Fiddler on the roof is a worthy addition to anyones collection as it has the Pop version of the Fiddler's theme with lyrics and it also has additional and alternate lyrics to the other songs so they can be sung outside the context of the show and it also has the deleted song When Messiah Comes

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 11/02/2002 07:28 AM PST

Since posting the AOL AIM names turned out to be a bad idea on my part (didn't think about the bad interlopers out there) then perhaps the best idea would email your AIM screen name to BK
bruce@haineshisway.com

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 11/02/2002 07:31 AM PST

Errant and truant again. It's getting to be a habit. But I was busy at work and then went to celebrate a friend's birthday with dinner and a show. We saw a new A. R. Gurney piece w/Sandy Duncan, Charles Kimbrough, Susan Sullivan and David Pittu. The play is good, though a bit precious. It's a comment on the fourth wall of the theatre. The cast, however is wonderful. I LOVE Sandy Duncan. She was marvelous as were the others. If you're in NYC, hie thee to Primary Stages and get a ticket. $48. Good Stuff.

I won't be around much for Part I of the year long celebration. We're heading out to Staten Island for a birthday party for my partner's one year old cousin. Oh, the things parents do for their children!

Posted by Ben @ 11/02/2002 07:58 AM PST