THE MANDY MOORE SONG

Yes.

You read that right.

The Mandy Moore Song.

As in, the pop-tartletina extraordinaire…Mandy Moore.

Now.

Normally I’m not a fan of the pop-tartletinas, as I feel most of them have been given a whole hell of a lotta fame and fortune based on very very little legitimate talent. And as someone who’s had to scrape and fight and hustle for pretty much everything…part of me wants to just rip out their weaves, shove a GED down their throat and then lock them in a room with their mom's voices on a loop saying,

"When I was your age...I had to blah de blah de blah blah blah di dee blah blah BLAH..."

Forever.

And.

Ever.

But. 

I happened to be down with walking pneumonia a few years ago (surely a direct result of my most recent and spectacularly insane breakup), just watching whatever came on the TV in a stupor, and a movie called A Walk To Remember came on. It was one of these really sappy, cheesy, teen-angsty, someone-always-has-fucking-cancer movies which normally make me want to yak out my eyeballs. But for some reason…maybe I was too weak to change the channel, I dunno, but…I watched the whole thing.

And I fell absolutely head over heels in love with Mandy Moore.

I would have married Mandy Moore right that second. And I didn’t give a damn whether she had cancer, wore hideous pastels e-very-DAY, and was the President of the God Squad. 

I didn't give a damn. 

I loved her.

And girl.

Can.

SANG, people.

There is one song from this movie that she sings as she becomes (natch) the sleeper hit of the big musicale in high school...that just wrecked me. I was lying in my bed, under an avalanche of tissues anyway….just sobbing. 

Oh Mandy, Mandy, Mandy. You’re so strong even though you have cancer, because you have God. And I’m so weak because, even though I don't have cancer- I date ridiculous frito-lays who rip the soul out of my body and then try to make a donation to my CD years later after breaking up our engagement by phone, which makes me take a poll on Facebook asking whether I should keep it or refund it.

True story.

But I just love- strangely enough- the whispery tone she uses on this tune. There is absolutely no core or body to it at all and btw- there's no way if she'd actually been in that high school musical, anyone past the front row would have heard her. But, when she does the whispery-thing…it’s extremely moving. And it's a very 'microphone-friendly' sound as well, I discovered.

Ok, admittedly sometimes... I have absolutely no clue what she’s actually saying but…

I don’t care. 

It’s Mandy. 

Sweet, pure, virginal little Mandy. Who,

“Does not.

Need.

A reason.

To be angry.

With God!”

Ahhhh, bless.

And she’s a sweet little actress too. If you’ve never seen her in yet another movie about God; SAVED- I think she turns in an incredibly under appreciated comic performance. Which shouldn’t surprise you, if you've read my blog post about comedy in general- via the ‘SAD CLOWN SONG’.

But yes, Mandy Moore has some real talent. God bless her.

Not like that terrifyingly beautiful Taylor Swift who I saw on SNL the other night. Wow. And I could NOT be convinced that she was actually famous for being a singer. I literally got into fights with people at BILLY because I just would not believe this girl was known for…actually….singing. I thought she was another Paris Hilton, known for…. being extremely pretty and generally silly in public or something. But nope. She's actually a singer? I guess? If you all say so....

Anyway.

I scribbled down the name of the song a few days later when I was sure I hadn’t hallucinated the whole thing, ordered the DVD and the CD off Amazon.com, and the sheet music from Sheet Music Direct.com and waited for the magic to arrive at my home. 

A few days later…I sat at my piano and sang this song over and over and over again. Originally, I had thought it was a love song but when I finally read the lyrics--I realized it was actually a prayer.

I actually realized a lotta things when i finally had the lyrics in front of me which really leads to my only criticism of Mandy's performance of this song- which...let it be known across the kingdom- i LOVE. 

There's a set of lyrics that goes,

"At the top of my lungs, I'm giving it back".

Now, listening to it I kept thinking,

"It SOUNDS like she's saying 'at the top of my lungs'...but she's singing it soooooooo quietly...that can't be right.

Bless.

She does actually sing the words, "at the top of my lungs"...in a whisper.

but...THAT'S OK.

because she's Mandy.

