Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/27/2003 03:41 AM PST

My, my notes so early. We could get spoiled :-)

Jason, glad you liked Gypsy. I saw it on Thursday and, like you, was surprised. Thursday was the first day back after the 4 shows out due to the cold. She was strong vocally, and emotionally. I think she may be trying to prove them all wrong. You're right, the scene where she sells Louise as a stripper was scary. She's still not my first choice as Mama Rose, but she certainly did well the night I saw the show. And then there is the wonderful John Dosset. I didn't see the Tyne Daly show so I don't know how Jonathan Hadary did but it's great to hear Herbie's songs sung.

Posted by Ben @ 04/27/2003 05:20 AM PST

I was able to track down some interesting artifacts from BK's past over the weekend. I bought Murphy's Laws of Golf a film he wrote and has a cameo. Looking forward to receiving it.

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 04/27/2003 05:57 AM PST

Dining with Richard Valley and Company has always been one of the high points of conventioning for me, too. Now, if we could persuade Ms. Gordon to come to Butler, PA for a Monster Bash. . .

Posted by td @ 04/27/2003 06:17 AM PST

BK - The reason attendance was poor and there were no Hainsies or Kimlets is the same reason we couldn't make it - unless you have a car (which many New Yorkers don't) there was simply no way to get there from New York City by public transportation. The next time they should either have it in NYC itself or else at least have it near a stop on New Jersey Transit so people could get there easier. I'm sure if it were a little more convenient a lot more people would have showed up. Please pass this info on to the organizers so they can consider moving it for next year.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/27/2003 08:39 AM PST

Well the celebrities are winding their way home with their bags of money. What fun it must have been.

Middle School "Music Man" was very funny. The humor is built into that show, and just the fact that is was being done with 12 and 13 years olds made it even funnier! What a fun evening.

Choreographing I'M IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL GUY today for working tomorrow. Putting on my thinking cap and trying to forget the movie.

Beautiful weather today. And hopefully in chat tonight Mr BK will have lots more stories of CHILLER.

I wonder what the security guard's reaction was when he was confronted with Miss Susan Gordon? I hope she properly indentified herself as Susan Must Use Middle Initial Gordon, star of ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE and I need your help. 8-D

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/27/2003 09:25 AM PST

Sad news...Peter Stone, the book writer of 1776, TITANIC, WOMAN OF THE YEAR and THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES has passed away. Click on my name for the link.

Posted by Jason @ 04/27/2003 10:01 AM PST

Sorry I've been errant & truant the past few days.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!
Since I missed Ask Dear Reader day, I'd like to ask all of you, if you have or had pets, do you assign "pet" names to them? What I mean is, for example, we have two cats and a dog. Their names are Princess and Kitty Carlisle (the 2 cats) and Phoebe (dog). I have my own endearing terms for them. Princess is "My Angel", Carlisle is "My Baby" and Phoebe is "Sweetie" or sometimes "Sweetie Pie". So, are any of you as crazy as I am? Do you give your pets their own endearing monikers?

Posted by Ray @ 04/27/2003 10:01 AM PST

That didn't work. Try this.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/78842p-72468c.html

Posted by Jason @ 04/27/2003 10:10 AM PST

Ray, I prefer giving my pets names from Greek mythology. Since our dog is a Bernese Mountain Dog. I named her for the mountain nymph Echo. We had a cat named Gaia (goddess of the earth). Her children were Maria and Sinbad. The last two cats I brought home, making a total of four cats, I named Bogie and Bacall. I figured if I named the male cat after my husbands favorite actor he wouldn't kill me. We had Siberian Huskies named Romanoff and Anastasia and a Samoyed named Natasha. I have had far more pets but will stop now.

Posted by Jane @ 04/27/2003 10:22 AM PST

Jason, thanks for the link.

Posted by Jane @ 04/27/2003 10:26 AM PST

I was sad to hear of Peter Stone's
death. 1776 is truly a great musical,
and has one of the best books ever.
His creativity and professionalism
will be missed.
I saw on PBOL that Liz Smith had
said he was diagnosed with fibrosis.
Can someone tell me what that is? I
assume that it isn't cystic fibrosis, as
that strikes people when they are
young. Can somebody help?

