Topic: OPENING NIGHT (Read 18338 times)

bk · « **on:** August 13, 2004, 12:21:19 AM »

Well, you've read the notes, you know what celebrities were in attendance, you are properly agog and now you may post until the opening night cows come home.

George · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2004, 12:41:03 AM »

[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]CONGRATULATIONS, BK!![/move]

and

[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]HAPPY BIRTHDAY D.R. STUART!![/move]

bk · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2004, 12:58:01 AM »

Dear reader Panni has pointed out that I have mis-used a word in the notes, said word being complement for compliment. However, in my opinion (IMO, in Internet lingo) the word people deserve what they get for creating two words that sound the same but mean different things and have a one-letter difference. Therefore, I will use either spelling any which way I so choose. Damn them, damn them all to hell.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:01:19 AM »

Congratulations BK & All.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:01:38 AM »

Happy birthday DR Stuart.

bk · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:08:44 AM »

I am wired and tired at the same time. Or maybe I'm tired and wired. Am I to be admired for being wired and tired? I hope so, for that is what has transpired. Of course, I could be fired for being tired and wired or, conversely, I could be hired for being wired and tired. I'll just keep going until someone decides to stop being a WUSSBURGER and post something.

bk · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:14:40 AM »

Welcome five GUESTS. We're talkin' about CDs and DVDs and about wired and tired.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:24:07 AM »

DVD (in waiting) - Andy Williams - The Best Of The Andy Williams Show

CD: OBC "Barnum".
Richard Tauber "You Are My Heart's Delight"
Josef Locke "Hear My Song"

Panni · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:28:44 AM »

****Happy Birthday, DR Stuart, Brother of DR Jay!****

Panni · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:31:41 AM »

Quote from: bk on August 13, 2004, 12:58:01 AM

Therefore, I will use either spelling any which way I so choose. Damn them, damn them all to hell.

Anarchy - love it!

Panni · « **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:37:18 AM »

I posted my thoughts of WHAT IF? in last night's notes. (Kudos galore.) But I neglected to mention that DD and her BF and I had a lovely pre-show dinner with DR Jay. I must confess that I got into terrible traffic and showed up quite late and discombobulated. Next time I will be on time and bobulated.

Panni · « **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:39:08 AM »

I am all frenzied out. To bed. May I say once more that I REALLY enjoyed the show.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #12 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:39:39 AM »

bobuearlied perhaps!

Jay · « **Reply #13 on:** August 13, 2004, 01:59:00 AM »

Dear Reader Dear Brother Stuart:

It's your buhrthday!

Happy buhrthday, Dahling!

And many happy retuhrns of the day!

(Oh. A Joe Mankiewicz reference.)

Jay · « **Reply #14 on:** August 13, 2004, 02:00:16 AM »

Punctual Panni she shall be known as henceforward.

Jay · « **Reply #15 on:** August 13, 2004, 02:14:32 AM »

What If? A Musical Revue was swell, simply swell.

One of the best aspects of the show was that the cast worked together as an ensemble really well, and each and every member of the cast seemed to be having a terrific time on stage.

As one might expect from show born from the hands of Bruce Kimmel, the laughs were plentiful. It was beat after beat after beat of incredible humor, especially what was embedded in the parodies. As dear BK mentioned, the crowning moment of the show was the "coming attraction," done movie style, for Oklahoma. I will never be able to hear "Don't Throw Bouquets At Me" in quite the same way ever again.

The ballads, many of them with wry lyrics, served as excellent counterpoint to the humorous numbers.

The choreography was just right, especially in the parodies, as the movement, like the lyrics, often sent off the original material.

Dear Reader Jose did an amazing job, and it was nice to overhear the plentitude of compliments (I can spell) he received at the lovely party that followed the show.

Kudos to Dear BK, Dear Reader Jose, and the entire cast of the show!

Danise · « **Reply #16 on:** August 13, 2004, 03:28:37 AM »

Morning all.

I'm so glad that What If did so well! Kudos and Congrats to all!