And her character had cancer.

So BACK OFF EVERYBODY....JUST BACK OFF!!!!!

Anyhoodles..

the song is a prayer?

Even BETTER!!!

Cause Lord knows I didn’t need another goddamned syrupy love song to make me feel like a complete spinster in training. A PRAYER!!! JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED!!! I sang it even more. Sang and cried and sang and cried and sang and cried. Ohhhhhh, aren't you all so relieved you're NOT my neighbors? Those poor people. Imagine how awesome it must have been to live next to me during Sweeney rehearsals. Oof. Ok I'm totally sending them all fruit baskets now.

but this song is just so gooorrrgggeeouuussss.

And it's a SEXY prayer. 

But ya know....God's gotta a sense of humor. Clearly. So, I'm sure it's all cool. 

It's really a song for when you need some hope. I find myself singing it walking down the street when I'm headed to something that's making me nervous like an audition, or therapy, or physical therapy for the ankle....

it's soothing.

but totally in a cool, kicky way.

And it's got a lovely, mournful minor key and it's very simple. Very music box-y. 

There's really nothing grand to report about the musical arrangement here on my side at least...except that it kicks ass and I love every note of it. Probably because it's a 100% direct lift and I have given the arranger (Mervyn Warren) FULL credit for it on the album. In fact, this is the only song on the entire album that I did not arrange in some way...so kudos to Mervyn and his awesome arrangement. I am extremely grateful to you and your talent.

Track #4 ya'll.

The closest to American Idol I'm ever gonna get.

Whee!

off to dinner...

more soon....

xoxo

dl

 

MOMMA'S LAMENT

This is an absolutely ball-busting song from a musical I did in the NYMF Festival last year called Love Jerry.

I wanted to record it because:

a) it kicks ass

b) Megan Gogerty, the inexplicably talented composer and playwright of Love Jerry should be a household name for how amazing she is.

c) this musical is so new, there really isn't a demo for the show that reflects the emotional life of these songs accurately. And I also wanted Megan to have a really solid rendition of this '11 o'clock' number for her own PR purposes.

d) the rehearsal schedule for NYMF is so limited, we were never able to really write a great musical arrangement to this number. Everyone had the best intentions but there was just not enough time to do it properly. So I really wanted to arrange this number and send the charts to Megan so she had them and could send them out or whatever, if she wanted.

d) Love Jerry itself is - besides being a brilliant play with music- such an important piece of theatre- that I can only wish that some producer out there has enough balls to back it for a nice solid Off Broadway run at least. It's truly.....an extraordinary story told in an equally extraordinary way.

Now.

Why haven't you heard about this musical?

If it's so brilliant, why isn't it running of Off Broadway right now, you ask?

I'll tell you.

Keep an open mind now.

Love Jerry is a musical about incest.

Yes.

I know.

Now.

Let me describe another musical for you now.

Fill in the blank is a musical about cannibalism.

You understand the point I'm making here?

Love Jerry ran into the same PR problem that Sweeney Todd did when it first opened in the early 70's. People heard "a musical about rape, murder and cannibalism?!!!! that must be HORRIBLE!" and it had people walking out, and half empty houses, and closed at a massive loss.

But of course, we all know now....that it's probably one of the most magnificent musicals ever written and it was just waaayyyyy ahead of its time.

So.

First of all KUDOS to the NYMF Festival for having the stones to put this show in their roster at all. Not that, if you'd even read the first 4 pages of the script- it would even remotely be a question. Because it's that good.

I was sent the script with the caveat,

"this musical is about incest. Michael Cassara wants you to read the part of the mom of the abused boy. tell me what you think."

I read the first FOUR pages of this script and I immediately called my agent and said, 

"I'm in I'm in I'm IN! I am IN like, I will SHANK people to do this. I will SHANK. THEM. So call Michael and tell him right NOW.... yes yes yes yes YES!"

it was a visceral reaction that I'd maybe had towards a script maybe....

twice before in my life.

My hands were literally shaking as I held the phone.

It was like....every molecule in my body was reacting to the words...

I know it sounds all Buck Rogers and shit...

but I swear, it was like my whole body was already attached to it.

