Tom, Dick, and Harry

Hey readers, it's been a while.  Sorry about that.

New show opened at the theatre last week, Tom Dick and Harry by Ray and Michael Cooney.  It's a British comedy, almost a farce but not quite.  Not too many slamming doors, nobody running around in their underwear.  It's a funny show though.



But like a farce, there's not a lot for me to do.  Lights up at the beginning, down at intermission, up again for Act 2, down for the end, and up again for the curtain call.  No lighting effects, just up and down.

Even the sound is pretty easy.  A couple of sound effects, and music.  Since there are no scene breaks not a lot of music, just preshow, intermission, curtain call and exit really.

The sound effects consist of someone falling out a window and crashing into galvanized garbage cans, twice.  I thought it might be difficult to find the sound of galvanized garbage cans falling and/or getting crashed into but it was surprisingly easy.  I got six or so good ones, then mixed them together with some breaking glass and made two different effects so they don't sound the same.  I even added a cat in one of them for a little comedy effect.  Now, if the actors would only quit talking over the sound, the audience might laugh.

There is also a cordless phone ringing twice in the show.  If it's an old fashioned corded phone we can wire it up to make it ring, but apparently not a cordless.  So it's a sound effect, coming through the speakers.  I have a standard one that I always use, and I'm using it again.

As well, there is a part where someone gets hit over the head with a metal tray.  And the director didn't ask but it looked pretty fake, as the actors are not actually hitting each other.  So I added the sound effect of a Chinese gong.  I pay close attention at that part and hit the gong sound just as the tray comes closest to his head, and it looks and sounds great.

For the music I went with all British Invasion stuff, even though it's a little rockier than what I usually do.  Oh well, in three weeks I'll be changing a lot of it anyway.

Christmas is coming, and I'll have to add some holiday songs in there I guess.  The boss has told me in previous years that I can put the Christmas music in from the beginning--late October/early November is not too early for Christmas music.  I disagree though--even though it's more work for me I'm happy to change the music the first week of December.  That's plenty early enough.

Next show is Boeing Boeing at the end of January.  I'm not sure what that involves as I've never seen the play.  I have seen the movie, starring Jerry Lewis, but that's not much of an indication.

No concerts in my future so I'm not sure if I'll have anything to talk about until January.  So, happy holidays if I don't, and see you in the new year!

Just a quick update...

I really don't have very much to write about.  Most concerts, for me, happen in the summer, as I'm free for a little over a month in early July to mid-August.  After that I am only able to go to concerts that happen on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesdays.  I can do a Sunday night, as long as it's not too far away.  And most shows seem to happen on the weekend.

I haven't seen anyone since the Rascals.  I am going to see John Cleese (from Monty Python) later this month, and I'll let you know how that went.  That's the only thing on the agenda right now.

In "Last Chance Romance" everything is going along very well.  I'm getting lots of positive feedback about my music and sound effects, and the producer and director didn't change a thing from how I originally set it up.  It happens, but it's rare that, especially the producer at our theatre, doesn't have a few suggestions for me, and I'll usually go along with it (he's the boss) unless it's a stupid idea (which it sometimes is).  I swear, he comes up with songs that have absolutely nothing to do with anything, except that he heard it on the radio this morning and, wouldn't it be great in a show?

I wound up using the restaurant background sounds and the birds in the park scene after all.  I mean, once the scene begins I don't really have a lot to do until the next scene change so, why not?

In other news, Nikki Yanofsky announced her new album (Little Secrets) will be released this week.  Considering it's been three years since her last album, I am quite anxious to hear it.  The single was released this week, in Canada, on iTunes, at a special price of $0.69 so I bought it and have listened to it a few times.  The song is called Something New, and it really rocks!  Jazz-influenced, certainly, but rock and roll.  Anyway, maybe I'll write a review after I've listened to it a few times.  Be on the edge of your seat for that!

Michael

The Rascals in Toronto

Last night my wife and I saw the Rascals in concert at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto.  My daughter had a ticket but she decided not to come.  I guess, in fairness to her, these are old men that she's never really heard of (I'm sure she'd recognize some of their hits), it's loud, it's crowded, and she just got home from a trip to Montreal.  So, for a hundred bucks, my wife had a place to put her purse.

The seats were great.  We were in the fifth row, on the floor.  The Royal Alex is not very deep, but it has two balconies, the highest is right up there in the sky.  Not the best seats for a concert, or a play, or anything really.  You're pretty much looking at the tops of heads from up there.  But fifth row, on the floor is great!

So first, a little history:  the Rascals split up in the early 70's after about ten years of making music together.  They had a lot of hits in that time, including one of the first singles I ever bought, "It's a Beautiful Morning".  They reunited, for one night only, in 1997 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Their biggest fan, Steven Van Zandt (from Bruce Springsteen's band, and the Sopranos) inducted them, and in that time got the idea for the show.  He apparently wrote many scripts and, finally, got the Rascal's approval and the rest is history.

In the front hallway of the theatre there was a merchandise table like any rock show.  Prices were crazy high, just like any rock show as well.  I bought a double-sided t-shirt for $35--single sided ones were going for $30.  Books (looked liked they were made specifically for the show) were $75, unless you wanted an autographed copy, then it was $130.  CD's were the same thing--a Rascals' greatest hits CD was going for $15 (you can get it anywhere for less than $10) or autographed for $35.  Ridiculously big lapel buttons were going for $5 but that would be a souvenir only, unless you are a clown named "Rascals".  They were also selling posters, signed or unsigned.

The show opened with the projection of a little girl sitting in a field singing the title song, "Once Upon a Dream".  The curtain lifted and there was the band, going right into "It's Wonderful", one of their minor hits.  In the first few minutes they performed "Lonely Too Long" and "You Better Run" along with a few covers, "Mickey's Monkey", "Slow Down" and "Too Many Fish".

The Rascals at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto, 16 August 2013

Almost the entire wall behind them was a huge video screen.  Their story was told on the screen between songs, mostly through scripted interviews with the Rascals themselves.  There were also actors portraying the younger versions of the guys.  I didn't think that worked as well.  I would have liked more vintage footage of the band in their heyday.  They apparently appeared on the Ed Sullivan show (Ed introduces them at the top of the show as "The Young Rascals") and the video footage of that would have been great.  If Steven Van Zandt wants some advice from me (I'm sure he's holding his breath for that!) I would have had more video before the show.  Have the curtain go up on the video screen and run lots of biographical stuff, and actual TV appearances and such BEFORE the band comes on stage.  Fewer interruptions during the Rascals' performance, and the same after the intermission advancing the story to their fame.  I think that might have run better.  I'm not saying no interruptions during the show, but less of them.

