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Author Topic: SPEEDING  (Read 67550 times)

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Tomovoz

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #150 on: October 07, 2007, 04:27:16 PM »

If you want a shocking ending, musicalize Doctorow's BOOK OF DANIEL.

Close to my favourite book - and the movie is good too.
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"I'm sixty-three and I guess that puts me with the geriatrics, but if there were fifteen months in every year, I'd only be forty-three".
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DERBRUCER

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #151 on: October 07, 2007, 04:29:47 PM »

This particular member would welcome you with open le arms.

You sir, are the publican" - I am the Re-Publican.

der Brucer
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Cillaliz

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #152 on: October 07, 2007, 04:32:47 PM »

A friend who always invites me out to eat when he is broke, asked me to go to Panera tonight because he wanted a big salad.  Knowing he wouldn't ask me to pay unless I was also eating, when he called I said I had eaten at home to save money, but planned to join him and have and ice tea. He decided he didn't want to go after all, LOL
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Cillaliz

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #153 on: October 07, 2007, 04:33:28 PM »

Time to put in a load of laundry and find some dinner....I hadn't really eaten
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Jane

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #154 on: October 07, 2007, 04:33:30 PM »

My father had diverticulosis, boy were those attacks of diverticulitis rough, I feel for you Edi.  As my father’s dementia increased he didn’t pay any attention to his “not permitted to eat list” and it didn’t seem to make a difference.  

My mother-in-law finds eating certain foods does bother her and sticks to a strict diverticulosis diet.  I suppose everyone is different, therefore the controversy over certain foods.
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Jane

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #155 on: October 07, 2007, 04:34:31 PM »

td, is this the same bartender who has been inconsiderate in the past?
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Jane

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #156 on: October 07, 2007, 04:36:44 PM »



And that means listening carefully to every cavil, including  Oh, if I’d only remembered to include some sort of shocking downer!  Well, maybe next year…


 ;D
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DERBRUCER

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #157 on: October 07, 2007, 04:37:07 PM »

Oh, if I’d only remembered to include some sort of shocking downer!  Well, maybe next year…


Like a pink-clad blood-soaked Jackie center stage bookended by the Sizzling Rosenbergs on one side and mowed down Kent State students on the other - that'll send them whistling up the aisle :D (Not much opportunity for your quick-witted lyrics, however.)

der Brucer
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Noel

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #158 on: October 07, 2007, 04:40:22 PM »

I can't and won't say anything negative, but I'll point out as a matter of factual accuracy that the shows that got on the big NYMF press conference (most of them due to having major star names) got much more press coverage than all the others.

Also as a matter of factual accuracy, shows that didn't have to store their set in a 16-square-foot area had a clear advantage over shows that did have to.

For Such Good Friends, interrupting our third day of rehearsal for a press conference was a huge inconvenience.  The actors had to arrive for a sound check at 8:30 a.m., and, given the maximum number of hours they're allowed to work and the time consumed by the press event itself, that day was pretty much ruined for us.  We were promised that video from that day would end up on our website.  Nope: NYMF'd again!   :(

I don't think it's factually accurate to say that these nine shows got more press coverage then shows that weren't there, like that underwear musical.  I, for one, never saw any stories about Going Down Swingin', Tully (In No Particular Order) or Look What a Wonder Jesus Has Done - did you?

The press does what it does, and it sounds like you're saying that the presence of a well-known Broadway star in a rinky-dink little festival is not worthy of coverage.  Pick that bone with them, if you can.   ;)

Staring at my program here, I'm seeing that Such Good Friends was one of seven shows at The Julia Miles, while The Acorn had six, and St. Clements had five, one of which only gave three performances.  It's possible the program's misleading me.  Only Roller Derby was in a space it didn't have to share with other NYMF shows.  But I've no information about whether they had to store in 16 square feet or not.

