haines his way

11/02/2002:
"THE MINI-MOMENTOUS DAY"

Well, dear readers, don’t ask me how it happened, because I don’t know it happened, but here we are, writing notes number 365. Now, you’d think that would signify a year, and yet our actual one year anniversary is not until November 9th. However, given the vagaries of The Way Things Work here at haineshisway.com, somehow these are the 365th notes and so we are having part one of our handy-dandy anniversary celebration today – a mini celebration but a celebration nonetheless. So, we must all don our pointy party hats, our colored tights and pantaloons, and we must break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks. We must dance the Hora until the cows come home, and after the cows come home we must dance the Twist and the Bugaloo. Oh, what fun we shall all have, and we shall regale each other with tales of the South Pacific. We shall regale each other with a tale of two cities or perhaps even three cities, for we have all been through so much together. On our real anniversary, I shall be going into a bit more detail about all that we’ve been through together, so be sure to alert the media and any merry searchers who might want some new things to search for. It’s going to be non-stop merriment and mirth and laughter and legs from now until our big, big, big (that is three bigs) anniversary on November 9th.
Last night I watched the brand spanking new DVD of a motion picture entitled Spiderman. I know this film was a huge hit at the box-office so I was looking forward to seeing it. It’s quite enjoyable on certain levels, and on other levels it’s quite annoying. The enjoyable levels are Toby Maguire’s performance, as well as Kirstin Dunst’s performance – both are winning and likable. And isn’t it wonderful that the director cast Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris, both of whom bring solid dignity along with him. Which is more than I can say for Mr. J.K. Simmons, an actor I normally like, but who is here doing a rather bad impression of Jackie Cooper in Superman by way of Jerry Orbach in anything. The writing is especially bad in his scenes, so it’s not all his fault. Now that I’ve brought up Superman, this movie is rather shameless in its Superman, The Movie ripoffs, but they are what works best about it. What I found annoying was the villain played by Willem Dafoe. Mr. Dafoe has a good time doing it, but I just didn’t like the whole costume and conception of it – he looks like some surfer gone amok – I wish they’d gone a different route, but you know it made a billion dollars so who am I? And I am so weary of overdone CGI effects, which are now becoming as obvious as the blue screen of old. If only they wouldn’t overdo them, they’d work better. But they’re so into it they can’t stop showing off – several CGI shots in Spiderman border on really awful. And while we’re on the subject of awful, I almost took the disc out during the end credits and threw it in the trash. Why? Because of the two count them two crass disgusting terrible wretched pop songs they have the temerity to insert over the credit scroll. Who are these stupid cretins? One song, Hero, is simply dreadful – did someone think they were going to get a “hit” out of it? And the other song is a fershluganah rap song. I mean, really, let us banish the “music supervisor” from the world of motion pictures. It totally ruins whatever mood has been established by the filmmakers and the film’s actual composer, Mr. Danny Elfman. A pox on those songs. Still, even with its problems, I enjoyed it.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Don’t I have excellent questions to answer? Aren’t we having a mini-celebration?
Perhaps we’d all better click on the Unseemly Button below before some music supervisor slaps an awful song over these here notes.

