Topic: NOTES IN THE KEY OF B (Read 83796 times)

Michael · « **Reply #30 on:** January 06, 2005, 05:17:34 AM »

Quote from: bk on January 06, 2005, 12:38:48 AM

And what about you, Ann.

Another thing that a friend did in college - this guy named Tommy Lowe (I based a character in my musical Stages on him) used to go with all of us to Norm's. All Tommy wanted to be was an actor who could play cowboys. That's how he spoke, that's how he behaved. Some people at another table were giving us looks, probably because we were loud or something, but they were being really obnoxious about it. They'd finished eating and were about to leave when Tommy got up, sidled over to their table, gave them a mean cowboy look, and picked up what was left of a steak on a plate and put it in his pocket and walked away. The people hied themselves right out of there. Tommy's dream did come true, albeit briefly - he has a key role in The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Did he sing Cowbiy Buckaroo?
Character's name is Lorne Roy Wayne

He was billed as Tom Roy Lowe in Outlow Josey Wales

Hisaka · « **Reply #31 on:** January 06, 2005, 05:26:23 AM »

Welcome DR OZDEREK! Hope you understand my English.

Hisaka · « **Reply #32 on:** January 06, 2005, 05:38:39 AM »

DR PANNI: lovely pictures from Choosters tour! Abie liked Chooster? It seems to me he didn’t much….. Abie was cute.

Ben · « **Reply #33 on:** January 06, 2005, 05:50:47 AM »

Last night we were offered tickets to a certain Beach Boys-influenced musical, Good Vibrations, the first of the "jukebox" productions to open this season on Broadway. I don't want to bash indiscriminately, nor do I want to come off as one of those musical theatre twits who barely know how to spell musical theatre but this is a show in trouble. It is early in the process (they have been performing for about 2 1/2 weeks now) but still, without major work I don't know how this show will survive. I think I've said this before, I don't go to the theatre wanting to dislike something. I love theatre, it's been a part of my life for so many years, but this show just points up everything that's wrong with Broadway right now. Based on last night's performance, this show makes Mama Mia look like A Little Night Music. The Beach Boys music is just so much fun. They have taken it and wrung all the life out. Orchestrations are awful, the singing is not pleasant and (I know this is a common complaint) the miking is so bad as to make some lyrics unintelligible. The performers are adequate but no one stands out. The book is appalling! Talk about using a crowbar to fit in songs. The production looks cheap, much of the set consists of rear projections. There are anachronisms throughout the show. It supposed to be set sometime in the mid-60s though they are deliberately unclear as to a specific year. However, no matter what 196X year it took place in, male high school seniors, especially the most popular boys in school, DID NOT have pierced ears and California girls DID NOT have tattoos and navel piercings. The current "dude" handshake between men was not even a glimmer in someone's eye back then. If you're doing a show set in the amorphous 60s, why are you singing as if you just stepped off the set of American Idol?

I could go on, but I won't. Suffice it to say the show needs help. I hope it gets help because it won't last much past opening without it and then another group of actors will be out of a job and producers will see another case of a concept show blowing up in their faces. The most dedicated press agent in the world won't be able to market this show as it stands now.

OK, I've been negative enough this rainy New York morning. I must get back to work and prepare for my cousin's arrival this evening. He's a newly discovered branch of the family tree from Sheffield England. We spoke last year at Christmas but were not able to meet. He will be in New York for four days so we will spend time this weekend meeting and filling each other in on family history.

Later.

vixmom · « **Reply #34 on:** January 06, 2005, 05:58:32 AM »

I just caught up on the rest of yesterdays notes. I'm sorry about your bad encounter with the agent, BK, and that you are out 2 books nd $50. Did you at least get your goat back?

vixmom · « **Reply #35 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:05:45 AM »

TOD

When I was in college, in July of 1976 we put on a month long production of 1776, every day for the entire month.

After each show we would go to a local diner named "The Liberety Diner", there would be about 35 of us, cast & crew. One evening when it came to reckoning up, we were short on the bill.

We were seated a a bunch of tables pushed together and stretched across the center of the diner. Of course we were calling back and forth about he lack of funds and our plight was aparent to everyone in the place.

