Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 12/26/2002 09:27 AM PST

The mice never stopped stirring here... even in the last minute snow.

Regarding the BB CD, he is going to be doing a chat on the web site for the label that released it. Although I don't ever go to that site anymore, would you like me to go and innocently ask the question "Why did you not thank the Producer in your notes?". We of course know the answer but it will be interesting to see what he says. I would not do this without your knowledge and consent, as it is not BB's fault and I don't want to put him on the spot.

For ask BK Day:
1) When I started going to Broadway theatre there were different prices for matinees, weeknights and weekend nights. The house was also scaled with four or five prices. Now the price is usually the same for all performances and every seat is at the top price except the last three or four rows of the balcony. What is your opinion of these new pricing tactics? Do you think a higher price for choice seats and several price decreases as the desirability of the seats decreases would be in order? What about higher weekends and cheaper matinees? With all or most tickets the same price would a non-reserved seat policy work? I don't mind occasionally paying top prices if the seats are good, but I resent hving to pay top price to sit in a side balcony seat. I just thought you might have an opinion or comments about this.

2) Last week you gave the date of the NY Tourette's benefit but you failed to state when (and where) tickets go on sale. How about reserving a group of seats for Hainsies and Kimlets to buy so we can all sit in a group?

3) Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 12/26/2002 09:52 AM PST

"I harbor no bitterness and certainly no diatribe towards anyone." Does BK actually believe the things he writes?

Posted by A disinterested party @ 12/26/2002 10:29 AM PST

Why yes, Disinterested Party (who is so disinterested that they HAD to post), I do believe the things I write. I believe them and I mean them and I'm a straight shooter. When I see things that aren't right (whether it's about me or anyone else I know) I speak up - I try to do so with humor, of course, but I do realize one man's humor is another man's poison dart. Speaking up is not synonymous with bitterness, dear heart. I am "amused" certainly, "astonished" occasionally, and "confounded" every now and then, but "bitter" - no, sorry, uh uh, you lose, next contestant. I am merely a spectator of the passing parade, the cockeyed caravan we know as life, and I call 'em as I see 'em. I also attach my name to my posts, dear heart. We do, however, thank you for stopping by.

Posted by bk @ 12/26/2002 10:44 AM PST

I am also kind of tired of these anonymous and or pseudonymonous (hey, there's a word fer ya) posters who hide behind their no and/or fake names whilst decrying other's posts. If you don't have the courage to let us know who you really are, why don't you just drop by All That Chat, where such shenanigans are the normal course of events.

Posted by JMK @ 12/26/2002 10:59 AM PST

Better watch how we use the name "All That Chat" seeing as though it is the Chat reference on the Talking Broadway site. Sorry, I just felt the need to mention that. Hope everyone is having a happy Boxing Day.

Posted by Matthew @ 12/26/2002 11:16 AM PST

My questions for BK for the end of the year

1) Did you have any involvement with the Helen Reddy dance single from the Center Stage album and what is your opinion?

2) Similar inquiry, what is your involement with the Sunset Boulevard tracks for Petula Clark's Here For You (Sunset Tour Edition)

3) Brian R. Kilgore, Brian G. Kilgore and Brian Kilgore are listed on variou of the jazz albums you have produced. Are the all the same person or three different Brian Kilgore's who all just happen to play percussion?

3) Continuing the thoughts of your singers. Can you give one or two sentence about your jazz artists? Terry Trotter and the Trotter Trio? Fred Hirsch? Fred Karlin? Brad Ellis and the Little Big Band? Buddy Bregman? (Not really jazz I know)

4) Do you think that any other composer Broadway or Film like Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, Flattery & Aherns, Legrand, Williams can be successfully "Jazzersized"?

5) You said that rereleasing the cast album of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? was too expensive. What made it too expensive? There were only 4 actors and an author... (Not sure if there was any music or not)And then put that it perspective with releasing the cast album of Working (multiple composers/lyricists) and Subways Are For Sleeping (I composer/set of lyricists)

6) What Lyricists were the best in writing music for Michel Legrand?

