DIARY

Had a great reunion dinner with Greg Jbara last night. He told me that his webmaster called him and said she knew he was having dinner with me. He said my Blog goes to google and it came up as google news on his google alert. Wow! Better be careful what I say.

We met on the train and went downtown but couldn't get into the place he wanted to try. So we continued walking through little Italy but nothing struck our fancy. But we kept chatting the whole time. He told me all about Billy Eliiott which sounds exciting for him! Clearly an amazing part and I'm thrilled he's in it! And of course, Stephen Daldry is amazing! Machinal! Wow. We ended up eating at the Chelsea Cookbook. So good.

He was incredibly supportive about DR. T. Feels it's on the right track artistically, which of course, I know it is. Always loved the piece. Not surprised it finally may get on. I told him all about Brian's death. Which is a whole separate article unto itself. But again, he was so supportive.

Today I sent off the libretto to London. And started on the Milton song. I get the first bit which will represent God's expulsion. I couldn't quite figure out the time signatures. Even with finale playing it back to me. But i'm close enough for now. (There's a missing 16 note somewhere!)

Then I had a very nice meeting with the animation company that Peter Schneider set me up with for the Bunny. They were very positive about the piece and seems like they want to move forward. So off to the rights issue. We decided that they'll send me a package describing who they are and I'll forward it all to Harper's. Let's hope.

Tonight is Hamlet which I'm excited about.

Ray Colcord called and told me Alex is coming to NYC to look for a job and work and live. I'll try and help. He said he would help with some Grammy voters. So everyone wins. I plan to be VERY aggressive with my campaign.

A little ps to the convention: no one mentioned the Clinton/Biden face work. I guess I've spent too much time in Bev Hills cause I'll could see were their face lift scars. Good work, but work nonetheless. I wonder who did it? Harry Glassman?

Diary: Milton

Billy came over today and started re-plastering and painting the second bathroom. Now THAT'S an entry.

I did some block time with Myles and helped Janice with some decorating and feeding.

Meeting with the animation company (http://auryn.com/index.php) was pushed back to tomorrow. Fine.

I finished TEETH today, which I think is very good. And I'll start another very soon. Probably something weighty for a change of pace. Probably:
The Expulsion from Eden

In either hand the hast`ning angel caught
Our ling`ring parents, and to th` eastern gate
Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast
To the subjected plain: then dissapeared.
They looking back, all th` eastern side beheld
Of Paradise, so late their happy seat,
Waved over by that flaming brand, the gate
With dreadful faces thronged and firey arms:
Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon;
The world was all before them, where to choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide:
They hand in hand with wand`ring steps and slow,
Through Eden took their solitary way.
John Milton (1608 - 74)

I also finished printing out ALL FOUR COPIES of the MOZART LIBRETTOS! The printing and proofing was almost as hard as the writing but not nearly as fun. Although I must say even though I moan about it, I kinda like the arts and craft projects. I guess I should learn a bit of photoshop so I can do it without the cut and pasting. I'll ask Brett for some more barter time! (Unless he's reading this, then he can tell me directly if he's up for it.)

Tomorrow I'll do a double proof of the page numbering and then send it off to London for the binding.

Hamlet got a rave in the Times today so I'll go see it tomorrow. Can't argue with raves in the Times, huh?

Saw the Convention last night. Great speech by Clinton, great catch phrases. And I couldn't really tell what the music was. It sounded sort of like records, but then there were instrumental breaks that weren't on the tracks. Turns out it was about a 10 piece local band. Terrific. Great sound. And even Wolf B mentioned them. I wouldn't have done it as well. So I guess they made the right choice. Let's hope there's still a chance for me getting the inauguration. And if not, I did the last 4. A pretty good run.

Off to dinner with Greg Jbara tonight.

DIARY: John Miller

Had a nice lunch with John Miller today. I'm going to write an interview with him about his new album of B'way tunes. I loved this album and enjoyed hearing the stories. (All taped on my Treo.) I'll write up the interview by the weekend and send it out. I can definitely get it posted on Broadwayworld. com. Let's see if John's pr people will send it out somewhere else.

Went to the gym today. First time in months and months. I believe this is probably the longest I've gone without going to the gym in 25 years of going! I wonder if that's because because I was so busy during the Carneige/Norman time? And I'm sure the post Norman depression contributed. But I went today and did a half hour on the bike proofing the LIBRETTO lyrics.