And if they had called me back and said, ya know- 'too late, we offered it to someone else'-

i would have CRRIIIEEDDD. 

After only reading 4 pages. 

I'm not even remotely kidding.

Thank God they didn't.

There was something about the way it was written-

Megan's voice-

so honest and true and brave and totally out there and OBJECTIVE...

and from all sides....

and funny.....

a musical about incest that had HUMOR??!!!

unreal.

......and MESSY.

Messy- like real life is MESSY- I mean...

it was like I was eavesdropping on this family who learns through the course of the play that their son is being molested by his own uncle (the father's brother).

It deals with what really happens to a family....

and the victims...

and the perpetrator....

not what we wish to happen.

which person is bad and which person is good and what's the obvious choice is....

is it really that obvious.....

who's to blame-

what side do you take-

when you're in the middle of two family members-

and i know---

you sit back and you think,

"well it's obvious....what SIDE YOU take...."

but the brilliance of this musical is that....

it makes you question that 'obviousness'.

Because like any sort of fucked up family dynamic, it is anything but obvious to the people INSIDE that family.

This play makes you think, and evaluate your own ethics, and then re-evaluate them...

and we had marvelous people come from all sorts of Child Protection agencies....

and give fantastic talks afterwards....

because obviously the one thing you DON'T want to do-

if you're going to write about something as sensitive as incest....

is in any way.....

feel like you're exploiting the subject matter.

Which it NEVER ever did.

Oh.

I miss it so.

I could go on and on...

but i won't.

just trust me.

it's THAT fucking brilliant.

And not for nothing but this production won a shitload of awards at the NYMF as well....

and I can only hope that it continues to have a life. I seriously feel like it's one of the best musicals I've ever done in my life.

So for more information on this absolutely ASTONISHING show-

please go to: http://www.canyoulovejerry.com/

So.

The song.

Let's talk about the actual song.

This song is sung by the mother of the boy who has been molested by her brother-in-law on her watch. The tragedy of all this is that, of course- the mother has been seeing the signs all along and she knows something is wrong- but....she keeps allowing herself to get talked out of taking action over and over because she truly doesn't want to believe it's true- and her husband is so completely disconnected from everything that he is starting to think she's crazy.

So...

all leading up to this song....

this character is wondering....

"what's wrong with my kid....there's something wrong with my kid.....i don't know, maybe i'm crazy...maybe i'm overreacting...maybe this behavior is normal.....my husband thinks i'm crazy....everyone thinks i'm crazy....but....there's SOMETHING wrong with my kid....."

So then....

she finds out what's wrong with her kid.

And I mean.....

what do you do?

What do you do with ALLLLL that?

The guilt of knowing something was wrong....and not following through.

The anger at everyone- including the kid.....for not telling her what was going on so she could help.

The absolute helplessness she feels....because her son is now broken...on her watch...and she can't even 'reach' him to help him at this point....

and....

all she really wants is for the kid to get better.

and she's convinced that if he just cries....

just.....

does something.....

gets angry-

or yells-

or cries.....

it will be a step in the right direction.

but the kid has locked himself in his room because now he feels guilty because he loves his uncle who is now in prison because of him- and all he can do is hide from everything and everyone.

So.

The mom brings up a tray of food to the door-

hoping he'll come out and take it-

or eat it-

or something.

but nothing...

no answer.

and there's an incredibly funny/poignant monologue that precedes this song....

where she's trying to get him to come out-

and finally....

....she just slumps to the floor next to his room and sings this song to him through the door.

And you see this character have fits and sparks of emotional release before this-

she'll bark one line at a police officer-

and then be calm again....

and then she'll lash out on one line at her husband-

and then be calm again....

but this is the first time you see her, for all intents and purposes, "alone"....

and all she wants...

is for her little boy to cry.

and for him to know that....

she's there for him.

and that's she so incredibly sorry for not protecting him when he needed it.

And you'd think the song would be long...

to do all that?

but it's really not.

This song....does a LOT.....in a very short period of time.

because it's SO well written.

The lyrics are incredibly to the point, honest and economical.

As far as the musical arrangement goes....

