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[Jennifer]

Yep DR Dan: Thanks I got it.  

[elmore3003]

I'm not sure I agree 100%.  I mean, in places there should be a bit of wink-wink-nudge-nudge, but I think you sometimes LOSE comedy when you play it too "cheekily" or "ironically."  It's hard to take a show like "Where's Charley?" seriously, yes, but what's wrong with being sincere and looking for laughs within the dialogue?  It's not like George Abbott was a slouch at funny lines.

DR Maya, when the Kennedy Center did its one-time-only attempt at an Encores! series, I edited WHERE'S CHARLEY for the Loesser office, and I went through all the materials in the Theatre Collection at the New York Public Library.  I also watched the 1952 (?) movie, and I think the reviewer is wrong.  It's my impression that the original show - from reviews, interviews, and photos - was both a knockabout farce and a valentine to a Victorian era when young ladies actually required chaperones to visit men in their digs, a time far removed from 1948, and even farther removed from 2004 now!  The movie kept  the original Spettigue, Charley and Amy, so a lot of what they do is probably a direct copy of the stage business.  The knockabout between Charley and Spettigue is very broad and very silly.  "Make A Miracle" is very wonderful, and "Better Get Out of Here" is very sweet, genteel, prim, and proper.  This period of calling cards, visitation, chaperones, etc. needs to be observed; the characters have similar emotions to us but they're another period of social behavior, just as a good production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" needs all the social proprieties.

The published score for WHERE'S CHARLEY? is from around 1953, when Music Theatre International revised and finalized all the rental material.  I don't believe the orchestration and choral parts they rent/publish are the originals:  Gerry Dolan's original chorus material in the NYPL Music Collection are much more elaborate, and Jonathan Tunick, who saw the original for his birthday, remembers the reed players doubling clarinets and bassoon.  This double does not exist in the current materials.  What else can I tell you?  I'm glad you got  a good review!

[Ron Pulliam]

About Omarosa...

...in NO WAY did she ruin any part of the "concert."

It went off without a hitch.

It was her excessively bad judgment, lying and deceit that ruined Kwame's chance to win when she blew off the logistical chores that were her sole responsibility.

Of course, she started to blame Kwame for it by insisting he should have been more hands-on in the logistics -- meaning he should have done it for her while she took the credit.

She strikes me as being a female version of the guy who inspired "Six Degrees of Separation" -- the one who conned everyone into thinking he was something he wasn't (except that he was far more inventive and believable than Omarosa).  Seems to be the story of her entire adult life...she's all slick facade and zero content.

[elmore3003]

Interesting news in my neighborhood.  On Tuesday they opened a Krispy Kreme chain (a five minute drive away).  This chain is just starting here.  And I am dying to eat their donuts.  The last time I got a dozen, I almost ate the whole box.

Does anyone know what kinds they make?

Too many.  Too delicious.  All lethal.

[Noel]

I saw Senor Discretion Himself when it played at Musical Theatre Works.  I'd go again if I were near.  In fact, if I were near, what I'd really like to see is Maya's Where's Charley?  Love that Make a Miracle.

If Herman had written about Leo Frank, I suspect I would have cared a little about some of the characters earlier than more than halfway through the second act.  A husband wouldn't turn to his wife in stunned amazement and wonder why she fought to get him out of jail.  And the supporting characters might not have ALL been cardboard-cutout stereotypes.  Oddly, The Robber Bridegroom (which has book and lyrics by Parade's librettist) presents a more positive depiction of southerners, without really trying to.

I think it's a shame Herman doesn't write new shows more often.  Of course, when I said it was a shame another fine composer-lyricist didn't get a work (as composer) on Broadway for 25 years, there was quite an uproar.  Sorry to be such a radical.

[Jane]

Hey Maya, can you post part of the article. Or email it to those who are interested. It's a pain to register just to read one article.

Yes, please do.  I couldn't connect at all.

[bk]

Lunch was canceled, so I've just been working on ye olde book.  Adelphia is supposedly coming between three and five.

[Jay]

I had whitefish salad on a sesame bagel for lunch today.  Isn't that exciting?  Isn't that too too?