I finished the proofing and am almost done printing. I will ship the manuscripts to London by the weekend I'm sure. I'm so proud of this work.

Tomorrow is the phone call from Peter Schneider's friends. Looking forward to that.

I didn't finish TEETH but I will tomorrow.

Just finished watching the convention. Boy was Clinton great. So was Biden and Beau Biden, his son.

Diary: Interesting things?

A couple of interesting things happened. Nothing major, but maybe a couple of little things could coalesce and turn into something good.

First good news: I finished HE WISHES FOR HIS CLOTHES OF HEAVEN. I've been wanting to write that for a while. Maybe years. And finally did. It will be a song in the Cycle called SONGS FROM THE UNDERGROUND. It's based on the Book, and of course the poems, that were displayed in the London Underground while I was there. Glenn inspired me to sit back down and work. Or maybe it was just time. I even started a new one today. It will be a light, airy thing. And it's almost done!


Teeth

English Teeth, English Teeth!
Shining in the sun
A part of British heritage
Aye, each and every one.

English Teeth, Happy Teeth!
Always having fun
Clamping down on bits of fish
And sausages half done.

English Teeth! HEROES' Teeth!
Hear them click! and clack!
Let's sing a song of praise to them -
Three Cheers for the Brown Grey and Black.

Other stuff: I was able to get to Tomy dePaolo about a book of his that I think can be an opera for kids. I've tried, again for years, without any luck. But Leonard Marcus, who wrote the bio of Margaret WB knew the women who wrote the bio of TP and she contacted him for me and within minutes I got a call from his assistant. He asked to see the DVD of the Bunny, so I explained what it was, and sent it along. At least if I get turned down, I will have gotten turned down by the author. There may be a rights issue (I think the GMC did a piece on it) but it shouldn't hurt the Grand Rights. We'll see. Just the contact it good for me.

And being able to focus on writing something even in the future is a step out of bed.

Diary

Interesting day. The interview went well with St. Louis. Hopefully someone from the symphony heard it. The DJ went on and on about the piece so that was nice.

I don't know if Glenn inspired me, or if hearing and playing through my serious music did the trick, or maybe it was just time, but I started writing, I started setting one of my favorite poems and got a lot done. Here's the poem. Pretty obvious why I like it so much:

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread upon my dreams.

And then an idea I had for a opera sort of focused in. I actually feel I'd have the strength to write it. I called Maria and she was interested. So who knows. It would be a public domain rights property although there is some research I can do through books. So I ordered something on Amazon to have a look.

Diary: Glenn Seven Allen

Met an AMAZING singer a few weeks ago, Glenn Seven Allen. Two "n's"! He was in a show at the fringe and really knocked me out. I met him at the party and told him about my Mozart translations. He was obviously a classically trained guy so he responded. He came over yesterday, and man, what a singer. He asked if I had some concert pieces for Tenor. I almost forgot about my Shakespeare song cycle I wrote in London. The plan was a song from all 38 of the plays to be divided up between Tenor, Baritone, Soprano, Duets. I finished the first 10 for tenor. I played through a couple of them before Glenn came over, and I had forgotten how good they were. I wrote them during my Britten phase but they still sound like me. And then I played through Michael's Letter to Mama. Also pleased with that. So, despite the depression, at least there's a body of work. And wouldn't it be nice to hear it performed. Ah well, (See the piece on the Bunny down below.)

Anyway Glenn came over and we sang and sang. He's truly amazing. A great actor, great tenor, although he can also sing the Baritone stuff just fine. We read through some Mozart and it was the first time I had heard the Ottavio stuff. Great to hear it sung. We didn't really work on it, just sang through it. I'll probably make some adjustments if it gets performed, but it sure works great in English.

And then we did two Shakespeare songs. He seemed to really like them. Lee Hoiby did a setting of The Tempest bit and he liked mine better. Yeah for me.

We talked about maybe doing a concert version of the cycle. Maybe adding a woman for a duet or two. Maybe a star...Or Broadway star...whatever that means. Stars are good, of course.

Maybe we'll do a three parter: Mozart, Roven, and Maupin. That would be great. Maybe if Dr. T happens I can record my Classical Album!