For the album, i've given it a slightly more 'jazzy' feel than we ever did it in the show-

just because....

without the show to really know what's going on in the song....

i felt it needed just a little more of a musical 'identity'-

if that makes any sense?

Another element I kept from the show is that there is no piano in this arrangement. it's all bass, accordion, flute and guitar. It keeps it 'softer' in the background. It makes the vocal take the hard edge.

Anyway.

This song literally 'wails'.

It's keening, put to music.

And I truly truly hope that I have done Megan's brilliant talent justice here.

it is also.....

the ONLY song with riffing in it.

Because...

emotionally....

it's necessary.

So if you want your riff fix-

track #5 my darlings.

More soon....

off to the show....

xo

dl

THE 'DIFFERENT TAKE' SONG

This song is 'THE DIFFERENT TAKE' song because...

well...

i do a 'different take' on it emotionally than what this Jason Robert Brown tune is usually known for.

There were a few reasons why I chose to go down a slightly different road for this number.

1) The original performance and recording of this number, I believe can NOT be improved upon. In any way shape or form. And that's saying a lot cause I'm against this gal a lot for roles and it would be way easier for me to just criticize the performance and be all small and petty and shit about it. 

But. 

Ya gotta give it up for talent or your soul will dry up like a corn husk... 

and this singer not only recorded the ever living fuck out of this song...

but I saw her performance on opening night of this role and she totally blew me away. 

Again....I auditioned for this role too, got very very very close to getting it... 

I'm not sure if it was between me and her but it was close...

and I was very sad that I lost out to this chick. 

But man, when you see someone just tear the ever living crap outta something? Even tho you really really wanted it? It makes it so much EEEAASSSIIIEERR to let go of it. So in a way, it was the best thing that I saw her do it live. I walked outta there going, 

"Yup. I woulda cast her too. Moving on."

Anyway. 

Once the title of this song is revealed, I highly recommend getting the cast album of this show just for her rendition of this song (not to mention the whole album is genius). But her rendition of this tune? Perfection. 

So there was no point in my mind, in recording it the same way.

2) While the 'take' on this song is usually done rather......poignantly? 

Almost....defeated? 

And resigned? 

I always found that when I personally turned to this song for comfort or catharsis- i was always P-I-S-S-E-D. I was ANGRY when I would turn to this song. I mean like, NUCLEAR angry.

So when the lyrics ask the person who just stomped on this gal's heart...

 'what about you?'-- 

I was really FEELING.....

"what about YOU??!!!" 

(implied: you fucking dumbass cowardly sonofabitch...WHAT ABOUT YOU!!!!).

And so.....

ya know....

there's THAT.

And honestly, I wanted to see if the song would hold the extra anger in my rendition-

and if I could pull it off without bending the whole song out of musical shape.

3) This song is just one of my favorite all time songs on the planet. And i love it. I think it's brilliant on so many levels. And I wanted to record it. So, there.

NOW.

The trick....

to changing the emotional intention behind a song can be tricky. 

The musical arrangement and composition of a song is like......

the appropriate selection of clothes, really.

You don't wear a nice light, frothy negligee to do heavy construction work. It will tear it about and ruin it and you'll look like a total asshole.

And you also don't wear a hard hat, sturdy overalls and steel toed boots to a garden party. It's too much weight for the event, and again- you'll look like an asshole.

So not wanting to look like an asshole....

i set about nudging the arrangement ever so slightly, in the hopes that it would hold the extra power of a full belt, and a more gutteral intention.

I took out the entire instrumental at the top so the song starts completely acapella (voice only, no accompaniment).

Then....i let just a bar creep in to bridge...

into second verse....

bring in some more instruments....

it gets bigger...

and builds more and more...

*musical nerd alert: sometimes if you're wanting to really build in a song...but you're afraid the center won't sustain it...you can 'trick' the ear by really thinning out the top of the song. This way it SEEMS like the build is bigger in the middle...not because it actually is- but because you STARTED from a much smaller place. So you ramp up not by actually ramping up MORE in the middle- but by building your ramp from a much smaller place to begin with. Savvy?

I get to the first (of three) build sections in this song.