A man in a booth next to us jokingly told us we would have to "sing for our supper ". He didn't know he was talking to the cast and crew of a musical, and was most suprised when we took him at his suggestion. We sang the complete opening number, I might add to great applause, and then few of us got up and passed our hats (Greek Fisherman hats were big that July) amongst the patrons, paid our bill and left a hefty tip.

Unfortunatley the next evening we were barred from entering the diner.

Who knew they had a no singing policy?

Danise · « **Reply #36 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:17:29 AM »

Good Morning folks,

I’m posting this quickly because I may have leave at any moment.

Thank you for asking about Mom, DearReaderLaura. She had a very, very, very bad night last night. So bad that when I went to get her up before I would have left for work she was crying and saying she wants to go to the doctor.

Since I can never get her to GO to the doctor that told me more then anything that something is really wrong.

I called the doctor’s office (who has no record of her since she hasn’t been there in over three years) and explained the situation and they are going to work her in.

Update—just got the call back—they want to see her at 10:45.

I don’t know if I will be posting later on—I don’t know where I’ll be—the doctors office or the hospital.

Sorry to be a downer. I hope everyone else has a nice day.

Dan (the Man) · « **Reply #37 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:26:09 AM »

! ! ! ! ! VIBES OF HEALTH FOR DR DANISE'S MOM ! ! ! ! !

Dan (the Man) · « **Reply #38 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:28:15 AM »

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ AND SOME VIBES OF PEACE AND SERENITY FOR DR DANISE, HERSELF ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Elan · « **Reply #39 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:33:08 AM »

Danise:

Much hopeful wishes, prayers, and vibes your way.

Some of the New Yorkers on this forum might remember a piano bar called Eighty-Eights in Greenwich Village. Well, Eighty-Eights was my home away from home for a good three years, and I served as the token straight boy in the impromptu Saturday night chorus. One night, we were singing "Time Warp" from Rocky Horror, and somehow I wound up doing the Columbia solo by myself ("Well I was walking down the street, just a havin' a think"), complete with movie choreography (before I discovered piano bars, I was a Rocky freak... how on earth did I turn out straight, anyhow?)... I think about half the place fell out of their seats laughing (Rochelle Seldin, the singing waitress to end all singing waitresses, literally dropped her drink tray).

vixmom · « **Reply #40 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:35:05 AM »

Dear DR Danaise I am sorry about your Mom. I hope the DR can make her feel better. It's terrible to see theones you love in pain so good vibes to both of you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

elmore3003 · « **Reply #41 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:36:58 AM »

Good morning, all! I'm still in shock about the possible demise of IE! I have to call my Mac Man.

DRBen, when are you seeing AFTER THE BALL? Tony Walton called me about it yesterday, but he was off to Goodspeed to work on THE BOYFRIEND, so we played phone tag.

My mellifluous tenor now has the sound quality of a brillo pad, so I'm singing everything in B-flat, but, as DRJoey said, it's so much faster to keep up with the postings if you don't sing them; there are some words you want to hold on to. If you pick up the speed, it all sounds like recitative from Mozart or Rossini, and I'd like some harpsichord accompaniment, please, Maestro!

The only real out-of-control moment I can think of happened the second year I lived in New York. I was involved with this cabaret act, Just Good Friends, and I missed a birthday party in Queens for my friend Wayne. Wayne's wife said I should come out the following night (Saturday), have the leftover pizza, leftover wine, and we'd have a second birthday party. Well, something was spoiled, and I woke up Sunday morning in Queens, knowing I had food poisoning and I had to get back to Manhattan to die in my own bed. This meant two subways: the RR from Astoria to 42nd Street and the No. 1 from 42nd Street to 79th and Broadway. On sunday mornings, the trains run infrequently so I was in agony getting back to my apartment, fearing I'd be violently ill on the train.