7) Was The Good One ever optioned for the movies?

8)Do you google search yourself?

9)When you read a biography or an autobiography do you go to the index and look up what you want to read about first or do you just read it from cover to cover.

10) The three most "dishy" books about the theater I have read was about the creations of No No Nanette, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Legends. Have you read any of these? If Legends (Carol Channing and mary martin) was made into a film who would you chose to star in it? (my choices Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett)

And thats the lot!!

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 12/26/2002 11:34 AM PST

Let me correct Question #6

6) What Lyricists were the best in writing lyrics to the music for Michel Legrand?

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 12/26/2002 11:36 AM PST

I just got home from the mall where I am happy to report that it is a TOTAL ZOO. I think Boxing Day in Montreal must be similar to the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Boxing Day is the biggest shopping day of the year here. It's tradition to go out (after one has spent all one's money on Christmas gifts). It's actually quite funny. I got there at 12:50pm (stores open at 1pm) and the mall was PACKED. Had to park so far away. When i left the mall at 2:30pm there were NO PARKING spots anywhere. The place is a complete zoo. People are lined up in the mall outside a number of stores. Almost every store has 50& off of their Christmas stuff plus lots of other sales. Thought I'd share.

jennifer

Posted by Jennifer @ 12/26/2002 11:51 AM PST

Are you back on the diet?
No need to ask questions really. Mike's are interesting and I shall be interested in those answers too. That work project is going to be wonderful Mr Shayne.

I got to see "Ice Age" last night (DVD). A bit slow but I thought it came to life when the Dodo sequence started.
General question: Has anyone out there seen the "new" Disney "Treasure Island" film - the animated "space" version (I obviously don't know the title). I have read nothing about it before its release. Will it be another "Atlantis" or worse?

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 12/26/2002 11:58 AM PST

Yes, Tom, all of my wife's family and all of our kids went to see "Treasure Planet" in one of those combo theater/restaurants in Milwaukee when we were back there for Thanksgiving. I personally enjoyed the film, though it was not the best venue--because they needed to see to bring food, the lights were left on, thereby dimming the film considerably. The best part is my brother-in-law, who is a trailer editor in LA, perked up when "The Jungle Book 2" trailer came on. "That's one of mine!" he exclaimed, running from table to table, then, the best part--"Now listen, I had to do a voiceover," he said, and then suddenly his voice in Dolby Digital boomed "Mowgli's lost in the jungle!" It was a lot of fun.

Posted by JMK @ 12/26/2002 12:07 PM PST

Dear "disinterested party"

Just so you know, using such "anonymous" monikers does not stop us from knowing your ip address, operating system, browser information, and more which tells us exactly who you are.

Mr. Mark Bakalor

Posted by Mr. Mark Bakalor @ 12/26/2002 12:16 PM PST

I've never heard of a movie/restaurant where you see the film in the same room that you eat and obviously at the same time if they have to keep the lights on to serve. I know about restaurant/movie combinations where you partake in each part in a different room. I am surprised that the distributors let these places show first run films as it is obviously not the ideal conditions for watching a movie. If I wanted to watch a movie with the lights on and eat at the same time, I'd stay at home with a DVD. Even Drive-Ins wait until dark (a late Frederick Knotts reference) to begin showing the film.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 12/26/2002 12:21 PM PST

Mark - I am well aware of that fact. Which is why I expressed my opinion as I did. Some things simply need to be said.