Add more instruments.....

switch from vocal head placement to mix.

Add more instruments....

switch to full out belt.

Now here's a tricky bit.

Do i belt FIRST....where it's lower...

and then mix when it creeps up?

risking losing the build?

because generally if you wanna build something you mix first and then belt.

but as it goes UP a step....

the belt becomes more piercing...

and ironically less powerful and pointed like a mix.

A mix can be like a laser if you straight tone it.

And I must have done 97823847623492834 takes of these 16 bars.

belting first-

then mixing.

mixing first-

then belting.

nasal belt-

then chest belt.

nasal mix-

then nasal belt.

try to pitch over the break...

try to pitch under the break....

over-

under-

mix-

belt-

chest-

under-

belt.....

for at LEAST an hour.

Oy Jesus.

and that shit was LOUD.

I can't believe that my neighbors didn't finally go crazy and call security on me.

So.

this section made me absolutely nuts.

NUTS.

I save every single take and figure i can maybe play mix and match when i mix it later.

find the right combination down the road.

there's also a very famous musical interlude in this song that i LOVE...

but i decided ultimately to cut because, I didn't have 5 friggin' cellos or whatever they had in the pit for this song, and also because the musical interlude emotionally cuts into the second build. And if I'm doing the 'ANGRY EYES' take on this...

I can't afford anything to cut the emotional through line in half-

no matter how much I absolutely love it love it love it.

And not for nothing-

but it's a fabulous cut for any of you gals who want to do this for concerts or auditions.

it's nice and slick, i think.

Go ahead and take it.

I don't care.

Mazel Tov.

Now i'm not gonna lie.

This song chapped my ass during the whole process for many reasons.

1) I love it so much, and i am such a fan of the original interpretation that I personally had most likely, unrealistic goals for the outcome. I wanted to it to be just as good in it's own way, as the one on the album. Not even better. I just wanted it to be as good. That's all.

2) Jason Robert Brown is a buddy. And i didn't want him to think that I screwed around with his song all willy nilly. I felt extreme loyalty to him, as a friend, to do this as best I could.

3) This song is HARD ya'll. 

it's HAAAARRRRRRDDDDDD. 

its. 

hard.

And then...

came the mixing.

This was the song...

that nearly made me throw my computer out the window.

Because.....

me with my loud ass ridiculous ethel merman belt....

blew.

out.

the.

mike.

every.

single.

fucking.

time.

yup.

but because I'm such a dumb ass...

i never LISTENED BACK to it when I was recording it.

I just did take after take after take after take after take and figured I'd finesse it post-op.

So...

here I am, with all these grand dreams of how powerful this 'belt is going to sound'-

and it's just distortion everywhere. Meaning, I all of a sudden sounded like a Dalek from Dr Who trapped under eight down comforters. 

Yes.

That's exactly what it sounded like.

I know this because i listened to it at least 4 bajillion times in garage band as I desperately tried to fix it with the tools in that program. Anything...to NOT have to record it again.

but, it's useless.

the volume levels are all over the place...

the beginning sounds way too soft...

and the "big build" is now just distorted crap.

So.

of course.

I have to go back and record this whole section again.

balls.

balls.

balls.

Now i know...

my neighbors are going to call security on me but...

it has to be done.

I can't put out a distorted, ghetto version of this awesome song that I love so much.

I'll leave it off the album before i do that.

So.

Back into the bathroom I go.

Same 16 bars.

over.

and over.

and over.

and over.

and over.

But this time...

i turn DOWN the mike level at which it records?

I listen back...

totally not distorted.

awesome.

i go back to mixing everything.

NOW.

because i recorded at such a lower level than the rest of the song...

the belt isn't distorted but...

it doesn't build with the rest of the song.

Needless to say....

endless endless ENDLESS shit with this song.

I ended up fixing it best i could with doubling vocals here and there-

and lowering master volumes here and there.

I think what I ended up with was really great?

But honestly- since I have worked and re-worked and re-worked this song so many times...

I have no perspective.

Andy (the bf) says it's great.

I even sent it to Jason, and he said it was 'fabulous'.

So.

I just need to let it go at this point?