Whew, we escaped the dreaded music supervisor, just in the nick of time. Did you know that we may have a new family member? I am having a trial weekend visit with the potential new family member and I shall have a full report for you shortly. And now, on to your excellent questions without further delay.
Ron Pulliam asks if I can interpret this lyric from The Music That Makes Me Dance intro: “And as far as the man is concerned, if I’ve been burned, I haven’t learned”. Well, let’s see – if the girl has been burned she hasn’t learned not to be burned as far as the man is concerned. Now, to me, the “man” is the police. In other words, if we think of the singer as someone living in South Central, then the lyric makes perfect sense. “Hey, as far as the man is concerned, if I’ve been burned, I haven’t learned, you dig me?” I believe the song was originally written for a musical version of Go Tell it On The Mountain, and when that wasn’t done, Bob Merrill simply recycled it for Funny Girl, thinking no one would notice.
Jose asks when it comes to “reduced orchestras, would I rather hear a totally live orchestra, or one supplemented by synths and/or electronic means? It really depends on who is orchestrating. If it’s someone who doesn’t get the synergy, then it can sound cheesy and slick in all the wrong ways. If it’s someone like Harold Wheeler, then it can sound so real you wouldn’t even know there were synths augmenting the brass in the revival of Little Me (orchestra size: 10 or 11, can’t remember). Do I listen to/watch NPR/PBS? I don’t know that I’ve ever listened to NPR – I’ve watched PBS many times, but I must say, except for the odd evening or event, I haven’t watched television in years. Do I have a favorite among the big blockbuster musicals? Well, they’re certainly not my favorite form of musical, but I did enjoy Les Miz and Phantom, both of which were extremely well done.
William E. Lurie asks what was my best Halloween and my worst, both as child and adult. I wish I could remember, but Halloween is never a holiday I cared about all that much. Oh, I liked trick or treating as much as the next person, but I didn’t really have any Halloween that was either totally special or totally bad. As an adult, the first time taking my two year old daughter trick or treating was pretty special.
Tom asks what my favorite Halloween song is? Are there Halloween songs, per se? Are there Halloween songs, se per? There must be and yet I cannot think of one.
S. Woody White asks do I like t-shirts? If so, the kind with strange or funny stuff on them? If so, what is my favorite t-shirt? Well, I have hundreds of t-shirts if that tells you anything. Does “that” tell you anything? “That” never tells me a damn thing, no matter how many times I implore “that” to do so. In any case, I like all kinds of t-shirts – I have a lot of “show” t-shirts. My current favorite t-shirts are my Benjamin Kritzer t-shirt and my Nudie Musical t-shirt, both of which I purchased right here at haineshisway.com (Yes, Virginia, I have to pay, too – and no discount, even for me).
Michael Shayne has both Debbie Gravitte Alan Menken albums – the original, entitled Part of Your World: Debbie Shapiro Gravitte sings Alan Menken, and the reissue with an extra track, entitled The Alan Menken Album. Michael would like to know the story behind the reissue. Well, the first release sold really poorly, for whatever reason. Not a great cover was one of them (it is a wonderful album, however). After I’d done The Andrew Lloyd Webber album with Laurie Beechman, and we’d sold it more based on the composer than the artist (the result was over 40,000 copies sold), we decided to try it with Debbie’s album. We went in and did the extra track and repackaged it to look like the Lloyd Webber album. We ended up selling a few thousand more, so that it came much closer to breaking even. When Guy Haines performed at the STAGE concert (singing Dance a Little Closer) did he sing in the shadows, with his back to the audience or off-stage somewhere? No, Guy was there for all to see (in white tails) but the choreographer always had dancing girls with big feathers and balloons and what-not, and every time they would block poor Guy’s face. It was all very sordid. Finally, at the end of the number, there was only one balloon left (clever guy had gotten a pin and popped all the rest) and he popped it so everyone could finally see him. Unfortunately, just as the balloon popped, the stupid lighting man blacked the lights out. If I decided to return to acting tomorrow and a producer would agree to produce a show of my choice, what would it be and what role would I play? Oh, dear – well, if I weren’t too long-in-the-tooth, I’d love to play C.C. Baxter in Promises, Promises and Vern in They’re Playing Our Song, and maybe even the Bobby Morse role in Sugar.
Kerry asks if it was me or Guy Haines who rerecorded the fade out on the instrumental version of I Don’t Have to Hide Anymore on the CD included with the DVD of Nudie Musical. Or did we recycle my original vocal from the soundtrack. No, it was newly done by my close personal friend, Mr. Guy Haines. I’ve said it before – he copies the way I used to sing – which I find annoying, but it came in very handy during the rerecording (there are too many notes for me to sing it now). Will that song be in the stage version? That is the plan. Was that song written specifically for the film or was it already written and I just stuck it over the end titles. Well, it was recorded specifically for the film, but not written specifically for the film. I do tell the story on one of the commentary tracks – I actually wrote the song for Susan Dey, when I was in the midst of doing all The Partridge Family shows.
Dear reader Sandra asks if I’ve ever ridden a public bus? I’m quite certain that dear reader Sandra has read Benjamin Kritzer and therefore knows the answer to that question. I haven’t ridden one in over forty years, however.
Craig has a plethora of questions: What is the movie I’ve watched most in a movie theater? Well, two answers – as an audience member, The High and the Mighty still holds the record at over twenty-two times in a movie theater (The Court Jester would come in a close second, and North by Northwest would come in a close third). However, I also worked as an usher in several different movie theaters, and I think when I was working at the Pantages in Hollywood, I saw Virginia Woolf there about seventy times. How about at home? Oh, probably a tie between Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown, both of which I never tire of watching and both of which, ironically, are directed by Roman Polanski. What is the cast recording I have listened to the most? Hard question. Probably a tie between Gypsy, Funny Girl, A Little Night Music and Follies (the OBC only, please). What is the musical I have seen the most? A tie between A Chorus Line and Hello, Dolly! Will I be giving out candy on Halloween? Well, I left work at 4:30 on Thursday so I could be home for all the little trick or treaters. I gave out scads of candy, including Midnight Milky Way, Starburst, Skittles, Almond Joy, M&Ms, some kind of Gummy candies and Candy Corn. What is the stupidest outfit I’ve ever had to wear in my career and for what reason? Well, on the Dinah Shore series I did on CBS, I had to wear a ridiculous-looking Superman outfit – ridiculous because it fit so poorly and was so stupid-looking, just embarrassing. Second place would go to my appearance in drag in Danny DeVito’s The Ratings Game, although some woman coming out of a screening told me my ass looked nice in a skirt.
Td asks what are my favorite mutant monster movies. I love Them! and Tarantula for starters. I do like all the big-bug movies of Miss Susan Gordon’s father, Mr. Bert I. Gordon. I have begun watching Eight-Legged Freaks, but I’ll report on that later.
Laura asks if I save useless junk? Well, someday Laura can visit my two count them two Public Storage lockers and there amidst the myriad piles of crap she will find her answer.
Dennis Clancy asks what was the most terrifying moment in my life, either as a child or adult. Well, as a teen, I was driving home on the freeway at three in the morning, and I fell asleep. The car crossed all four lanes, went through the center divider onto the other side of the freeway, crossed all four lanes there and smashed into the barrier on the side of the freeway. The car was totaled, but somehow, through the grace of God, I did not have one scratch. But waking up as the car was careening into that barrier was worse than seeing Psycho for the first time. As an adult, nothing that bad. What suspense film has the best score. Oh, probably Psycho by Bernard Herrmann or maybe Mr. Herrmann’s score for Vertigo. What is my favorite Halloween candy? I love it all, but this year I was a good boy and stuck to my Eileen and Chet Atkins diet.
Jason asks what was my favorite Halloween costume. I do wish I could remember what I wore as a kid – but other than being a ghost or a cowboy or whatever, I just have no vivid memories of Halloween costumes. What was my favorite thing to get in my Halloween bag? I always loved Candy Corn, and Hershey’s Kisses and marshmallows (yes, Virginia, in those days we got unwrapped treats, and they were all safe as could be). Do I believe in ghosts? Not really. Have I ever seen one? Yes.
Jed asks what is my favorite color of M&Ms? I like the classic brown.
William F. Orr asks how the hell I do it – balancing all of the myriad projects I am involved in. Am I extraordinarily organized or have I sworn off sleep. Sometimes I wish I knew the answer to that question. I just mush on and do it, although since starting the TV show it’s been very difficult to keep up. I do try to catch up on the weekends, but even that has been difficult. Still, I’m two-thirds of the way through the new book, I’m not as far along on Nudie as I should be (that is this weekend’s assignment) and I’m mushing along with the writing of the film.
Philip Crosby asks when I produce a cast album of a production, how do the director and I define our roles? Philip assumes that he/she has some say in the final product. I can only say how I do it, not others. I am the producer of the album – it is my job to make sure that I aurally translate the production I’m recording. That is my field of expertise. The director of the show doesn’t understand my field of expertise, and they pretty much stay out of my way and allow me to do my job. It’s different on every album, of course, but most times the director just sits in the booth quietly – occasionally he/she will say something, and we discuss it, but the decisions are ultimately mine. However, I’m a total collaborator, so it usually goes smoothly. I do like to deal with the actors myself, because I know how to elicit what’s needed for the microphone and I know how to elicit it with the least amount of words. I’ve had directors go in and try to “direct” cast members during a cast album, and they just end up confusing everyone because they don’t understand the medium. I always tell directors not to look at the actors when they’re recording – just to listen, because the actors and all the movement and facial expressions and everything, it just fools you. If you can’t hear the performance aurally, it isn’t working for the album. I don’t really think I’ve sent a director a mix tape more than a handful of times. The composer/lyricist, yes (if living), but not the director, at least not usually.