Now, I'm about to call the radio station in St. Louis to do an interview.

Diary: Mostly Mozart

Went to MM last night to see the Emerson Quartet. I was amazed that it looked virtually sold out! Wow! Maybe it was the program (Trout, Hunt). Or just the fame of the Quartet? I tend to think the former because the audience applauded after the first movement of the Hunt. A definite no-no in NYC although I actually like it when they do. Looked like Drucker did as well. (And standard concert going procedure in cities around the world.) However, the audience DIDN'T applaud in the second act after the first movement of the Trout. Don't know why! Maybe those vicious ushers got to them.

Really old audience though. :(

Great exhibit out in the lobby. Mahler's conducting score of his first symphony. Fun to flip through it. Mahler made notes on it just like the rest of us poor slobs.

Loved the concert. Great playing, of course. Duh?! I sat on stage left. Heard the Viola part and Bass part louder than I ever had and that was lovely. Although the hall stinks wherever you sit.

ALVIN COLT and PETER HOWARD

Peter Howard and Alvin Colt, two friends of mine, have now walked through that great stage door in the sky. I spent a lot of time with these artists—both titans in their fields: Peter, the consummate Broadway Musical Director/Dance Arranger whose credits include Chicago, Annie and 1776, and Alvin, the six foot five (or as he used to say, five foot 17) Costume Designer who designed the original Guys and Dolls, On the Town, and a hundreds others.

A Julliard graduate, Peter kept two nine- foot grands in his tiny Hell's Kitchen apartment so a guest had to nail himself against the wall in order to scrunch his way across the living room. He had prepared for a concert career (his last name was really Horowitz) but was seduced by the bright lights of Broadway. It was a good marriage, for although Peter could toss off a Chopin Etude (more about that later) at a Carnegie Hall level, he really came alive playing the rags, marches and syncopated rhythms of Broadway.

His career spanned decades. He was the rehearsal pianist for the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady and he alone was responsible for Rex Harrison's definitive vocal interpretations. According to him, anyway.

In Peter's accounting, the "Fair Lady" musical rehearsals were a disaster. Connoisseurs have learned from their study of the complete vocal score that Higgins' music has lovely, completely notated vocal lines. But Rex couldn't sing it at all. Peter loved to tell anyone who'd listen that after the entire creative team was at their respective wits end trying to get a tone-deaf Rex to develop pitch, it was Peter who said, "I have an idea." He took Rex into a small rehearsal room and said, "Don't sing it. Speak it. Like this…" And the rest is history. True or false? Does it matter?

Peter was also the assistant conductor of The Sound of Music and it was his job to put new cast members into the show. He would love to tell of a young, unknown wannabe named Barbra coming to his apartment for coaching sessions, begging to get an audition for Lisle. "But Barbrrraaa," Peter would say, "You look too Jewish for a Trapp girl." "Whaddya talking 'bout, " Barbra would plead. "I got thirty-six expressions. " Or something like that. Peter also swears that it was he who gave her "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. " And why not? (Another friend of mine who was Rolf in the bus and truck of Sound of Music reminded me that Peter had a little poodle that he had trained to jump up on command and attack a person's genitals. But that's for a different website.)

One of my favorite stories about Peter is how he used to terrify his assistants. Eddie Strauss, another premiere Musical Director told me Peter hired him to be the rehearsal pianist for a new but ill-fated Broadway musical, Her First Roman. Eddie, an excellent pianist himself, said that one day, Peter, in a fit of inspiration, ran to the piano and, while playing Chopin's diabolically difficult Revolutionary Etude in his left hand, added the main love song of Her First Roman in his right. Eddie almost had a coronary. This was a Horowitz, clearly not a Howard.

When I first came on the scene, Peter asked me to assist him on Annie. (I was subsequently fired.) I also remember the day, early in rehearsals during a break, when Peter was taken with "inspiration" and again played the Etude in his left hand while playing "Tomorrow" in his right. [Although Peter added a bit of drama—and he loved the drama-- with his "inspiration", it was still no small feat.] I had a feeling this feat had been rehearsed. But the fact that he could pull that off even with practice was enough to make any rehearsal pianist weep.

