Haines His Way
Archives => Archive 2 => Topic started by: bk on September 02, 2004, 12:03:10 AM
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Well, you've read the notes, you've been on location with the notes, the notes have been on location with you and now it is time for you to post until the cows come home from location.
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I can't say that I have "favorite" lyrics, but there are some that I love. For example, one that just popped into my head which never fails to make me smile, from "I Get a Kick Out of You" (Cole Porter, natch)...
My story is much too sad to be told,
For practic'lly everything leaves me totally cold.
The only exception I know is the case
When I'm out on a quet spree,
Fighting vainly the old ennui,
and I suddenly turn and see
Your fabulous face!
That is just SO good! A whole dramatic structure and story in seven short lines.
More tomorrow....
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Panni, I love that song. I've even performed it (with the venue-appropriate non-gender-specific but non-internal-rhyming lyric: "Flying too high with someone in the sky"...I didn't want to sing "some girl." ;))
I love the six-rhyme lyric from "Ah, But Underneath" from the London production of Follies:
From the depths of her interior
Were fears she was inferior
And something even eerier
But no one dared to query 'er
Superior
Exterior
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One and one-half wandering Jews
Free to wander wherever they choose
Are travelling together
In the Sangre de Cristo
The Blood Of Christ Mountains
Of New Mexico
On the last leg of the journey
They started long ago
The arc of a love affair
Rainbows in the high desert air
Mountain passes slipping into stones
Hearts and Bones
(Paul Simon)
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Good Evening! Good Morning!
Not much to report today. I stayed "home" for most of the morning and early afternoon, then headed to Hollywood for rehearsal with Tammy and Bruce. Then after rehearsal, I ended up meeting up with a friend of mine who's another conductor/pianist type, and we went to dinner. We ended up at "Mo's" in Toluca Lake. Great burger!! I had the "Slam Dunkburger" which has plum sauce and dijon mustard on it - I ordered it since I thought it was an interesting combination of condiments, and it turned out to be quite a delicious combination too! -The sweetness of the plum jam worked well with the sharpness of the dijon mustard - and all of that on top of a very good burger (good beef, and just the right amount of char on it - and still cooked a perfect medium rare! Yum!
After dinner, we headed out to his place for some margaritas and some hot tub time! The hot tub felt soooo good! Just what my back muscles needed. It was also a beautiful night out, and it was great just being able to kick back and relax for a little bit. And it was also great catching up and trading war stories from our various gigs. He then drove me back to the homestead, and now I'm here...
Thus concludes Jose's L.A. Adventures for today. :)
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Catching up from yesterday...
RE: The Baker's Wife, "Meadowlark", etc.. - I worked on a production of the show a couple of years ago that was directed by Scott Schwartz, Stephen Schwartz's son. It was one of the first productions where Joseph Stein and Stephen Schwartz had done some major overhauling of the book - and of the score. For some unknown reason, I loved the show - warts and all. There was a greater emphasis put on the townspeople, and that helped to ease the blow of Genevieve's infidelity against The Baker. It provided a better sense of community and how the actions of Genevieve affected the town as a whole. Of course, as a result of this, it ended taking away some of the emphasis from the love triangle. Ah, well... *But I did manage to snag a page in Mr. Schwartz's own hand of the new ending he wrote for one of the songs!
And as much as I like the solo numbers in the show, I truly love the ensemble numbers. Just some great music, and, I think Schwartz actually achieved a Gallic touch in some of the writing. Unfortunately, the only place to hear most of the choral numbers is on the 2-CD set made of the London production a couple of years ago on JAY. The Genevieve seems totally vocally miscast to me. -Thus, that's my least favorite version of "Meadowlark". But I think she was married to the director, so...
As a side note, "Meadowlark" is also one of those "hard piano songs" that women bring in for auditions and just "sing" instead of "tell the story". Yes, it's nice to know you can belt and mix, but what else can you do? -I also just think it's just a bad song to bring in - especially if you're only doing 16 bars or so. It's a story song. I wanna hear the whole story - not just the Cliff's Notes version. ;)
As for my favorite version of the song, it would have to be the one I heard one of my "belting" students sing in class a couple of years ago. This girl was amazing. She was just 15, but had/has an amazing instrument, and some great natural acting chops. When she got to "..her Meadowlark had died.." she would get this incredible "look" on her face... you could see tears starting to well up in her eyes... And, suddenly, you found them welling up in your own eyes. The sense of loss was so palpable. And then she would finish the song, and somehow the song made sense, the journey made sense. And with a potentially "confusing" song/lyric, that's a great feat to accomplish.
*And on "The Stephen Schwartz Album" I had actually hoped that Alice Ripley would be singing "Meadowlark"... Ah, well...
**I have heard some hopeful and good news about the upcoming production at Papermill Playhouse which is based upon the version they did at Goodspeed. We shall see...
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Catching up on yesterday... Part II
RE: SwishySarah, To Circle or Not To Circle, To School or Not To School...
First the "circling" - I think you may just be reading too much into the situation. Whenever I've seen that option posted on an audition form, it's simply there to help the production staff know who to consider for what once they start coming up with the callback list. I find there's nothing wrong with indicating which roles you'd like to be considered for. This way you won't be wasting their time, and, more importantly, they won't be wasting your time putting you through a callback for a part that you're not interested in. Also, there's nothing wrong with just wanting to be in the show, in any capacity. I have a bunch of friends in the business who are actually happiest being in the ensemble. In most shows, they actually end up getting to sing more, dance more, have more costumes, etc., than the leads -And there's none of that "leading lady/man" pressure worry about. They just love being in the theatre! But if you want a lead, Go for it!
As for schooling... That really is a tricky question, and I'll try to keep my answer as brief and non-contradictory as possible. And I'll start off with this:
The one "complaint" I have about some of the major university training programs is that they are turning out "triple threats" - good actor, good dancer, good singer. However, they're just "good" at all three things, and not "great" at any particular one. The emphasis seems to be on "creating" very good ensemble and chorus people, people who will get into shows on Broadway - and then the school can add their names to the "famous alumni" list. Yes, it sounds like a very broad generalization, but I've actually heard those sentiments from faculty members and administrators.
However, there really is nothing wrong with being a "triple threat". But...
I'd advise going into an good acting program which allows you to take dance and music classes as part of your curriculum. There really is greater stress nowadays on the "theatre" side of "musical theatre". You'd be covering a lot of great history and background, the stuff that led up to the formation of "musical theatre".
However, on the plus side of a musical theatre program - or any program - you'll be surrounded by others going through just what you are going through. That sense of camaraderie can sure come in handy during the inevitable tough times.
The big catch to look out for is whether a university's Music Theatre program is part of the Music department or the Theatre department. -Just how many years of music theory do you really want to take? But if you like music theory, then more power to you!
Finally, I'd say the big thing to remember is that you always have a choice and follow your instincts. If you "know" that a particular voice teacher just doesn't get that you want to "do" musical theatre, then change teachers. If you sense that a particular acting teacher will not provide you with the skills and encouragement you need, then put in a request to change teachers - or even, secretly if you have to - take some classes somewhere else, with someone else. If you feel like you're wasting your time in any class you're taking, then see about switching to another class/subject.
In short, it's your choice. Set aside some good time to think about it. Write out lists. Compare curriculums. Do your "homework". My favorite lyric from Sunday in the Park with George comes to mind right now: The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not... Move On. -We all make mistakes. The trick is to not let those mistakes stop us dead in our tracks. We should learn from them, take something positive away from the situation (even it's just something as simple as, "I'll never do that again"), and then take another step forward. -And to quote another Sondheim show, "Now you know!" ;)
Was that confusing enough for you?
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As for favorite lyrics and rhymes...
One of my favorites, which is an "interesting" favorite happens to be from The Baker's Wife in the number "Bread" that the townspeople sing:
"What is so luscious
As a brioche is"
Yes, I know it's a bad rhyme. -Is it technically a false rhyme" But I guess I just love the use of the word "brioche" in a lyric.
As for other favorites, they'll have to wait until morning... I must get some sleep. Now. It's late. It's early!
Goodnight.
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OH, BK... -And L.A. denizens...
Unfortunately, "Broadway: The Golden Age" will be closing tomorrow/today, September 2, at the Laemmle Fairfax. So... Ah, well...
However, "Broadway: The Next Generation" is due up next, so...
*And the DVD of "Broadway: The Golden Age" will be out later this year with extra footage, plus "sneak peek" footage of "Broadway: The Next Generation".
**However, "Broadway: The Golden Age" is being shown this Sunday and Monday (maybe later in the week too) at 11:00a.m. at the Laemmle Monica in Santa Monica. So... If you need to take a break from all the workers in your house...
http://www.laemmle.com/theatres/monica/monica.html
*Just click on Sunday and Monday to see the movie listed.
http://www.broadwaythemovie.com
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Catching up on the postings. Going back to read the BK notes. But I can guess what today's topic is.
