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August 8, 2022:

HOLLANDERIZE IT

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, we had us a fun second rehearsal, this time with our full cast. Kerry O’Malley and Robert Yacko are doing a wonderful duet from Skyscraper, a show I really want to read – book by Peter Stone at the height of his movie successes with Father Goose and Charade – and it sounds like a whole lot of fun to me. We’re doing several of the big Sinatra hits by Cahn and Van Heusen, two of their Oscar-winners and a couple of their nominated songs, and it’s just such a pleasure to hear such wonderfully tuneful, clever songs, one after another. Otherwise, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to disc three in the Lorin Hollander set – the first two were solo piano things and they were enjoyable but not really my thing. Now, THIS CD is my thing and I’ve been praying for a CD release of this album for ages – it’s Norman Dello Joio’s Fantasy and Variations – as far as I know, this is the only recording. As you know, Mr. Dello Joio is a real favorite of mine and this is a wonderful piece and Hollander does it well and it’s Erich Leinsdorf, a VERY underrated conductor, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in that incredible Living Stereo sound. The other selection on this CD is the Ravel piano concerto in G. And I did manage to watch a motion picture made for television in the UK – the BBC – called Bright Hair, a thriller of sorts. I couldn’t get with the plot at all – very confusing – until about halfway through when things made themselves a little clearer. But then it just meanders along and then it’s over – a little too long for its own good.

Yesterday was a fine little day, mostly due to the fun rehearsal. I only got about six hours of sleep. Once up, I answered e-mails, but then had to get ready for our 1:00 rehearsal. That went until four-thirty, and I moseyed on over to Gelson’s. My intention was to get two more of the onion rolls, some ham and some turkey for two sandwiches. They were out of the onion rolls – some guy game in early and bought all of them – really annoying. So, in the bread department, they had a different kind of onion roll, more like a hamburger bun, so I got those instead. I came home and made one turkey and one ham and ate them all up – very good they were, too. So, that’s two really low-calorie days in a row, but I’ve actually been a good boy for over a week now.

Then I watched the weird movie and began a movie called The Offence, a rare Sidney Lumet film with Sean Connery. Pretty sure I’ve seen it once before on DVD but in a not so hot transfer. This one’s on Amazon Prime and looks much better. I don’t remember a thing about it other than I didn’t think it was great. We’ll see if I still think so – I got through the first fifteen minutes before it was time to have a telephonic conversation and then write these here notes.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, but basically it’s a ME day, so I can rest my voice, take it easy, with only one chore that will take at least two hours of the day – writing the commentary. I got the show order done, but I’m very late to writing the commentary and must get it fully finished today so that I can finesse it. It was VERY hot yesterday, and I finally cooled the house down to seventy-four, which took hours, and within two hours it was back up to eighty. But I have to do a CVS run shortly, so I’ll put the air back on while I do it. At some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow is our stumble-through at three, so I’m looking forward to that. Then Wednesday is sound check and then we do our show and I sure hope we have more people than we have. I’m sure some of us will eat afterwards. The trick is to get someone downstairs at nine-thirty to order for us – they close the kitchen at ten so we’re fine if we do it by nine-thirty. The rest of the week will be finalizing all ten scripts for the web series – I have to plant a few lines in early scripts that pay off in the final episode, and then I have to make title pages – I have titles for all the episodes. And we’ll start casting, too. And I have to finalize casting for the September Kritzerland show – show 120 and our twelfth anniversary show.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, have a mostly ME day, rest my voice, take it easy, write the commentary, and then at some point watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films starring Mr. Sean Connery? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be listening to the wonderful pianistics of Lorin Hollander – or, as we like to say – hearing him Hollanderize it.

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