Be well wishes to DR Elmore. I hope you are feeling much better now.

Be safe and be well wishes to my fellow Floridians to weather the coming storm. None of you are on the West coast (I believe) so you should be ok.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 13, 2004, 03:51:52 AM »

Hurray! It sounds As If What If was a Big Success with the Audience last night! Congratulations to Mr BK, DRJOSE, and the cast, staff, and crew. And now good REVIEW vibes are going out!

...---...----...-----...------

"Hello, sweetheart, get me rewrite!"

Such a house of celebrities! Hopefully DRCHARLES POGUE will get his computer problems solved and start posting again so that we can read all about his reaction to What If?

CD Player - Sue Thompson's Greatest Hits....Paper Tiger, Norman, etc.

DVD Player - The Carpetbaggers with George Peppard &
Carroll Baker as Rina (note Miss Baker's credit must appear last and on a separate line and no name was appear larger than hers in any billing)

VHS - I too was watching THE BAD SEED....hmmmmmm such really bad acting going on...perfect for the subject, though. And Miss Eileen Heckart is amazing in her performance...being married to Sam Drucker, and all.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 13, 2004, 03:54:24 AM »

Well at least you still have Rhoda!!

Ben · « **Reply #19 on:** August 13, 2004, 04:29:19 AM »

Congratulations to one and all for What If?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR Stuart!

I had an unexpected pleasant experience last night. While the West Coast was laughing at What If? I came across a ticket to The Musical of Musicals, The Musical. DR WEL mentioned this show favorably a few months ago and I agree. What a treat. It's funny, inventive, smart and performed very well. In spite of the jabs at our favorite composers, there is a real affection for musical theatre, which makes it great fun to watch. Two of the four cast members are the creators Eric Rockwell (music) and Joanne Bogart (lyrics). For those who don't know, there are 5 mini-musicals. They all have the same plot and each is written in the "style" of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Weber and Kander and Ebb. There are some real groaner puns but also lots of inventive work. I highly recommend it if you're in the New York area. They just extended again to sometime in mid-September.

I've still got a few CDs from yesterday including Clooney Tunes. I am now listening to La Cage. I just finished OBC (1949) of Kiss Me Kate. I also have the OBC (1972)of Grease (a guilty pleasure) and the 1992 OBC of Guys and Dolls w/Mr. Lane and Miss Prince.

Ben · « **Reply #20 on:** August 13, 2004, 04:30:34 AM »

I love The Bad Seed for it's campiness but I really love Ruthless, Mr. Joal (FKA Joel) Paley's skewed musical take on the show (w/a Los Angeles Cast CD produced by our own BK).

Ben · « **Reply #21 on:** August 13, 2004, 04:31:37 AM »

Jose! What are you doing up at this hour? Did you just get in from the cast party?

Hi, Tom, JR and Joey.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #22 on:** August 13, 2004, 04:52:41 AM »

Good Morning!

Well, DR Ben... I didn't just get in... But I did just get up from the couch on which I passed out on a few hours ago...

And before I go back to bed... (and not the couch this time)....

This Opening Night was truly wonderful. I didn't really feel any nervous jitters when I got to the theatre. I felt prepared and ready to go on! And I actually think that some of the fatigue from the week of previews helped all of us out. No one was tired, per se, but I think the previous nights' efforts helped to keep everyone's adrenaline under control. -Does that make sense? Even as I started the opening number, I was thinking to myself, "WOW! This feels good!"

And it was.

Meeting Mr. Reiner and Mr. Brooks after the show in the theatre was truly an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. They happened to catch me "packing up" the piano - well, at least my score and stand light - and they both were very complimentary to me. Mr. Reiner even joked that he was afraid to shake my hand since he didn't want to take a chance of hurting me. -That was a true Dear Diary moment! And meeting Mel Brooks... WOW! Never in my wildest dreams would I have that I would have the opportunity to meet Mel Brooks when Bruce called me five weeks ago!?!?! Both fine gentlemen then asked me if I could get the cast to come out to meet them in the theatre - in order to avoid the massive throng of people next door in the cafe. So, I headed back stage and fetched the cast... some of whom, at first, didn't believe that Mssrs. Reiner and Brooks were actually in the audience, nor did they believe that Mssrs. Reiner and Brooks wished to see them personally. But the whole company eventually made it out to the stage... Again, who'd of thunk that five weeks ago... ?!?!?!