Moving stuff away from the windows just in case Frances drops by. When she throws a party is stays thrown.
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To all DRs who have expressed interested in the cds I will deal with it when I get back and if the house is still standing.
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Have a great trip Michael.
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Lyricists! The poets of the theatre.
My favorites(in no particular order): Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, Alan Jay Lerner, Dorothy Fields, Carolyn Leigh, Howard Ashman. Of course, I have to include the best lyricist(and composer) of the past 40 years: Sondheim (yes, I am a Sondheim fanatic!). But I think my favorite lyricist is Oscar Hammerstein. I have noticed it has become very popular recently to knock Hammerstein and say that his work is "inferior" to Hart's. This happened quite often during Richard Rodgers' 100 year anniversary. Well, I just love his work. It is so simple, yet so rich.
My favorite lyric by his is in my signature. This is the intro verse to the reprise of "Sixteen Going On Seventeen." I find it touching, honest, and beautiful in its simplicity. Less is more.
I could still go on.....but I won't. :)
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Do any DRs have any thoughts on the work of David Zippel and Ellen Fitzhugh (sp?) ? I am not that crazy about either of these lyricists, but they always seem to get work and be working.
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Here's the first selection. More to appear through the day.
I Could Write A Book/Lorenz Hart/Pal Joey:
If they asked me, I could write a book
About the way you walk, and whisper, and look.
I could write a preface
On how we met
So the world would never forget.
And the simple secret of the plot
Is just to tell them that I love you a lot.
And the world discovers
As my book ends,
How to make two lovers
Of friends.
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Good morning!
Is it me or does anyone else when going to an old column from the Column Archives have two colors of print, a lighter shade before where the Unseemly Button would be and a much easier to read darker shade after where the UB would be. Does it make any sense what I am asking?
Maybe it's just me in the midst of my allergy attack. I can't wait for winter!
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THE PICTURE IN THE HALL
Craig Carnelia
In her hand she holds a small bouquet
In the distance, there's a Chevrolet
In the corner, there's a tree
Only half of which we see
In the churchyard with the bride
And the soldier at her side
And she's got wavy hair
And she wears her shoulders all but bare
And the soldier looks her way
On a breezy Brooklyn day
In the forties, in the fall
In the picture in the hall
And a cloud is passing by
In the moment, in the sky
And it's captured like the faces, and the flowers, and the car, and the gown
In a hundred shades of brown
In the churchyard, in the fall
In the picture in the hall
On the wall;
Feelings whirling round and around
In the hall;
Gravel on the ground.
I recall
Listening for the sound without sound
Round and around
There's a frame around the breezy day
There's a path around the tree
There's an arm around the bride
And a private sort of pride
In the woman in the fall
In the silence in the hall
In the rustling in the gown
In the hundred shades of brown
In the churchyard in the breeze
In the whirling in the freeze
In the feeling in the fall
In the picture in the hall
Frozen in the fall
In the forties on the wall
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Another favorite -
I Talk To The Trees/Alan Jay Lerner/Paint Your Wagon:
I talk to the trees
But they don't listen to me
I talk to the stars
But they never hear me
The breeze hasn't time
To stop and hear what I say
I talk to them all in vain
But suddenly my words
Reach someone else's ears
Touch someone else's heartstrings, too
I tell you my dreams
And while you're listening to me
I suddenly see them come true
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BK - Is it just a coincidence that the ads on the first page of this here site that comes up features ads for plumbers and home repair?
Jose - According to what the director said after a screening in NY, "Broadway the Next Generation" will be included in its entirety on the DVD of "Broadwat the Golden Age", not released to theatres. Since that was a couple of months ago, I am wondering if that has changed. What was your source that it would be released to theatres first and when did this info come out? I'm wondering if plans have been changed in the last couple of months.
Although Maria Irene Fornes is not necessiarly my favorite lyricist, she did write my favorite lyrics for Al Carmines' PROMENADE:
To walk down the street
With a mean look on my face.
A cigarette in my right hand,
A toothpick in my left.
To alternate between the cigarette
And the toothpick... ah that's life.
Yes I have learned from life.
Every day I've learned some more.
Every blow has been of use.
Every jar has ben a lesson.
Yes I have learned from life
But what is plain to see
Is that life hasn't learned from me.
(Originally sung by Madeline Kahn)
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Ok, believe it or else, one of my favorite song lyrics is from the 1960s pop hit RED RUBBER BALL by The Cyrkle. It goes:
The story's in the past
With nothing to recall
I've got my life to live
And I don't need you at all
The rollercoaster ride we took
Is nearly at an end
I bought my ticket with my tears
That's all I'm gonna spend
And I think,
It's gonna be alright
Yeah,
The worst is over now
The mornin' sun is shining
Like a red rubber ball
I have always thought that it was clever.
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Such wonderful lyrics and already so early in the day.
Hmmmmmmm.....to begin:
"Some people sit on their butts.
Got the dream, yea, but not the guts."
I likewise love the lyric to "No More."
And on a more generic and plebian note:
"Love is a many splendored thing
It's the April rose that only grows
In the early spring.
Love is nature's way of giving
A reason to be living
A golden crown that makes a man a king.
Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed
And the world stood still.
Then your fingers touched my silent heart
And taught it how to sing.
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing.............."
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Or Red Rubber Ball, yea that's good, too!
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DR Jennifer, and other fans of SURVIVOR: my friend Ron and his partner Pat are in Las Vegas this week and Ron called me last night as they were passing by a charity event of some sort in which quite a few of the Survivor castmates were there...as he was speaking to me on the phone he saw Rupert, Burton, Colleen, Jenna, Sarah and several more whose names he couldn't remember right off hand...no Sonjia however :(
He said that Burton looked mighty fine!
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Okay....well....yes, folks, it is excitement time. It is not the ON LOCATION excitement that Mr BK is having BUT -yes, it happened in Athens....no....well it happened in Greencastle.
Last night our Axel quit the play. He said he was tired of getting notes and thought the director should be more encouraging. She said her job was to direct the show, and that we were NOT high school students.
Of course, I was backstage in my underwear changing out of my costume and MISSED all the drama. I put on my pants and went out into the house and it was all over.... Darn! Well, we have a NEW Axel and 7 days to put on THE NERD....
Share some vibes with us, if you can spare 'em!
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At work we are preparing for the worst. Moving the machine to the back of the store.
Then I will go home and take photos of the house and the interiors.
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One Tin Soldier
Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley-folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone,
And the valley-people swore
They'd have it for their very own.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
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The Fool On The Hill
Day after day alone on the hill,
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still,
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning around
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Eleanor Rigby
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from ?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong ?
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[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]A BIG Happy Birthday to
DR RLP[/move]
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Happy Birthday RLP!!
And whose idea was it to name that *&%# hurricane - Frances? :o
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One of my very favorite lyrics -- "My Time of Day" from GUYS AND DOLLS -- and I heard in some interview years ago that it was also one of Frank Loesser's favorites...
My time of day is the dark time
A couple of deals before dawn
When the street belongs to the cop
And the janitor with the mop
And the grocery clerks are all gone.
When the smell of the rainwashed pavement
Comes up clean, and fresh, and cold
And the streetlamp light
Fills the gutter with gold
That's my time of day
My time of day
And you're the only doll I've ever wanted to share it with me.
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And one for Herr Mahler.
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Most of Sondheim's lyrics are so astute that it's hard to pick a few. I think "I'm Still Here" is one of the great story songs in all Broadway history. The lyrics to "Move On" bring me to tears when paired with that exquisite melody. I also adore "There Won't Be Trumpets" very much.
My favorite Sondheim song is "Losing My Mind" from FOLLIES, the perfect song expressing the angst of a lost love so I guess that is my favorite lyric of all:
The sun comes up
I think about you
The coffee cup
I think about you
I want you so
It's like I'm losing my mind.
The morning ends
I think about you
I talk to friends
I think about you
And do they know?
It's like I'm losing my mind.
All afternoon doing every little chore
The thought of you stays bright
Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor
Not going left, not going right
I dim the lights
And think about you
Spend sleepless nights
And think about you
You said you loved me
Or were you just being kind?
Or am I losing my mind?
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Heard from DR Elmore - who could use some major HHW GOOD VIBES...
At the moment he's living at the recording office because his book cases collapsed yet again. A carpenter friend has taken the situation in hand and he's hoping to be back in his place by Sunday.
Meanwhile, today he sees the surgeon about his abscess, which he thinks will get some minor surgery. Next week, it's the ear nose throat specialist about his ear infection!