Posted by Hapgood @ 04/27/2003 10:29 AM PST

Jason - thanks for the link. If you put the url in the Homepage (optional) cell - will come up when your name is clicked.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/27/2003 10:33 AM PST

Ray, I think you mean Happy Birthday, Joe :-) My birthday was in February and I don't recall any other Ben-type people posting on this here board.

Sad to hear about Mr. Stone. As Hapgood says, I think 1776 is a truly great piece. I would love to play John Adams before I get too much older.

Posted by Ben @ 04/27/2003 10:45 AM PST

Oops! Happy Birthday JOE! Sorry about that.

Posted by Ray @ 04/27/2003 11:05 AM PST

Jane - interesting post, and I'm glad to see you are both a dog AND cat person. Not too many of us around, it seems. However, I think you may have misinterpreted(sp?) my post. What I meant was, do you ever, on a consistent basis, call your pets something else besides their given names, the way most people call their husband/wife/life partner "Honey" or "Sweetie" or some other saccharin term of endearment?

Oh, and Phoebe is a Dalmatian mix (don't know what she's mixed with, though it seems to be a breed of bull terrier, since she has a very muscular chest and upper torso), Princess is a black/grey Tabby and Carlisle is a Siamese, though she could be Tonkonese (we're not sure and neither is the vet, since we found her as a stray and the 2 breeds are very similar in color and body conformation).

Posted by Ray @ 04/27/2003 11:35 AM PST

First of all. click on my name for a very interesting article that was published today. I think it is something that most of us will agree on.

As for Peter Stone, I am sorry he died yet to me despite all the good shows he wrote --- and he wrote many --- he will be most remembered as the man who totally trashed ANNIE GET YOUR GUN with its new book for the most recent revisal.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/27/2003 11:54 AM PST

To address what WEL said, I'm sure
we all can mention Stone's flaws as
a bookwriter (I saw the revisal of
Finian's Rainbow, where he also
rewrote the book to the musical's
detriment, and his books for shows
like "Woman of the Year" and "The
Will Rogers Follies" were not very
well-received.) I didn't think that now
was the best time to mention them.

And that was a very thought-
provoking link to the Newsday story,
WEL.

Posted by Hapgood @ 04/27/2003 12:11 PM PST

Home safe and sound and looking forward to our Unseemly Live Chat.

Since no one else has mentioned them, I'll dwell on Mr. Stone's wonderful screenplays for Father Goose, Charade, Mirage and his excellent adaptation of Sweet Charity the film.

Posted by bk @ 04/27/2003 12:57 PM PST

BK - Glad you made it back safe and sound. Hopefully, I'll be able to make it to the chat tonight, but I may be heading down the road a bit for dinner with some friends. -Maybe I'll catch the end of it.

And sad news about Peter Stone... Especially since I'll be playing 1776 in a few weeks. -It is amazing how fast those book scenes can go.

Hapgood: Thanks for the Newsday link. Good article.

As for pets... Haven't had any since I was nine years old, and I just stuck with their "real" names. Although, everytime our Poodle, Princess, would dig out under our fence, my mom would call her something else - I think. ;-)

Well, I think it's time for me to continue my lazy afternoon. I decided to take it easy today, even though it's a glorious day outside, and I want to go running. My allergies really hit harder than I thought the other day, and now I'm recovering from all that. The doc checked me out last night, and everything is good. *And it was nice "officially" confirming my weight loss when I got on the scale at the office.

-Hope to see you in chat!

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 04/27/2003 01:29 PM PST

Oh, since I somehow forgot yesterday... If it's not too late..

Happy Birthday, Joe!
Enjoy you Cake!

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 04/27/2003 01:36 PM PST

I can forgive Mr. Stone anything (even the puny rewrite on ANNIE GET YOUR GUN) in respect to his writing the brilliant '1776' and CHARADE.

I took BK's suggestion and bought THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE simply to get the anamorphic CHARADE on the other side of the DVD. It looks great. How I DO wish the sound could have been enhanced some way since I think that score by Henry Mancini is one of his absolute best, and it would have made a great film even greater to be surrounded by that music throughout. I suspect Warners won't remix WAIT UNTIL DARK for that upcoming DVD either, another Mancini score I'd love to hear in front and behind me while I'm watching the picture.