Well, we’ve got a lot of livin’ to do – oh, a Strouse and Adams reference – we’ve got partying, and cake and dancing and merriment and mirth and laughter and legs. I want a lot of pointy party posts, dear readers, because this is a mini-momentous day and we must celebrate, celebrate, celebrate (that is three celebrates) and make the most of our music – oh, a Sondheim reference. Today’s topic of discussion: Tell us how you found your way to haineshisway.com. Also, tell us if you had your druthers what additions or changes you’d like to the site. I can’t promise anything, but I’m ready to implement some new things here, not that that is ever easy with Mr. Mark Bakalor, who is off in a world of his own making, doing things that none of us know about, working on secret projects and covert things that go bump in the night. If he doesn’t stop this blatant attempt at being invisible we shall all have to bitch-slap him from here to eternity or at least from the earth to the moon. Post away, my pretties, and make this a mini-momentous celebration to remember.

Replies: 36 Unseemly Comments

Hmmm - first post - I was shown the way to Bruce-opolis by Jeffrey Kauffman via Frances Farmer. So - here I am - and I am enjoying my stay. Do the neighbors always play music that late into the evening?
Posted by Jackrandall Earles @ 11/02/2002 08:57 AM PST

I was always a BK fan from FNM and I had most of the CDs he produced for Verrase and that other label. When I read on another site that he had been "let go" from the other label I sent him an e-mail and he then put me on the list to let me know about HHW.
I'll be back later today with comments on two readings I am going to: Rodgers & Hart's JUMBO and Irving Berlin's STOP LOOK AND LISTEN.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 11/02/2002 09:04 AM PST