I got to 79th and Broadway around 10 am, walked up the steps to the street, and walked almost two blocks to 81st Street when I threw up all over the sidewalk in front of a lot of churchgoers. Food poisoning, criticism, who's to say?

elmore3003 · « **Reply #42 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:38:32 AM »

Quote from: Elan on January 06, 2005, 06:33:08 AM

Some of the New Yorkers on this forum might remember a piano bar called Eighty-Eights in Greenwich Village. Well, Eighty-Eights was my home away from home for a good three years, and I served as the token straight boy in the impromptu Saturday night chorus. One night, we were singing "Time Warp" from Rocky Horror, and somehow I wound up doing the Columbia solo by myself ("Well I was walking down the street, just a havin' a think"), complete with movie choreography (before I discovered piano bars, I was a Rocky freak... how on earth did I turn out straight, anyhow?)... I think about half the place fell out of their seats laughing (Rochelle Seldin, the singing waitress to end all singing waitresses, literally dropped her drink tray).

DRElan, welcome back! "Just Good Friends" played Eighty-Eights a couple of times around 1981 or so.

Matt H. · « **Reply #43 on:** January 06, 2005, 06:54:56 AM »

Last night BK wrote in reference to the series LOST:

"By "shaky" I meant all that obnoxious shakycam junk I hate. Just my opinion, though."

That has been the photographic motif since the pilot, and I find it effective to keep the viewer in a state of nervous anxiety, just like the people on the island. These people are stranded on a semi-hostile island with no apparent sign of rescue in the offing. There are all kinds of personalities on the island (some criminals, some with violent tempers, some who mark their hostility with a sweet exterior) that keep everyone stirred up, and things have been happening that are (so far) unexplained. There's danger around every turn, and now the sea is turning on them by eroding their beach and driving them farther inland (where many of them didn't want to be). That herky-jerky camerwork seems totally appropriate for the situation.

vixmom · « **Reply #44 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:06:57 AM »

Quote from: Matt H. on January 06, 2005, 06:54:56 AM

Last night BK wrote in reference to the series LOST:

"By "shaky" I meant all that obnoxious shakycam junk I hate. Just my opinion, though."

That has been the photographic motif since the pilot, and I find it effective to keep the viewer in a state of nervous anxiety, just like the people on the island. These people are stranded on a semi-hostile island with no apparent sign of rescue in the offing. There are all kinds of personalities on the island (some criminals, some with violent tempers, some who mark their hostility with a sweet exterior) that keep everyone stirred up, and things have been happening that are (so far) unexplained. There's danger around every turn, and now the sea is turning on them by eroding their beach and driving them farther inland (where many of them didn't want to be). That herky-jerky camerwork seems totally appropriate for the situation.

I have to agree with BK on this one, the jerky camerawork gives me headache.

vixmom · « **Reply #45 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:08:57 AM »

Maybe I should try dramamine

Stuart · « **Reply #46 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:14:10 AM »

Quote from: Elan on January 06, 2005, 06:33:08 AM

...(Rochelle Seldin, the singing waitress to end all singing waitresses, literally dropped her drink tray).

There's a blast from the past. While mostly a Marie's Crisis boy myself, once in a blue moon I would venture "uptown" to 88s. Saw a couple of shows there, too. Had brunch there too, when they were doing that.

But Rochelle always did a great version of.....what? She was kind of known for her rendition of it...but what was the name of it??? (She was also known for her hair.)

DearReaderLaura · « **Reply #47 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:16:55 AM »

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vibes for DR Danise's Mom. I hope she knows she is in our thoughts and prayers.

I tried singing the notes, but it was suggested to me that I not sing any more.

Ben · « **Reply #48 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:18:51 AM »

I think the demise of IE is just for Mac computers. IE is built into the operating system of Windows and Mr. Gates and company, in essence, won the lawsuit from a few years ago regarding this issue so it is not in danger of being removed. Windows users have the option of using any browser they choose but most people use IE by default because it's there. If you don't take the time to download Netscape (a shell of it's former self and not nearly as useful as it used to be IMHO) or Mozilla or Firefox or Opera then all you have is IE or worse, if AOL is your ISP and you don't open IE separately then you have AOL's version of IE, which, to speak in the vernacular, sucks.

IE is not built into the operating system of Apple and from what I've heard, users of Apple products don't care much for IE and flock to other browsers.

Elmore, we won't be seeing After the Ball this weekend due to my cousin's imminent arrival. Hope to see it the week of the 10th.