Gene Cornish and Eddie Brigati

Felix Cavaliere is definitely the coolest guy in the room.  As a matter of fact, he would be the coolest guy in just about any room he's in, and that's saying a lot when you have Steven Van Zandt in the room.  He hasn't lost a thing in forty years.  The other guys still got it too, but I get the feeling that Felix was always the coolest guy in the band.  In the show the other guys all thank him for getting them to do original material, otherwise they would have been one of the best cover bands forever.  Eddie Brigati still plays the tambourine and maracas and dances around the stage, Gene Cornish (born in Ottawa) is still great on guitar, and Dino Danelli is still fine on drums.  He apparently was very flashy in the old days, sticks flying and such, but a little tamer in his old age.

Coolest guy in the room, Felix Cavaliere

They managed to do all their hits in the 28 song show except one, "Mustang Sally".  They didn't write it, and Wilson Pickett had the bigger hit, but I still consider it a Rascals song.  Anyway, all their other hits were included--"People Got to Be Free", "Groovin'", "Good Lovin'", "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore", "It's a Beautiful Morning" and "A Girl Like You".  Highest marks go to Eddie Brigati for his rendition of "How Can I Be Sure" which earned him a standing ovation in the middle of Act 2.

My wife commented after the show that more could have been done with the huge video screen during the songs.  There were images, but a lot of them were very cartoony, and looped a lot.  It looked best when they had the pulsating bubbles in liquid like you saw a million times back in the sixties.  During "Good Lovin'" they had some lyrics coming up (Doctor, Good Lovin') and such.  Towards the end of the show giant red letters were projected simply saying "Rascals".  But my wife thought they could have done a better job with vintage clips and images, and I can't argue with her.

Even though it says all over the programme "no photographs, videos, cell phones" there was an announcement at the top of the show telling us to take pictures, tweet them, do whatever the f*** we want to.  So I took lots of pictures, and they turned out pretty well.  At the intermission we were told to buy a t-shirt, take a piss, whatever.  Very Jersey-like.  Big Pussy (Vinny Pastore, also from the Sopranos) played Fat Frankie, and did the narration on the video screen.  I could have used a little more of him too--every time he talked or appeared everyone seemed to enjoy it.

There was an encore, but no one ever left the stage.  After introducing everyone Felix just said, "You want one more?" and of course we did.

Dino Danelli bowing to producer, director and writer Steven Van Zandt, centre.

There were two extra musicians, just off stage, a bass player and another keyboard player (I assume for the strings and horn sounds).  There were three background singers, two female and one male.

The Rascals have already played New York, Boston and now Toronto.  They are moving next to California to play LA and San Francisco.  I assume more will be added as time goes on.

I heard the show described as Jersey Boys with the actual group instead of actors.  That's not a terrible description, I guess, but really, this was more of a concert than a Broadway show.  Not that that's a bad thing mind you, just so you know what you're getting.  It is almost as loud as a concert tends to be, and nothing happens on stage other than the Rascals in concert.  Anything else is on the video screen.  This show could just as easily been done at Massey Hall or the General Motors Centre in Oshawa for that matter.

But I had a good time, and it was nice to see an original group from the 60's, all members alive and well, and still able to put on a rocking great show.

Michael

Last Chance Romance, and apology

Well first, the apology.

If you read my concert reviews I have to apologize for the last one, about Emilie-Claire Barlow.  My review sucked.  I enjoyed the concert, I love Emilie and she is a great performer, but I waited too long to write the review.  I had forgotten what songs she performed, and lots of other little details.  I even made a comment in the review how, if I were a real reviewer I would have the names of the musicians, and that's no excuse.  Tomorrow night I am seeing the Rascals and I promise I will write the review on Saturday.  I may not have it up right away but, believe me, I will write the majority of it while it's still fresh in my mind.  So sorry readers, and, particularly to Emilie-Claire, if she should ever read this.

Another excuse for a photo of Emilie from Picton in 2012

Okay, on to the next play, "Last Chance Romance" by Sam Bobrick, which opens next week.  It seems like a funny play--a lonely, shy guy takes a year to build up the courage to call a woman whose Mothers met on a bus, and ask her out.  Unfortunately she turns out to be a looney, along with the rest of her family.  Eight roles, played by four actors (in our production, anyway).

Only sound effects called for are the digital phone calls.  Two different phones with distinctly different rings, from opposite sides of the stage.  Piece of cake.  As well, there's a park scene.  I haven't been, but I may be asked to put in some bird sounds here.  And a couple of restaurant scenes, in which I may get asked to do restaurant background sounds.  No problem if I'm asked, as I've done both before.  I'm not sure how necessary either sound is, so I'm not offering.  But if the director asks, I'll be ready.

As for music, it's modern day so anything goes.  I decided to do mostly romantic music, as the title suggests, even though the actual play is anything but after the first scene.  There are eight scenes in Act 1, and four scenes in Act 2, so I need lots of music.

The preshow and intermission are the main places I need music.  I went with my usual light jazz and oldies, and threw in lots of my favourites:  Nikki Yanofsky, Susie Arioli, Barbra Lica, Emilie-Claire Barlow and Alex Pangman, as well as oldies such as Frank Sinatra, Huey Lewis and Stevie Wonder.

I'm opening the show with "Love is Blue" by Paul Muriat.  Mostly because nothing else really came to mind.  Nothing has happened yet, the audience has no idea what the play is really about, and that's good, generic romantic music.  The other songs I'm using, in order are: "Possibilities" by Freddie Stroma, "I Got You" by James Brown, "Love to Love You" by Donna Summer, "Taking Care of Business" by BTO, "I Need You" by the Beatles, "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, "Walk Like a Man" by the Four Seasons (there's some stuff about Jersey Boys in the show), "Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups, "How Can I Be Sure" by the Rascals at the top of Act 2, "Run For Your Life" by the Beatles, "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Who Loves You" by the Four Seasons, and "Hey Good Lookin'" by Hank Williams for the curtain call.  Exit music is "Love Will Keep Us Together" by the Captain and Tenille.

That's it.  Technical rehearsals all next week, and there'll probably be some minor changes.  Come check it out, if you can.