I agree, for the most part, with BK's very intelligent comments about SPIDER-MAN! What is with those closing credits songs?!?!? A pox, make that a plethora of poxes, on these so-called music-makers! Yeeeeesh! And to think, that the makers of Spidey could have used Bing Crosby's Oscar-winning song "Swinging on a Star" for a little bit of irony at the end. Other than the music, the finale of Spidey is one of my favorite film endings now; it places Peter Parker's place in the world into a nice proper prospective without being an obvious sequel ploy-ridden ending. I thought that Sam (Evil Dead) Raimi did a wonderful job with his actors - who'd have thunk that a movie like Spidey would have such wonderful acting in it??? Obviously, Sam and Mr. Simmons weren't on the same page as far as Mr. Simmons' character was concerned, resulting in a lazy, shouted performance from a normally nuanced character actor - check out his "Vern" anytime on HBO's OZ, or listen to the BK-produced DAS BARBECUE, to see and hear what a gifted man Mr. Simmons really is. Of the two arachnid themed films I encountered this week, though, SPIDER-MAN will probably get more dvd play over the next few weeks. i've already posted my thoughts about EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS on another avenue, The Scarlet Street Forums, to be precise; suffice it to say that had the director maintained the same tone throughout the film, as had been maintained in his short feature, LARGER THAN LIFE, I would have had much more pleasure out of EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS.
Posted by td @ 11/02/2002 09:20 AM PST

I was a fan of BK's all the way back from the time of Stages: The Musical.
I started to buy his albums when he was at Bay Cities. Then he went to Varese Sarabande. I continue to buy oodles of his albums. I learned of most of them from the late magazines Show Music and TheaterWeek.
I followed him from VS to that other label and continued to buy most of the titles. (Short on the cast albums) Was upset to hear he was let go and I wrote to BK and asked him to keep me informed what was happening and then voila! Here we are almost one year later.
Been very happy to be part of HainesHisWay and hope that I added some substance in my contributions to the Unseemly Comments.
My favorites: I love ask BK and the Trivia Question. I really appreciate the more difficult ones where I have to search out the answers. It's the challenge I appreciate.
Looking forward to tomorrow first live chat room and all those who are going to join us Kimlet and Hainsers may I make a suggestion that if it is okay with BK that you email you AIM name to him. Do not post them here. The link is below
bruce@haineshisway.com
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 11/02/2002 09:39 AM PST

Music Supervisors are simply poor schlubs who want to continue working in Hollywood.
Everything I've read about film music practices today have made me virtually certain that "the shirts" are the ones making the music decisions when it comes to adding crap to the soundtrack after such composers as Danny Elfman, Thomas and David Newman, James Newton Howard, Howard Shore, Carter Burwell, etc., etc., etc. have knocked themselves out with original material, including those "formerly wonderful" end credits sequences.
Look at what happened with "Batman" -- Elfman's incredible score MADE that film the effective experience it was by treating it musically as a serious story. Every time "Prince's" nonsensical contributions popped up, the movie became a joke being played upon itself. Thus has it ever been.
"The suits" -- known for nothing other than having the power to finance and project (not having one single creative impulse they can call their own) -- are convinced that their brining in rock/rap/pap smear/hack "talent" to do its "thing" over portions of the film will increase revenue.
What was that? INCREASE REVENUE?? Yes, that's right.
What about further the story? Or add to the artistic impact?
Huh? Am I nutz?
What I'm saying is that music supervisors -- as individuals with free choice -- are seldom to blame. They fill the void created by the suits who would hire anyone -- read that ANYONE -- off the street who could figure out how to fit Christine/Britney/'N Sync/Tupac/Paddywhack/Getchadogabone into a film's score in order to make a $.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 11/02/2002 11:17 AM PST

What a swell party this is. Small, but swell nonetheless. I think we shall all have to do double duty posting because of the errant and truant Hainsies/Kimlets. We must make this a BASH! We must swing, we must cavort, we must have chili con carne, we must snap our fingers to a lively beat.
Posted by bk @ 11/02/2002 11:57 AM PST

Well, I am feeling left out--this is the second time my Ask BK question has been left unanswered. What I am, chopped liver all of a sudden?
Re: "Hero" from Spiderman--no one else has posted that it is harmonically and musically very similar to Seal's hit "Kiss of the Rose" from one of the Batman movies. Mere coinkydink? I think not.
And let's all welcome JR Earles!
Posted by JMK @ 11/02/2002 12:19 PM PST

I had enjoyed BK's weekly notes on the other site, and was sorry to hear he was no longer there. Then on another blog that I visit regularly (Mark Evanier's POV Online), Mark mentioned running into BK at one of the autograph shows and provided a link to this here site.
And I've been visiting ever since. Happy 365!
Posted by jb @ 11/02/2002 12:23 PM PST

JMK, that is simply heinous (heinous, do you hear me?) of me - I distinctly remember cutting and pasting your question and printing it - I don't know how on earth I missed it really. Ask it again right this very minute and I shall answer it posthaste.
Posted by bk @ 11/02/2002 12:27 PM PST

Coincidentally, I'm making chilli con carne right now.
Posted by Stephen Farrow @ 11/02/2002 12:57 PM PST

