Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I haven't been here for a while, mainly due to the fact that I have been in search of a brain for the past month. Yes, as mentioned previously, I was playing the 'Scarecrow' in a new production of the 'Wizard of Oz'. It was the best fun, but I am so glad it is over and I can get on with other things now.

I have suddenly realised that it is less than one month until I head over the big pond to the U.S. I am in no way organised, but have been frantically trying to learn the scores for 'Little Shop of Horrors' and 'High School Musical', the latter of which makes me vomit in my mouth every time I open it. Unfortunately we have to do what we gotta do, though, and I am sure that both productions will be great fun!

Will blog about other life things later, my friends, but for now I need to get sleep...

There's no business, like show business....

This week has been some week, folks! It would appear that I am producing around 6 shows as of September, through to June 2010; as well as writing and work-shopping my own musical. Where will I find the time? Insomnia, maybe? Is this my future? I suppose I better be careful and try to prevent myself from adopting the 'Webber look'*.

My co-writer and I met on Wednesday and managed to write some new material, which I think is going to work well. In fact, I found myself getting rather emotional at one point, which I think is always a good sign. I suppose there is a risk of becoming too attached and too emotionally involved in my writing, but then didn't all the greats?

As for 'Wizard' rehearsals, we are doing well. We open a week on Tuesday to a packed house and I am getting rather nervous about it all. I am currently nursing some massive bruises on my knees, due to falling over and over again on the same areas. I need to be more careful and look after myself - or maybe get insured? One thing's for sure... there's consistency in my performance! I'm just hoping I don't contract Swine Flu in the next week or two - that would be the pitts. Actually, don't get me started on the Swine Flu milarky... I'll NEVER shut up!

Until the next time, readers!

* Webber Look: Eyes like Dogs' bollocks.

Requiem Aeternam

Bollocks. I wrote a new song last night for 'Musical Chairs' and I was sure I had a belter of a choral number. But no, it would appear not. I tend to do this, though - create something and love it, then return to it hours later and hate it. I think I might be a bit too picky, or maybe a bit hard on myself? OR, maybe it's that I am merely a perfectionist and want to get it right. Either way, it's frustrating the hell out of me and I'm getting sick of ripping up bits of manuscript and gluing them back together!

I have been looking at/ listening to the works of other theatre composers today and it would appear that Mr. Lloyd Webber could arguably be a bit of a thief. I know, a BOLD statement to make... but I think he might have to thank Mr Puccini for a few things in his career. Having said that, 'Evita', one of his better scores, is beautifully constructed; although I can't think for the life of me why anyone would want to write anything in 10/8 time. When he wrote the opening requiem, he must have thought 'I'm going to out-smart Mr. Sondheim with this one', but alas, he failed. Sondheim works with time in a way that colours the music, whereas Webber uses it to simply be a bit of an arse, I think. A sufficient 5/4 would have done the job and then us conductors wouldn't have to go through endless treatment for Repetitive strain Injury!

Since I've mentioned it, here it is:





Now... after listening to this, try and compose something half-way decent. It's bloody hard!

Jade Goody: The Musical

Ladies and Gentlemen, a great tragedy is about to take place. It has been announced, though not formally, that a Musical is to be made based on the life and times of none other than our 'princess' Jade Goody. If this goes ahead (in the 4 month period 'they' are proposing), then I am more than certain that the creative team will be faced with endless criticism, rubbish reviews and a huge amount of debt at the end of it all. Not to mention some more rants from yours truly...

Ok, maybe I am being a big harsh and passing judgment too quickly, but seriously? Jade Goody: The Musical? Go on, say it out loud and hear for yourself how ridiculous it sounds. The thing that bothers me the most is that the people behind this abomination are not taking into account the person herself. They get off on the 'story' of it all, rather than the actual, personal events that took/ are taking place. It's the pound signs they are interested in, that's all. I feel sorry for her children and relatives having to suffer all this Bull.

I think it is great that the 'Jade story' has increased awareness of Cervical Cancer, of course, but I don't agree with the media attention behind one family's suffering. That's different. Can we not put her to rest now, please? And can we allow her family to get on with life now instead of awaiting the next book, documentary, stage show and, god forbid, film??

Maybe I am just bitter about the fact that another person is making a musical about Cancer. At least mine will be tasteful!

We're off...

I don't think I have mentioned this, but I am in 'The Wizard of Oz', which opens this summer. We ran Act One yesterday and my goodness... I need to get to a gym! Playing the Scarecrow is great fun and the rest of the cast is superb, but we are all rather unfit and need to get to a gym ASAP. I thought I wasn't too bad, but when I couldn't sing the last verse of 'If I only had a brain' due to harsh panting, I knew something was wrong!

The show is a hoot, but the dialogue really is absolutely crap! The ending is so cheesy and we can't help but break into hysterics every time we do it. The Director is getting fed up of us corpsing, though, and has made a point of saying that he needs us to take it seriously. But when faced with a line from the Lion saying 'and I got a permanent just for the occasion' and Aunty Em saying 'But first, we gotta get you into bed', while all the farm hands are crowded round her, it's impossible not to catch someone's eye and have a giggle. Maybe we are just immature... or having too much fun?

Anyway, it's going to be a great show and the kid's will love it, I'm sure. Act Two today was dire, but it will get better when we stop laughing. Feel free to come and see it...

I can do that

Good News! There has been some recent developments with 'Musical Chairs' this week, which has prompted me to get off my backside and get the ball rolling with this project again. I am in the process of getting a producer on board, but in order to do this I need to send them a recording of the opening, which is pretty much done, and a draft copy of the script - or 'book' as we say in the theatre - which is no where near completion.

I have been given a deadline of July 1st to get everything together, which I am sure can be done. However, I leave for the U.S on the 16th of June, so really I have until then to push forward and get on with things. A workshop date has been set and I am trying to get as big a cast as possible to get the right sound I am looking for. There has been huge interest, so that's at least a start.

Now... I better get writing the flipping book. Can I do it? Sure!

Children will Listen

I am currently working with some teenagers on a project centered around some of Stephen Sondheim's work - Sweeney Todd in particular. It's heavy stuff to tackle with a group of teenagers and although some of them appear to be taking it all in their stride and enjoying themselves, others look at me as though the only thing left to do is dribble down the sides of their faces. It's all rather frustrating because they knew what they were in for (as did their parents, for that matter) and knew that the material we would be working with would require some amount of 'brain power'.

Doing these workshops has certainly confirmed to me that I could never go into teaching in a secondary school, or in any school for that matter. There is nothing worse than sweating with enthusiasm for the thing you are talking about, getting more and more excited about the potential of the group you are working with, when someone fires their hand in the air and proudly asks "When's Lunch?" This happened to me today and I could have floored the child, but resisted and gave her a wide-eyed look that probably killed any appetite that she had previously had.

I used to be quite a good 'teacher' or 'facilitator', but I think I have lost my touch. Sometimes, though, I can't help but think that young people are generally uninterested in most things these days and prefer the easy route. I wasn't really like that as a teenager, at least I don't think I was. I was always up for learning new things and enjoyed new challenges that stretched the brain a little. Maybe I'm a different breed... but it's frustrating nonetheless.

It's been a strange day all around. On the up side, I picked up a Saxophone for the first time today and managed to work it all out. In fact, I think playing it has cured my numb bottom lip because it hasn't stopped tingling all day. The docs told me I would never get the feeling back, so this is surely a good sign. It would appear that music saves the day again.