Posted by Matt H @ 04/27/2003 01:38 PM PST

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Michael Barnum and I am a freelance writer and (State of Oregon employee). I have been reading your (Bruce's) notes regarding Chiller over the last few days! Wow, what fun!What I would give to have been there! I have attended the Ray Court's show in North Hollywood and I know what fun these conventions can be...and how much money I tend to spend at them!!! Uhg!
I am new to Haineshisway (and what does that mean anyhow? Sounds as though someone was having troubles putting on their knickers! LOL!) and have found that a few pals of mine are regulars around here! So a big hello to my buddy Jack Randall Earles, with whom I share a love of all things Allison Hayes and who has been trying to get me to check out this web-site for some time, and who also never fails to crack me up with his witty e-mails which keep me amused while toiling away at my cubicle at work; and another big hello to lovely, adorable Susan Gordon, the woman I have interviewed, chatted with, and always enjoy hearing from, and who appears in my #1 fave ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE, or simply AOPP.
Thanks for letting me stop by! Bruce, I hope you had a pleasent trip home, and I look forward to finding out more about all of the very interesting people who post here!
Best,
Michael Barnum

Posted by MBarnum @ 04/27/2003 01:51 PM PST

Wooooohoooooooo - Michael Barnum is here. So glad he has decided to start posting.

Michael has an interview in the current issue of FILMFAX magazine with actress Carolyn Kearney...I think it is.

He also has published interviews with Richard Harrison and Mickey Hargitay!

Sorry, dave, another Allison fan has joined the family. More suffering on the way tor you.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/27/2003 02:00 PM PST

When Sandra was young, she named our cats after "CATS" names. When we began fostering animals for the pound, she used any names she could think of -- many times naming kittens after people we knew, actors she liked, characters in musicals, etc.
I will probably miss most of the chat tonight, as I received a phone call this morning from a young man we met through a chat room a few years ago (a teen at the time) who graduated from Marine boot camp last week and has a layover in Phoenix this evening on his way to San Diego. So I'm going to the airport to see him before he gets his orders and ships....wherever. I'm very proud of him!

Posted by Laura @ 04/27/2003 02:06 PM PST

A big Haineshisway.com welcome to Michael Barnum!!!! Glad to have you join us!

Posted by Laura @ 04/27/2003 02:09 PM PST

Oh. I have a shar-pei. Her registered name is Gone Hollywood. We call her Holly.

No nicknames.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/27/2003 02:29 PM PST

Our dogs Fosca and Magnus also respond to the "pet" names "biscuit" and "walk".
Welcome Michael.
For any Peggy Lee fans, The "Singles" box (4cds) is indeed wonderful. Naturally when I had finished playing them all I said "is that all there is?". Most important: The set includes Ms Lee's "Pieces of Dreams" (aka Little Boy Lost).

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 04/27/2003 02:52 PM PST

Okay Ray, I just didn't want to admit to my pet nicknames. Bacall's personality didn't fit her namesake and I called her Sweetness. Now that Echo is eight I think she is finally outgrowing her well suited name of Baby. Natasha, who was a Samoyed and looked like a stuff bear, I called Tasha Bear. Aside from that I don't usually use other names except when I'm upset at them.

Posted by Jane @ 04/27/2003 03:24 PM PST

O.K. everyone, regarding Jane's "pet" names for her pets, a collective "Awwwww" on three - one, two, three - awwwwwww!

Posted by Ray @ 04/27/2003 05:10 PM PST

Thanks for the warm welcome Jack and Laura! I am happy to be here...looks like a fun place!!

And Jack, does Dave not like Allison Hayes? That just can't be!! He isn't related to Beverly Garland is he?

I see the subject is pet "pet" names. My wonderful tabby Buford, who passed away this last December at age 15, also went by the pet name of Shrimp and Buf. And Jack, so how come you have never sent me a photo of your dog?

Ok, back to the yard work...for once it isn't raining in Oregon and I can get some weeds pulled!
Michael Barnum

Posted by MBarnum @ 04/27/2003 05:13 PM PST

Oh he doesn't dislike Allison (and Frances) he just doesn't like it when we talk about them here.

I thought you had a pic of Holly....hmmmm...I will see what I can do.