Years later, I was proud to hire him to do the dance arrangements for my still-to-be-produced-but-it's-happening-next-season musical, The 5,000 Fingers of Doctor T, the story of a diabolical piano teacher who wants to dominate the world. Peter and I were in London, huddled around a beaten down upright, brainstorming about the music for Doctor T's first entrance. This time, it was I who had the inspiration. "Peter, " I said with a grin the Cheshire Cat would have envied, " Why don't you play Chopin's Revolutionary Etude and then…gee…I don't know if it's possible…, but maybe you can play Doctor T's theme in your right hand." Before I could get the words out of my mouth, Peter was off and running. It was brilliant of course. As brilliant as it always had been. Then he suddenly stopped, looked at me and I'm sure he thought, "Did I… did he?" I answered telepathically, "You did, you did." We never said another word about it.

It was much harder to get juicy stories out of Alvin. Maybe he was so tall, that stooping over to tell me stories, (I'm only 5'6 on a good day) was too hard on his back.

Happily, I did get my share: It seemed Frank Loesser wrote "Take Back Your Mink" after Guys and Dolls closed in Philadelphia to replace the original second act opening which wasn't working. Alvin told me how he had the lyrics in his hand on the train back to New York City and he designed the new Strip Tease costumes on the two-hour train ride so they could go right to the shop, ready for the first NY preview. (I think he might have also told me that it was he who suggested to Loesser that they do a strip in that spot, but I honestly can't remember that exactly. But it was possible.)

In addition to Guys and Dolls, Alvin and Michael Kidd did Lil' Abner together. Alvin told me that in the middle of rehearsal when all the clothes were already in production, he realized that even the Broadway version of the cartoon was a cartoon. So he told Kidd he had an idea. He ran to the costume shop and announced, "We're trimming everything, and I mean everything, in black piping!" "But that would be miles and miles of black piping. Where are we gonna find that?" asked the panicking wardrobe supervisor. "I don't know, " said Alvin, "But we will!" And they did. Because they were so late, Alvin was there at the shop helping with the sewing and, "sewing piping around each and every button." Consequently, each character looked like it was outlined in black ink---just like a cartoon.

I started working with Alvin in the early '80s. This was after his Broadway career had slowed way down. But no matter. Alvin had much more life in him and we did four or five major TV spectaculars a year, mostly for Alexander H. Cohn and Hildy Parks. (See my article on Hildy!)

One of my favorite experiences with him was on a huge three hour ABC special, Happy Birthday, Hollywood. There were probably a thousand costumes, with 80 alone just for Liza's opening, but I was particularly fond of a 15 minute tribute to the 50's MGM musicals we did starring Bernadette Peters and Treat Williams. I had concocted a Comden and Green-esque plot following Bernadette as a rags-to-riches movie star. This was one of the first times that I had conceived, written and arranged an entire "musical" for TV so I was anxious to be involved in every aspect.

The Day Before we were to leave for Los Angeles, I insisted Alvin come to my apartment and show me the costumes. Not that I needed to approve them or anything like that; I just wanted to see the designs. (I thought I'd outgrow that phase. But even today I get a great buzz when I see designers visualize what I have written.)

It was pouring that day, but Alvin, ever the trouper, and recognizing a fellow show-biz animal, slogged over to my house in the rain, his portfolio case jammed full of sketches for 200 hundred costumes. I remember him saying, "Jule Styne, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Loesser NEVER made me come over to their homes to see the costumes. And in the pouring rain!" I smiled. I knew he was enjoying it as much as I was.

Of course, the costumes were dazzling and I was in heaven. But then he said, "Glen, we have a problem here. Bernadette has no time to change from hers pre-movie star costume into this glamorous one." Ever the pro, I said, "But I gave you 30 seconds of music!" He laughed, "Kid, you gotta lot to learn." And he started to teach me exactly how quick changes were made and what they entailed and what I as the composer had to be aware of. What a lesson. And I've never made that mistake again. In anything I'm involved with, actors may not always have the best material, but they always have enough time to change. Because of Alvin.

The BUNNY Meets Me in Saint Louis (or GOING OUT OF MY HEAD)

KFUO-FM, Classic 99 and Jim Althoff will be playing (or “spinning” in DJ parlance) my new Violin Concerto this Saturday at 10:00 AM and I couldn’t be happier. These days, with all the trials and tribulations facing classical music, --dwindling and aging audiences, the record companies’ uncertain future,--many composers (meaning me) have learned to accept the sad reality that actual live performances of their compositions will be rarer than a C chord in a Schoenberg symphony. A major label release will be even more atypical. These days composers (meaning me, again) have come to expect most performances will take place in the concert all of their (my) mind.