[Maya]

DR Maya, when the Kennedy Center did its one-time-only attempt at an Encores! series, I edited WHERE'S CHARLEY for the Loesser office, and I went through all the materials in the Theatre Collection at the New York Public Library.  I also watched the 1952 (?) movie, and I think the reviewer is wrong.  It's my impression that the original show - from reviews, interviews, and photos - was both a knockabout farce and a valentine to a Victorian era when young ladies actually required chaperones to visit men in their digs, a time far removed from 1948, and even farther removed from 2004 now!  The movie kept  the original Spettigue, Charley and Amy, so a lot of what they do is probably a direct copy of the stage business.  The knockabout between Charley and Spettigue is very broad and very silly.  "Make A Miracle" is very wonderful, and "Better Get Out of Here" is very sweet, genteel, prim, and proper.  This period of calling cards, visitation, chaperones, etc. needs to be observed; the characters have similar emotions to us but they're another period of social behavior, just as a good production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" needs all the social proprieties.

The published score for WHERE'S CHARLEY? is from around 1953, when Music Theatre International revised and finalized all the rental material.  I don't believe the orchestration and choral parts they rent/publish are the originals:  Gerry Dolan's original chorus material in the NYPL Music Collection are much more elaborate, and Jonathan Tunick, who saw the original for his birthday, remembers the reed players doubling clarinets and bassoon.  This double does not exist in the current materials.  What else can I tell you?  I'm glad you got  a good review!

You've told me a lot, and thank you!  I'm glad someone agrees with me, lol.

Great observations on the film version!  Our director actually was able to get a hold of it, and we watched it at one rehearsal.  It did seem to be almost a carbon copy of the show, except for some cut songs.  My one complaint was that Amy and Kitty are nothing but eye candy in the film; there's NO spirit there at all.  And I thought Ray Bolger was charming, although I imagine he probably came off as more charismatic onstage.

I saw Senor Discretion Himself when it played at Musical Theatre Works.  I'd go again if I were near.  In fact, if I were near, what I'd really like to see is Maya's Where's Charley?  Love that Make a Miracle.

was quite an uproar.  Sorry to be such a radical.

Awww, thanks, Noel!  I wish you could see it too!  

Jane--if you give me your e-mail address, I'll be glad to send you the whole article when I get home from the show tonight!

[TCB]

We just got a security alert that the infamous Fred Phelps and his band from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas will be protesting same-sex marriage out in from of my work (Justice Bldg/Supreme Court Bldg) on Monday. Lovely.

If you aren’t familiar with this group their website is www.godhatesfags.com
That should tell you all you need to know! I am gonna need some extra strong coffee for Monday morning I think! LOL!

If you like Michael, I could come down there and drive you to work on Monday.  Then I could kiss you good-bye as you get out of the car.

[Jane]

SWW-how frustrating!  Don’t catch DerBrucer’s cold so you can be healthy for your next interview.  Tell DerBrucer to get well, we miss him.

Netflix says we have a long wait before we get KILL BILL.  

Ben wild rice with steamed green beans and carrots stirred in sounds good.  I make mine with onions & celery and, of course, veggie broth.

Maya, congratulations!  Next time just go ahead and post your good reviews.  We want to see them.

Bruce GOOD Adelphia VIBES!  Boy do you need a break from all your technical difficulties.

Panni, GOOD WRITING VIBES ON THE SITCOM!

Jennifer if you don’t taste a Krispy Kreme then you will never crave one.  Five minutes away sounds dangerous to me.

I don’t watch WITHOUT A TRACE but I sure would have liked to see Ann Francis.

[Tomovoz]

Will you be wearing one of the costumes from "Hello Dolly" TCB?

[Panni]

Another exciting bulletin from funland. Had lunch OUT (not IN, as I had contemplated but did not act upon). All-you-can-eat Japanese, served up with good conversation with my lunch companion. Now I'm in a better mood and ready to write some more.
Over and out

[Panni]

...But I think I will switch from the sitcom outline and the other thing I'm writing to outlining a mystery plot.

[TCB]

The Adelphia Man?[/b]  Isn't that a Chuck Heston film?

[Tomovoz]

It's all Greek to me. I thought Chuck would have been more at home with Latin.

[George]

Yesterday, I wrote:

And finally, it's official: my computer hard drive is completely dead, broken, kaput, etc., etc., etc. (a King and I reference) and ALL (every single solitary bit) of my stuff is irreparably gone .... <SNIP>

Yesterday, Dan (the Man) wrote:

That really sux, George. There are services out there that do something along the lines of computer forensics. They can pretty much pull data off any hard drive, no matter what the condition. An amazing story I heard was how this one company was able to extract files from a hard drive that had been fired at with a shotgun! The problem is is that these services are pretty expensive, so you have to weigh the worth of the data that you lost. In any event, don't toss the old drive yet cause maybe at some point the costs of data extraction might become cheaper.

