Well, dear readers, this month is flying by, like a gazelle beating a beaver with a Twizzler. I gotta tell you. How is this year half over already? And what a funny old year its been – filled with interesting things and projects thus far with several more to come. Speaking of more to come, here are two more actual photographs from Hit Song, the first one from the final song.
And the second one from the curtain call.
Yesterday was a crazy old day. I did get eight hours of sleep. Once up, I had to answer e-mails and such, and then I left quickly to do some banking, after which I had an omelet and a bagel. Then I picked up some packages and came home. I then did work on the computer whilst listening to a set of Prokofiev symphonies conducted by one of my now favorite conductors, Walter Weller. It’s a wonderful set – I must admit to knowing almost nothing of the Prokofiev symphonies – I’d heard a couple before, but they’re pretty great. If you like film music, these are probably going to be up your alley. Of course Prokofiev was a film composer in addition to being a classical composer and he was a great film composer. While I haven’t compared these performances to others, to my ears the sound is amazing in this set and the performances are certainly to my liking. I have two other sets so I’ll see how I feel about them.
Then it was time for a short work session for the Kritzerland show. We went over the charts we needed to, made some arrangement choices, and then our first performer arrived – Lauren Rubin. We ran her two solo numbers, a put-together of It’s Only a Paper Moon and Moon River, and then Where is the Warmth from The Baker’s Wife – she sounds great on them. Then Brittney Bertier arrived and so did Adrienne Visnic because our co-producer inadvertently scheduled them at the exact same time, which turned the entire afternoon into a crazy catching up session. We got through it, but I did not spend as much time as I would have liked on certain material. Brittney and Lauren ran their duet, which took some time because the harmonies are a little wacky – it’s a song I recorded on one of the Unsung Musicals album called Didn’t Leave It Here, which I’m quite fond of. Then Brittney ran her two solos, I Like Him from Drat! The Cat! and Night Life in Santa Rosa from the first version of Smile, with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh.
Meanwhile people kept arriving at their appointed times but we were thirty minutes behind. Adrienne Visnic was next. First we ran It’s a Nuisance Having You Around, a great cut song from Li’l Abner, then Chain of Love from The Grass Harp, and finally the epic What If song by myself and composer Claibe Richardson (who wrote the music for The Grass Harp). It’s epic because it has about six What Ifs built into it – we got it all routined and she’ll get a track for it and she’s great and fast and I’m sure she’ll have it ready for Thursday.
Then it was time for Jill Schoelen. I haven’t seen her in almost thirty years, when she read for a film I was going to direct but that didn’t get made – she was my choice for the lead in that film. She looks great, and we ran her three songs – she hasn’t performed in public in quite a while so she was very nervous, but she sounded great and her songs really suit her – Where Do You Start, If I Were a Bell, and a put-together of The Boy Next Door and The Trolley Song.
Next up was one of our surprises, so I shan’t mention it here but it’s going to really be fun. The surprise was followed by the wonderful Kerry O’Malley. We ran her three songs – You Can Always Count on Me, Individual Thing (from Prettybelle) and Fifty Percent (from Ballroom). And that was our rehearsal.
After, I went and got a couple of donuts for my evening snack – I’m now over my donut craving and don’t need to have another for months. I ate my donuts whilst listening to music, and writing the rest of the commentary, which pretty much took up the rest of the evening.
Today, I’ll eat, hopefully pick up packages, relax, then at five Kerry comes back for her second rehearsal, as she’s going out of town, and then I’m back with Dial ‘M’ for Murder and a three-hour rehearsal, which I’m very much looking forward to. I’m hoping they’ll be able to just run the show for me with no stops. Then I’ll give some notes and we’ll fix whatever needs fixing. I’m told the set is coming along nicely.
Tomorrow is another Dial ‘M’ rehearsal, Thursday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal and then a Dial ‘M’ rehearsal, Friday is Dial ‘M’, as is Saturday and Sunday. Our stumble-through is also on Saturday. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of the 1980s? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that our first rehearsal went well, despite the crazy scheduling mistake.