Almost time for chat!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/27/2003 05:25 PM PST

Welcome home esteemed, suave, and catalytic BK...the black hole has now disappeared from Studio City once more. Any decent "non-chain" food in N.J.?

Welcome Michael Barnum...I'm also extremely new here, and it is indeed a great human paella of the most interesting, intelligent, amusing and caring folks to be found around the web. It is lovingly watched over by simply the master catalyst of social intercourse, the suave and worldly BK himself.

DR Kerry and I have an adorable little (mostly)black lab female, and her name is Mazal. And yes, she IS jewish. She sometimes gets called Maz for short.

Some years back, we also had a wonderfully unique female basset hound. Her name was Wee Baby Doris (ask Kerry), but at some point I also started calling her "Slugworth." Hard to figure.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 04/27/2003 05:29 PM PST

When it comes to pet names for the pets, beyond their actual names, my ever-lovin' der Brucer and I have always been free and easy in dishing our dogs.

Mikey (full name Michael Augustus Snipps), the little barrel-chested terrier, is constantly dubbed the "puppy," as in "lap-puppy" and "the-puppy-that-nobody-likes." (We really don't like him, we love him...and he knows it.) Marty (full name Martin Newyer, as we found him the day after New Years) is generally called "Goofus" or "The Labraball" from his curled up sleeping position...when he isn't on his back, totally akimbo and obscene.

Kelsey, the very old daschund (full name Newton Kelsey, but we've always called him by his last name) started out being known as "slut-puppy," because of his habit of nuzzling any and every stranger for attention. Later he became know as "the old grump," and now we call him "Granpa," because of his age. He does fairly well for someone who's seventeen.

Two of the other dogs, now long gone, were Jocko, a little runt Scottie, who I dubbed "Rugrat" and loved very much, and Peter, who was called "The Head" because he loved to stand outside and just stick his head through the doggie door, complete with silly grin on his face.

I'm not sure what I want to call Linda Winer, who never impressed me when she wrote for the Los Angeles Times.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 04/27/2003 05:31 PM PST

My pet name for Linda Winer is Peckerhead.

Chat in a mere ten minutes from right now.

Welcome Michael Barnum. If only we can find someone named Bailey this place will truly be the greatest show on Earth!

Posted by bk @ 04/27/2003 05:37 PM PST

Dear BK.....

Bailey ehhh?? Well, we could try to resurect Jack Bailey, but he probably still wouldn't be to sober, and would just want to re-do Queen For A Day anyway.

Or, we could try to scout up Jim Bailey, but then we might not be to sure who he was at the moment.

Or, maybe we could put the 2 of them together, although the resulting title of the new show boggles the mind...Queen For A ... oh, never mind.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 04/27/2003 05:44 PM PST

My Siberian's full name is Minx Anastasia.
Time to go chat.

Posted by td @ 04/27/2003 05:58 PM PST

Chat is simply too too, you must come and join in the merriment and mirth and laughter and legs.

Posted by bk @ 04/27/2003 06:18 PM PST

Michael, where in Oregon do you live? I'm in Ashland. We had snow last week. Echo and I rushed out and hiked in it before it melted.

Posted by Jane @ 04/27/2003 06:31 PM PST

Hi Jane,
I am in Salem. Grew up in Medford and worked in Ashland for a year after High School (Mark Anthony Hotel and at Bi-Mart). Left the Rogue Valley in 1984, but still have family down there. Ashland is such a beautiful place...but expensive to live there!!! Yikes!
Best,
Michael

Posted by MBarnum @ 04/27/2003 07:04 PM PST

Mr. Barnum...welcome! I think you're gonna like it here (oh! An almost-ANNIE reference!)

I have sad news to report that will require some VERY positive vibes. My mother called me tonight and let me know that my father has lost his job. He is/was a Vice President for a food manufacturing plant in Louisville, and they told him on Thursday that this Friday will be his last day. He's quite heartbroken and I'm sure he's quite panicked. They're already talking about getting the house ready to sell should he not find anything anytime soon.

I know my dad isn't the only person out of a job these days (our very own Dear Reader Craig is another one who could use some good vibes in that department...) but please, please, please send your good vibes in my parents' direction. Thanks a lot, you guys!

