Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Belated Adieu
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Love To Travel?
Reggae Rules!
End of an Era
"He didn’t seem stoned, exactly, but a lot of his humor appeared to come from that part of the brain that lesser people need drugs to activate." -- from a NYTimes Obituary
“Scratch any cynic,” he said, “and you’ll find a disappointed idealist.” -- George Carlin
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Cheers!
A Drinking Song
Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That's all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Another Guest Post... of sorts
This
Babe precast these folks and we were forced to make changes after a first listen. Her Phantom is a teenaged dancer who has no breath support, no sense of pitch and no vibrato. But he's quite handsome and does a lot of movies. Perfect, Babe. Christine, is a pudgy gnome of a middle-aged gal with graying hair and a snaggle tooth. No kidding. A fucking snaggle tooth. Our director, Dan Siretta, also sports a dental outburst which he swears he is having fixed when he returns to the states, after seeing
By the way -- Babe Tree is changing her name to B.A. Tree cuz her feng shui master said it would bring her more money. Fat chance.
The last performer to arrive at our Thursday 11 PM (!!!!) rehearsal was Willy H. -- he's a solo artist and seems to only be able to produce a vocal sound by planting his feet in a cowboy stance, bending his knees, gulping some air and letting a WAIL rip. Pitch doesn't seem to be something he's interested in replicating. He's an "event" -- his resume even says so. Luck for us, he's the one who can't seem to be at any of the rehearsals until next Wednesday which he told me during our private YELL-through of his Les Miz solo.
Babe seemed to be shocked at this news and agreed that we needed to find a back-up, but doesn't know of anyone who sings high. PERFECT!
My Producer is beside himself with worry, angst and consternation ( these are the step-children of "Faith, Hope and Charity"). He's passive aggressive, though and always seems to be putting on a good face for the client. He said that if he had his way, he would cancel our show and hire a rock band to entertain. He's not in charge, however, he's just the hired help. He's embarrassed and scared. TEEE-RI-FIC!
The director, Dan Siretta will start staging tonight (only 8 of the 12 --now 11 -- performers can come to this rehearsal). He's threatened to have them all sit as if on toilets and simply make flushing motions. (It's very Tommy Tune) He's a very funny man and has kept me in stitches with his impressions of the HK talent. That's good therapy.
I've simplified everything. Melody only. Back up vocals on the playback tape. There are three Chinese performers who have the "L" --"R" issue and I just giggle when I hear it. My name is particularly difficult for them. I've told them to call me "BIG V" -- this seems to work just fine.
Rye Whiskey
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry;
If the hard times don't kill me. I'll live till I die.
You may boast of your knowledge, and brag of your sense,
'Twill be all forgotten a hundred years hence.
Sad, but True
