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[singdaw]

(click on "Theater Films")

[singdaw]

PAGE TWO

[ChasSmith]

Okay, the auditions. The show is ASSASSINS.

Auditioners were told to bring sheet music and prepare 32 bars of a Sondheim piece of their choosing. In no particular order, here's what was set in front of me and how many times:

FORUM:  That Dirty Old Man (2)
FORUM:  I’m Calm (1)
INTO THE WOODS:  Moments in the Woods (3)
INTO THE WOODS:  No One Is Alone (1)
SWEENEY TODD:  Johanna (2)
SWEENEY TODD:  Not While I’m Around (1)
COMPANY:  Sorry - Grateful (2)
ANYONE CAN WHISTLE:  Anyone Can Whistle (1)
EVENING PRIMROSE:  I Remember (1)
FOLLIES:  Beautiful Girls (1)
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC:  Send in the Clowns (3)
MERRILY:  Not a Day Goes By (1)
MERRILY:  Good Thing Going (1)
SUNDAY IN THE PARK:  Everybody Loves Louis (1)

So I got off easy. The only songs from ASSASSINS were when they asked one actor to sightread a little bit of The Ballad of Booth, and when 4 actors specifically auditioning for Giteau had to demonstrate dance steps that had been posted. A couple of people did bring in other music, nothing notable. An okay turnout, not the turnout you'd really like to see. It will be very interesting to see this production which goes up in February.

[Freddie]

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a really generous person, and will even give a nod to lesser-known writers, in much the same way that Stephen Sondheim did. 

Even in responding to online comments in the Times!  This happened ten years ago (Nov. 24 2015).

In my case, I've never met him, but Mr. Miranda saw some of my comments in parody lyric form in the Times reader comments section and encouragingly tweeted
"Freddie the NYTimes commenter is a local treasure."
https://twitter.com/lin_manuel/status/669222699361771520

One of my all-time favorite "reviews" - that tweet even wound up on my parents' fridge in Florida.  My parents weren't all that familiar with Sondheim's work specifically, but they and their friends and neighbors in Florida knew who Mr. Miranda is, and this - along with several books I'd written of my lyrics - added validation with them, and their encouragement  that came from that. 

Writers need encouragement and Mr.Miranda went out of his way to do that.  And in what might be called a meta moment, the New York Times itself even reprinted online Mr. Miranda's generous tweet about my New York Times comments -
towards the bottom of this article https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/service-advisory-artsbeat-is-finished/index.html

Ten years later, I'm still looking for a breakthrough.  But ten years ago, that generous tweet meant so much!

[John G.]

Good morning, all.

[John G.]

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a really generous person, and will even give a nod to lesser-known writers, in much the same way that Stephen Sondheim did. 

Even in responding to online comments in the Times!  This happened ten years ago (Nov. 24 2015).

In my case, I've never met him, but Mr. Miranda saw some of my comments in parody lyric form in the Times reader comments section and encouragingly tweeted
"Freddie the NYTimes commenter is a local treasure."
https://twitter.com/lin_manuel/status/669222699361771520

One of my all-time favorite "reviews" - that tweet even wound up on my parents' fridge in Florida.  My parents weren't all that familiar with Sondheim's work specifically, but they and their friends and neighbors in Florida knew who Mr. Miranda is, and this - along with several books I'd written of my lyrics - added validation with them, and their encouragement  that came from that. 

Writers need encouragement and Mr.Miranda went out of his way to do that.  And in what might be called a meta moment, the New York Times itself even reprinted online Mr. Miranda's generous tweet about my New York Times comments -
towards the bottom of this article https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/service-advisory-artsbeat-is-finished/index.html

Ten years later, I'm still looking for a breakthrough.  But ten years ago, that generous tweet meant so much!

That was very nice.

[John G.]

Slept nine hours. It was good.

[John G.]

Hugs, Elmore.

[Freddie]

Thanks, John G! 

And thank you for your support!  It's been so greatly appreciated.

[ChasSmith]

DR Elmore - Can you please offer an opinion on the worthiness of any of these books?

West Side Story, Gypsy, and the Art of Broadway Orchestration (Routledge Research in Music) by Paul Laird
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1032134275/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Facing the Music: a Broadway Memoir by David Loud
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682452131/?coliid=I3OKMM8U571MU1&colid=1ODPI28W0DUNW&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Recording Broadway: A Life in Cast Albums by Thomas Z. Shepard
https://www.amazon.com/dp/149308125X/?coliid=I18Q2JIJPCSN7J&colid=1ODPI28W0DUNW&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

BK might have an opinion on that last one!

[John G.]

Thank you, ChasSmith, for the audition roundup.

[John G.]

Facebook is filled with too many videos of the shows that are going to on the Thanksgiving Day parade. Why bother to watch the real performances?

[John G.]

First rant of the day ended.

[Laura]

Well, that's one way of looking at it...

My pastor's 6-year-old son just LOVES numbers. He can do math amazingly well for a child. Sassy and I sang that line from RENT to him, so now he knows exactly  how many minutes are in a year. And he tells people.

[Jrand75]

Nice link DR singdaw.

[Jrand75]

Great story DR FREDDIE.

[Jrand75]

TOD:

Nothing!

[John G.]

Congratulations, BK, on getting the play blocked.

[John G.]

I’m going to Joy’s house at noon for hot pot (huow guow in Mandarian). I’m due at a traditional Thanksgiving dinner later that afternoon.

[elmore3003]

DR Elmore - Can you please offer an opinion on the worthiness of any of these books?

West Side Story, Gypsy, and the Art of Broadway Orchestration (Routledge Research in Music) by Paul Laird
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1032134275/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Facing the Music: a Broadway Memoir by David Loud
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682452131/?coliid=I3OKMM8U571MU1&colid=1ODPI28W0DUNW&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Recording Broadway: A Life in Cast Albums by Thomas Z. Shepard
https://www.amazon.com/dp/149308125X/?coliid=I18Q2JIJPCSN7J&colid=1ODPI28W0DUNW&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

BK might have an opinion on that last one!

I would love to read est Side Story, Gypsy, and the Art of Broadway Orchestration but I haven't been able to afford a copy.

I enjoyed David Loud's memoir, but I'm not a great fan. I thought his section on being part of the original cast of Merrily We Roll Along and the onstage pianist in Master Class were the best sections.

I like picking up Shepard's book and reading about his recordings I like.

[elmore3003]

It took me about 30 minutes to finish kitty cleanup and about 45 minutes to mop the bathroom and the kitchen.

[Freddie]

Great story DR FREDDIE.

Thanks, Jrand! 


And many thanks for your help, like the comments under the YouTubes! 

I keep finding them as I look back, as far back as 14 or 15 years ago.

[bk]

I'm up, I'm up - maybe six hours of sleep thanks to feet cramps.

[bk]

I was actually in bed by twelve-twenty but up an hour later, then up again an hour later. After that, I slept well.

[John G.]

I have been duly fingerprinted.

[John G.]

I’m now waiting at Costco for gas.

[John G.]

Exciting, I know.

[John G.]

Listening to the end of The Wilderness. Really good read.

[Jane]

Thank you DR Kevin and you are welcome.

[Jane]

DR Kevin, congrats on Wordle in three yesterday.