Luckily, my new piece, THE RUNAWAY BUNNY, a Violin Concerto for Reader, Violin and Orchestra, has been an exception. It was recorded by SONY/BMG (a big deal), performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, (a bigger deal) and narrated by the divine Brooke Shields, (a mega-watt deal.) I even conducted it at Carnegie Hall in April, with Glenn Close as the narrator and the American Symphony Orchestra. Plus, it’s been played by over thirty classical stations all over the country, KFUO being the latest.

Why is this piece different than all the rest? I’m very proud of my score but I’m also very sober about what has opened the doors: three words, The Runaway Bunny.

As every four year old in American knows, Margaret Wise Brown’s book is one of the most popular children’s books of all time. It annually sells almost a million copies and has been known to bring grown men to tears. In fact, when Brooke recorded the piece, she said to me she couldn’t get through it without crying. DJ’s and the usually heartless, stone-cold concert promoters turn to mush when they remember the book and their curiosity is peaked. Open-sesame, I get a consideration.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have Brooke’s name attached. (And Glenn certainly helped the sales at Carnegie Hall.)

This is not to say that getting from my mind to KFUO was an easy road. It took me two years of negotiations with HarperCollins, the publisher of the book, to secure the rights. Not to mention the legal fees. Then, it took SONY/UK two years to actually record it and SONY/US another two years to release it. Contracts, funding, schedules, record executives coming and going, all contributed to this time delay, which actually in music-industry time, is light-speed. I wrote the piece when my nephew, Myles, was born. He’s almost five. Composing is the easiest part of the process. Certainly, the most fun. The rest is where it gets dicey!

Chris Craker, an English record producer and friend of mine didn’t know the book, but he responded to the music and, as a businessman, was attracted to the book sales. He owned a small record company, which was bought by a bigger company, which was bought by a bigger company, which was subsequently bought by an even bigger one. Finally, after all those big fish/little fish mergers and acquisitions, Chris ended up head of SONY/BMG Classical for the UK. And that’s when he was able to give the go ahead for the Royal Philharmonic. (A little side bar: When my composer friends heard that SONY was involved, the first thing they asked was, “How much are you paying them?” When I answered, “nothing,” they were as incredulous as I. Ah, the fiduciary fate of composers.)

Despite Chris’s exalted position, there was still no budget for an orchestra rehearsal. I had to hear the entire concerto in my head in NYC, e-mail the music to the Royal Phil in London, and then have the producer push the red button to record the piece for posterity. Even the greatest composers like/need to change certain things after hearing a piece played for the first time, but budgetary constraints denied me that luxury. I was, however, able to hear the score spit out by my computer program, so I had had a high-tech preview of the piece. Not perfect, but beggars and composers can’t be chooser and I was, at least, able to correct some wrong notes.

However, nothing really prepared me for the glorious sound of an orchestra, especially the Royal Phil playing my music. Live! Not in my head. In between takes, I frantically make some slight alterations, even though clock was ticking. And I did make further revisions for the Carnegie performance. By that time, I had heard the piece performed, counting the Royal Phil performance, once!

(A second side bar: Chris resigned one week after the CD was released in America. I dread to think what would have happened to the poor Bunny if he had resigned two weeks earlier.)

When the album came out, I did a phone interview with Canadian talk show host, Peter Anthony Holder. He talked about what the piece would be compared to (Peter and the Wolf, of course), the inspiration, (the book, of course), and how SONY came to record it, (see above.) Then, he played the main theme of the Concerto on the air. After that, he came back and asked me another question. I didn’t respond. Wondering if perhaps there were technical difficulties, he asked if I was there? I was unequivocally there, but as that was the first time I had heard the Concerto played on the radio, I was shell-shocked and honestly, tearing up. I couldn’t respond. It was a dream come true. Having the Bunny hop out of my head and reach all those people was more than I could bear.

So, people of St. Louis (and environs) enjoy the play on KFUO and Mr. Althoff’s interview. And if you want to buy a copy, I wouldn’t be upset!