Until next time, 

Michael

Emilie-Claire Barlow in Huntsville

I'll forgive you if you think I spend my entire summer chasing young, female jazz singers around.  It has been an easy task this summer.

First of all, I love female jazz singers.  Male jazz singers are fine also but there don't seem as many of them these days.  If Michael Buble comes, it's a big deal, expensive tickets, and a big theatre or auditorium.  Matt Dusk would be a little better, but there always seems to be a problem when he comes, I'm working that night for example.  But summers are good, and I don't mind traveling a bit for something to do on a nice weekend.

This is the second year in a row we have gone to Huntsville for their annual Jazz Festival.  Last year the headliner was Nikki Yanofsky, this year it was Emilie-Claire Barlow.  These two ladies are pretty much tied for my favourite singer, so it was good to see both of them at the festival.  And, in two separate years, so no overnight accommodation was even required.

It was a beautiful day for a drive to Huntsville.  We needed the air conditioner for the drive up, but just barely.  The traffic was fine, except for a little slowdown around Brechin which messed things up all the way down to the Hwy 48 turnoff.  But generally, a lot better than last years' drive.  We arrived at dinner time and made our way to Crabby Joe's.  This is a small chain restaurant, in case you haven't heard of them, with pretty good prices.  The three of us had two appetizers, my wife had a beer, my daughter and I each had a soft drink, and three main courses, and the bill was only in the $60 neighbourhood.  We killed a couple of hours there, then made our way downtown.

We parked on the street, right outside the theatre.  If we had been any closer we'd have been parked in the lobby.  Man, I love little towns.  Wendy sat outside the theatre while Victoria and I walked down to the park near the water to have a game of checkers.

Last year there was a bag of checker pieces in a bag near the permanent, carved rock checkerboard.  I guess they blew away in the wind, or some clown stole them so we had a board with no pieces.  We didn't have enough coins to play (dimes vs. quarters) but fortunately Victoria had a checker game on her smart phone.  As silly as it was, we placed the phone on top of the checkerboard and played that way.  Oh yeah, she creamed me.

Then on to the concert.  We were in the fourth row, dead centre.  The theatre was not full, but pretty close.  I don't think there was anybody in the balcony.  Emilie came out right at eight, as scheduled.  She had only five pieces with her this year--piano, drums, bass, guitar, and saxaphone.  Last year in Picton she had two other horn players, a trombone and a flute.  One of them changed to a trumpet occasionally, if I recall.

The Algonquin Theatre in Huntsville is a beautiful place for a concert.  Four hundred and eight seats, including the balcony.  Nice, generous, comfortable seats in a pretty intimate space.  But--no cameras allowed.  Last year I managed to sneak a few photos during the Nikki Yanofsky concert.  Because the theatre is so small my few photos turned out pretty good.  But this year, still embarrassed by Molly Ringwald, my wife asked me, after the announcement that photos were strictly prohibited, to please put away my camera, so I did.  Too bad though--from the second row (explanation later) I could have taken some amazing photos, especially during the encore.  What are they going to do, throw me out?

From last year's show in Picton.

Emilie-Claire Barlow with Reg Schwager on guitar in Picton, 2012.

I was concerned that the concert would be more French than English, as she is touring to support her most recent CD, Seule de soir, which is entirely in French.  But she sang mostly from her previous CD, The Beat Goes On recognizing, I suppose, the mostly English-speaking audience.  It was pretty similar to her last years' show in Picton.

There was a short intermission.  During this time we moved from the fourth row to the second row which, for some reason, was almost empty.  Not so much because it was closer, but for the extra space.  And, we were nearer to the stage too, which is a good thing.

She sang more French songs in the second half.  I don't think anyone minded--most Canadians are okay with French, even though most of us couldn't hold a conversation in French to save our lives.  But it is familiar and a lot of Emilie's best songs are in French so, no problem.  She still did some English songs throughout.

Last year Emilie had Reg Schwager playing guitar for her.  He's an excellent musician and it was great.  She had someone else this year, a name I didn't recognize but he was okay.  Not that he was bad, he just didn't impress me the way Reg did last year.  Guitar is very important to Emilie's songs, as it is to Susie Arioli, so it is important to have a great guitar player.  The bass player was excellent, however--Emilie said they went to high school together and were in her first band together.  She wouldn't tell us the name of the band, as it would be too embarrassing apparently.  One of the stand-out songs of the concert was the duet that Emilie and the bass player did together.

Emilie-Claire Barlow and me, after the show.

Anyway, if I were a real reporter I would have a song list and know the names of all the musicians, but I don't have either.  Let's just say we had a good time, Emilie is a great singer, the show was just under two hours, and Huntsville is a beautiful town.  There was a little rain at first on the drive home, but nothing to worry about.

I look forward to her next concert that I can attend, probably next summer.  She IS doing a show at the Wintergarden Theatre this Fall that I would love to go to, but it is on a Saturday night, so I'll be working.  But if you're in the Toronto area and can go, do so!

Barbra Lica in Ancaster

You've probably never heard of Barbra Lica.  A month ago I hadn't either.

Three weeks ago, on a Saturday morning, I was driving and happened to be on the Jazz station when they played a nice version of "Young At Heart", the old Frank Sinatra hit.  I didn't recognize the singer, but I waited for the DJ to announce it.  He said the name, but because I had never heard of her it went right out of my head.  When I got home I checked the radio station's website to see if they listed the songs they played.

Sure enough, there it was.  Young at Heart, by Barbra Lica.  So I checked out her website, and listened to a few more samples of her work, and liked what I heard.  There was a link to a record company, and you could order her CD for $20.

At first thought that was a little pricey for someone I had never heard of, but it was just twenty, including tax, shipping and everything so I ordered one.

I saw on her website that she was one of Peter Appleyard's Sophisticated Ladies.  I checked my album and found that I already had a track by her, "Satin Doll".

Six days later, when the CD appeared in my mailbox I had totally forgotten about it.  But I was just on my way out so I took it with me and listened to it in the car.

I quite enjoyed it, even more than I had expected.  When it finished I let it play again.

Barbra herself wrote six songs on the thirteen song CD, most with Colin Story, and one, in the running for best song on the CD, by herself (That's What I Do, the title song).  And the songs she covers are not the same old, Great American Songbook songs.