At some point, I'll suggest ways of making NYMF a little more of a level playing field to the heads of NYMF, and maybe I'll run a few ideas by the folks here.  A NYMF-imposed spending cap might be nice.  And what do we think about the concept that the same festival can present a true never-been-seen-anywhere before World Premiere, alongside shows that have been seen in New York and out of town before without making this clear to audience and critics?  Should there even be critics?

Much to think about...
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td

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #159 on: October 07, 2007, 04:42:55 PM »

Close to my favourite book - and the movie is good too.

Love the book, love the movie, but RAGTIME still strikes its chord with me as my favorite Doctorow novel.
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td

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #160 on: October 07, 2007, 04:43:38 PM »

You sir, are the publican" - I am the Re-Publican.

der Brucer

You, wild kid, ya!  Watch your phraseology!
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td

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #161 on: October 07, 2007, 04:44:17 PM »

td, is this the same bartender who has been inconsiderate in the past?
Nope, this is the weekday server who has taken that bartender's place!
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MBarnum

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #162 on: October 07, 2007, 04:48:58 PM »

DR MBARNUM - didn't you know that Mr Jeff Chandler wrote some of the themes for WOMAN ON THE BEACH?

I had no idea!
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JoseSPiano

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #163 on: October 07, 2007, 04:49:44 PM »

Good Evening!

I'm back from basically wandering here and there in and through midtown/Times Square/Hell's Kitchen/call-it-what-you-will.  I did have to drop off two things for two various people, and those two "missions" were accomplished, and quite easily.  However, the rest of my missions/options for the evening just did not appeal strongly enough to actually go through with them.  And since I was such a state of indecision, I just went ahead and headed back home.  And now I'm doing laundry.

-Oh, I did stop by the New Amsterdam thinking I would go ahead and audit  Mary Poppins tonight, but when I got there, it turned out there was a semi-last minute change in the music personnel for the evening.  None of the first chair keyboard players were on tonight, so that was the start of my wanderings.  There's nothing wrong with keyboard subs, but since I had specific questions I needed to run by the conductor and associate conductor - and since they weren't there - I took that as a sign that I did not need to be there tonight.

Or something like that.  ???
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MBarnum

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #164 on: October 07, 2007, 04:50:25 PM »

Looks like he was a Liberty recording artist.





"Warm and easy" is how I had always hoped imagined him to be!
« Last Edit: October 07, 2007, 04:50:42 PM by MBarnum »
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JoseSPiano

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #165 on: October 07, 2007, 04:51:15 PM »

So, now I'm doing laundry.  -And that was an easy decision to make.. mainly because I need clean underwear and other clothes for the week ahead.
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JoseSPiano

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #166 on: October 07, 2007, 04:52:47 PM »

"Warm and easy" is how I had always hoped imagined him to be!

Like an Easy-Bake Oven.

;)



*I don't even know if that's even funny.  Stream of consciousness responding.
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DERBRUCER

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #167 on: October 07, 2007, 04:52:58 PM »

And what do we think about the concept that the same festival can present a true never-been-seen-anywhere before World Premiere, alongside shows that have been seen in New York and out of town before without making this clear to audience and critics?  

Have you any idea of the ratio of "virgin" to "previously deflowered" shows at NYMF?

der Brucer
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MBarnum

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #168 on: October 07, 2007, 05:06:33 PM »

You made me laugh Jose  :D
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bk

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #169 on: October 07, 2007, 05:06:57 PM »

Oh, I'll be suggesting many things about the NYMF experience, believe me.  And actually, there were seven shows at the Acorn - one was a two or three-nighter as I recall.  Roller Derby is the poster child for how to abuse a festival.  They clearly wanted the NYMF prestige (if there IS prestige) or the NYMF umbrella, but they just as clearly did not want to play by any NYMF rules or have any of the constraints that other shows have.  Either there's a level playing field or there's not - it's that simple.  The fact that a show using the NYMF umbrella was allowed to rent their own theater because poor babies just didn't want to have to break down their set in thirty minutes like the rest of the shows, and they wanted to have a preview, and they wanted to rehearse in their theater, and they wanted two or three days to tech and they didn't want to allow critics into their show the first week (and it looks like the second week, too, as I have not seen one review of the show).  So, they rent their own theater, put the actors on a different contract so they can tech the show prior to opening, their set can stay on the stage, and they don't have to share their lighting and sound equipment with four to seven other shows, all of whom don't give a crap about each other, and therefore do whatever they feel like without regard to the consequences the show that follows them may have.  