He concludes - not surprisingly - "I'm getting tired of all this nonsense."
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My extreme apologies for being so E&T all this time; will attempt to do better in the future. In the meantime, let's have a much too long post:
Michael: "One Tin Soldier" is a great lyric. There's a "how- the- heck- did- they- think- of- THAT?" version of the song sung by Combo Fiasco (an Australian cabaret trio), in which the song is medleyed with "Children Will Listen" to stunning results.
Someone asked about Zippel: I find his work very, well, workmanlike, rarely inspiring. There are some great bits in "City of Angels," though.
Michael John Lachiusa frustrates me to no end... there's no question that he's incredibly talented, but I always feel like he never brushes up his songs to strip away the excess. He does have one lyric that I love though, from Marie Christine's "Way Back to Paradise"
Study all men
Learn what they lack
Sweeten and stroke before you attack
Put up a front and then slip through the back
Be on your way back to paradise!
Besides the folks already mentioned, I have to add Tom Lehrer, whose "Alma" finds rhymes for Gropius, Mahler, Werfel, Bauhaus, and Erde. Also, his use of "jammed" rhymes (or whatever you call it when you rhyme the middle of a word at the end of a line) is just great:
When you attend a funeral
It's sad to think that sooner'r
later those you love will do the same for you
and you may have thought it tragic
not to mention other adject-
tives
to think of all the weeping they will do
and finally, "When you are old and Gray" contains a bridge with sixteen non-repeating rhymes
An awful debility
A lessened utility
A loss of mobility
Is a strong possibility
In all probability
I'll lose my virility
And you your fertility
And desirability
And this liability
Of total sterility
Will lead to hostility
and a sense of futility
So let's act with agility
While we still have facility
For we'll soon reach senility
and lose the ability
Just incredible.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RLP!(http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/party/party-smiley-020.gif)
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Hate to nitpick (but songwriting is my business), but Tom Lehrer's Old and Gray rhymes DO repeat. 7 of those words end with Bility. The rhymes come on the final 3 syllables (stress on the first of these three) so, cut off everything that goes before and see how many real rhymes he comes up with in that section:
Bility
Tility
Rility
Stility
Gility
Nility
So that's six. Which is certainly an impressive number.
Someone who'd likely point out this same nitpick about the rhymes in When You Are Old and Gray is
its author
Tom Lehrer.
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And whose idea was it to name that *&%# hurricane - Frances? :o
It was definitely a Republican... that way they could trick people into believing that France's attacking Florida :)
Am I the only person who thinks Zell Miller is scary? His speech was not something I wanted to see before going to bed.
School started yesterday for me... and so far I am happy with the classes I picked for this term. They are:
1) Constitutional History of Canada before 1867 taught by a 90 year old who is very amusing but also very fragile looking. I worry for his health everytime he lets go of the lectern and appears to be swaying off-balance.
2) Issues in Canadian Democracy taught by an American. Oy. Vey.
3) Canadian Voting and Public Opinion where the main requirement is a group project where you pretend to be a strategist for one of the federal parties and determine what that party needs to do to better it's strategic position in a particular province/region. Sounds very fun.
4) Media and Politics taught by a professor who is the absolute spittin' image of Christopher Fitzgerald (Boq's a prof!)
5) Family and Modern Society - where I am required to do a paper on how one particular sit-com of my choice defines or redefines the concept of "family"
Congratulations Dan on the Canuck-ionary! :)
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I meant to comment on David Zippel, too. I think his lyrics in CITY OF ANGELS -ARE- inspired. "Lost and Found" has some fabulous word play and many of the other songs are equally clever. Love the score to HERCULES, too. I think that's probably Disney's most overlooked animated feature in the last 10 years or so.
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Read distressing news this morning about the December release of NEW YORK, NEW YORK on DVD. Oh, I'm glad it's finally going to be available, but it's MGM, and you know what that means: no anamorphic transfer.
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MY TIME OF DAY is one of my favorites, too.
Other favorite songs by lyricisits-composers:
If You Promise Me A Rose (Bob Merrill/Take Me Along)
Put On Your Sunday Clothes (Jerry Herman/Hello Dolly)
Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better) (Irving Berlin/Annie Get Your Gun)
and from Company, Sondheim's
Sorry-Grateful:
You're always sorry
You're always grateful
You're always wondering what might have been
Then she walks in
And still you're sorry
And still you're grateful
And still you wonder
And still you doubt
And she goes out
Everything's different
Nothing's changed
Only maybe slightly rearranged
You're sorry-grateful
Regretful-happy
Why look for answers
Where none occur?
You always are
What you always were
Which has nothing to do with
All to do with her
You're always sorry
You're always grateful
You hold her thinking
I'm not alone
You're still alone
You don't live for her
You do live with her
You're scared she's starting
To drift away
And scared she'll stay
Good things get better
Bad get worse
Wait, I think I meant that in reverse
You're sorry-grateful
Regretful-happy
Why look for answers
Where none occur
You'll always be
What you always were
Which has nothing to do with
All to do with her
Nothing to do with
All to do with her
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Mazel Tov to DR DiT on your winning submission. (Don't go there....)
DR Swishy Sarah: Go to College. Graduate.
BK: Sorry about your shower situation.
Godspeed, DR Michael Shayne. May Frances not cause too much damage to your humble abode, or those of any other Floridian (or Carolinian) DRs.
Favorite Lyric? There are several categories of this for me, such as cleverest rhyme (internal and external division), most romantic, most bitter, etc. But probably, for me, the cleverest lyric -- and I know I am going to screw this up without any reference books/CDs handy:
From "Uptown, Downtown":
When she sits
At the Ritz
With a Schlitz
In her mitts,
Oh, it's so
schizo.
I am sure I will think of others later.....
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LOL DREMILY.....France is attacking? Florida? Oh my....I hope they do not storm the Roney Plaza or the Fountainbleau!
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And from just one more, before I get back to work:
Always True To You In My Fashion/Cole Porter/Kiss Me Kate:
There's a wealthy Hindu priest
Who's a wolf, to say the least,
When the priest goes too far east, I also stray.
Bt I'm always true to you, darlin', in my fashion,
Yes, I'm always true to you, darlin', in my way.
There's a lush from Portland, Ore.
Who is rich but such a bore.
When the bore falls on the floor, I let him lay.
But IATTYDIMF,
Yes, IATTYDIMW.
Mister Harris, plutocrat
Wants to give my cheek a pat,
If the Harris pat
Means a Paris hat,
Bébé, Oolala!
Mais je suis toujours fidèle, darlin', in my fashion,
Oui, je suis toujours fidèle, darlin', in my way.
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[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]HAPPIEST AND HEALTHIEST OF BIRTHDAYS, RON[/move]
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Oops (spoo, spelled backwards) - I was so tired last night I forgot to check our handy-dandy calendar. So, yes, we must all gleefully put on our colored tights and pantaloons, we must break out the cheese slices and ham chunks, we must dance the Hora and the Monkey for it is indeed dear reader Ron Pulliam's very own actual birthday. So, let's have a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer. On the count of three: One, two, three - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR READER RON PULLIAM!!!
The notes have been amended.
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Dan-in-Toronto congratulations on your win. :)
SWW, sorry, to me he is now Fletcher, Fletch for short.
Is it possible you have allergies and not a cold? If you haven’t done so since his arrival, I suggest you give Fletcher a bath.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON, HAVE A GREAT DAY!
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We can't be having any birthdays overlooked at this natal day-ful time of year, can we?
My memory of the bridge to Uptown Downtown (and yes, it's one of my favorite Sondheim lyrics):
She sits
at the Ritz
with her splits
of Mumm's
and starts to pine
for a stein
with her Village chums
But with a Schlitz
in her mitts
down at Fitz-
roy's bar,
She thinks of the Ritz. Oh,
It's so
Schizo!
(I gasp every time I hear it.)
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Since "Uptown, Downtown" is a much better song and more lyrically sophisticated that "The Story of Lucy and Jessie," I'm left only with the idea that Alexis Smith couldn't handle the original song.
I read Ted Chapin's book many months ago, but I don't remember anything specific about this. Was there an explanation for the replacement of this number for Alexis?
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What amazing timing that this is the topic of the day...
Tomorrow, I return to teaching a college course in musical theatre performance. What I have the students do on the first day is a cold reading of a lyric to a song they don't know. So, yesterday, I went to the library in search of songs with texts that are actable. Here's what I came home with:
MRS. S. L. JACOBOWSKY Jerry Herman
MY OWN SPACE Lyrics by Fred Ebb Music by John Kander
ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr. Music: David Shire
HEY! LOOK ME OVER! Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh Music: Cy Coleman
YOU'RE LAUGHING AT Me Irving Berlin
WHO ARE YOU NOW? Lyrics: Bob Merrill Music: Jule Styne
LIKE IT WAS Stephen Sondheim
I COULD WRITE A BOOK Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Music: Richard Rodgers
I'VE GOT FIVE DOLLARS Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Music: Richard Rodgers
WHAT CHANCE HAVE I WITH LOVE? Irving Berlin
PASS THAT FOOTBALL Lyrics: Betty Comden & Adolph Green Music: Leonard Bernstein
IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Music: Richard Rodgers
THE PICTURE IN THE HALL Craig Carnelia
(So I had to write down that last lyric anyway.)