She does a nice version of "Vienna", the Billy Joel song.  If it was not for Christian Borle's version in Smash! (the TV series) I would have never heard the song by anyone other than Billy Joel.  But considering Barbra's CD has been out for a year, I guess she did it first so I'll give her credit for that.  She also does "Quiet Nights", "P.S. I Love You" (not the Beatles' song, the Johnny Mercer/Gordon Jenkins one), "But Not For Me", a surprisingly nice and different version of "You Are My Sunshine", and "Pretend".  And of course, the aforementioned "Young At Heart".

I looked at her website again and discovered she was scheduled to play a free concert at Fieldcote in Ancaster in a couple of weeks.  I had nothing on the agenda for that day and I thought just maybe I'd go.

I couldn't convince my wife or daughter to go with me.  If it was a little closer, then probably but neither seemed sufficiently interested so when the day came I went by myself.  I left about three, knowing that traffic could be a little busy on summer weekends.  Well, no problems this time.  I had allowed myself plenty of time for supper first, and made my way to the Hamilton Hooters first.

You've probably read my earlier post about the Whitby Hooters closing down, so you already know that I love Hooters.  It was nice going again but, just like the Downtown Toronto Hooters, it wasn't the same.  The food was great, but the girls didn't know me, and pretty much ignored me except for the usual waitress things.  Anyway, I sat there for more than an hour, drinking Diet Pepsi and using their free internet.  Just before six I left for Fieldcote.

Good thing I did.  There were already quite a few people there.  Not so much for Barbra, but just for a free concert, from what I could tell.  No one around me seemed to have any idea what they were about to hear, from the comments around me.  "I hope she's not an opera singer" was among the things I heard.  Fieldcote seems like a nice place, but it had been hit hard by a storm a few days earlier.  Lots of old trees were down.

First the band came out and did an instrumental.  Four pieces--drums, bass, piano, and a horn player who switched, mostly between a saxophone and a flute.  Then Barbra was introduced.  Except for a couple of pictures this was the first time I saw her.  She's a tiny thing, but was wearing four-inch heels so she looked about the regular size.  Very pretty, and very blonde.  It was hard to take pictures, as she was too easy to over-expose.  But I took lots and many of them came out very well, especially later in the evening as the sun began to go down.  Her legs are very muscular, and she mentioned that she's a runner, in training for a marathon.

She did a ninety minute show so she sang a lot more than what is on her one and only album.  She talked quite a bit between songs, possibly because most of the audience didn't really know her or her music.  She pointed out her father who was there to videotape the show for "the YouTube", as she called it.  I also "videotaped" three of the songs with my Blackberry Playbook, with surprisingly good quality.  Being outdoors, and not being too loud helped I think.

At the end of the show she went over to the side where they were selling her CD and signing it for people. She wrote on mine "To Michael--U rawk my sox!" which made my wife ask what on earth she meant by that.  I admitted that I really had no idea, but she was writing weird and unusual things on everybody's CDs.  I showed Barbra my camera and said I'd love to get a picture with her, but I didn't have my usual photographer with me (my daughter).  She said, no problem and handed the camera to the woman selling her CDs, and she took the picture below.

Anyway, Barbra Lica (Lee-ka, not Like-ah) is a cutie and a very talented singer.  Check her out if she plays anywhere near you, and buy her CD.  You won't be disappointed if you like this kind of music at all!

Michael

Molly Ringwald at Hugh's Room

So, Molly Ringwald is a jazz singer now.  Okay, she has apparently been a jazz singer since she was three-years-old, but she has finally (at age 45) put out an album, "Except Sometimes".  And she came to perform, to Hugh's Room in Toronto for the last two nights.

I decided at the last minute to attend the second show.  There was a script reading for the next show at Herongate that I should have attended the same night but really, how often do you get a chance to see Molly Ringwald in a small, intimate club?  So I called Hugh's Room yesterday morning and made a reservation for two.  I couldn't convince my daughter to come.  She's usually good with concerts but she wasn't impressed with Molly's status as a "movie star" and had never heard her music.

If you want to Google Monday, July 8 2013 and Toronto I'm sure you'll see some lovely pictures.  Apparently the most rainfall in a single day, more than Hurricane Hazel in 1954.  Go Trains were stopped, the subways and highways flooded, power outages everywhere.  Yet there was just a light rain here in Whitby.  So my wife and I headed right into the heart of this madness to see Molly.

It took us two and a half hours to get to the club.  Normally it would have taken, maybe forty-five minutes, depending on traffic.  Start time for the concert was supposed to be 8:30, and we arrived about 9:15.  Fortunately for us, she was a little late starting, so we only missed a little bit.

I'm guessing here--I didn't actually count, but Hugh's room can maybe hold two hundred people, packed to the rafters.  I don't think there were more than about one hundred there, but I wonder how much the weather can be blamed for that.  My wife and I appeared to be the last to arrive so we were seated as far from the stage as possible, but it's not a huge room, and half full/empty, so that was okay.

I had my CD with me, hoping to get it autographed.  When it turned out that Molly didn't have her box of CDs due to the weather my wife took mine and brought it up to the stage.  Molly was very grateful that she could hold it up to show the audience, none of whom seemed to have one with them.  She kept the CD on stage with her until the end of the concert and held it up a few more times, and referred to it a couple of times to say what track number the particular song was on the CD.  That was pretty cool.

Two marriages, three children, and forty-five years on the planet certainly have not taken away any beauty from Ms Ringwald.  She's every bit as cute as she was in Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink and Sixteen Candles.  And she CAN sing, no doubt about it.

She performed with a trio (piano, bass and drums) and sang most of the selections on her new album, as well as other songs that fit into the "Great American Songbook" mould.  She didn't take a break (due to the late start she said), and did the encore as the second-last song (a nice rendition of "On the Street Where You Live") and finished with her tribute to John Hughes, "Don't You Forget About Me", from the Breakfast Club.

Oh, and she scolded me!  I was taking pictures, as I always do, and she asked me to stop.  She said the little red light (the autofocus) was annoying her.  MOLLY RINGWALD told ME to stop taking pictures of her.  I feel like a paparazzi now.  So I did.  And it was three-quarters of the way through the show so I had taken plenty already.  Unfortunately, due to very low lighting only a few turned out okay.  I would have needed to use my flash to get really good pictures.  Imagine how much THAT would have annoyed her...

