My loverly but frustrating trek to Toyland, since I cannot locate the missing proof of "The March of the Toys," was highlighted by two blasts from the past. On the subway I ran into Darrin Baker, cousin of my good friend Ryan Shore (Howard Shore's nephew) and delightful actor, and on 27th Street, about two doors from Toyland, I ran into the beautiful Christianne Tisdale, whom I last saw just before she left for London to play Molly in ONE TOUCH OF VENUS for Opera North, She's on her way to London this time to see her boyfriend.
Darrin became a great friend from the moment he saw me taping a performance of LITTLE BY LITTLE and jumped off the stage during the curtain call to confiscate my recorder. I was recording the show because I was going to score the recording for our own BK and I needed a reference tape to refresh my thoughts on the music. Backstage after the performance, after getting yelled at by Christianne Noll and Liz Larsen, Darrin was very sheepish and very apologetic. I thought it was hysterically funny and we've been friends ever since. Learning that he was a cousin of Ryan, one of my favorite composers and orchestrators who's collaborated with me on several projects, was the icing on the cake.
I'm bummed about "March of the Toys," but I collected everything else I need and as I waited for the bus it began to snow. I'm not complaining.