Posted by A disinterested party @ 12/26/2002 12:22 PM PST

William--it's becoming fairly common. There's a whole chain of theater/restaurants here in the Portland area run by the McMenamin brothers (they have an Ale you may have heard of). They do not run first-run features, which is good, because usually you can't hear a word of the movie over the drunken conversations. I, too, was surprised that this place in Milwaukee was doing first-runs, but it's evidently a trend. My L.A. based brother-in-law, who hated this venue and spent the entire movie bitching about it, said there are similar places in L.A. now, too. Maybe BK can fill us in on those. The other thing about this particular place is though we were there on the third day of its run, "Treasure Planet" already had a very annoying scratch running through the middle of the frame on EVERY reel! Still, as far as the film itself went, I thought it was head and shoulders over "Atlantis," which is not saying much! :)

Posted by JMK @ 12/26/2002 12:32 PM PST

Thanks for the info JMK. I don't think serious film-going audiences in NYC would stand for this kind of venue. The stench from the nachos, pizza etc. that some theatres sell is bad enough. Is it any wonder that more and more people all the time decide to wait until a film comes out on DVD? I can understand a restaurant that shows cartoons or shorts, but that is hardly the atmosphere to watch a film. I would think that this is a way for a family to avoid paying a baby sitter, but from your mention of drunken conversation I guess they aren't even looking for the family trade.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 12/26/2002 12:40 PM PST

Why? Why do some things need to be said and why are you the one to say them? I have said I harbor no bitterness - at least as I understand the word bitterness. I most certainly don't have to LIKE when I am not treated as I should be, however. And I most certainly have the right as a human being to pipe up about it if that's what I choose to do, especially right here on this particular website. Bitterness, my dear man, is something wholly other. And I guarantee you, my dear man, that if the situation were reversed, you, most likely, would be far worse than I have ever been. I mean, really, let's say you had done exactly as I - conceived, produced an caused an album's very existence to be, and then suddenly you found your name was left off the place where it's always appeared and then when it did appear you were listed UNDER someone else who had nothing whatsoever to do with said album. How would you FEEL? In the great scheme of things, I don't really give a flying Wallenda because everyone who matters knows why it was done. But I thought it was predictable and amusing, so I wrote about it.

Now, is there anything else that needs be said on this topic? Absolutely positively not. As Mr. Bakalor has told you, it is not difficult to figure out who anonymous posters are and who merry searchers are. In fact, it's mostly a piece of cake, which would make dear reader Kerry very happy.

To William E. Lurie: No, let's not go there. I love Brent and he should just have a good time. I'm pretty positive my name won't be mentioned, unless Brent does it himself.

Posted by bk @ 12/26/2002 12:46 PM PST

That is an interesting concept having a movie shown in a restaurant setting. Is it exactly like a regular restaurant with tables scattered all around? I've never heard of such a thing. Although I suppose with all the weird food they are serving at regular theatres it is not too big a surprise. Though thankfully here, most people just have popcorn, drinks and chocolate bars. Nice quiet food!

jennifer

Posted by Jennifer @ 12/26/2002 12:53 PM PST

Well, in Portland the McMenamin's are known for taking old buildings with previous uses--e.g., meeting halls, office buildings, even an old school--and converting them into combo brewpubs/restaurants/movie theaters. The ambience in Portland at these venues is decidedly different than the place in Milwaukee. In Portland, the films are usually part of the background noise--there are a lot of 20-somethings going there for drinks, etc., and not really watching the film. (The admission is $1 flat fee). At the place in Milwaukee, it was more like a movie theater with restaurant seating. There were probably six or seven round tables closest to the screen, with three or four rows of more typical theater seats with kitchen counter-type thingies (technical term there) in front of them. The Milwaukee place was obviously geared toward families. In fact, I'm not sure you could even get a beer there, but I could be wrong (not a big drinker, so never pay attention to that part of the menu). I can tell you the food was hideously overpriced (a Gardenburger was $10.00).

Posted by JMK @ 12/26/2002 12:58 PM PST

God! I WISH popcorn was a quiet food!