I don't know what to make of Molly's voice.  I've loved her for years, and I would love to love her voice too.  She's a really good singer, as I said, but there's something about her voice that she'll never be my favourite.  I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it's there.  Technically great, but lacking, I don't know, warmth?  Maybe when I get more used to it I'll like her more but right now she's not among my favourite singers.  I sincerely wish it were otherwise.  I know it's just a personal taste thing so you may disagree.  I hope you do.

At the end of the show she came out to sign albums.  At least she would have if she had had any albums to sell and sign.  She signed mine, and when I told her it was the one she was holding up throughout the show she remembered my wife's name.  For everyone else she signed posters, if they ordered one of her CDs which she promised would be mailed out soon.

She would not sign anything else.  There were young people in line with pictures and DVDs but she told them, nicely, that she was only signing the CD.  She told them they could order the CD and she'd sign that, but a lot of these kids seemed to leave disappointed.  I guess if she had made an exception for them, she would get nothing but DVDs and crap at every show, but I really felt bad for the kids.  I think Molly did give some of them a poster, which you were only supposed to get if you ordered the CD so she might have felt a little bad as well.

I had a 1986 Time magazine with her on the cover that I had hoped to get signed.  When I saw her refusing to sign memorabilia I didn't even take it out--at least I had the CD and my wife managed to grab the poster from the stage that she had been holding up during the show.  She also signed that for me.  I didn't even dare asking her if she would pose with me, and no one else seemed to be asking her either.

She did chat a lot during the show, told little stories and such.  And the show was a decent length (probably an hour and a half after we got there).  And, as tickets were only $35 we didn't feel cheated, or feel like why did we drive for two-and-a-half hours for this?  So I guess all ended well.  I enjoyed the show, and I'm glad I braved the weather to get there.  My wife also seemed to enjoy it and that's all that really matters, right?

And the drive home was amazingly fast!  Police had been asking everyone to stay home all night, and it worked.  We made it home to Whitby in record time!

Michael

Nikki Yanofsky at Koerner Hall

So, as long as I have this blog about music I might as well review the concerts I go to.  Depending on who's in town, and where, and how much tickets cost, I seem to get to four or five shows in an average year.  Usually one or two at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa.  Now that's a great place for concerts--it's big enough for the big shows, and far enough away from Toronto so that many artists can play there as well as Toronto.  Yet it's small enough to be way more intimate than the Air Canada Centre or the SkyDome (sorry, Rogers Centre).  Massey Hall in TO is great, as is Roy Thompson Hall.  And the one I just went to for the first time, Koerner Hall on Bloor Street, right next door to the Royal Ontario Museum, is a fantastic place for a concert.

As part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Nikki Yanofsky played at Koerner Hall on Tuesday, June 25th, 2013.  As you may know, if you know me or if you follow my blog, Nikki is one of my favourite singers.  Thank goodness the concert was on a Tuesday night so it was no problem attending (no show for me on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesdays).  And, even though I've seen her three times before, I would have hated to miss this one.  This is Nikki's "Little Secret" tour, previewing her upcoming, long-awaited album.

Previously Nikki sang from the "Great American Songbook", songs that Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald would have done in their day.  She had a few original songs, and did some newer songs as well, but that was secondary to "Take the 'A' Train", "I've Got Rhythm", and "On the Sunny Side of the Street", for example.  Well, things have turned around now.

She has a new, eight piece, funky band behind her--guitar, bass, drums, two keyboardists, trumpet, trombone and saxophone.  A very young band, though very good, professional musicians.  They sound like they could be backing up Stevie Wonder.

That seems to be Nikki's new direction, based on the album preview.  She is now being co-managed by Quincy Jones, and her style seems to be leaning more towards bluesy, funky jazz instead of the traditional vocal jazz we are used to hearing from her.

Because Nikki is only nineteen, I think it will work.  I hope she has a big hit or two from this album and gets a whole new audience.  It would be nice to see more young people at her shows, instead of all the grey heads she usually sees when looking out.  And if it's not a big hit, again she is only nineteen, and has plenty of time to fine-tune and change.

She performed twenty songs, plus one encore.  Although we stayed and cheered for more she just came out and waved, then the lights came up.  I assume she and her band had nothing else rehearsed.  Personally I would have loved her to sing "Ain't No Way" again, a standout track from (I hope) the upcoming album.  It was so good that the audience spontaneously began to applaud half-way through the song.

If I had gone to see the Rolling Stones and they did seventy percent new material I would be very upset.  But it's been three years since her last album ("Nikki") came out and I was very happy to hear her new material.  I'm not sure I would feel the same way though, if I hadn't seen her sing live three times before.  I did hear a few (just a few) grumbles from the older members of the audience.  She did do some old songs--"Airmail Special", "Let the Good Times Roll" (the Louis Jordan/Ray Charles song), "Jeepers Creepers" (a little funkified), "Relax Max", "Witchcraft", her own song from her last album "Bienvenue dans ma vie", and her best-known  song, the 2010 Olympic anthem, "I Believe".

Nikki is also quite proficient as a songwriter.  Some of the best material from her last album were co-written by her, including the aforementioned "Bienvenue dans ma vie", and "Cool My Heels".  She didn't specify which, if any, of her new songs were written by her, but I would assume many, if not all, were.  I guess we'll find out when the album comes out,  possibly in October.

At the end of the show she came out to the lobby and met anyone who wanted to meet her.  She autographed the photo of us from last summer's show in Huntsville, and posed for a new photo that she'll autograph next time I see her.  Soon, I hope.

We had fantastic seats for the concert, practically sitting on the stage.  Unfortunately though, right near a stack of speakers, and this show was LOUD.  Usually we bring ear protection for rock concerts, but never find it necessary for jazz shows.  But because of the funky, eight-piece band, and our proximity to the speakers, my wife and daughter found the sound level very uncomfortable.  I didn't have as much of a problem, probably because I am older and have some hearing loss to begin with.  And I'll admit, I didn't hear anyone else complaining so it was probably just us.

I have a feeling that there is a lost Nikki Yanofsky album out there.  In the three years since her last album she has done a lot of recording, in London, New York, and at home.  And, since her association with Quincy Jones, in Los Angeles.  I suspect that she recorded a bunch of tracks for an album more similar to her previous album, "Nikki".  These tracks may never be released to the public, now that her direction has changed.  I have no real idea, I'm just guessing.  But if there are any tracks that they are not going to use, it would be nice to find them for free on her website, or for a price on iTunes.  Just a suggestion to Nikki and her management team...

