Wednesday, February 20, 2008

tedious times

Well it's Wednesday. Oh good there is something to celebrate after all. It's been a boring week suffering from the granddaddy of all colds and getting through toilet roll tissues at an alarming rate and sporting the reddest of Rudolph noses.
Does anyone have any tips as to how to encourage birds into the garden? I write in an extension which overlooks our garden and 2 months ago in a fit of gleeful expectation I installed a triple bird feeder along with a highly visible row of fat balls hanging nonchalently, nay provocatively, from the blossom tree. The total of bird visits to date is 4 and even the 12 foot multi colour arrow and advert I put up on the roof seems to be of no avail.
Am hoping to finish off the play am writing with Richard Parkes but brain so fogged it's going to have to wait til more creative thought processes are available. We have high hopes for the work but who knows!
Hoping to catch Eva Cassidy Story at Buxton Opera House and Lichfield Garrick next week - my local theatres so friends have been comandeered!
Loreto Murray who is a lovely person, actor and singer, played the role of Eva Cassidy in the first 2004 tour of the show, She is 'Running for Life' in aid of cancer research and looking for sponsors. Loreto lost a friend to cancer last year and is wanting to raise as much sponsorship as possible. Anyone interested in sponsoring this incredibly worthy cause post me a note or email me at brian@langtry.fslife.co.uk and I'll pass on relevant information.
Anyway brain now well and truly fogged so sign off time has arrived. Keep writing and keep smiling (at helps when trying to keep smiling to picture a prostrate producer across a medievil wrack and you smirkingly tweaking the mechanism.)

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

eva cassidy story

Went off to Liverpool yesterday to see how my "Over the Rainbow The Eva Cassidy Story" was bedding after 2 weeks on the road. Cracking night everyone on top form with 1000 people in. Good sound and strong playing from the cast. This is I think the 6th U.K./Ireland tour and the momentum continues to gather. With regard to this I must record the tenacity and vision of the producer Stephen Leatherland who undertook to produce the show back in 04 and has stuck with it. Good on yu Stephen!
Enjoyed a wander around the 'pool stoppping off at the Cavern, The Beatles Museum, Albert Dock and popped into The Everyman to chat about future producing possibilities. All in all a good day. I do wonder about city centre eating though - every time I visit a new place to catch a show it's a bit of a nightmare trying to find a centre pub with a half decent menu - have Weatherspoon clones taken over the World? Fine if you wanr burgers, fish and chips, steak pie etc but why oh why does every flaming pub have the same menu. Is this a conspiracy?
Well have to get down to some recording over the next week to move my new CD forward - just for friends and family consumption but nonetheless still serious stuff - can't have the grandchildren thinking they're th only ones who understand music! Somehow I doubt the latter will have much of an impact on them.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Eva launch

Well Wednesday saw the launch of the new 'Eva Cassidy Story' show at The New Theatre Hull - and a very fine theatre it is too except that they sadly no longer do pre- show meals. Still 'The Theatre Coffee Bar and Cafe' (think more greasy than chic) around the corner served up a veritable mouth watering steak pie.
The show went exceptionally well with everyone on form and only a couple of minor technical glitches which would have passed unnoticed by the audience - I hope!
Eva's drummer Raice McLeod had flown over to play in the show on the Saturday a special celebration as it would have been Eva's 44th birthday. Anyone interested in seeing the show, now in Scotland, can find details on www.theatre-productions.com - follow links to Eva Cassidy.
Stayed at The Camponile Motel which was clean, efficient and had all the necessities with a decent breakfast. The only fly in the ointment was the pub adjoining the car park which played mindless four to the bar kick drum (can this really be called dance "music"?) until about 2.30 a.m. The only counter balance to this pointless drivel were the cheers and whoops of the enthusiatic outside smokers as they encouraged the eager copulating couples who must have been the floor (or would that be table) show?
Anyway time to get the tea sorted so off to the kitchen to rustle up a succulent fish pie and fresh vegetables. Lovely jubbly!