Stuart · « **Reply #49 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:21:50 AM »

Healing vibes to Danise's mom.

Some of you may have caught a thin thread in some of my posts, but as of tomorrow at this time, I will be well on my way to the County of Orange, in the land of California. It is time for me to visit the mother of myself and DR Jay. It will be a short trip, but since I haven't seen my mother in longer than I care to admit, it is one that I needed to make.

Other than flipping her mattress (don't ask), and seeing DR Jay on Saturday evening, we have no definitive plans. Though I did tell her I would take her shopping for a belated Chanukah present. (I actually told her that her Chanukah present was that I would come to California so we could shop and choose her present together. Which I will then buy.) And I am sure that Scrabble will be played.

Ben · « **Reply #50 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:29:37 AM »

I, too, remember Eighty-Eights, having spent a few Saturday nights, when I was single, perpetuating homosexual stereotypes by belting out showtunes with others of the tribe.

I also remember Rochelle but I can't recall her signature song right now either.

Hisaka · « **Reply #51 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:37:07 AM »

DR DANISE: Sorry about your mother. It must be trying time for you. Good Vibes for both of you.

Jrand74 · « **Reply #52 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:37:29 AM »

Good healing vibes to DRDANISE and her mom!

Travel vibes to DR STUART! Orange County - the home of Allison Hayes - she lived in San Clemente on La Ventana and spent many happy months on the beach there I am sure!

LOL DRElan! DRBEN thanks for the preview of the BB musical....oh my....sounds like a LOT of people are asleep at the switch.

Jrand74 · « **Reply #53 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:40:40 AM »

I did 12 weeks of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW as a Transylvanian without a name. Loved singing those songs....especially "The Time Warp" and all of the ending from the "show" to the finale.

Hisaka · « **Reply #54 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:41:15 AM »

Thank you for MORE Kritzer photographs, dear BK! These buildings and places in the rain, especially the window view of your moter car with raindrops, were very nostalgic. I love them.

One question for dear BK: Do you have any plan to make your books translated into other foreign languages, for instance, into Japanese/French? Hope you make them INTERNATIONAL. I’m sure they’ll like your books.

So sorry about your loss of 2 books and about your disappointment.

Matt H. · « **Reply #55 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:42:13 AM »

My most out of control moment: In 1982, a bunch of my gay friends and I spent a week at Hilton Head, an upscale resort beach in South Carolina. One day, at dusk, I don't know (or remember) exactly why we did it, but four of us linked our arms together and went singing and skipping down the beach singing at the tops of our voices "We're Off to See the Wizard." We sang the entire song and then turned around and sang it all the way back.

Usually I'm very aware of not drawing attention to myself (when not on stage, that is), but for this one time in my life, I was having a ball and just didn't care what anyone thought of us. We did get lots of weird stares.

Joey · « **Reply #56 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:43:02 AM »

Quote from: JRand54 on January 06, 2005, 07:40:40 AM

I did 12 weeks of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW as a Transylvanian without a name. Loved singing those songs....especially "The Time Warp" and all of the ending from the "show" to the finale.

Was that in Indy or was it someplace else Jrand54?

Matt H. · « **Reply #57 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:45:24 AM »

I always wanted to go to EIGHTY-EIGHTS and also BACKSTAGE. Never made it to either one.

Jennifer · « **Reply #58 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:54:03 AM »

DISCUSSION OF LAST NIGHT'S ALIAS:

I also enjoyed last night's show. But it was bizarre to me how they wanted to tie up so many of the loose ends. Yeah we have Nadia's revelation at the end. But when that samarai guy said someone put a hit on Sydney. It was SO OBVIOUS who it was going to be. But as I said, i was totally surprised that they revealed that so quickly.

Geez, I guess one episode of being mad at daddy was enough.

Jennifer · « **Reply #59 on:** January 06, 2005, 07:56:03 AM »

Re: LOST

I'm not sure if this show is easy to get into on one viewing. You almost have to have followed it from the start.

I like the way that they keep bringing us the backstory. Although the girl (bank robber scene) that they keep showing us does not seem like the sweet girl we see on the island!

News:

Author Topic: NOTES IN THE KEY OF B (Read 83796 times)

Ben

Ben

Ben