But this song for me....

is the track that's like.....

an ex boyfriend who you really really loved comes back into your life-

and he says he's changed, and he's all different now-

and you really really wanna believe that he's awesome now-

even though he was a total pain in the ass before-

and you decide to date again...

but all the time in your stomach you're like, 

"is this a good thing? is this good? if I hadn't been so fucked up by the whole relationship last time...I'd have a better idea. But....i think it's good now. But is it?"

and then you call your mom-

and all your girlfriends and discuss it ad nauseum and you're still never quite convinced that it's good again.

No matter what anyone says.

So.

I still love this song.

But it is the ONE track on the album......

because finally getting it to where I wanted it was such an ordeal....

I still can't sit back and just enjoy listening to.

I'm sure, one day I will.

But until then.....

I'll leave you all to be the judge.

And if you love it- awesome.

If you don't- lie to me.

xoxo

dl

OFFICIAL CD RELEASE PARTY- PRESS RELEASE!!!

Fancy, right?

Written by the fabulously talented Phil Bond.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Phil Geoffrey Bond

212 695 6909

Beechmantheatre@aol.com

The Laurie Beechman Theatre

is pleased to present

DONNA LYNNE CHAMPLIN

Celebrating the release of her debut CD, Old Friends

www.donnalynnechamplin.com

http://donnalynnechamplinsfirstsolocd.bl

ogspot.com/

NEW YORK - The Laurie Beechman Theatre is very pleased to welcome Broadway’s Donna Lynne Champlin (Billy Elliot, Sweeney Todd, Hollywood Arms, James Joyce’s The Dead, By Jeeves), as she celebrates the release of her debut CD, Old Friends.

Beginning in September of 2009, Donna Lynne set out to record, produce and market her debut CD for under $1,000, chronicling her adventures on her blog. Not only is she the sole singer, but also the arranger, musician, mixer, masterer and PR agent of this remarkable collection of music. Well, the hard work is now done, and it’s time to celebrate!

On Sunday, November 29^th at 9:30pm, be the first to be handed a copy of Old Friends, and hear Donna Lynne perform the tracks live on the stage of the Beechman. There is a “pay-what-you-can” donation to be taken in cash at the door; a donation of $15 gets you a copy of the CD, or there is no donation necessary if you’ve already purchased the disc online. There is a $15 food/beverage minimum, and a full dinner menu is available. The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located within The West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42^nd St. (@ 9^th Avenue). For reservations, which are necessary, please call 212 695 6909.

Obie Award-winner DONNA LYNNE CHAMPLIN made her Broadway debut in James Joyce's The Dead (Mary Jane), and has gone on to appear in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s By Jeeves (Honoria), Carol Burnett and Carrie Hamilton’s Hollywood Arms (Helen), Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (Pirelli) and is currently appearing in Elton John’s Billy Elliot (Lesley). Her Off-Broadway credits include Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Master Class, Bury the Dead, First Lady Suite, My Life with Albertine, Bloomer Girl (City Center Encores!) and Very Warm for May at Carnegie Hall. For her performances in Flight of the Lawnchair Man and Love Jerry, she was awarded "Outstanding Performance" awards from the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Film and television audiences have seen Donna Lynne in/on My Father's Will, The Audition, The Dark Half, Law and Order, The Tony Awards, Regis and Kelly, The View and A Rosie Christmas. She can also be heard on the original cast recordings of Sweeney Todd, My Life with Albertine, By Jeeves, Our Heart Sings and Carols for a Cure. A Princess Grace Award winner, she holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon and also studied on scholarship at Oxford University.

THE SAD CLOWN SONG

Musically-

this song is another 'straight shot'.

Just vocal and piano.

I've sung it for years.

I know every inch of it so....

recording it's not really that involved or interesting.

Altho- all you music geeks out there....

I've given you a little gift in the last bar of the piano tag.

A big nerd noogie to whomever can identify the last two bars of music in the piano accompaniment.

As far as the body of the song....

That's the real fun part.

I've often felt that my favorite songs were also my personal 'anthems'.

Songs that, at my funeral would be played and everyone would go,

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, how fitting. Yes. Yes, indeed. Very 'her'."