Probably, I'll also use some of the songs I used for last year's class:
On the S.S. Bernard Cohn lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner music: Burton Lane
Garbage Sheldon Harnick
Down in the Depths Cole Porter
Brother Can You Spare A Dime? lyrics by E.Y. "Yip" Harburg music by Jay Gorney
The Gentleman Is a Dope lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II music: Richard Rodgers
Ten Cents a Dance Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Music: Richard Rodgers
Welcome To Holiday Inn lyrics: Dorothy Fields music: Cy Coleman
Wait till We're Sixty-Five lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner music: Burton Lane
When You Got It, Flaunt it Mel Brooks
Self-Portrait Edward Kleban
Why Jonathan Larson
I Don't Remember Christmas lyric: Richard Maltby, Jr. music: David Shire
I'm a Stranger Here Myself lyric: Ogden Nash music: Kurt Weill
When I'm Not near the Girl I Love lyrics: E.Y. Harburg music: Burton Lane
He Was Too Good to Me Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Music: Richard Rodgers
A Little Bit Off lyric: Richard Maltby, Jr. music: David Shire
I Think I May Want to Remember Today lyric: Richard Maltby, Jr. music: David Shire
Crossword Puzzle lyric: Richard Maltby, Jr. music: David Shire
Plus, one I couldn't find in the library (appropos of our discussion of The Baker's Wife): Any Day Now Day (Stephen Schwartz)
and ones I have at home, but haven't copied yet
I Like the Likes of You (Harburg)
Get Out of Town (Porter)
Namely You (Mercer)
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (Loesser)
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My memory of the bridge to Uptown Downtown (and yes, it's one of my favorite Sondheim lyrics):
She sits
at the Ritz
with her splits
of Mumm's
and starts to pine
for a stein
with her Village chums
But with a Schlitz
in her mitts
down at Fitz-
roy's bar,
She thinks of the Ritz. Oh,
It's so
Schizo!
(I gasp every time I hear it.)
Dat's it! Thanks, DR Noel
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Happy Birthday, Dear Reader RLP!!!
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Yes there was, DRMATTH - but I can't remember the specifics either.....hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Bon anniversaire, DR RLP.
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Well, I remember that "Losing My Mind" was given to Alexis first, and besides not being able to do it justice, it didn't really suit her character, so it was passed off to Dorothy Collins to everyone's relief (and whose version is still unsurpassed in my mind.) But I don't remember the next progression of songs for her in that spot.
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Hmmmmmm....maybe I was thinking of Losing My Mind going to Dorothy...hmmmmmmmmm.
Darn now I have to get the book out again...soon.
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DRRLP - how is the arm doing?
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Wait a minute....did I hear MR BK say that the show is nearly sold out again tonight?
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~~~HEALTHY VIBES TO D.R. ELMORE!!~~~
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, D.R. RLP!!
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Can we make it to Page 3hree?!!
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[move=UP,scroll,6,transparent,100%][shadow=red,down]PAGE THREE (3) DANCE!![/shadow][/move]
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One of my many favorite Sondheim lyrics is I Remember Sky. Beautiful imagery and perfect for the character who sings it in Evening Primrose. It's extremely moving.
I love Richard Maltby's lyric to Autumn (he's a lyricist I'm usually not that fond of, but Autumn is a wonderful lyric).
I love most of Dorothy Fields' lyrics, especially Pick Yourself Up, and Never Gonna Dance.
I love Mr. Hart's lyric to On Your Toes.
I love Mr. Hammerstein's lyric to Love, Look Away.
I love Mr. Gershwin's lyric to Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, The Man that Got Away and a million others.
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I must be gone! (almost an Into the Woods reference.) I'm going to drive a friend of mine and her three children to the airport and I have to leave in a bout a half hour. If I wanted, I could be back to work in time get a few hours in, but I don't want to! I'm going to go to Silver Platters in Renton and then stop at Krispy Kreme Donuts! It's been quite a while since I've been to either, and since yesterday was payday (for me), I have money!! Laters... (a JoseSPiano reference!)
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"I Remember Sky" is one of the most scarily perfect songs written, IMHO... if anyone besides a "mere" Broadway composer wrote it, it would be hailed as an "art song" and recorded incessantly. That it's perfectly matched to the character singing it is mind-boggling.
Other lyrics that can make me squeal: "The Miller's Son" ("mouths to be kissed before mouths to be fed/ and there's many a tryst and there's many a bed/ there's a lot I'll have missed, but I'll not have been dead/ when I die"). On the other hand, the missus and I always let out with a "Geez, Steve! Give it a rest!" when we hear the alliteration in "On the Steps of The Palace" ("Better stop and take stock while you're standing here stuck on the steps of the palace")
Loesser's lyrics are almost always wonderful, and I can't imagine a better comedy number than "Adelaide's Lament," unless it's "A Secretary is Not a Toy" (there's an album out called "An Evening With Frank Loesser" which features Loesser singing an early version of the song with the immortal lyric "do not tamper, do not tinker/he who does so is truly a stinker/ and could learn the plain truth from his shrink-er/ or find out at FAO Schwarz/ That a secretary is not a small/version of/volleyball"... okay, so the revised lyric is a bit more polished, but for some reason the "shrink-er" line cracks me up)
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Good healing vibes to DR Elmore ~~~~~~~~~~.
I know he's not reading this. But I feel so bad for him. Hopefully our vibes will help!
DR Jose: Your postcards arrived. THANK YOU!
I wonder if mine arrived by your US destinations?
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I should be limiting myself, but here are some more selections - all of them sung splendidly by Julie Andrews on "Broadway's Fair Julie." Her diction really makes you appreciate the lyrics.
Ira Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
E.Y. Harburg's "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?"
Comden and Green's "A Little Bit In Love"
Lorenz Hart's "I Didn't Know What Time It Was"
and
Noel Coward's "If Love Were All":
I believe in doing what I can
In crying when I must
In laughing when I choose
Hey ho, if love were all
I should be lonely.
I believe the more you love a man,
The more you give your trust,
The more you're bound to lose.
Although when shadows fall
I think if only
Somebody splendid really needed me
Someone affectionate and dear
Cares would be ended if I knew that he
Wanted to have me near.
But I believe that since my life began
The most I've had is just a talent to amuse.
Hey ho, if love were all.
Hey ho, if love were all.
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I am normally not a huge fan of larger dogs. But I loved the pic of Fletcher. Love those spots!
And happy birthday to DR RLP.
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The Fall (October) season of MUSICALS IN MUFTI has just been announced. There are two musicals that originally played Broadway - HENRY, SWEET HENRY and GREENWILLOW and one that had a brief off-Broadway run in 1898-90: TWENTY FINGERS, TWENTY TOES. The latter is a pre-SIDE SHOW musical about the Hilton Sisters with as score described as in the traditional Broadway style.
A few years ago they were supposed to do GREENWILLOW but Jo Sullivan Loesser would not let them announce it and ultimtely decided not to give them the rights. I wonder why she changed her mind, but I am thrilled that she did.
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DR Emily wrote:
5) Family and Modern Society - where I am required to do a paper on how one particular sit-com of my choice defines or redefines the concept of "family"
I bet a lot of people will use Friends. Is Sex & The City considered a sit-com at all?
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DR Jennifer, and other fans of SURVIVOR: my friend Ron and his partner Pat are in Las Vegas this week and Ron called me last night as they were passing by a charity event of some sort in which quite a few of the Survivor castmates were there...as he was speaking to me on the phone he saw Rupert, Burton, Colleen, Jenna, Sarah and several more whose names he couldn't remember right off hand...no Sonjia however :(
He said that Burton looked mighty fine!
That sounds very cool.
I cannot wait till the new season starts in a couple of weeks.
And the new Apprentice starts next Thursday! Yeah.
Also the Amazing Race finishs Tues Sept 21st. And TAR 6 will start on Sat Sept 25th.
Hmmm, Saturdays? :(
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Good play vibes to DR JRand ~~~~~~~~~~~~~!
And good shower vibest to BK ~~~~~~~~~~~!
I won't even ask what you do when you're at home and need to use the bathroom.
But perhaps a positive to all this is that you will get to work out at the gym.
