I have a musical opening this week

Subject: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 02 May 04 - 09:20 PM

Just wanted to say I have a musical review opening this Thursday. We have a premier Thursday with dinner theater Friday and Saturday nights. Hope to raise a few thousand dollars for my theater group. It is a do-wop show of 1960 vintage music, Lots of saddle oxfords, blask satin jackets, cardigan letter sweaters, goofy choreography and pretty decent 4 part harmonies, along with a killer girls' trio doing One Fine day and Will you Still Love me TOmorrow. We will be performing a lot of nice 60s songs like Mack the Knife, In the Still of the Night, Come go with me, Unchained Melody etc along with the obligatory BEEP BEEP and Running Bear.

My group has been inactive for 2 1/2 years as our baritone is recovering from cancer. We seem to be back in the groove though now, and have a good band backing us. Please send your good thoughts my way as this has been a great challenge to get ready for the stage. I wrote it, and am directing it, as well as singing bass, so it is a bit stressful for me as I have not been able to get far enough away from the work to actually see it on stage. Hopefully it will fly! jimmyt

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: GUEST
Date: 02 May 04 - 09:31 PM

Break a leg, my friend. Sounds like a fun evening. I'll surely be there in spirit, maybe even in the flesh if I knew where.

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 02 May 04 - 09:40 PM

it is in Dalton Georgia, a fairly small city but has a flourishing theater community. Would love to have you!!! Let me know and I will comp you a ticket! $35 per person dinner and show. Puts a bit of pressure on me to provide a good evening of entertainment.

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: Gypsy
Date: 02 May 04 - 11:06 PM

Many good lucks and wishes!

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: Amos
Date: 02 May 04 - 11:21 PM

Knock 'em dead, keed!! I am sure you'll wow them Boomers!!

A

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: open mike
Date: 03 May 04 - 12:15 AM

just so there are none of those oh-so-sad songs about car crashes!!
we did "last kiss" in a jam yesterday and it was just about too much!!
even (or especially) for an E. m. t.
no really, break a leg, or rip a stitch, or whatever the best
goodluck phrase is!!

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: Leadfingers
Date: 03 May 04 - 06:08 AM

Have a good one Jim - Best of luck with the show . And just to be picky - Unchained Melody is a fifties song in my book !! I first heard it by Jimmy Young in 1954 I think . But its been a hit about
every ten years or so ever since.

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 03 May 04 - 08:46 AM

Terry, As I wrote that I somehow knew someone, probably you, would call me on it! It was, as you stated, redone as a very popular song in the Sixties, though, and as this is a review of early rock-n-roll, pre Beatles, we actually have a lot of late 50s stuff in the show.

I did include a "wardrobe malfunction" where my shirt gets torn away to expose my right breast, just to keep up with the times. (I am unequivacably a theater whore.)

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: Mudlark
Date: 03 May 04 - 11:45 AM

Good luck, jimmyt...though from the sound of it you wont need any to be a great success. Will you be able to at least get a recording of the show, I hope? And $35 seems not overly expensive for dinner theatre. I'm sure everyone who attends will consider it a bargain!

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 03 May 04 - 03:18 PM

Best of luck, jimmyt- it sounds like great fun! Too bad I'm so far away!

Allison

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 05 May 04 - 11:45 AM

Well, This thing is as ready as it is going to get. Trying to keep a cast and band on task for this type of musical review is a bit like herding kittens, but all things considered, I am pleased with the result. Now if a live audience is pleased........thankfully there will be a fair amount of alcohol flowing which seems to make people enjoy "off the wall, wacky humor" and the music will take care of itself! Open Tomorrow at 8. After this weekend is over, I can resume something I have been missing for a month, sleep!

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 May 04 - 12:19 PM

Dip dip dip dip, dip dip dip dip, nuum nuum nuum nuum, nuum nuum nuum nuum, Get a job..

And a Hoolipoppa cowpoppa to you, buddy.

The bass singer has all the fun. The closest I get to ding bass in a group is when Joe sings lead, and I get to throw in a few dumm dumms.

I know you've done a wonderful job preparing it, jimmy. Wish I could be there. (We had a professional recording done of the Gospel Messengers 7th Anniversary concert last Sunday and we'll get a CD of it... swap one for the doo wop.

Jerry

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 05 May 04 - 03:38 PM

Thanks Jerry Will do. I have a guy Videoing it and can transfer it to DVD. WIll throw it in the mail if it is half way OK.

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: C-flat
Date: 05 May 04 - 06:04 PM

Sounds like a fun night jimmyt! I'm sure all that hard work will pay off and you'll have a great night.
I always wanted to sing the "BA B B BA, DANG N DANG DING" bass lines too Jerry! As time goes on I'm getting nearer those really deep notes but it still sounds like a bull farting through a trumpet!

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 May 04 - 07:23 PM

Hey, C-flat! Funny thing is (and a topic for a thread, I guess) the bass "words" for rhythm and blues groups are very different than those for black gospel quartets. That's true, even though most of the classic black R & B groups came out of black churches. The bass lines in black gospel are very limited... either ooh, aah, or dumm.
No dip dips, rat-a-tattas or Shoobee-doobies. I must admit, because of my love for R & B (it was never referred to as doo=wop when it was popular,) I hear black gospel with a more colored pallate of bass words.

Didn't know you liked the old rhythm and blues.... It is a MAJOR love of mine, and I have a ton of recordings.

Jerry

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: C-flat
Date: 06 May 04 - 04:07 PM

I played in a Rhythm & Blues band for a number of years Jerry. We covered a range of styles and had a full horn section that could make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I love the music but found the playing style a little limiting after a while, so I moved on, although I still get up with the guys very occassionally (tomorrow night, in fact!) for a quick blast of "Let the Good Times Roll"!
C-flat.

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: C-flat
Date: 06 May 04 - 04:10 PM

Excuse my manners jimmyt! I ought to have asked how it went?

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 06 May 04 - 04:12 PM

Cflat, it opens in 3 hours and 45 minutes and I am still up to my neck in teeth here at the office I hope I am done in time to get there!!!

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: C-flat
Date: 06 May 04 - 04:14 PM

What the hell are you doing here!!!!!!! Get to work! There's a show to put on!!!!!!!!!
Jeez!
C-flat.

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 07 May 04 - 08:09 AM

opening night a smashing success. Only minor glitches, music was great, tons of energy and a great audience response. COuldn't have been happier. Slept well for the first time in a month.

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 May 04 - 12:22 PM

Congratulations, jimmy! My teeth are smiling!

Jerry

Subject: RE: I have a musical opening this week
From: jimmyt
Date: 09 May 04 - 09:59 PM

Well, it is all over, had great response with sold out houses Friday and Saturday. Had a great show with The Classics, my do-wop group, as well as The Mellotones, a fantastic girls trio, ala McGuire SIsters. Met some great new musicians in my backup band. Managed to get about $5000 in profit to help pay off the loan on our theater building. All in all, I couldn't ask for more.

TOnight I got the bass out and had a session with my folk group, had a couple glasses of wine and my share of Tom Paxton, Dylan and Kingston Trio, and it was like putting on an old pair of slippers, how easily I flowed out of the frenetic do-wop and back in to the folk.