Of course it all depends on the moviegoer, whether food is quiet or not. I've had more than one nightmare experience where people seem to go out of their way to let you hear what they're eating:

Have you ever encountered one of these people who loudly SUCKS on their Peanut M&M's before chewing them? I wouldn't have believed such a thing possible, or perhaps thought it a freak occurance, but it's happened to me enough times that I now think moviegoers are being trained somewhere on the loudest method of sucking M&M's. Unbelieveable!

Posted by Sigerson Holmes @ 12/26/2002 01:08 PM PST

And another thing. Don't you hate these people who write an extra post just to correct their own spelling in a previous post?

My excuse this time is that I clicked on "Preview," saw the mistakes, and clicked the "Back" button on my browser, only to find that I'd have to retype the whole message.

So I posted "occurance" and "unbelieveable."

I went to college, too. It's pretty sad.

Posted by Sigerson Holmes @ 12/26/2002 01:16 PM PST

One time (quite a few years ago), I went to the movies here in Olympia and I heard a glass bottle(!) tip over and roll down the cement slope between some of the seats. It finally stopped in my row, and fortunately didn't break. When the movie was over (during the credits, actually) and the lights came up enough to see, I walked by and saw that it was a beer bottle!

Posted by George @ 12/26/2002 01:22 PM PST

Sigerson---

That has happend to me occasionally. If you need to go back and correct something, highlight your message in preview and select "Copy". If your message is lost when you go back, just select "Paste" and it will be back. All you will have to re-enter is your name and e-mail.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 12/26/2002 01:23 PM PST

Also, if I feel that I might have an extra long post, I'll write the post in Word (or Wordpad, etc.), then copy and paste the whole thing at once and be done with it. That way, I'll also have the spelling checked and not have to preview and go back a lot. Which is what I usually do with shorter messages.

Posted by George @ 12/26/2002 01:27 PM PST

Okay, one more. It's an "ask BK" question.

What's your favorite musical version (stage/film) of "Huckleberry Finn"?

The two I can think of are the Sherman Brothers movie and "Big River." I know there are a lot of obscure regional theater versions, but any other major ones?

I was reminded of this by a recent reference to the aborted Alan Jay Lerner/Burton Lane early 1950's MGM film. (Tiny snippets of Lerner & Lane's songs can be heard in the non-musical film MGM made of "Finn" in 1960.) I also know that Kurt Weill was working on a stage version with Maxwell Anderson when he died. They completed five songs.

I've often thought that the Lerner/Lane songs and the Weill/Anderson songs would make a nice program for an "Unsung Huckleberry" CD.

Posted by Sigerson Holmes @ 12/26/2002 01:31 PM PST

I live in the L.A. area and am unaware of any dinner/movie theater combo places in the vicinity. Perhaps the creator of such a concept can be installed in the Inventors Hall of Shame with the people who created call waiting and pop-up ads.

Posted by Jay @ 12/26/2002 01:34 PM PST

Dear Reader George:

Come to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl some time. I have yet to go to one there and not hear a wine bottle roll its way down the long, long stairway/ramps there. The long roll concludes--invariably--in a crescendo of shattering glass. Of course, it ONLY happens when the music coming off the stage is at its quietest pianissimo.

Posted by Jay @ 12/26/2002 01:38 PM PST

Speaking of Brent Barrett, Playbill.com just posted an item announcing that PBS will broadcast KISS ME KATE in February, with Mr. Barrett and Rachel York in the lead roles. Here's a link to the complete article:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/77044.html

Posted by Jay @ 12/26/2002 01:45 PM PST

Does contributing three clever and/or pithy and/or informative posts in a row make up for my unfortunate errancy and truancy over the last couple of days? I was getting a movie fix over the Christmas holiday. Five flix in two days. (Can you tell I'm Jewish?)

Posted by Jay @ 12/26/2002 01:48 PM PST

How about that merry widow?

Posted by Jrand55 @ 12/26/2002 02:08 PM PST

Hello everyone!

Well.. tomorrow could be the day that I get the news which I can share with everyone. Everyone keep me in your thoughts. I am hopping to tell you what it is too!