Most of the songs on this album fit into that category...

but none more than this one.

This song by Charlie Chaplin has been a favorite of mine since childhood-

even before I understood the lyrics, really-

which are incredibly true, true, true, true, true.

It is a song in general about emotions-

pretending to be happy when you're sad-

and sad when you're happy...

but since the great comic genius Charlie Chaplin wrote it-

attention must be paid to where the man was actually coming from and what he possibly wanted us to understand about himself.

Btw- are you loving the tone that I have right now-

like Charlie Chaplin and I are best buds and I know every thought that went through his head when he wrote this cause we're 'THISCLOSE'?

God, I know I am.

Comedians are, I think the most underrated actors in all of the profession. 

People are always amazed when they turn in decent dramatic performances and then inexplicably hold it against them at the same time. 

They rarely win awards for their work which is massively more difficult than their dramatic compatriates-

and having done both genres myself equally-

I'm willing to stand by that statement til the cows come home.

It's a horrible misconception that comedy is easier than drama.

Horrible.

Because nothing could be further from the truth.

Comedic actors are merely dramatic actors with a tougher task to achieve and far less appreciation for it.

And not for nothing- but the same goes for musical theatre performers. Performing in a play is a fucking cake walk compared to being in a musical. Case kuh-losed.

And most comics, once you get to know them- are at their core incredibly insightful and observant people. They are, some not all - also, an endless well of despair and sorrow because they are incredibly insightful and observant. And...most likely have suffered incredible pain. Because otherwise, why develop a sense of humor at all? 

side bar-

I had the incredibly great fortune to work one on one with one of the most talented comediennes on the planet- the iconic and absolutely brilliant Ms Carol Burnett... and even I was amazed at the absolutely ridiculous shit that woman has gone through in her life personally and professionally. She is the perfect example of someone developing a sense of humor to first and foremost- survive. And she is at the same time- the rarest example of someone who has managed to rise above all of that pain and still somehow manage to be one of the most loving, generous, sweet-natured people I've ever met.

She is also the originator of the very famous and couldn't-be-more-true quote of  "comedy is tragedy plus time".

and if anyone would know-

it would be her.

And this track is dedicated to her with all the love in my heart.

Now.

I'm not saying you have had to have suffered incredibly pain to be funny-

but I know for a fact, that the funniest people I have ever met indeed have suffered intensely at some point in their lives. Sometimes they suffered the most at their own hands- 

and in that respect they can be a tremendous pain in the ASS...

but....

what can ya do.

And the people I've met with the poorest senses of humor, while lovely-

absolutely lovely to be around-

have led rather...

sheltered lives in comparison.

I'm sure there are exceptions to that rule but....

I'll be damned if I've seen one up close and personal yet.

So the fact that this song-

was written by arguably one of the greatest clowns that ever lived-

it is one of the purest windows into the soul of people who are not only funny-

but have to be  funny for their livelihood even when their worlds are crumbling around them.

There's nothing worse than say, learning of a death in a the family-

and then having to go to jump around like a starking git in a light, frothy British farce.

And, there's nothing better either.

Whereas in a 'regular' job, if you're sitting at your desk-

you might excuse yourself to go to the bathroom if you feel a well of pain come on-

but what do you do when you're singing and dancing center stage for a bunch of people who have no idea what's going on in your life and honestly, did not pay good money to even remotely care.

This, HAVING TO smile when you're sad, and HAVING TO cry when you're happy is the dilemma of the day to day actor that most people don't ever think about- and honestly, why should they. We have a job to do, and that's the gig.

But the real genius of this song....

is that the MUSIC is happy-

and the LYRICS are happy-

and yet...

it's a terribly terribly sad song.

Usually, when a song is 'sad'- 

the music gives it away when the lyrics play against it-

or vice versa-

but this song somehow manages to be BOTH in a major key AND have 'happy' lyrics and still is obviously a very sad song.

And for me-

it encapsulates the life of a comic.

a comedian.

a comedienne.

The clown will always make you laugh-

but you'll never really know whether the clown is actually, truly happy.

And that's the way we like it...

...because we are SICK mother fuckers!!!!!!!