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Oh and in late breaking news, my waterbed has a leak. And now in addition to having to get a new mattress, I have probably 5 or 6 loads of wash to do (soaking wet blankets/comforters and towels).
Yeah :(
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Intertwine these poignant lyrics by Mr. Oscar Hammerstein II with the haunting music of Mr. Jerome Kern and you have what may be the finest love song ever written:
Time and again I’ve longed for adventure,
Something to make my heart beat the faster.
What did I long for? I never really knew.
Finding your love I’ve found my adventure,
Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster,
All that I want in all of this world is you.
You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I’ll know that moment divine,
When all the things you are, are mine!
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(http://www.photostogo.com/store/GetThumb.asp/ImageNum=552316&VOLID=914&gc=gc1&ss=1/Photostogo-T-552316.jpg)
Ron,
Hope You're Having A Wonderful Birthday
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Many sincere thanks for the birthday greetings.
JRand54: The arm is doing well, thanks. I have made much progress in the past two weeks of therapy although the actual sessions with the therapist leave me nearly nauseous afterward. There is a lot of manipulating, bending, poking and moving of bones in my arm...all of which I can feel...plus the nerves firing crazily as they reorient themselves. Sigh. Thank goodness for Vicodin!
I am still only at the beginning, however, so there will be therapy for some time to come. I'm able to do much more with my arm, however, and feel less "disabled" than before.
Song lyrics. Sorry but all the theater lyrics folks have already cited are among my favorites, plus some of the ones new to me seem quite interesting. I love this forum's erudition.
Taking away from that, though, I offer the following:
Come and listen to my story
'bout a man named Jed
A poor mountaineer
Barely kept his family fed
Then one day he was
Shootin' at some food
And up from the ground
Came a bubba-lin' crude.
Oil, that is! Black gold! Texas tea!
Well the first thing ya know
Ole Jed's a millionaire
His kinfolk said
"Jed! Move away from there!"
Said "Californy is the place
Ya wanna be!"
So they loaded up his truck
and they moved to Beverly...
Hills, that is! Swimming Pools! Movie Stars!
(And for the completists:
Well now its time to say good by
to Jed and all his kin.
And they would like to thank you folks f
fer kindly droppin in.
You're all invited back a gain to this locality
To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality
Hillybilly that is! Set a spell! Take your shoes off!
Y'all come back now, y'hear!)
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I, too, love If Love Were All.
Note how every line rhymes, and yet, when sung, it doesn't sound rhymey at all.
And I'm in complete agreement with Elan's last two paragraphs. Wonderful as Sondheim's ouput was in the 70s and early 80s, it saddens me to note that it's been over 20 years now since he's written a show I've liked.
I had this thought while listening to the croaking around the Lincoln Center reflecting pool:
WHAT IF Stephen Sondheim had written Cats?
Answer: The Frogs
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Thinking about brilliant recent lyrics: I love Lynne Ahrens' Princess. Never have I gotten through it without crying buckets.
Here's another recent(ish) favorite:
I won't mind
Sitting by your cradle,
Singing to you softly
Far into the night.
I won't mind
Playing peek-a-boo for hours
To see that look of wonder,
Wonder and delight.
Soon they'll be asking, "Where is Baby's nose?
Where is Baby's shoe? Where is Baby's hat?"
"Clever little boy," they'll say.
"Lizzie taught him that."
I won't mind
Reading you a story,
Quacking like a duck,
Chirping like a bird.
I won't mind
When you ask me to repeat it
'Til you can say it with me,
Knowing every word.
You needn't worry if there's chocolate on your hands,
Jelly on your face, porridge on my skirt.
Run to me and I'll be there
To hold you when you hurt.
They'll say, "Auntie Lizzie can't say no."
They'll say, "Auntie Lizzie's spoiling you."
They'll say, "Auntie Lizzie's wrapped around your finger."
I'll say, "Yes, it's true."
I won't mind
Knowing that your mother
Showers you with kisses
Bakes your favorite bread.
I won't mind
When I see your father lift you
And swing you to his shoulders
High above my head.
They may be busy--I can take you skating,
I can take you sledding, flying down the hill.
If they won't build a snowman,
Auntie Lizzie will.
They'll say, "Auntie Lizzie holds too tight."
They'll say, "Auntie Lizzie can't let go."
They'll say, "Auntie Lizzie's really not your aunt, anyway."
You'll say, "No, that isn't so."
In my heart
I will keep a secret,
Foolish little secret
Hidden from the rest.
In my dream
You're my own, my very own,
And I blanket with you love
As I hold to you my breast.
Lizzie, he's not yours,
Lizzie in his life, your part is very small.
But if one day a toy should break
Or maybe playing patty-cake
You call me Mama by mistake
I won't mind at all.
--"I Won't Mind", Annie Kessler & Libby Saines
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My favorite lyric from Sunday in the Park with George comes to mind right now: The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not... Move On. -We all make mistakes. The trick is to not let those mistakes stop us dead in our tracks. We should learn from them, take something positive away from the situation (even it's just something as simple as, "I'll never do that again"), and then take another step forward. -And to quote another Sondheim show, "Now you know!" ;)
I like that-so true. :)
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Noel: Didn't Jeff Blumenkranz write "I Won't Mind"? It is one of the loveliest contemporary songs I know (and one of many highlights of Audra McDonald's "How Glory Goes").
While I'm not enthralled with "Passion," Sondheim's still written some wonderful material recently, even if it lacks some of his earlier bite (or repeats some of his earlier melodies). There's actually a great number in the Lincoln Center Frogs (the Dionysus/Heracles duet), which features a lyric along the lines of "and as for rules of decorum/ignore 'em," which had me silently cheering.
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There are more song lyrics I like, but no time to post.
On my way to the airport. See you LAers soon!
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Is it me or does anyone else when going to an old column from the Column Archives have two colors of print, a lighter shade before where the Unseemly Button would be and a much easier to read darker shade after where the UB would be. Does it make any sense what I am asking?
Yes and yes.
Can anyone access the Notes Archive? I haven’t been able to do so in a long time.
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Michael have fun and I hope Frances doesn't visit while you are gone.
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DR Jose: Your postcards arrived. THANK YOU!
I wonder if mine arrived by your US destinations?
DR Jennifer: "By your US destinations?" - ???
Please explain (ah, a Pacific Overtures reference, isn't it?). ;)
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DR George - Has your mail arrived?
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The Fall (October) season of MUSICALS IN MUFTI has just been announced. There are two musicals that originally played Broadway - HENRY, SWEET HENRY and GREENWILLOW and one that had a brief off-Broadway run in 1898-90: TWENTY FINGERS, TWENTY TOES. The latter is a pre-SIDE SHOW musical about the Hilton Sisters with as score described as in the traditional Broadway style.
A few years ago they were supposed to do GREENWILLOW but Jo Sullivan Loesser would not let them announce it and ultimtely decided not to give them the rights. I wonder why she changed her mind, but I am thrilled that she did.
Jo Loesser seems to be in a very "generous" mood lately in regards to releasing the rights to Frank Loesser's "properties". There was Senor Discretion Himself at Arena Stage - and a recent reading of it in NYC at MTC a few weeks ago, and the Where's Charley? up at Goodspeed - which interpolated some new/old material (too). So... Maybe she's just "in the mood" to do so right now. And since there hasn't been a major Broadway revival of one of Frank's shows in very recent years... ;)
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Continued Healing Vibes to DR RLP.
But, more importantly, Happy Birthday Vibes to DR RLP!!!
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And Many More Healing and Good Health Vibes to DR Elmore!
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Happy Birthday RLP!!
And whose idea was it to name that *&%# hurricane - Frances? :o
I think it's in honor of Frances Albert Sinatra.
Right?
::)
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I was a Highwayman
Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
And many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
And many a soldier shed his life blood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of '25
But I am still alive
I was a Sailor
And I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide
I saild a schooner 'round the Horn of Mexico
I went aloft to furl the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they say that I got killed
But I am living still
I was a Dam Builder
Across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around
I'll fly a starship
Across the universe divide
Until I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a Highwayman again
Or I may be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again
And again and again and again.
Jim Webb, 1977
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JRand good vibes on the NERD. I think you are going to need them. :-\
Emily you have an interesting class load. I’m curious to know which sitcom you choose. Might it be a Canadian one I wouldn’t be familiar with?
I should add to today’s beautiful post with at least one favorite lyric, but so far my brain is not cooperating. Please keep them coming as I am enjoying them immensely. :D
Echo had a bath today, which means I’m rather wet and need one myself.
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Hmmmm....DRSWW didn't she write the cookbook?
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SWW, sorry, to me he is now Fletcher, Fletch for short.
Is it possible you have allergies and not a cold? If you haven’t done so since his arrival, I suggest you give Fletcher a bath.