Spiderman is one of the few movies I have gone to see at the movies. I am usually watching the video or DVD version.I enjoyed it but also hated those songs! I find Toby very warm as an actor. I loved Pleasantville and Cider House Rules. Toby seems to have the warmth that Matthew Broderick has in some movies (in some others he just seems to walk throught them).
I came to HHW via The Real A. (I used to read the BK columns on that other site and when they disappeared I kept asking what had happened and received no reply. I then (in my wisdom) went back to the SS site and conteacted Mark who led me to HHW.
I enjoy the daily contact on the site and also the contact with email friends I have met through this site.
I find the trivia questions interesting, annoying, and usually impossible for me to research given my meagre resources and lack of available on line time. I still look for answers when possible.
I like to hear about other people's favourite songs by various composers, I get to hear about songs with which I am not familiar and I now often get to hear these songs too!
I can't remember the date I first posted but I have rarely missed a day since. I share the information with my aprtner Colin who suspects we are all a little deranged.
We watched Hearts In Atlantis last night. I like gentle movies and enjoyed the show but like others found the music often too loud (particularly the pop songs).
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 11/02/2002 01:19 PM PST

The redeeming aspect of the closing credits of Spider-Man (the hyphen is apparently the "jiggy" way to spell it) is the fact that at the end you get to hear the original theme song from the animated series...
As for how I happened upon this site. Two words: Bruce Kimmel. He send me a very nice "change of address" email
more later...
Posted by Craig @ 11/02/2002 01:21 PM PST

My memory being what it is I had to do a bit of checking, but it seems that I wrote BK immediately upon hearing the shocking news at FA and he let me know that a new website was being created. Sure enough, there I was, posting on the VERY FIRST day of HHW. And, of course, six days later "her" name was first mentioned.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 11/02/2002 02:03 PM PST

"Her" name?
Am assuming (ass u me) this is something heinous!
Thus, I will not -- NO, I WON'T AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME - go back to the sixth day in the archives and look for this "her name."
Hey! This reminds me of "he should not be named" from "Harry Potter."
Since things are so party-like, perhaps we should hire a music supervisor and tell him to pretend that he has some end credits over which he must cover up beautiful original "serious" music with loud, garish rap/pop noises. I'm sure we could find a supervisor who specializes in such stuff at a reasonable price -- especially if we throw in cheese and ham chunks! (Generally speaking, though, we don't want the music supervisor to wear tights!).
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 11/02/2002 02:25 PM PST

I just wanted to say
congratulations on the
"anniversary".I pop in here every
so often, and enjoy it.
Keep up the fun!
Best wishes,
Posted by Jen M @ 11/02/2002 03:02 PM PST

Thank you, Ben, for
mentioning The Fourth Wall
play; I was wondering what
Susan Sullivan was about
these days..............................
I do have a fondness for her,
both as an actress and as a
person......................................
I aslo did enjoy Spider-Man,
the movie, but found some
scenes VERY violent, visually
and SOUNDwise, which
reminds me that, when ET
was first released here in
France, theater owners were
ask to push the sound as loud
as could be ( !! )..................
That almost forced me to leave
the theater and made me
numb to the film !!!! Was the
same with Jurassic park,
where John Williams' music
can be too much at
times.....................
They want to thrill the kids, but
even if people want to "ride the
movies" like at the Universal
Studios of the world, to me a
movie is NOT a theme park
ride..........................................
If the film is "good", it should
stay in your heart and not in
your "guts", if you see what I
mean --- do you "see" what I
mean ????
I discovered HMW through
some other musical theater
site which mentioned that they
would NOT promote the
site-which-should- not- be-
named anymore after what
they had done to BK...............
Some people still do have a
sens of honor in this crazy
world !.........................................
Hi, to Jason, Ben, Allan, Ron,
Tom, Jose, etc, etc, etc, etc......
I've got to do the Twist -- and
shout ! -- now, so....bye !
Posted by François @ 11/02/2002 04:01 PM PST

Ron:
Heinous -- NEVER!
Adorable -- sure.
Ah, go one and look.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 11/02/2002 04:13 PM PST

That should have read "Go on and look."
Posted by Robet Armin @ 11/02/2002 04:14 PM PST

I have been errant and truant taking my six year old to his end of soccer season ice cream party (can you say sugar high), and also driving my nifty new car to and fro and also fro and to.
My Ask BK question was: are you a fan of Brasilian music, and if so, to whom do you listen?
Also, have we decided officially how we're going to do the chat tomorrow? Should we email you our AIM name?
Posted by JMK @ 11/02/2002 04:34 PM PST

