August
19, 2005
Now
that the Lennon show is open and rehearsals are over with, the show
is running on its own power. Joe and Allison bid us a choked-up farewell and
flew home to Los Angeles, and Don has moved on to his next project (most likely
a TV series), as have all the designers and associates. Artie and his stage
managers run the show as the cast and band perform it. The company has settled
into a regular routine now, which no longer includes the circle gathering we've
had all along just before the house opens. It was fun and all, but the cast
prefers to have the extra prep time. Now everyone shows up for work, does their
job and leaves, just like every other show on the block. For us swings, there's
a bit of a routine as well, but it's somewhat more flexible. We'll start rehearsing
once a week beginning next Thursday, and the rest of the time is spent however
we choose, as long as we're nearby. Me, I've been breaking in my new Epiphone
Casino, courtesy of Don. It is sweet to have an electric guitar in my hands
again, never mind that it's the same model used by John, Paul and George.
Basically that's the broad scope of things around here, with a few exceptions. Thursday afternoon was a scheduled appearance outdoors in Bryant Park on 42nd St, just east of Times Square. The cast was to perform a few songs from the show along with casts from a couple of other productions. Will opted out of this gig, so I stood in for him. A stage and sound system were set up and each company got on the mics and sang to prerecorded tracks. It was officially the largest karaoke gig of my life, before about 3,000 people sitting out on the big lawn and on chairs around the perimeter, and the weather was perfect. It was a short and easy set (except for the nerves...!), but an important one. A good number of those who were undecided about coming to the show will probably turn out now. We need more gigs like this one; it'll help us through the lean months of September and October, where business dips all over the theatre district.
Out in Bloomfield, it's a pretty full house. Will and Lori are generous, hospitable folks who regularly offer their home up to friends who are in town on business and need a place to crash. One such guy, an opera singer named Branch, is staying here currently while he prepares for his latest piece over at Lincoln Center. He's a swell guy and great cook, and the kids love him. Since Will and I now have a schedule that's a bit more relaxed, our klans are quite happy to have us around again for longer than two hours a day.
I had taken my own car into town this evening, and after a couple of hours of guitar playing in my dressing room, I drove downtown to Greenwich Village and had a drink with my pals Jeffrey Osborne and Raoul Malo, whom I last saw six months ago, during my first week in the city (see 2/16). They've been touring around this area all month and it's always great when we get a chance to hang together. The only drawback is that we have performances at the same time of night, so I'll never get to catch Malo's mesmerizing set. What a voice.