Anyway, if Nikki comes to your area, try to see her.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.  She is a terrific young talent, with a long career ahead of her.  She deserves every bit of fame and fortune she receives, and I'm sure will be considered the equal of Gordon Lightfoot or Joni Mitchell someday.  I hope I'll be around to see a lot of it.

Michael

Passing Our Musical Heritage to Our Children

It's interesting that my daughter will occasionally hear an older song on the radio like, let's say, "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry and say something like, wow, that's an old song, I haven't heard it in ages.  And to me, that's still a new song.  I guess that's because I still mostly listen to the Beatles and Chuck Berry and that sort of thing.  And my daughter is not terribly interested in my sort of music.  I guess I was not different when I was a child.

My Dad loved country.  As a matter of fact, he took me to my first real concert, Johnny Cash.  This was around the time of "Orange Blossom Special", before his TV show.  I don't remember too much about the concert, but I remember seeing Mr Cash again, thirty-ish years later, with my wife.  My Dad also loved Willie Nelson and Buck Owens, a couple of my favourite artists these days.  My Dad had some pretty eclectic taste in music as well, enjoying Dixieland Jazz, James Last, Boney M (yeah, I still have trouble figuring out that one), and lots of others.

My Mom loved Gordon Lightfoot.  My Mom and I met him last year at a CD signing when he put out his Live CD.  He's another of my favourite singers today.  Mom's tastes were a little more folksy, listening to John Denver, Bobby Goldsboro and things like that.

So what have I been exposing my own 15-year-old daughter to?  Well, I listen to the radio constantly.  She, along with her Mother are more TV watchers.  They'll just turn on the TV and find something to watch.  I don't usually turn on the TV unless there is something that I know is on, and I'm interested in watching it.  I tend to listen to the radio, mostly the oldies stations which, in this area, are CKDO and Q107.

And I try to take her to concerts, as many as possible considering the high ticket prices these days.  She's been to see Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Glen Campbell, and Paul McCartney.  Some real legends there that I hope she remembers fondly in the future.  The Rascals are coming this summer, and I'm sure we'll be there!

Am I trying to change her music preferences?  Is there anything wrong with her listening to today's hits on Virgin Radio?

Of course not.  She SHOULD be listening to today's hits, the same as I did when I was a kid.  She's excited by new releases by her favourite artists, same as I was.  But I think it's important to expose her to the whole world, and history of music that's out there.

Stop and think about how great recorded music is.  We are still able to listen to artists long dead, and appreciate what they gave to the world.  Glenn Miller, gone almost 70 years, still leaps off the turntable, or C D player, or however else you choose to listen to his greatest hits.  Elvis died when I was 22, John Lennon when I was 25, yet their music lives on, and sounds better today than when they were alive.

When I was in my late teens I rediscovered the music of the 50's.  Radio certainly wasn't playing much Buddy Holly or Bill Haley in the early 70's and I really didn't know the music that was really popular just 15 years earlier.  But thank you to K-Tel for putting out some oldies albums celebrating the music of the previous generation.

Sure, K-Tel records were pretty bad.  They crammed 25 songs onto a single album, losing most of the fidelity and all the bass.  Pretty much like listening to the music on a little transistor radio.  And, even though most of these songs are two-and-a-half minutes long, K-Tel often cut out a verse, or faded them out early to save even more space.  But it got me reintroduced to the songs, and I sought out better albums of my favourites.

My daughter has heard the songs of my favourite artists all her life.  She doesn't always know who is who, but she knows the songs, and that's enough for now.  In the future she may seek these songs out, or she may not.  It certainly is easier these days than it was in my day.

I've also taken her to some younger artists that she'll be able to see long after I'm gone.  I took her to see Emilie-Claire Barlow and, three times, to Nikki Yanofsky.  In a couple of weeks we'll be seeing her again.  Since Nikki is only a few years older than my daughter maybe she'll be taking HER future children to see Nikki as well.

I know my daughter has a few interesting musical pieces on her iPod.  Quite a few Beatles songs, and some individual songs by Kenny Loggins, Jefferson Airplane, and Bonnie Tyler, among others.

I'd just like to think that, when I'm really old, and after I'm gone, she'll truly appreciate music.  If she still just listens to the day's hits, well, that's fine too.  But I hope she can rock out to "Bohemian Rhapsody" every once in a while too.

Michael

Who Maid Who -- Update

I changed my mind during the tech rehearsal week.  The music which I had put together earlier, and never used, just sounded too dated for this play, Who Maid Who.  It was a lot of 40's music, which really had no reason to be the soundtrack for this play.  So I redid it.

Now it's a lot of more modern stuff, mostly easy-listening and soft jazz vocalists.  I don't go back any further than the 60's, and then just stuff that fits into the mould.  Ella Fitzgerald and Johnny Cash are the vintage ones.  Pretty much everything else is from the last fifteen years or so.

The producer, after I had made the new Preshow and Intermission music, called out from the audience and asked me if I had ever heard of the song "Paper Doll" by the Mills Brothers.  Of course, I answered, cued it up and played it from my computer.  "That song would be perfect in this show!" he said.  I hesitated.  "Uh, why?" I asked.  Nothing about dolls, or paper in the show.  Oh, it just would be, he said.  It's from the 1930's, I told him.  Nothing else that old is in the show.  Fortunately the director piped up, "Oh, I like it just the way it is."  Thank you Madam director!  Hey, "Paper Doll" is a great tune.  I just couldn't see any reason for it to be in this show.

And I'm using the cork pop after all.  During a rehearsal I played it anyway, right on top of "Let's Get It On" and the director called out from the audience "I heard it!" so I left it in.  Probably half the audience doesn't even notice, but I do.

I think that's all.  The play is going along tickety-boo, and is getting lots of laughs.  What are you waiting for?

Michael

Who Maid Who

So, the latest play at the dinner theatre is "Who Maid Who" by David Lassig.  It's pretty easy in terms of sound.  I started off with two (count 'em, two) sound effects.  After the first technical rehearsal last night, one was cut, and I now have one (1) sound effect, a cell phone ringtone in Act 2.

The one that was cut was a champagne cork popping.  It wasn't in the script, but right at the beginning the male lead walks in with a champagne bottle, goes into the kitchen, then returns with the bottle opened and two glasses.  I faded the music to play the sound effect (you'd never hear it over the music anyway) then there's silence until he makes a phone call.  Since the director felt the music was more important than a cork popping, she cut the sound effect.