I first became *fully* aware of Bruce through a little movie I saw ages ago called, THE FIRST NUDIE MUSICAL.. Perhaps people here at Haineshisway have heard tell of that wonderful little divertissement. I enjoyed his performance, his writing, his direction and his songs in TFNM.
Then suddenly, about a decade ago, little maroon-spined cds starting filling up my shelves; most of them with one thing in common: "Produced by Bruce Kimmel." (My first was UNSUNG SONDHEIM). Incidentally, around the time of UNSUNG MUSICALS, I had a charming telephone conversation with Bruce Kimmel (one that he would really have to stretch his memory to recall). The call was nominally about the availability of the sheet music for most of the songs on UNSUNG, but we also touched upon Stephen Sondheim's then-in-preview or close to opening, PASSION. Friends of mine had just seen it, and they expressed the same disinterest in it that BK expressed to me.
Well, the years fly by, and then suddenly on two of the newsgroups I was subscribing to, were messages from BK. (Sorry, Bruce, I can't remember which name you were posting under at the time). Each time I would open up alt.video.dvd to post about the dvds that i had acquired, there was Bruce, buying up and posting about the same dvds that I was posting about. (The nerve of that man)! Well, this is when Bruce and I exchanged a few short emails; I became involved in writing reviews for www.dvdlaunch.com and from there, Scarlet Street - and always tried to post an email to BK with each new review. Then, suddenly there was a label that dare not be named, and I followed BK's notes over there, and BK suddenly wrote a note saying that his new address was here at haineshisway. Well, that was long-winded, wasn't it?
I'm happy with the gang at haineshisway, and happy that we can all share little stories, opinions and what-nots over here without the flame wars so prevalent on other boards and websites. (We can get quite bloody with our beliefs over at Scarlet Street).
Since I'll be in rehearsals most of the day tomorrow, I only want to say (oh, look, a Tim Rice reference): HAPPY, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HAINESHISWAY!
from td
Posted by td @ 11/02/2002 04:50 PM PST

I have finished "revisiting" the English demo recording of "Dance Of The Vampires". How many times do I want to hear "Total Eclipse Of The Heart"? Maybe I could send a copy to Jason for his birthday. Just kidding.
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 11/02/2002 05:11 PM PST

Ah, I do remember the Brazilian music question and I cannot say, oh, no, I cannot say how it slipped by me. I don't know all THAT much, but I have most of the Jobim albums (my favorites are the ones orchestrated by the brilliant Claus Ogerman) and I have a ton of Astrid Gilberto.
For the chat, you can e-mail me you AIM names and I'll forward them to Michael Shayne because I don't know from AIM and I'll have to be led by the nose to even show up there myself.
Posted by bk @ 11/02/2002 05:20 PM PST

Just FYI...
"Hero is the hit single from the Spider-Man soundtrack. It was sung by Chad Kroeger, frontman of Nikelback, and featured Josey Scott of Saliva. The song recently peaked in at No 1 on Canada's Airplay chart and the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart."
Someone thought this would be a hit song, and someone was right.
Which, of course, means that one should never overestimate the taste of the adolescent listening (i.e. CD-buying) audience.
Posted by Dave @ 11/02/2002 06:36 PM PST

Let me see... I first discovered
BK when he was writing the
Real A column at
sondheim.com. After that
ended I heard of some new
label that was doing wonderful
things so I checked out their
website and found BK again.
When that came to an end I
found myself in the depths of
positive despair. Then one
fateful day last November, I
made a now-infrequent visit to
sondheim.com and clicked on
a lovely link to this here site.
Lurked for a few days before
joining the posting populace
on December 4th and haven't
left since!
Posted by Jed @ 11/02/2002 07:26 PM PST

Happy Anniversary!
Sorry, again, for not posting earlier, but now that I'm in rehearsal mode, with the time difference here on the East coast, it's going to be a rare day when I can catch the new daily notes during the day like I usually do.
*But they will be - and are - an essential part of my daily reading once I get home in the evening.
I first discovered Mr. Bruce Kimmel via my interest in Mr. Guy Haines. I always thought it was amazing that the Varese folks could never get a good picture of Mr. Haines for their CD booklets. -Guy always sounded cute/handsome to me.
I also had a string of "one degree of separation" encounters with various people who had recorded for Bruce and had always just missed Guy in the hallways of the recording studios. Sal Viviano, Liz Larsen, Patrick Levis, Randy Graff, etc. all had very nice things to say about their experience with Mr. Bruce "Uh, That's Good, Thank You" Kimmel. ;-)
Being a working musician/pianist (knock on wood), I've had my share of requests for various songs and arrangements on the Lost In Boston, Unsung albums, and various singers albums that were produced by BK. *I remember having to transcribe "Take Me With You Soldier Boy" when I was asked to play for Shauna Hicks at the last minute for a special function at her alma mater - she couldn't track down a chart, and the Unsung Irving Berlin book was not yet published - and it was so nice to look at the published chart a year or two later and see that mine was right on target. -Boy, was that a run on sentence. So...
When the label that shall not be named was started, I was one of the first people to hit that site and started ordering away - I believe I saw the article on Playbill.com. So, when all the mess that eventually ensued occured, I kept looking for signs of BK's re-emergence. Lo and behold after clicking on a banner of Sondheim.com, I was brought to HHW. I checked in occasionally over the past year, but didn't become a regular reader and poster until about two months ago.
There are many things I like about this site.
-BK's notes are always a great read.
-There's always bound to be some great tidbit or two posted each day.
-There's a great cross-section of posters on the site - from working professionals to dedicated fans of music, cast albums and film to "casual" readers.
-As a relative newbie to the site, I'm also having a great time trying to decipher and figure out some of the back story behind some of the "in" jokes and continuing threads. There are still a few things I'm trying to figure out, but I'm gonna hold off yelling Uncle - or Auntie - for a while. The curiosity is definitely not killing this cat... yet.
-However, the thing I appreciate the most about this site is the real sense of camaraderie and support among all of us. It really is amazing. Whether we're actually on topic, off-topic or even way off-off-off-topic (somewhere down around Battery Park), there's always a great "conversation" going on. And the concern we have for each other during those more serious moments - dealing with friends, family, world situations - has been a source of "hope" for me. *All the kind words during the sniper incidents were greatly appreciated.
So, to celebrate this anniversary, I actually treated myself to some ice cream tonight. I know ice cream is not recommended by Chet nor Eileen Atkins, but I was also celebrating - as I had planned - the fact that I had reached another interim goal with my weight loss. I'm actually at a weight I can't even really remember being at in any time in the recent past - more like since high school, which is about 18 years ago for me. So, 26 pounds so far, and just another 15 pounds until I treat myself to that flourless-chocolate waffle that I mentioned in one of my first posts. After that we'll see..
*A nice "side effect" of this weight loss is that I'm at the point where I'm going to have to buy new pants AND new belts! But trying to find enough free time in the next two weeks to get that mission accomplished is going to be a little difficult.
*Oh, speaking of chocolate... Did anyone ever make the Chocolate Brown Sugar Sour Cream Pound Cake?
Again, I'm sorry I won't be able to make the chat tomorrow night, but I'll, hopefully, be there next Monday.
Oh, someone asked about Robert Westenberg yesterday, I believe. He's currently on THE FULL MONTY tour. -With my friends Michael Todaro and Victoria Matlock!
Well, I'm done Twisting for the evening, and I'm about to start the Bugaloo - It's been years since I've Bugalooed! Thanks, BK, for reminding me!
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 11/02/2002 07:40 PM PST