The sore throat etc. started after the younger grandlad sneezed on me. And allergies don't give me a sore throat. I can blame Fletcher for trash being picked out of the trash basket, but not for the cold.
Giving Fletcher a bath is going to be VERY interesting. I've never tried giving a bath to a seventy-five pound puppy before. :o Perhaps a shower would be easier.
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I can't dance at work...but Page Four. Hurray!
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Noel: Didn't Jeff Blumenkranz write "I Won't Mind"? It is one of the loveliest contemporary songs I know (and one of many highlights of Audra McDonald's "How Glory Goes").
(Quickly grabbing the How Glory Goes disc)
It turns out you're both right. Jeff Blumenkrantz wrote the music, Annie Kessler and Libby Saines wrote the lyrics.
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Referring to receiving my postcard from DR Jose, I had written, " wonder if mine arrived by your US destinations?"
I meant: I wonder if mine arrvied BEFORE your US destinations.
Sorry I didn't spell check.
And DR Emily I am also curious to see which sitcom you will choose. Although I don't even think there would be any Canadian sitcoms to choose from. We have a few Canadian tv shows. But not many. And I can't think of any I watch besides Canadian Idol.
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High School Confidential, available on DVD for less than $8 at deepdiscountdvd.com. Why Mamie's head band cost more than that!
I can hardly wait for the companion piece - College Confidential - with Steve Allen as a professor who shows nudie movies to students....but not on purpose, and who asks his students to participate in a "sex survey" that includes the infamous "virgin question"....which Mamie's father refuses to let her answer in court, under oath!!
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Hmmmm....DRSWW didn't she write the cookbook?
No, that's FANNY Farmer. Totally different, especially since the rewrite that's out there these days is by Marian Cunningham (the cooking authority, not the Happy Days character).
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It it warm?
Is it soft against your face?
Do you feel a kind a' grace inside the breeze?
Will there be trees?
Is there light?
Does it hover on the ground?
Does it shine from all around,
Or jes' from you?
Is it endless and empty,
An' you wander on your own?
Slowly forgit about
The folks that you have known?
Or does risin' bread fill up the air
From open kitchens everywhere?
Familiar faces far as you can see,
Like a family?
Do we live?
Is lit like a little town?
Do we get to look back down at who we love?
Are we above?
Are we everywhere?
Are we anywhere at all?
Do we hear a trumpet call us
An' we're by your side?
Will I want, will I wish
For all the things I should have done,
Longin' to finish
What I only jes' begun?
Or has a shinin' truth been waiting there
For all the questions everywhere?
In a world o' wondering, suddenly you know;
And you will always know...
Will my mama be there waitin' for me,
Smilin' like the way she does
An' holding out her ams,
An' she calls my name?
She will hold me just the same...
Only heaven knows how Glory goes,
What each of us was meant to be.
In the starlight, that is what we are.
I can see so far...
Adam Guettel, 1996
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Madge Blake (who played Larry Mondello's mother on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER) the older television actress worked with her husband on the Manhattan Project developing the atomic bomb...she had top secret clearance till her passing....
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Hmmm...
Jane and Jennifer I have no idea what sit-com I'll take. I need to ask the prof. whether it has to be one currently on the air cuz I think it would be interesting to do the project as a historical one. Imagine the Brady Bunch.
As for Canadian sit-coms... I can't really name any off the top of my head. Canadian-made tv generally has strayed from the sit-com genre and when we do comedy, we normally do either stand-up based shows, satire or (more commonly) quirky hour-long dramedys.
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I feel so much better now that I have showered and washed my hair. I also used soothing oatmeal shower oil on a rash I have developed.
A week ago I began an antibiotic which really upset my stomach. Yesterday, just as my stomach was adjusting I noticed the beginnings of a rash. Called the doctor who ordered something new. When I picked it up the pharmacist said it would likely upset my stomach more than the first one, plus I had to begin over again with a ten day supply. I said NO WAY! So I’m still on the first one and the rash is spreading. Stupid me thought I would be done with these Friday afternoon, I just re-counted the pills and it isn’t until Saturday afternoon. :P I hope I make it.
Don’t send me vibes, with cortisone ointment and Benadryl at night I’m determined to make it. It is Keith we should be concerned about-‘cause I’m getting a bit grumpy. ;D
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Emily, I meant when you do decide please let us know.
SWW a Dalmatian isn't so big and they don't have much hair. I'm sure two big men shouldn't have any trouble giving Fletcher a bath. I just did Echo all by myself and I assure you she doesn't like to hold still for me. I just have the soapy buckets and towels and everything ready before hand, along with treats to give her. When it gets cold we will have to give her a shower, then I absolutely need Keith's assistance. Feel better soon.
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I accessed the notes archive just yesterday. How are you doing it? It has to be done from the notes page, not from here.
Here is my single most hated lyric ever:
If I were a carpenter
And you were a lady
Would you marry me anyway
Would you have my baby
That is just nausea-inducing.
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I stumbled across something very interesting on the internet (how I got there I won't say).
Did you know that a Hungarian has invented light-conducting concrete? It's called LiTraCon....and it conducts light so that if someone stands behind it, you see their silhouette.
I think it's AMAZING!
If you'd like to read about it, go here:
http://www.zpluspartners.com/zblog/
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OMG....that IS amazing....do you suppose Hedy Lamarr invented it?
ANYWAY off to early rehearsal with the new and improved Axel....
Later....much later.....
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Don't have a single thing to talk about, but I wanted to check in with my usual afternoon post. Nope, still no YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER. Someday . . . . maybe.
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I accessed the notes archive just yesterday. How are you doing it? It has to be done from the notes page, not from here.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because at some point soon I must go to Bally’s, work out a bit, and then shave and shower.
Unseemly Button
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Search BK's Notes Archive:
From the above and this is what I get:
An error occurred:
Opening local file 'search_templates/default.tmpl' failed: No such file or directory
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Is anyone here a fan of the (relatively) new TV show RESCUE ME on FX? I'm going to watch my first two episodes tonight. I've heard and read such marvelous things about this show, so I'm looking forward to experiencing it for the first time tonight.
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Several by Sheldon Harnick would be at the top of my list, especially the title song from She Loves Me. I also very much like "One Room" from The Rothschilds.
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Have been out most of the morning and part of the afternoon. Just caught up with all the posts. I love the TOD. It's fun reading lyrics I haven't seen before and revisiting old favorites.
Have to eat some lunch, then one more errand and I can post until the cows come knocking -- unless I go to a movie. In which case I'll have to take the cows with me. I wonder if heifers pay full price?
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Hey, all you Canadians with short memories... I worked on three sitcoms - one of which ran 5 years, another 7 years and the third only 2, but still. And that was just me. There were others, too.
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...I co-created the one which ran 7 years. Keanu Reeves got his start in that one. That's where he learned to be such a cutup.
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DR Panni,
I missed out on King of Kensington when it first aired. Now I'm watching the reruns and enjoying them tremendously. They're warm and funny. Originally I tuned in because K of K followed Mary Tyler Moore. MTM isn't on any more (at least not at the time when I cut vegetables, fold laundry, etc.), but now I watch K of K for its own sake (an Apple Tree reference).
What were the other sitcoms?
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We used to have great guest stars in the first one I worked on as head writer. Andrea Martin, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Mike Myers (as a kid), Eugene Levy...etc.
...No Canadian sitcoms, eh?
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Happy birthday RLP.
(Who shares a birthday with one time Melbournian Keanu Reeves)
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Intertwine these poignant lyrics by Mr. Oscar Hammerstein II with the haunting music of Mr. Jerome Kern and you have what may be the finest love song ever written:
Time and again I’ve longed for adventure,
Something to make my heart beat the faster.
What did I long for? I never really knew.
Finding your love I’ve found my adventure,
Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster,
All that I want in all of this world is you.
You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I’ll know that moment divine,
When all the things you are, are mine!
I second jay's choice!
I love that song, words and music!
I'm also very fond of
Once I hated this city.
Now it can't get me down.
Slushy, humid and gritty,
What a pretty town!
What, thought I, could be duller,
More depressing, less gay?
Now my favorite color is gray!
A wall of rain as it turns to sleet,
The lack of sun on a one-way street;
I love the grime all the time,
And what more do I need?
My window pane has a lovely view:
An inch of sky and a fly or two.
Why, I can see half a tree,
And what more do I need
... mainly sung by Dawn Upshaw! :D
HAPPY BIRTHDAY "Master" of Miss Vickie!
JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE! :D
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DR Panni,
I missed out on King of Kensington when it first aired. Now I'm watching the reruns and enjoying them tremendously. They're warm and funny. Originally I tuned in because K of K followed Mary Tyler Moore. MTM isn't on any more (at least not at the time when I cut vegetables, fold laundry, etc.), but now I watch K of K for its own sake (an Apple Tree reference).
