Well, dear readers, we had us a pretty nice stumble-through yesterday – one performer, our surprise guest, wasn’t there so we skipped her songs, and I had to make one instant change in the show order because apparently, I never sent the song to the performer. It was, however, an easy fix. Everything else ran pretty smoothly. I did have some notes and we finished with enough time left for me to give them before I had to run off to the theater to shoot a promo video with The Altruist’s author – I thought it would be funny if I actually didn’t talk at all, and that what we did until the very last word, a single word, which I spoke. I think it will be fun. Then we had our evening rehearsal. We began with act two – everyone was supposed to be off book for both acts, but only one person was off book for act two and therefore it was all very rough and there’s simply no way to direct performances when people are tied to their scripts. We ran act one, and at least there was a small semblance of being off book, but it needs to be not a semblance, it needs to be firm and locked in. But at least we got through the show. And I finally have an assistant and wasn’t stuck having to run the tracks. That was a huge help. Anyway, I was very strong about getting the lines down. All but one of the musical numbers are in very good shape and the one that isn’t is simply because every time we have a day or two off, those involved seem to forget everything. It’s my favorite staging in the show, so I’m hoping we can pull it together sooner than later. After rehearsal, I came right home and ordered a sandwich, as I hadn’t really eaten since nine in the morning. That arrived quickly and was very good. Prior to all that, I only got less than five hours of sleep. I answered e-mails and texts and whatnot, then breakfasted at Hugo’s – pasta papa – after which I bought some pens at CVS – had a ten-dollar coupon so the pens cost me zero. Then I stopped at Macy’s and looked around at the clothes – lots of good sales still going on – and that at sofas. I’m going to try and sell mine and if I do, I’ll get one I liked at Macy’s. I’m asking around now to see if there’s interest. Then I came home, got the living room set up for the stumble-through, had some telephonic calls, and then our surprise singer arrived and ran their two songs, which went really well. Then Anastasia Barzee arrived and we ran her stuff, including her duet with Kerry O’Malley. Then we did the stumble-through, I gave notes, and the rest you know.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ve already printed out everything, I’ll put the remaining copies of Richard and Me in the trunk, I’ll do a quick bank run, come home, then rest my voice until it’s time to mosey on over to the club for sound check. I’ll have my usual small Caesar salad, and then we do our show. Not sure if we’ll go out after or not.

Tomorrow, we’re back rehearsing, and I think it will be a stop and start run-through. Friday, I have to do the trek to Cedars to see the eye doctor, then I’ll come right home and rest, Saturday, Cheryl Baxter is with us to finish the last thirty seconds of her number, then we can run the show, hopefully. Off Sunday and Monday, then Tuesday our costume designer will watch some of the show so he can clarify what our needs are, and I’m letting the author see it, too, rough as it may be. Wednesday, we don’t have the entire company, so that will be a drilling scenes and songs night. Then we’re off for two weeks.

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, put books in the trunk, do a bank run, come home, rest, and then do sound check and then show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be done with the two-rehearsal day.