As promised in the 2nd post of the day, here are a few comments on my day of theatregoing.
One of the advantages of Musicals in Mufti and Musicals Tonight is that unlike Encores! they do the whole book so you get to see the whole show and not just a Readers' Digest version with all the songs. While the books for Rodgers and Hart's JUMBO (Mufti) and Irving Berlin's STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! (Musicals Tonight) are not great literature, they are both entertaining. The humor in both elicits groans as often as laughter, but at least you really get the whole show in concert version.
JUMBO at Mufti was a lesson in economy. The original cast had 200 people (including Jimmy Durante), Paul Whiteman's orchestra, an elephant and at least 100 other animals. Mufti had a cast of twelve, 2 pianos, and a man who did animal sounds and yet it worked and you did not miss the spectacle. Of course with songs like "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World," "My Romance," and "Little Girl Blue" you don't need elephants. It was well staged and the book scenes worked surprisingly well. In the Durante role was Michael McGrath, whose Durante-style ad libs stopped the show (when one line didn't get a laugh he turned to the audience and said "it got a laugh for Durante"). Hugh Panaro was wonderful in the romantic lead, although his leading lady Tobi Foster was competent, but not up to Panaro. The rest of the cast was also quite good.
If Musicals Tonight doesn't have recognizable names (at least in this production), they do have a lot of raw young talent and some of them should go on to bigger things. It's book was a little corny, but very entertaining. And of course there were the Irving Berlin songs, the reason to do STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! from 1915. The only two well-known songs were "I Love A Piano" and "The Girl On The Magazine", both used in "Easter Parade". The rest of the score was so unknown that BK didn't even include any of it on his wonderful "Unsung Irving Berlin". There are some ragtime numbers, a couple of ballads, the usual Berlin Patriotic song and a novelty number wherein one singer (in this case Jennifer Miller, a cross between Liza and Keeley Smith) performs all the characters in an old-fashioned Melodrama.
So two highly entertaining shows in one day is not bad. Next week at Mufti: HOW NOW DOW JONES: in three weeks at Musicals Tonight: CHEE CHEE. This is why I live in NYC.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 11/02/2002 08:20 PM PST

Saw "Amour" tonight and loved it! What none of the reviewers seemed to point out is how clever and witty the show is -- it's not a piece of sentimental fluff at all. And, surprisingly enough, Jeremy Sams has written some of the the wittiest lyrics heard on Broadway in years and the cast of nine was superb- not a single weak link.
"Amour" joins my list of terrific shows that died too soon. As I said to Melissa Erico after the show -- a CD can only hold 80 minutes and I wouldn't want to have to pick the 10 minutes to cut out. It's the first truly original score in years, not depending on pastiche or parody to get its well deserved laughs. "Charming" doesn't begin to describe what a delight this show is.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 11/02/2002 08:34 PM PST

William: AH, another friend of mine from school! Oh, Jennifer Miller. What an amazing talent. And, actually, the last I worked with her, we did a melodrama, East Lynne.
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 11/02/2002 09:14 PM PST

I first discovered HHW -- or should I say, HHW discovered me -- when BK mentioned me in his posting of 15 November 2001 (thank you, BK) and I've been a faithful Hainsie/Kimlet ever since. HHW is a great place to make new friends!
Posted by Susan Gordon @ 11/02/2002 09:25 PM PST