What were the other sitcoms?
Thanks, Dan. That's so nice to hear. The one I co-created with the late Jack Humphrey and the not late Joe Partington was called HANGIN' IN.
The other one, which was great fun because we had musical numbers every week, was FLAPPERS. It took place in a 1920's club in Montreal and had a cast of wonderful French-Canadian and English-Canadian actors.
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Keanu who?????
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Where in tarnation is Johnny Mercer?
Put me down for "I Had Myself A True Love" and "I Wonder What Became Of Me" - both from St. Louis Woman.
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Oh, you're not trying to find past notes, you're trying to actually search something in the old notes. There is some glitch there and I'm not sure why it's never been fixed. It may have something to do with when we switched servers or software - I'll ask.
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Jane,
If you have a few specific keywords for what you're trying to find, try Google. Type in these words and, in quotation marks, "Haines his Way." It may not work, but could be worth trying.
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Well, the guest bathroom is now functioning properly and the sewage line on the other bathroom is now fixed, too. Still no hot water and probably won't have until Tuesday, but slowly everything's getting done. I bicycled at the gym for thirty-five minutes, burned 200 calories, took a sauna, shaved and showered and I'm as fresh as a daisy.
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On my way to do some errands and then I'll be on my way to the theater to rehearse the new song and then tonight in it goes. Keep the home fries burning, you dear, dear people out there in the dark.
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Oh, you're not trying to find past notes, you're trying to actually search something in the old notes. There is some glitch there and I'm not sure why it's never been fixed. It may have something to do with when we switched servers or software - I'll ask.
If I recall correctly, at the time we switched I didn't have a problem, however others did.
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Thanks Dan-in-Toronto. Sometimes that works, or when researching something I am surprised to find a reference to HHW. ;D
Bruce good vibes on the new song tonight!
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Another bit of amazing timing:
I'm reading a book
(Hide In Plain Sight by Paul Buhle and somebody)
that claims that The Dick Van Dyke Show changed society. And they're clearly going to make similar claims for That Girl and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
The musical I'm writing now has a lot in common with The Dick Van Dyke Show, so that obviously had an effect on me.
And when our new next-door-neighbor said she hadn't gotten around to hanging her "M" quite yet, I knew exactly what she met.
In my view, television's never been better than The Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore Shows.
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This morning I went for a walk, and this is what I saw:
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Turns out the pharmacist was wrong and I would not have had to take a complete set of new antibiotics, only enough for the remaining number of days left-if only I had known. One has to wonder then why the doctor didn’t just order the correct amount of meds instead of the full number of days and save the expense-too time consuming I suppose. The woman in his office I spoke to and complained I was not about to take ten more days of an antibiotic didn’t correct me. Now I have spoken to the doctor and I’m off them completely. He offered me a prescription dose of Benadryl for the rash but I told him it would put me to sleep for two days and I will stick with my smaller dose.
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DTLaura-very pretty.
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Thanks, Jane.
It looks blurry when I post it, but it's perfectly clear on my desktop. Is it just me, or is the photo blurry on this site?
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DRLaura it doesn’t look blurry to me, but then I haven’t seen your original photo. My photos never seem as clear to me once I post them.
Noel I looked up HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT-very interesting.
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Jane,
I'm sure you know more about this than I do ... but have lots of yogurt to counteract the antibiotics. And feel better!
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Thanks for reminding me. :) I went and opened a new bottle of Acidophilus and took some. Aside from eating the yogurt, now that I am off the antibiotic, I will take the acidophilus until the bottle is gone.
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Happy B'day RLP!!!
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Going out to do some errands. Does it feel like Friday evening to anyone else, or is it just me?
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I'll just toss a favorite Janis Ian lyric into the mix while I send out good health vibes to DR Elmore and Happy Birthday Greetings to RLP!
The Bridge
(Janis Ian)
The bridge that spans the gap
between our souls
continues through the night
from pole to pole
and hope is like alight
that shiens in endless flight
spilling over into darkness
and making us wholly
free to span the oceans of our lives
Feeling only love's emotion
suspended through the skies
and when we meet again
remember me from when
I was crawling in the darkness
You were holding to the sky
I want to get back to the city
where the neon lights shine pretty
all day long
I'm giving my heart to the rock & roll
of the city gonna save my soul
You are the captain
and the master of my soul
Long ago the loneliness of time
spinning onward into emptiness
with no reason and no rhyme
said - when two lovers meet
the heart begins to beat
just like the rhythm of the street
Sad serenaders keep the time
Midnight party makers move in line
but when we meet again
remember me from when
I was falling into darkness
and you owned the sky
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Once more, from Janis:
Passion Play
(Janis Ian)
She came from Dakota
though some say she hailed from the South
He tried to believe
but each time she would leave
with the venom that dripped from her mouth
Like some angel of old bent on saving the soul,
drugged to the knees he would pray
to some rude Russian icon
that twined like a python
and blinded the sun night and day
and he'd say
Please bring me peace
You say you'll stay just to leave me
whole, all of my soul your passion play
Thou she lies to amuse, she lies to confuse
passion with vision and pain
He lies for possession and time
though there's no time to gain
Squandering feeling, constantly stealing
away from the sound of her name
is like thunder and lighting
hiding the sound of the rain
and she'd say
Please bring me peace
You say you'll stay just to leave me
whole, all of my soul your passion play
So he searches for truth
in the beauty that once was her name
senselessly trusting in time to remind her
blind, she came
Suddenly rootless, fashionably useless
magically fruitless and tame
like some Sunday scholar who lives off the squalor
of yesterday's knowledge and fame
and he'd say
Please bring me peace
You say you'll stay just to leave me
whole, all of my soul your passion play
Well some overdose, and some wrap like a rose
'round the slick perfumed nose of high noon
Burning their lips as they stoop low to kiss
some rich man's excuse for the moon
I must have been lucky - got out with my body
intact and tomorrow in tune
Now it's this sense of time that wraps like a vine
'round the neck of the sun and the moon
he'd say
Please bring me peace
You say you'll stay just to leave me
whole, all of my soul your passion play
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DR Panni, re: Canadian sitcoms. DR Emily is very young. She may not even been born when the shows you mentioned were on.
I think she was talking about Canadian sitcoms now. I also don't think there are any.
As for the shows you listed, I only know one. I used to watch the King of Kensington every week. It was very funny.
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DR Jane, sorry to hear about your prescription troubles. That is really crazy. The doctor should have made it clear to you. And shouldn't the pharmacist know better?
Anyhow hope you feel better.
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As for tonight's Big Brother (without giving anything away):
Watch for what the evictee has to say on their way out! :)
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Jennifer, thanks. I just read the label on the second prescription, the one I didn’t take. It says take until finished. So the pharmacist just did what he was told. I didn’t speak to the doctor until today. It was a case of a lack of communication. I should have asked the nurse to verify with the doctor he meant I should take that many pills. Patients unfortunately need to know the right questions to ask, and not hesitate to ask them. I was in a hurry at the time or I might have not given up so quickly.
It is the same with vets. After a couple of very bad experiences, Keith now goes on line and seems to diagnose our pets long before the vets do. He also finds all the holes in their treatment, or lack of treatment, depending on the situation.
I’m reading two interesting articles in AARP (the magazine for older people). The first article is about a new kind of pharmacist who helps people get off medications and checks they are taking the correct ones. He also does this at nursing homes and makes a difference, when the doctors listen to him. The second article is about undercover nursing home patients/cops.
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SWW a Dalmatian isn't so big and they don't have much hair. I'm sure two big men shouldn't have any trouble giving Fletcher a bath....Feel better soon.
Seventy-five pounds isn't so big?
I'm not planning on der Brucer helping with any bathing, anyway. He's not all that strong, and relies on me to do any of the lifting in our house. Bathing Fletcher, like bathing Marty, will be one of my jobs, solo. Der B. will be on hand, of course, to help dry Fletcher off.
But Fletcher's coat is so soft and smooth! And he's such a loving dog. He just doesn't understand that he's very big, and intimidating to the others. (Does any large dog, or small dog, have any concept of their size?)
Thanks for the wishes about my cold.
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I didn't mean lifting at all. ;D It just helps to have someone to help keep the dog still. I'm not very strong either. I still say a dog without much hair has to be easier, unless he freaks out, to bathe than a dog with long hair.
I'm sure you will give us a full report after his first bath.
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I'm also very fond of...
...What more do I need?... mainly sung by Dawn Upshaw! :D
Huh?
I'm going to have to assume you mean you prefer Dawn Upshaw's recording, because it's also been recorded by...