I actually thought about this, but figured that it would cost more than what the information is worth to me.  Sure, I had over 1000 MP3 songs, but I’m not willing to pay much just to get them back.  Today, I asked one of the computer people here at work about it and he said to give the hard drive a whack!  He said that something like this had happened to him, he got frustrated and whacked it a good one...and it worked!  It couldn’t hurt.

As for the Topic of the Day:

In my CD player at work:  disc 3, then disc 4 of Barry Manilow's The Complete Collection

In my DVD player:  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

In my VCR:  "Dawn of the Dead."  a friend of mine borrowed this and we're going to watch it sometime this weekend.

[elmore3003]

In my DVD player:  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

DR George, is this the production with my friend Simon Jones?

[TCB]

So tell me, Jed, my son, what do you think of the whole "Go Visit Ellen" tourist campaign for our beloved Ellensburg, highlighted by the website: www.visitellen.com?


I just hope that there are still tickets left for:

"Bird Woman: The Story of Sacagawea,

[George]

DR George, is this the production with my friend Simon Jones?

Unless there is more than one production with Simon Jones, then Yes it is!

[MBarnum]

My new job does not start until May and so I am somewhat adrift....not wanting to spend a LOT of money because of not knowing how long what I have will really have to last, so I don't get the HHW as early as I used to.....perhaps when commerce starts up again for me, I will be back on schedule.

New job? What new job? Have I missed something here?? You have some 'splaining to do Mr. Jack Randall Earles!!

[elmore3003]

Unless there is more than one production with Simon Jones, then Yes it is!

I've always wanted to see it!  Simon's son is my goddaughter's best friend.

[Jennifer]

Re: Omarosa

When I said she ruined the concert, I didn't mean the actual part where Jessica Simpson sang.  Yes that part seemed to go well.

I meant she ruined everything that her team did for the concert.

She didn't ruin the breakfast (troy did that).  But she managed to lose Jessica Simpson, lie about her phone call at dinner, and have Jessica leave the meet-and-greet without telling anyone.

I actually believe that she lost the game for Kwame.

[MBarnum]

VHS: Nothing

CD: Various Bollywood soundtracks via Ebay

DVD: More U.S. Marshall and Sheriff of Cochise episodes

And this weeks Bollywood movie, TUM HASEEN MAIN JAWAN. A cute comedy from 1970 about a group of sailors hiding a presumed abandonded baby on board their ship.

[Jennifer]

Jennifer if you don’t taste a Krispy Kreme then you will never crave one.  Five minutes away sounds dangerous to me.

It's too late, I've already had some from one of the other stores!

Five minutes away is dangerous, because the smell is infectious.  I drove my bike down that street, and all I could smell was Krispy Kreme smell.

[bk]

Mr. Adelphia Man just left - I have a new cable modem box (newer smaller model).  He said the line is fine, but he also said they've been in the process of doing major fixes and replacements for California - you'd think that someone in the Adelphia offices would just admit to that.  Anyway, I'm hoping that the new box will solve whatever problems I've been having.  Of course, everything today had been working fine, so there was no real test he could do.  We shall see.

[Jane]

New job? What new job? Have I missed something here?? You have some 'splaining to do Mr. Jack Randall Earles!!

Thank goodness, I thought it was just me missing something.

[Jane]

Five minutes away is dangerous, because the smell is infectious.  I drove my bike down that street, and all I could smell was Krispy Kreme smell.

We lived behind a Cider Mill in Michigan.  All through the autumn you could smell the fresh cider and donuts.  On a warm day with the windows open it was pure torture.  The first fall there I must have gained ten pounds.  At least I burned up a few calories walking to & from the mill.

[DearReaderLaura]

Car cd player: Strike Up the Band

[Robin]

The SO and myself have just returned from Punch Pizza.  Real Neapolitan pizza, cooked at 800 degrees for 90 seconds.  No kiddin' folks, this is the best pizza I have ever had.  And it's under ten bucks a person.  A bargain at twice the price.  

My pizza had artichoke hearts, anchovies, mushrooms and feta cheese...and was dee-lish!  The Significant Other's pizza was less adventurous, but no doubt equally so.