A spending cap?  It is to laugh.  Equity DEMANDS a spending cap of no more than 15K on the production - the actors and rehearsal space are on top of that.  I would doubt that ANY NYMF show this year respected that cap.  They all turn in budgets that are bogus, it's that simple.  Roller Derby spent close to 100K.  Think that's fair?  Of course, the joke is everyone hated the show so there you are.   For all the bellyaching about money, it's obvious that you spend and spend and spend - no one knew about all these little extra NYMF charges that kept popping up over and over again - it certainly drove my show considerably overbudget.  

I agree about letting people know that many of the shows have been presented elsewhere, while few are World Premieres.  We were very open about it and it was all over our NYMF page - photos from the LA PRODUCTION, blah, blah, blah.  Again, the most egregious and blatant show that didn't put its cards on the table was Roller Derby, The "New Musical" which had its first production in 1978 and several productions since, all with considerable money behind them and all failures.

I'll say this about critics - allowing them to attend opening night is reprehensible.  The cast is playing that space for the FIRST TIME, after having had a run-through right up to ninety minutes before curtain.  I'll tell you this - all our mediocre reviews were from critics who saw the show opening night, when it was simply "off."  The critics who came Friday night issued wonderful reviews.  The critics who saw it during the run, save for one, issued wonderful reviews.  But those opening nighters - ridiculous.  Not even a bloody preview.  

Having to design a set that then has to store in a tiny space is something every show should have to do.  But, they don't.  Some shows truck their set to a storage facility.  Level playing field?  I don't think so.  When Roller Derby moved out of St. Clements that allowed other shows to get in early (paying to do so, of course) and get at least a few hours of tech time in.  That happened to us, although we could ill afford it we did it - of course, NYMF didn't have a sound guy there, so that part was a complete waste of time - lack of communication on their part - they apologized - they didn't refund any dough.  We did get to write a few light cues, though, so that was good.  However, by the end of our run, one moving light was completely broken (a key one, too) and every other scroller was screwed up, gel-wise, so that on our closing performance most of the lighting design had no color at all.  Level playing field?  I don't think so.  

As to what shows benefitted from being NYMF favorites, clearly the shows at the original press conference did, and it is disingenuous to say they didn't.  Many shows had stars that had Broadway leading role credits, including mine.  But they chose what they chose and the other twenty-two shows be damned.  The other shows that benefitted from NYMF's selective generosity, were, of course, the early sell-outs, like the underwear musical.  But, let's look at that - instead of promoting the shows in the bigger spaces that weren't selling out (especially the late-afternoon matinees), they just continued to brag about those early sell-outs without stating the obvious reason for them - all the early sell-outs were in theaters with only sixty to seventy seats to sell (because NYMF holds back between twenty and thirty tickets for their own use for every performance).  Well, for example, if we'd been in that size theater then we would have sold out all but one of our shows.  The shows that sold out frequently had their producers purchasing blocks of tickets in order to sell out and get the publicity and also the added performance.  In our case, I didn't give a crap because adding a performance was simply not going to happen, because it didn't interest me in the least.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2007, 05:13:07 PM by bk »
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MBarnum

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #170 on: October 07, 2007, 05:09:02 PM »

Well, after dining on Indian for lunch.....oh, a very handsome Sikh with a blue turban came in to get some food to go while we were eating...Jim and I went to an estate sale and then I decided to go and get the TV I have been looking at..a nice 42 inch Toshiba LCD with 120 Hz something or other that makes things no so blurry when there is fast movement of the camera pans across the countryside...
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elmore3003

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #171 on: October 07, 2007, 05:10:20 PM »

I had no idea!