Posted by Jason @ 04/27/2003 08:12 PM PST

Consider the vibes well and truly on their way my friend.I need to find an atlas to check if Louisville is Kentucky. I think maybe I should send the vibes care of their ever loving son in NY. Vibes already out there for Craig and for the callback kid.

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 04/28/2003 12:32 AM PST

Hi! This is only my (blush) second
time and I'm very late and should be
in bed now with my dear husband
(who is also a workaholic and
sometimes playaholic)--but I was
cleaning up my e-mail and saw the
very nice note someone sent me (BK
or Haines?) about how this thing
works and thought I'd check in. We
call Hershey, the sweet 10 yr-old
female cat, Hershfeld,
Hershenheimer, Sweetie-Cat and
Poosie; Lucy, the spooky 11-yr old
female cat is Lucy-Fur and Honey-
Bunny and we like to call Ebony, the
tiny old (13) formerly black but now
mostly gray Ewok dog "You little
Bitch" because we can and it's fun!

We're very happy for our 17-yr old
daughter Marisol because she will
be attending PCPA (Pacific
Conservatory of the Performing Arts)
this August and will get to pursue
her lifelong dream of professional
hamdom--she's damn good, too!

I hope all the jobless folk get some
good income quick and can do
something fulfilling and enjoyable
(work, shmerk...). "Times gettin' hard,
money gettin' scace--goin' down to
Lynchburg town, sell my 'baccy
down..."

Does anyone else like "The
Fantasticks"? One of my all-time
favorite musicals...reminds me of
Candide.

Posted by Rebecca @ 04/28/2003 12:50 AM PST

Hi Rebecca. I suspect people are well asleep by now. I have never seen a production of The Fantasticks (apart from the filmed version which doesn't quite work) but have always the beautiful simplicity of the story and the score. I was first introduced to the score through those wonderful early Streisand recordings of "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Much More" and "I Can See It". "Try To Remember" was a pop hit here in Australia for English based Australian group the New World. The score of "110 In the Shade" is also one of the most beautiful written for the stage. Once again I have never seen a production of the show. The closest I've been was seeing a production of "The Rainmaker" (with Tuesday Weld) on TV.
Hope you find time to join the HHW Crew more often.

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 04/28/2003 03:42 AM PST

Welcome to Rebecca -- and good vibes are on their way to Mr. Bratton in Kentucky.

Posted by Laura @ 04/28/2003 04:09 AM PST

Jason -

My best wishes to you Dad in what must be a diffuclt time for him. I too was "RIF'd" late last year, only to get a better job (doing exactly the same thing), with better $$ and bennies less than 1 month after my last day with Brand D! Perhaps the greatest fear in these situations is of the unknown. And as you get older, (I was 46 when I got my notice) the fear that no one will hire you due to your age. But everything happens for a reason - may your Dad move onto greater success and professional fulfillment in the days ahead.

And there is perhaps no one better qualified to offer solace than our own BK himself!

Posted by Phil @ 04/28/2003 05:01 AM PST

Good thoughts on their way to your mom and dad, Jason.

Posted by Lulu @ 04/28/2003 06:01 AM PST

Rebecca---
Regarding THE FANTASTICKS, I have seen many productions and the only one that really worked was the original in a 99 seat theatre in the Village. There ths show was pure magic. Other productions --- usually in much larger theatres --- just don't work for me. This is one of the few shows that I feel this way about. Most shows can work in any productions, but not THE FANTASTICKS, and that's probably one of the main reasons it ran 40 years.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/28/2003 06:03 AM PST

Anyone whose ever taught mathematical logic has encountered Aristotle's example of a False Sylogism:

1. All cats are mortal.
2. Socrates is mortal.
3. Therefore, Socrates is a cat.

A character in Ionesco's Rhinocerous further remarks, "That's right! I know a cat named Socrates."

Any guesses what I called my little Siamese of some years back?

Unfortunately, he proved all too mortal himself.

Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/28/2003 07:03 AM PST

William - I am guessing your cat was not named Shroedinger

Posted by Craig @ 04/28/2003 07:55 AM PST

But not all mortals are cats.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/28/2003 08:31 AM PST

WEL: Yeah, that's what this cat was saying to me, man.

Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/28/2003 08:55 AM PST