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Liz Callaway[/move]
[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Anna Francolini[/move]
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Lauren Ward[/move]
[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Sarah Brightman[/move]
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]and Geraldine Turner[/move]
(among others)
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I did watch both episodes of RESCUE ME, and it's a quality drama. Denis leary plays a fascinating character as the leading fireman (he wrote and executive produced the show). Daniel Sunjata (from TAKE ME OUT and TV's SVU) is also in the cast.
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I watched BIG BROTHER tonight, the last half hour anyway, and was amazed at the face-off between the party leaving and the often-on-the-chopping-block Marvin. But I didn't blame him. The One leaving was attempting to use some sort of threat/intimidation about having power as a member of the jury, and it just sounded like sour grapes to me.
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DR Panni, re: Canadian sitcoms. DR Emily is very young. She may not even been born when the shows you mentioned were on.
I think she was talking about Canadian sitcoms now. I also don't think there are any.
As for the shows you listed, I only know one. I used to watch the King of Kensington every week. It was very funny.
i understand all that, DR Jennifer. I wasn't being serious in my post. But just as a point of interest, King of Kensington is still on in reruns (see Dan in TO's post).
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Perhaps this is the cheesiest favorite lyric of all, but every time I hear these words, I cry like a...hopeful teenager:
To dream the impossible dream,
To fight the unbeatable foe,
To bear with unbearable sorrow,
To run where the brave dare not go.
To right the unrightable wrong,
To love pure and chaste from afar,
To try when your arms are too weary,
To reach the unreachable star.
This is my quest,
To follow that star --
No matter how hopeless,
No matter how far.
To fight for the right
Without question or pause,
To be willing to march
Into hell for a heavenly cause.
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will be peaceful and calm
when I'm laid to my rest.
And the world will be better for this,
that one man scorned and covered with scars
still strove with his last ounce of courage.
To reach the unreachable star.
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go.
To right the unrightable wrong
To be better far than you are
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star.
This is my quest, to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To be willing to give when there's no more to give
To be willing to die so that honor and justice may live
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star.
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Huh?
I'm going to have to assume you mean you prefer Dawn Upshaw's recording, because it's also been recorded by...
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Liz Callaway[/move]
[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Anna Francolini[/move]
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Lauren Ward[/move]
[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Sarah Brightman[/move]
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]and Geraldine Turner[/move]
(among others)
Right-o!
My "French" is lousy!
I meant to say ... mainly when it is sung by..... :D
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Oh and in late breaking news, my waterbed has a leak. And now in addition to having to get a new mattress, I have probably 5 or 6 loads of wash to do (soaking wet blankets/comforters and towels).
Yeah :(
AARRGGHH!! I've been gone all day and have been home for only about an hour and I read the post (above) which reminds me that I MUST DO LAUNDRY ALSO!! I have no clean shirts and no clean underwear!! Most unseemly!!
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And one for Mahler.
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I'm back, and to prove it, I'm here. I must eat a sandwich before I fall over, but I will say that the new song went in and worked very well and it's now here to stay. Tammy was great - remembered all the words and also gave a helluva performance of it. It managed to get some laughs but you could just feel immediately that it held the audience right from the start. I'm happy.
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I'll tell more about the song in tomorrow's notes, which I shall write after my sandwich.
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It's 11:02 and I've just caught up on all the posts (since my first one after coming home tonight) and I still haven't started my laundry. I will...RIGHT NOW!!
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I must say that shopping is not high on my list of fun things to do. But tonight I had an excellent shopping experience at my neighborhood mall.
I walk religiously each day (in a nun's habit) so my walking shoes - good as they are - take a beating. My present pair had holes in front. So tonight I went to shop for a replacement, found a good pair AND got $10 off for joining some kind of club that allows the store to email you. (A straight Delete.)
Then, I decided to replace my wallet, which was also in sad shape. I wanted a Brighton wallet - which is what I had - but they're fairly expensive. I finally found one I liked and decided to bite the bullet and treat myself. After all, I'd have it for a year or two or longer. As she was ringing up the purchase, the sales lady said, "Oh my gosh!" She was surprised to see that it was half price - no indication on the price tag. And the Brighton store doesn't do a lot fo Sales. Probably a mistake in the computer - maybe left over from some other time - but I got it half price.
And to top it all off, I bought some See's chocolates, a marzipan piece, a bit of bridge mix and some other samples. Yummy.
As I said, a satisfying shopping experience.
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Welcome IrisBeyer! Get your feet wet and post. It's easy.
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CAUTION: LONG POST!!...actually, I was going to post these in one long post, but I won't. It's WAY TOO LONG for one post.
I must say that shopping is not high on my list of fun things to do. But tonight I had an excellent shopping experience at my neighborhood mall.
Love those unexpected sales! Now that my first load of laundry is in the washer (front loading...quite quiet) let me tell you about my day of shopping (for no other reason than "because"):
After I dropped of my friend Margo and her three daughters at the airport, I drove the couple of miles from the airport to South Center...South Gate Mall...something like that (all of a sudden I can't remember the name). Anyway, it's right off the freeway at the Renton exit. I went to Silver Platters (they only sell CDs and DVDs...no records when they were still around and no cassettes). On impulse (actually, everything that I did and bought today was on impulse) I bought Salaam "Bombay Dreams" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00024I19Q/qid=1094192512/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl74/103-4358801-4536629?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846). No, it's not Salaam Bombay! (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007KQ9V/qid=1094192557/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-4358801-4536629?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846), the Bollywood movie, it's the "behind-the-scenes story of the spectacular musical sensation". It was on sale for only $11.99 and since I got paid yesterday, I bought it. And it was cheaper than on amazon.com. I haven't watched it yet.
After that I went to Applebee's (http://www.applebees.com/) and had their Oriental chicken salad (http://www.applebees.com/menu/salads_new.html). Quite delish! I finished up with their White Chocolate and Walnut Blondie (http://www.applebees.com/menu/desserts_new.html)...I think it was formerly known as a Sizzling Caramel Blondie. It used to be served on a very hot skillet and when you poured the sauce over it all, it caramelized, except that the last two times I'd ordered it (at different restaurants), it didn't sizzle. I was a bit disappointed, but it did taste good...not as good as it should, but still good.
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When that was all consumed and paid for, I headed south and stopped at Borders Books and Music. I looked around for about 45 minutes, but the only thing that I bought there was a calendar with beautiful pictures of flower-filled Japanese gardens. I got it as a gift exchange item for the "holiday" (formerly known as "Christmas") pot-luck at work in December. Then I headed south again but stopped at Pepper at Ted Brown. I looked through their theater songbooks and almost bought Avenue Q and Wicked (they will be purchased sometime in the near future) but settled on "The Songs of Charles Strouse" (it includes songs from Bojangles, Golden Boy, "Lyle the Crocodile" and two songs from Marty!). I also bought the songbook to Sweet Smell of Success by Marvin Hamlisch and Craig Carnelia. I don't know why. Maybe because the piano parts don't have the melody written into them. The arrangements look like vocal score arrangements. I like that.
When I was there, I noticed that there are TWO different Wicked songbooks! It turns out that they've published a "piano/vocal selections" version and a "vocal selections" version. The difference is that the "piano/vocal selections" version has the melody written into the piano parts and the "vocal selections" version doesn't. That's more like vocal score arrangements, also! I've never heard of anything like that happening. I will admit that it's a pretty cool idea, but they should make it very clear which version is which. I will be getting the "vocal selections" version...when I get it...in the near future...whenever that will be.
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(and finally):
When that was all purchased and packed into the car, I headed south, yet again...but again not very far. I drove a couple more miles and came to the Lakewood Cinemas and decided (again, on impulse) to see if there was a movie that I wanted to see and starting in not too long a time. There were several from which to choose, but I chose the remake of "The Manchurian Candidate." I'd never seen the original (yet...I bought it not too long ago) so I had no idea what to expect. Let me say that I was thoroughly engaged. I really liked it. AND the irony of seeing on the day that GWB was going to speak at the RNC was not lost on me. Fortunately, it's not a true story. But it was well told. Now I really want to watch the original and see what I've been missing...and what the differences are.
When that was over, I headed south for a fourth time and realized that I was hungry again. It's now after 6:00 p.m. and I hadn't eaten since 11:00 a.m. or so. So I stop in Lacey (about five miles north of where I live) at a Taco Bell. I ate food stuffs (details aren't necessary and I'm running out of time to post this) then on the freeway once more. I was driving my friend Margo's mini-van so I dropped it off at her house, got in my car, got on the freeway for the last time then went home. I didn't actually go home right away. My mom was at my sister's (who lives right next door) so I went over there for a while. I actually came home at about 10:00.
Anyway, that's been my very long day off from work. I don't think I've posted this much in one post in quite a while...if ever at all!
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Whew! :o