It probably all sounds like "Ashoken Farewell!"
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MBarnum

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #172 on: October 07, 2007, 05:11:05 PM »

Jim was a very good sport, especially for someone I have only known for a few weeks...and he helped me drag the tv home and get it set up, as well as moving much furniture around and out to the garage.

However, now I cannot seem to get this darn tv hooked up correctly.

My color DVDs are now in black and white and I have yet to figure out how to get any tv stations from the DVR machine.
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bk

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #173 on: October 07, 2007, 05:13:44 PM »

Wow, that was long.  I should have broken it up - we could have gotten to page seven.
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bk

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #174 on: October 07, 2007, 05:18:03 PM »

Everyone's still trying to wade through my post, aren't they?
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bk

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #175 on: October 07, 2007, 05:18:29 PM »

What motion picture on DVD shall I watch this evening, I wonder?
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Jane

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #176 on: October 07, 2007, 05:25:11 PM »

Nope, this is the weekday server who has taken that bartender's place!

LOL-I hope this was a one-time fluke.
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JoseSPiano

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #177 on: October 07, 2007, 05:27:52 PM »

As for NYMF...

While I was having dinner tonight at West Side Cottage II, I happened to be sitting next to some of the participants in this weekend's NAMT Festival of New Musicals.  *I was only semi-eavesdropping since I knew some of the guys at the next table...

Their biggest complaint about NYMF is that it runs right after the New York Fringe Festival, and at the same time as the NAMT Festival of New Musicals.  Both The Fringe and NAMT have been running longer than NYMF.  One of the director's sitting next to me happens to be on the "reader" list for both NYMF and NAMT.  He said he lost count of how many scripts and scores he went over earlier this year after his 80th one.  -And since some of the shows were submitted to both festivals, he had to read some of them twice due to the different "report cards" and the different deadlines for each festival.

He also happens to be with a pretty prominent regional theatre that actively seeks out new material.  After Monday, he's going on vacation for two weeks since over the past three weeks he's gone to 20(!) NYMF shows, as well as the eight musicals that are presented at NAMT this weekend.  Thatsa lotta musicals!  And a lot of material to digest, judge, analyze, pick from, etc.  -He didn't even attempt to catch any of the Fringe shows this year due to the burnout factor.

We also talked about the general lack of "buzz" this year for NYMF.  We all seemed to agree that it seemed sort of a low-key year for NYMF, even though there were some potentially high-profile projects.  None of us had any real reasons for lack of buzz.  Although, one of the guys did think that a bunch of die-hard NYMFans have become Fanadus, Spring Awakeners, and Legally Blondettes this year.  The "kids" weren't spending their $20 bucks to see a NYMF show, they were waiting in line all night and day for the student rush seats at The Helen Hayes, O'Neill and Palace.  Some people also thought that NYMF's "warning" that some shows would sell out to members before the tickets went on sale to the public ended up making some people just not want to try to get to tickets since "high demand" usually means "craziness" in some form or another.  I, for one, would like to know if any shows did come close to selling out before October 1 when the public tickets sales started.

I'm glad I was able to catch the NYMF shows I did this year.  Do I wish I had seen a few more?  Yes, of course  Could I have?  Possibly.  Alas, due to my commitments to A Chorus Line and Mary Poppins, I saw shows when it turned out I ended up with a free afternoon or evening, and when I wasn't so tired or braindead after a rehearsal or show.  I hate going to see a show when I know I can't be a "good audience member".  Did I miss seeing a bunch of friends in colleagues in shows?  Yes.  Are they made at me for not getting to their show?  Well... I hope not.  If anything, I know they understand that in our line of work, that the hardest thing to do is see your friends in shows since you're usually working your own show at the same time.

End of rambling.  :)
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Jane

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #178 on: October 07, 2007, 05:31:27 PM »

MBarnum-Good color DVD vibes!
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JoseSPiano

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Re:SPEEDING
« Reply #179 on: October 07, 2007, 05:31:28 PM »

It probably all sounds like "Ashoken Farewell!"

;D
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