Music was pretty easy too.  The whole play is one, long scene, no blackouts.  So basically, I needed preshow music, something to start the show, something for the blackout leading to intermission, intermission music, something to come out of intermission with, curtain call music, and something for the audience to exit with.

When we did "Prisoner of Second Avenue" earlier this year, I put together preshow and intermission music.  When I got to the theatre for the first technical rehearsal the producer asked me if I had put together some great, groovy 70's music for the show and I realized, for the first time, that the play was set in the 1970's.  Whoops.  I made an excuse, said it would be ready tomorrow, and everyone was happy.  The next morning I did put together a great 70's soundtrack for the show.  

So this show I am using the preshow and intermission that I put together for that one.  It fits, as "Who Maid Who" is pretty timeless.  Cell phones are used throughout, so it's modern times.  And my music is just a mishmash of mostly romantic stuff, again perfect for the show.

The show is a farce about a guy trying to have an affair with a waitress from his favourite coffee shop, but everything goes wrong.  His wife arrives, his parents, etc.  So I needed sexy music.  Top of the show (the one that cancelled the cork pop) is "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye.  Before the intermission I have "Lollipops and Roses" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.  After the intermission is "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" by Barry White.  The curtain call music is "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, as is the ringtone of the cell phone.  For exit music I have "Midnight at the Oasis" by Maria Muldaur.  If needed (it rarely is) I have "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye, in case of a particularly slow moving group.

Lights will be a little more of a challenge in this one.  There is a bedroom, a little raised above the stage, that needs it's own lighting.  Most of the time there is nothing happening in there but, when there is, I will bring the lights a little brighter in the bedroom (and dim the other lights slightly) so the audience knows where to look.  It's not hard but it happens quite a few times during the play, which means I'll be needing to pay attention to the script a little more closely than usual.  Oh well, that's what I'm paid for, I guess.

We're running from this weekend to July 7th, so come and see us!

Michael 

Collecting Watches

I blame my daughter, Victoria.  She's the one who started collecting watches.  She had a decent watch, then she bought another one.  Then another one.  I thought she was crazy, until I realized that she was collecting watches she liked.  It had never occurred to me before.

I usually had a Timex.  It would be reliable, and tell me the time for five or six years, until I wanted a new, unscratched one.  But usually just one at a time.

Somewhere in the mid-eighties I won a watch.  A jewellery store was having a promotion where if you added the numbers in your birthday, and it totalled the price of a watch in the window, you won that watch.  I added the numbers in my birthday--23 + 6 + 55 = 84, and sure enough, there was an $84 watch in the window.  I thought it couldn't possibly be that easy, I went into the store, showed my driver's licence, and they gave me the watch.  I tried the birthdays of my wife, my family, her family, heck, everybody whose birthday I knew, and nobody else won a watch.  Anyway, eighty-four dollars was way, way more than I would have ever spent on a watch in my life, but I didn't have to pay for it.  I still have it today.  It's a Lorus, with an analogue dial and an electronic day/date/alarm and time.  It requires two batteries that have to be put in by a jeweller so it will go for years, not working, and eventually I have it serviced and it works again for a couple of years.

When we're at the mall Victoria gravitates towards the jewellery stores and department, and watches.  So I started looking too, and decided I really liked the look of Bulova watches.  And they're reasonably affordable, at least compared to the Rolexes that my daughter is looking at.  I guess she heard me admire a couple, and guess what I got for Christmas?  Yep, a Bulova watch.

A few months later I was on eBay, and happened to punch in Bulova.  OMG, hundreds of watches for sale, everything from a few bucks to thousands.  I browsed for hours, and put in some bids.

First one I got was a 1951 Academy Award model.  After doing my history I discovered that in 1950 Bulova signed a deal with AMPAS (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science), licensing the name and images of the Oscars for a line of watches.  Two years later AMPAS took them to court, saying the ads made it look too much like Bulova had "won" an Academy Award, and the licence was taken away.  So there's a lot of them out there, but not as many as there should be.  I paid $60 for it, and it keeps perfect time, as long as you keep it wound up.

Man, men's watches were SO MUCH SMALLER in the 50's.  When I'm wearing it, and go to the jewellery counter, it's pretty much the same size as the modern women's watches.  Women's watches, in those days, were TINY!

The next one I got was a self-winding watch from 1966.  It came with the cheapest strap I have ever seen in my life--I swear it comes from the dollar store.  It wouldn't have lasted a week, so I went to the mall to have a real strap put on.  While I was at it, I got a metal strap for the Academy Award model, so it looks more like it would have when it was new.  It's pretty inaccurate--it'll gain a minute every hour, then suddenly start losing minutes instead.  It's a little hard to trust.  I could probably take it to Bulova and have it serviced, cleaned, oiled--whatever they do to old watches.  But I only paid $29 for it so I'm not sure how much I want to invest in it.

Besides, I want an Accutron now.  One of the original ones with the tuning fork in it.  In 1960 Bulova put a tuning fork, and a bunch of electronics inside their Accutron watch.  The world's most accurate watch, they were manufactured until 1977.  A few years earlier another company discovered that quartz was just about as accurate, and a heck of a lot cheaper to manufacture.  Bulova eventually started using quartz as well, and the tuning fork was gone.  If you put a working 1960 - 1977 Accutron to your ear, you don't hear ticking, you hear the hum of the tuning fork.

I've got one on the way.  Unfortunately it is not working.  Original tuning fork Accutrons go for stupid money on eBay.  The exceptions are ones that need repair, are ugly, or have company names or engraving on them. The one I got says it is not running, and it needs a new battery.  I am assuming that, if I put a new battery in it, then it will run.  I hope.  This one is coming from Knoxville, Tennessee, via Nashville and today, apparently is in Miami.  Interesting route to Canada, if you ask me.  Anyway, it's a nice looking watch and I hope it works when it gets here.  $70.

I gotta stop now.  I really don't have the money to have a huge watch collection.  But I'll probably check every once in a while and see what's available and, who knows, I may buy more in the future!

Hmm.  Bulova also makes wall clocks.  And my kitchen clock is a...  Sterling & Noble?  Who are they?

Michael.

Celebrity Encounters, Part 1

Yeah, here's another post with absolutely nothing to do with theatre, sound design, and only a little to do with music.  But I love reading stories about people meeting celebrities, especially if it was unexpected.

