Well, dear readers, it is now February 1962 in our Time Machine travels, a month that would really change my life. But let’s start with the movies I saw. We know about West Side Story, which I was still seeing pretty much every Saturday (that would be changing for one Saturday), and I’m pretty sure I returned to the Egyptian for King of Kings, which I saw about six times there. I saw Light in the Piazza at the Beverly – was a huge Yvette Mimieux fan. Then came a movie I loved – A View from the Bridge, at the Fine Arts several times and then at the Picfair much later. And of course, you know I had to see The Errand Boy with Jerry Lewis over at the Picwood. Loved every second of it. Second feature was Hey, Let’s Twist, and I was still trying to get the hang of it. That was pretty much it for February movies. But it wasn’t a movie that would change my life, it was a play. I finally got up the chutzpah and courage to stop looking at the theater ads and finally do something about it. So, on Saturday, February 10 I bused it to Hollywood, as always, but instead of my usual things and West Side Story, I walked down to Vine and went to the Huntington Hartford Theater to see The Tenth Man or at least that was the hope, since I had no idea what I was doing or how to do it. The matinee was at two-thirty, and I got there around eleven and went to the box office. The nice man asked if he could help and I said I would like to see the play. He asked me if it was just me and I said yes – he told me about the various one could sit, like the orchestra and balcony – well, I already hated balconies at movie theaters so that was out. I said I’d like orchestra, and he said he had an excellent single seat in the fifth row on the aisle. I asked if that was good, and he said, the best. He said you’ll always be happy if you’re anywhere from row four to ten. That was good information. I bought the ticket and he told me doors open about forty-five minutes or so before the play started. To kill time, I walked down to Wallichs Music City and discovered the cast album of The Fantasticks, that intriguing ad I’d seen over the past few months at the Ivar, which I’d found out was literally one block west of the Hartford. I took that in the listening booth and fell head over heels in love with it and bought it. I’m pretty sure I would have gone to Coffee Dan’s for my Dodger Burger and then directly to the theater at a quarter to two. I got my program and was led to my really excellent fifth row aisle seat. So close to the stage and I wondered what was behind that lovely front curtain. I knew not one thing about the play. I read the program from cover to cover, had a nice lady next to me whose perfume I still remember to this day. At two-thirty sharp, the curtain rose and the audience applauded the set, which was, much to my disbelief, the inside of a Jewish temple. And then there were all these elderly Jews making daughter-in-law jokes that had everyone, including me, howling with laughter. It was like being at my grandparents’ temple for the holidays, only funny. The play did turn serious later, but I just ate it up like candy and thought that this new world was something I wanted in my life forever. And that certainly would come to be – first in the viewing and then in the doing. To be continued.
Yesterday was kind of interesting. Can’t remember how much sleep I got, but once up, I had a telephonic conversation with Cheryl Baxter, my usual choreographer who, for many reasons, can’t do Applause, so we’re looking for someone who would be a good fit for both me and the show. Then I had conversations with several ENTs, none of whom take United Health Care because they all opted out in February, because apparently UHC is hanging on by a thread and we, the customers, and now going to be paying the price. Maybe time to look at other options? I booked two appointments – soonest was next week. Then I made an appointment at Urgent Care for one-thirty. I had orange chicken for food prior to the visit. At urgent care they took my vitals – all fine – and then checked out my ear – she said she didn’t really see any wax on the eardrum, but I know they don’t have the deeper tools that actual ENTs have. But she washed out the ear but good – about twenty squirts of water and got out all the wax and residue. It didn’t really make a difference, but it took two days even when the ENT I went to nine years ago did get out the load of gunk on my eardrum. I’m hoping that will happen here. She did say there was swelling on the eardrum, so she did a prescription for eardrops, which I picked up next door at my CVS. That tiny little bottle co-pay was 109 bucks. I came home and did the four drops, and I’ll do four more before bed. Twice a day. If this gets better, then I’ll cancel the two appointments. If not, I’ll keep one of them.
After that, I picked up a little package at the mail place, then came home. I did the four drops and instantly dozed off on the couch for two and a half hours. Once up again, I had some nutmeats for a snack, had more telephonic conversations, watched a bit of a Brit comedy series called Up Pompeii with Frankie Howerd, a really out there comedian who I used to enjoy quite a bit – he was Pseudolus in the London production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I dozed off again, set another cast member for the recording and am waiting to hear back from someone else, who I’m sure will do it. That will leave only one role to go and we have some new ideas for it.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll eat, I’ll do eardrops, and hopefully the Applause package will arrive – the address was fixed yesterday and is apparently on track for today. I’ll retrieve that, then hopefully we can finish casting the recording so that’s off my plate, Doug will be working on the release page for our new title so we can get that announced, and then at some point I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I have a phoner with the neurologist, and I’m hoping Richard Allen can come get the orchestra parts for Applause, we’ll routine the way I want to open the show, and then he can get to work. Friday, I’ve been invited to a birthday lunch with Barry Pearl, so that will be fun, and then I’m seeing a play in the evening, and hopefully we will have announced our new title by then, too.
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, eat, do eardrops, hopefully pick up the Applause package, finish casting, get or new release page ready for testing, and then watch, listen, and relax. 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, really enjoying being on the Time Machine and the importance of Paddy Chayefsky’s The Tenth Man.