Well, this is a happy day. You know what this day calls for, don't you----CAKE!!!!!!!!
I discovered this site somewhat accidentally. I was in deep mourning because I had heard Bruce left FA; I didn't know the reasons for the changes at FA, but I felt abandoned.
I started surfing through Broadway sites, theatre and record sites and landed at sondheim.com which led me to the lovely but elusive Mr. Mark Bakalor which led me to a link to haineshisway.com. I was hooked after the reading the first few days' notes. Knowing me, I probably lurked for a few weeks before posting, but some subject eventually compelled me to speak. And they haven't shut me up since. Some months ago, the subject of how we came to know of BK came up. At that time I also wrote about suddenly discovering the proliferation of CD's with maroon spines and white lettering.
Posted by Kerry @ 11/02/2002 09:34 PM PST

We really enjoyed the Richard Rodgers concert here in Chicago last night!
I think I found HHW on a link somewhere, although I used to read BK's notes on another site.
Posted by Laura @ 11/02/2002 09:48 PM PST

How I came to HHW: I had posted some Oscar observations on another site and one of the constant posters there chose to misrepresent my comments as homophobic and offensive.
The CP (constant poster), being self-absorbed to the point where he propped himself up as a rule-setter for the usenet group, didn't much care for past opinions I had expressed on various subjects and didn't care for my lack of allegiance to his fiefdom.
At any rate, BK read my remarks and commented that they were not remotely the way CP had portrayed them. He then invited me to visit HHW.com. I did and have been here ever since. I continue to post at the old site, as well, where CP has only recently "returned" following a lengthy self-exile during which time he seems to have acquired a great deal of tolerance for others and less devotion to his own cult of one.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 11/02/2002 11:12 PM PST

HAPPY ONE-YEAR BIRTHDAY!!! Woohoo!! I'm doing the Hora as I type. It's not as easy as one might think! Congrats Bruce and Mark and Donald...you guys have a great site and I'm proud to be a part of it. :-D Oh! I found this site via All That Chat! at TalkinBroadway.com.
Tom: You scoff...but I'd kinda like to hear what's on that CD. The score really isn't that bad...it's the direction and choreography and costumes and wigs and sets etc. etc. etc. (what am I--Yul Brenner?) I am going to try to track down a copy here in the U.S. though...you have sent me far too much as it is.
Robert: I couldn't agree with you more about AMOUR. I thought it was a simply lovely show that is closing far too soon. It's quite a sad occassion...seeing how DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES is the next thing to open. I think I'm going to try to see MOVIN' OUT on Tuesday. I hear it's very exciting.
Here's a factoid for all of you today: I returned some bags to Miss Angela Bassett (Tina Turner in the movie "What's Love Got to Do With It?") and Mr. Courtney B. Vance today at the matinee of CARMEN. They were very nice but didn't tip. :-\
Posted by Jason @ 11/02/2002 11:12 PM PST

Oh, yes! Hello, Francois...didn't want you to think I was ignoring you.
Are you busy or bored? Is it still raining on Parigi?
I love the Italian word for Paris -- Parigi! It came to my attention during my first tour there 1973-75 in Vicenza! It was hard to miss the film posters for the Marlon Brando film "L'Ultimo Tango a Parigi". The song is even more scintillating in Italian than it is in English!
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 11/02/2002 11:18 PM PST

The first time that I'd ever heard of Bruce was from the recording "Unsung Sondheim." I immediately fell in love with that first CD. (I'm sorry that I had not known about Bruce's work on sondheim.com.) I then started seeing a lot of recordings from Varèse Sarabande (how is "Varèse" pronounced anyway?) with the credit "produced by Bruce Kimmel." Over the years, I've purchased many of his recordings and found out about the label-that-is-not-mentioned.
After he was no longer affiliated with that label, I found out about haineshisway.com, but I really can't remember how I found out about it. I eventually came to this site and started lurking, then tentatively started posting. I don't post every day, but even when I have very little time, I try to at least read the colums every day. It has truly become one of my favorite Internet sites of all times!
On the other topic: I have no idea what additions or changes should be made to the site. It is what it is and I tend to accept things as they are. I do really like the simplicity of it all. It's not so heavy with graphics and animated stuff that bog down my computer.
Posted by George @ 11/03/2002 01:43 AM PST

I came to HHW, I think, because I saw a news item on, I think, Playbill Online (I think, therefore I am).
I used to buy all the BK produced Varese Sarabande albums. At that time I had a show music radio show on a (very) small station here and used to constantly plug the albums. If I am responsible for just one person having bought a BK produced CD, then I'm a happy bunny! Sadly, the radio show finished a couple of years ago - the radio station changed over to the wall-to-wall top 30 format that seems to attract the punters, and therefore the advertisers.
I then started buying from the other website and used to read BK's notes avidly and then when I read the article on Playbill Online I started visiting right from the start. It took quite a bit of lurking before I plucked up the courage to start posting, but I'm glad I did and now I feel I'm part of a family (cue slushy music ... and fade.)
Posted by Allan @ 11/03/2002 02:00 AM PST

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