I've met lots of celebrities, but usually at concerts, and meet-and-greets.  In other words, when I left the house, I expected I was going to meet a celebrity, and probably had my camera and something for them to sign for me.

I met Randy Bachman that way about 12 years back.  He had just written his book "Takin' Care of Business" and was doing a bookstore tour to promote it.  I selected a couple of Guess Who albums, a BTO album, and one of his solo albums for him to sign, and I bought a copy of his book.  I didn't have a camera with me, as this was before cell phones (for me anyway) or a digital camera that fit in my pocket.  He came off a little bit grouchy during the signing, but he had his guitar and spoke and sang for about an hour, telling stories and singing tidbits of songs.  And this was before he toured doing the same thing, and got the CBC show "Vinyl Tap".

I met Adam West (yes, Batman!) at the opening of a mall somewhere in the west end of Toronto, or Mississauga back in the mid 70's.  I, unfortunately, don't remember a lot of details but my younger brother Dave was a big fan of the Batman series in reruns, and I had been a big fan when it originally ran in the 60's.  I still didn't drive but we somehow talked Dad and the family into driving all the way to this new mall to meet Adam West.  I stupidly didn't get an autograph, and didn't even own a camera at the time, but I met him and shook his hand.  He admired my brother's t-shirt, which I had painted, in the days before you could easily buy superhero shirts in any Walmart.  He even said that next time he needed a new outfit, he'd give me a call.  He was in full Batman costume and I was shocked at how it limited his vision and hearing.  Not very good for a crime-fighter, I wouldn't think.  

My best story is about William Shatner.  In the mid-seventies Mr Shatner was doing commercials for Loblaws ("More than the price is right but by gosh...") and he was, apparently, doing an appearance at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.  I say apparently because I had no idea.  I was at the Exhibition with my two sisters who had gone into the Loblaws display to pose with a cardboard cutout of the Bay City Rollers.  While they were doing that I looked around and noticed Shatner standing there, watching my sisters as well.  I went over to talk with him, mostly about Twilight Zone, as I wasn't much of a Star Trek fan at the time.  He seemed quite happy to have someone to talk to, and reminisced about how much fun Twilight Zone episodes had been to make.  When my sisters were finished Shatner asked me if I wanted an autographed photo and I said, sure.  He signed it "Hi Mike, William Shatner".  I still have it, somewhere in the house...

I met Emilie-Claire Barlow (look her up on YouTube if you've never heard of her) a couple of times, once just before a meet-and-greet at Toronto City Hall during the 2012 Toronto Jazz Festival.  I guess I kind of stalked her--I had heard that she would be interviewed by Jazz FM, which was broadcasting live from Nathan Phillips Square, so my daughter and I went and hung around.  When the interview was finished I asked if she would pose for a picture with me, and she was happy to.  After, my daughter and I borrowed *ahem* a Toronto Star with an article about her in it, and we found her again and got her to sign it.  I had to work that night so I couldn't wait until the actual meet-and-greet, but she was very sweet about it.  Two months later we drove to Picton to see her in concert and we met her again after the show.  I showed her the photo of us in Nathan Phillips Square, and she signed it for me.  She didn't really remember me, but she remembered my daughter, the photographer of two pictures of Emilie and me.

More to come in part two, whenever I feel like writing it...

Michael

Fiddler On the Roof

Well, my sound design was nominated, once again, for best sound in Theatre Ontario's THEA awards last night.  I often call myself the Susan Lucci of Sound Design, as I've been nominated quite a few times, and I've never actually won.  Oh well, some day, and in the meantime, it's nice to be nominated.  I never actually go to the awards, as I'm always working on Saturday nights.

The nomination was for Oshawa Little Theatre's production of Fiddler On the Roof.  It was a pretty easy one for me, as shows go.  As it is a musical, there was a live orchestra so I didn't have to worry about music, just sound effects.  Here's the list:

1.  A Rooster crowing, to start the show

2.  Ambient farm sounds.  Lots of chickens and cows.  A few horses and sheep.  This sound is meant to loop.  Of course, start a little louder, then gradually lower volume until it's there, but not obtrusive.

3.  Crickets.  Meant to loop.  Play softly--it gets pretty annoying after a while, in my experience.

4.  Owl.  I'm not sure if this is a specific cue, or just meant to be played once or twice in the night scene.

5.  1905 Street Sounds.  Meant to loop.  A busy street, before cars and airplanes.

6.  Shattering glass.  MS (director) wanted about 30 seconds worth.  Here's 15, and I think it's plenty.  If he really wants 30, play it twice.

7.  1905 Street Sounds.  Again.

8.  Wind.  Meant to loop.  During "Land I Love"

9.  Ambient Farm Sounds. Again.

10.  Wind.  Again.

These are the directions I sent to the person operating the sound for the shows.  I, of course, am busy at my paid theatre job so I rarely get a chance to work for any other theatres.

Anyway, no real stories here.  Everything came from the Internet, or sound effects CDs.  I had to make the "farm sounds" by layering individual sounds from those sources.  The trick is to make it long, three to five minutes so it can loop without being an obvious loop, and don't lay it on too thick.  Farms aren't generally noisy places, so remember that.  Lots of silences in between the animal sounds.  And, because it is Fiddler On the Roof, no pigs in the mix.

The street sounds were similar.  Horses, buggies, people chatting, dogs barking.  Just make sure there are no modern sounds, airplanes, cars, cell phones, etc.

The cricket sound is one I got from a sound effects CD years ago.  I've used the same one in a dozen shows, as it is perfect.  It is a very clear sound of one cricket.  I usually double it, a few seconds apart, once in the left speaker and once in the right speaker.  Apparently the adjudicator loved it, and made a comment during the adjudication about how good it was.  And never play it too loud or the realism is gone.

Fiddler On the Roof wasn't the only show I designed sound for this past year, but it's the only one I got nominated for.  I wasn't even particularly proud of my work for this show, as it was so easy.  But you never know what an adjudicator is going to think.  Over the years I've had adjudicators praise me, and criticize me, and it means nothing when it comes to the ACTCO awards.  I think the key is to get them to notice you, good or bad, then you have a shot.

I design sound for six shows a year at the dinner theatre but, as we are all paid, we are not Community Theatre and not eligible.  Too bad.  I do some pretty good stuff here, but only the audiences get to appreciate it.

Michael