So.. it's ask BK day. What ever shall I ask? Ok.. how about these:

1. What are your top 3 favorite Christmas Movies

2. Who was the best movie or tv lawyer and why?

3. Who do you think is the best composer for a Comedy? Drama? Suspense? Romance?

4. Do you think you would write a book in the future that was not related to Benjamin Kritzer?

and finally... Do you have any favorite poets and/or poems. What are they and why?

Posted by Craig @ 12/26/2002 04:20 PM PST

Thursday...followed by FRIDAY!!! At last.

My ask BK question:

Is VistaVision now Panavision or did VistaVision go away? I loved the way they announced it

Vista Vision
Motion Picture High Fidelity

I can't make the big V.

And my last Ask BK question this week:

What was your favorite part of ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN?

Posted by Jrand55 @ 12/26/2002 04:34 PM PST

Thanks JMK. I will wait for the DVD release as usual. "Monsters Inc" set a high standard IMHO. I am also a fan of "The Hunchback Of N D". Probably not a kid's movie but the score was terrific.
Hope the "eat at the cinema" does not catch on here. I have enough trouble coping with the sound of wrappers and the smell of popcorn.

Posted by Tom Guest @ 12/26/2002 04:41 PM PST

Forgot to mention the Hollywood Bar and Filmworks here in Indianapolis. You can sit at a table and watch a movie....have a drink...it is a restaurant with a movie...although these are not first run features.

Posted by Jrand55 @ 12/26/2002 04:47 PM PST

Ou est notre ami Francois.

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 12/26/2002 05:03 PM PST

What Alan Jay Lerner songs were considered and/or tried for tthe album and discarded? And why?

Posted by Kerry @ 12/26/2002 05:18 PM PST

Dear "Disinterested,"

Have you checked your Funk and Wagnal's lately, or is too heavy? Anyone who is disinterested would most certainly not be as interested in striking up strife as you seem to be. Disinterest commonly denotes an air of ennui, even an UNBIASED viewpoint. Your posts sure seem to be the work of an interested party.
I, on the other hand, am very interested.

td

As for Ask BK Questions, I was thinking about those people who only recorded once for BK, then never resurfaced on Varese Sarabande. Since this is the night after Christmas, I'll confine myself to asking about those talents on the Broadway/Hollywood Christmas cds.
Where is Roy Chicas these days?
Whatever happened to The Talisman Quartet?
What was it like to record with Debby Boone? (I once met her, and the entire Boone family when they did a show at Pittsburgh's great (now defunct) night club, The Holiday House.
John Gabriel sings a lovely "Keep Christmas with You," why didn't he do more for you and Varese?
Why doesn't SAY ONE FOR ME's "The Secret of Christmas" appear on the HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS cd? Who would you have sing it, if you chose to record it now?

Posted by td @ 12/26/2002 05:44 PM PST

I want to ask BK if he would ever consider doing a sequel to FNM--The Second Nudie Musical? Of course, it would have to have some kinda gimmick for this day and age, as nudity is commonplace and has lost it's shock value. Maybe shaved Sheepdogs?
Secondly, are you going to get thee to CHICAGO (the movie)?

Posted by KT @ 12/26/2002 05:53 PM PST

Dear BK,
Have you ever had a CD that is just so bad that you listen to it again and again, just because it's so bad?

Posted by Laura @ 12/26/2002 06:50 PM PST

Jrand55,

The Merry Widow is usually
considered an operetta not an
opera.......

You should try to rent the
version made by Lubitsch with
Jeanette Macdonald and
Maurice Chevalier, who sang
both in French and in English
for both versions.In other
words, the film was done twice
and not dubbed....

I guess you would understand
the story better then.....

Posted by François @ 12/26/2002 07:29 PM PST

What! No mention of the Lana Turner film.(Just joking).
I saw June Bronhill as the widow many years ago. It was a delight. I think it was about the time of "Robert and Elisabeth" which is a favourite of mine. OK! I'm old-fashioned.(and I love Teresa Brewer too).