*Even I was a bit speculative of the "news" that both of those fine gentlemen were there when Brandon came back at intermission and mentioned who was in the audience... and that he was enjoying the show. But, eventually, my speculation turned to confirmation, so... And as soon as I stepped out at the top of the second act, I did do a scan of the audience... -And then I was still kind of amazed that I wasn't nervous - and that I didn't get suddenly nervous then!

Well, I better start wrapping this up.... I can sense that I'm getting wired again...

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #23 on:** August 13, 2004, 05:08:16 AM »

As BK mentioned in his notes, I also got to meet Richard Sherman. That was a true honor of the evening. For me, the celebrities who's faces you don't normally see featured in the programs - composers, lyricists, playwrights, designers, etc. - are the ones that I truly am in awe of. The creators. When Bruce pulled me aside to introduce me to him, I was truly honored. And when Mr. Sherman mentioned that he thought I deserved a more prominent, featured bow in the curtain call...

I met a few other people last night at the reception, and I was starting to kick myself for not having any business cards on me. I even believe Phillip Crosby - Bing Crosby's grandson - asked me for a card. -And DR Jay was also starting to "kick me" for not having any cards on me.

And in another case of "small world", Cheryl Baxter's husband (Cheryl is one of our choreographers) happens to be a music director for Universal Studios - and we happened to meet and work with each other last year when I was on the audition tour with Universal Studios Japan.

Dan-in-Toronto · « **Reply #24 on:** August 13, 2004, 05:34:44 AM »

DR Stuart

[/glow]

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #25 on:** August 13, 2004, 05:42:47 AM »

It was also nice to finally meet Anna, a.k.a. DR Panni, and her Darling Daughter. By the way, DD has great taste in boyfriends.

It was also a pleasure meeting DR Charles Pogue and his wife.

And DR/DL Mark Rothman who introduced himself to me by saying, "I've read your posts many times!" And I was like, "Thank you... And you are?!?"

I also believe I spied Nick Redman among the crowd last night too.

And, as I mentioned in passing in a previous post, it was nice seeing DR Jay again. *And I'm having my extra box of business cards sent from home this weekend.

...OK - I need to start calming down again, and heading back to bed...

Thank you, once again, Bruce Kimmel for everything!

And Congratulations to a Great Cast! Tammy, Susanne, Alet, Paul and Ryan! You're the best!!!

bk · « **Reply #26 on:** August 13, 2004, 05:48:22 AM »

This begs the question of why I'm up at five-forty-five in the fershluganah morning. Didn't I just go to bed at one-thirty? And why am I begging a question? Has the question ever begged me? I woke up at five-fifteen, head swimming with thoughts. I guess I'll see if I can get some more sleep, or maybe sleep will have to wait until tonight (I can sleep in on Saturday, no she of the Evil Eye this weekend).

bk · « **Reply #27 on:** August 13, 2004, 05:49:16 AM »

Oh, and I'll go out on a limb and say we may achieve our new landmark on this very day.

Dan-in-Toronto · « **Reply #28 on:** August 13, 2004, 05:49:48 AM »

Congratulations to BK, Jose, M. Brandon - and the entire WHAT IF team.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #29 on:** August 13, 2004, 05:55:19 AM »

Too late to reply to DR Ben I think.
"Grease" not a guilty pleasure - The only version I enjoy is the original show. I saw it's London run starring Richard Gere. The movie to me created a false nostalgia. And now there is a nostalgia for that false nostalgia!

Thanks to WEL indeed for introducing me to "Musical of Musicals". It is even fun just listening to the CD.

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Author Topic: OPENING NIGHT (Read 18338 times)

Ben

Ben

Ben