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 12/26/2002 08:01 PM PST

Tom,

I never saw the Turner version
and I never think about it.....

If I'm right, June Bronhill was
starring in Novello's "The
Waltzing Years" when I first
visited London, England in the
late sixties........and yes,
"Robert & Elisabeth" is a
delight......

Posted by François @ 12/26/2002 08:27 PM PST

I have been to a couple movies at McMenamin's and found it to be a dreadful experience. The first one I attended had cigarette smoke so thick you couldn't see the screen and the noise level made it impossible to hear. It sounds like the venues in Milwaukee that JMK has mentioned are a great improvement over what we have here in Portland. There is one other theatre here that offers upscale pizza and microbrew called the Laurelhurst. It has conventional theatre seating.
Ask BK: Remember in the late '60's when movie road shows were quite the rage? Assigned seats and $5.00 tickets? Why didn't the studios just raise the price of the ticket to $5 and let the patron sit wherever they wanted? It was a pet peeve of mine and I was interested in your opinion.

Posted by Dennis Clancy @ 12/26/2002 08:39 PM PST

Laura's question reminded me of my Leonard-Nimoy-singing obsession.

Do you have a favorite Nimoy album/recording?

Posted by Sigerson Holmes @ 12/26/2002 08:40 PM PST

My, my...some people do love to stir up trouble when it is totally uncalled for. I'm going to stop there because I feel like crap and I've been travelling for 10 (yes, Virginia, TEN!) hours straight and my subway train home was all f**ked up and I feel like a good fight right now. But I won't, cause I can do better than that. (Oh! A Jason Robert Brown reference.)

JRAND55: I don't know who the widow was, or even what production of MERRY WIDOW that was (I think it was NY City Opera, but I couldn't tell), but I do know that the tenor (who DID look young enough to be her son) is Mr. Gregory Turay, who is currently singing the tenor lead in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Met. He's wonderful--and! He's from Kentucky!

Where's my Robitussin?

Posted by Jason @ 12/26/2002 09:01 PM PST

Ah the trials of the young. Try going from New York to Melbourne Oz in the one trip. (changing planes in LA) - 29 hours! Luckily I have short legs which are more suited to plane travel. I am still hoping to hear about a Forbidden Broadway audition Jason. I want to know someone famous!! (So I can say "I knew them when").

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 12/26/2002 10:03 PM PST

29 hours on a plane...

Geeze, sure hope they gave you more than one bag of pretzels!

Posted by Angela D. @ 12/27/2002 01:07 AM PST

We are stirring indeed! Two mice fall into a pitcher of cream. One mouse gives up and the other works so hard that the cream is turned into butter and climbs out...I am that mouse

Posted by The Other Mouse @ 12/27/2002 06:37 AM PST

Thanks Francois and Tom. I remember the Lana Turner version with Fernando OR Ricardo - and that is the dance I remember in COLOR!

I have also seen the Lubitsch version which is delightful!

My main problem with the operetta was the choreography! Hehehehe....watch if you must.

Posted by Jrand55 @ 12/27/2002 08:17 AM PST

Yup it was the San Francisco Opera with beautiful sets and costumes. It was nice to look at.

Merry Widow was Yvonne Kenny. Greg Touray was a suitor Camille. Count Danilo was Bo Skovhas. Choreography was executed by Lawrence Pech.

Mrs. Onassis' Moose by Travilla.

Posted by Jrand55 @ 12/27/2002 08:23 AM PST

The Lana Turner version featured a can-can danced by a young Gwen Verdon before she did CAN-CAN on Broadway!

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 12/27/2002 08:38 AM PST

So that truly was the movie with Everything!

Clicking on my name in my post above will take you to the Merry Widow site.

Posted by Jrand55 @ 12/27/2002 09:20 AM PST