YYEEEAAHHHH!!!!

OOHHHHhhhhhh mom- 

i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry....

it was just getting way too 'pat' and hallmarky.

i love you.

i do.

i love you mom.

even tho i have a filthy mouth which does not reflect on you AT ALL, i promise-

and it's not even remotely how i was raised.

You hear me everybody?

I was NOT raised to think that using profanity was OK.

I picked that shit up later in college.

And from the gays.

Those dirty 

nasty

delicious gays.

ok.

more tomorrow my loves-

off to bed.

xoxo

dl

PR UPDATE

ok dolls-

working on the next 'song' post for ya-

but there's a lot going on PR wise that I feel is necessary to import.

At the moment, the CD is being replicated at Play-It Direct and they called me today to let me know that they will be messengered to me on Thursday November 19th!!! Woot!

In the meantime--

there is a lot of PR groundwork to be laid.

First- we have solidified the details of the CD RELEASE PARTY at The Beechman Theatre on Sunday, November 29th at 9:30pm. It's 'pay what you can' at the door- and anyone who makes a donation of $15 or more gets a CD. But if you're low on cash and just wanna come and have fun? Fine by me.

There is a minimum charge of $15 for food and drink and that goes to the 'house' for hosting us. So you can use a credit card to pay that if you want....

but otherwise....

just come and have fun and celebrate with me.

I'll be singing some songs from the album-

telling some stories-

getting drunk.

same old same old.

The fabulous Phil Bond is working on the Press Release for The Beechman Theatre and I am currently waiting on a press release for the album in general- written by the incredibly generous Peter Filichia.

FOOTLIGHT RECORDS also got in touch with me, had heard about the CD and would like to sell it through their company as well. So...that will be another way to purchase the CD once it officially drops on December 1st, 2009.

Speaking of places to buy the CD-

Play-It Direct has a package that you can buy for $69 where they basically hook you up with a barcode, CDBABY, Amazon.com, Itunes, Gracenote and The Bizmo. I would be lying to you if I said I understood 100% what all of the above means...

but if it's only $69 to have someone who actually knows what the fuck they're doing fill all that shit out? I'm TOTALLY for it.

Speaking of filling shit out.

I have been gamely trying to navigate through CDBABY on my own-

trying to answers questions and fill out the forms and create my 'profile' and all that jazz...

and some of it's harder for me than others.

For example....

it asked me what 'genre' my CD was.

I have no fucking clue.

You'd think i would...but i really don't.

Folk?

Country?

Jazz?

Blues?

And then as if that's not confusing enough for my addled brain-

it has SUB-categories.....

so it's even worse....

"Celtic" folk?

"Blue grass" country?

oh Lord.

I finally decided on Easy Listening since that was the only place i found a sub category with the word 'broadway' in it.

But who knows.

another issue for Play-Ivy Direct to deal with....

again.

$69 very well spent.

They also ask you what three famous singers you sound like.

Again.

Stumped.

I put "Judy Garland, Barbara Cook and Alison Krauss"

I originally had Nancy LaMott in there instead of Barbara Cook but...

i thought maybe....

Not many people knew about Nancy LaMott...

altho they should.

What do you all think?

If you can think of other people that you think I sound more like-

lemme know.

Now---

There's stuff to put together that I've never even heard of such as "Banners" and "Sell Sheets".

Once again, thanks to my brilliant friend Robbie Rozelle-

who is beyond awesome-

I'm learning about all this stuff.

A BANNER is that thing you see at the top of websites?

Like if you go to All That Chat, you see that ad at the top of the page?

That's a banner and it costs $75 a month.

Which seems like a decent deal to me, so we're gonna look into that.

A SELL SHEET is basically 1-2 piece of paper that you include with your promotional CD that you send to critics, press, radio stations, etc that:

has a graphic, usually of the cover of the CD

The title

The name of the artist

The CD release date

The Label

The Catalogue #

The Barcode #

The price of the CD

The category Broadway cast album, easy listening, etc

Then there's the 'product description'- which is a paragraph about the CD itself with maybe a few positive quotes thrown in there.

Track listing

The "Key Selling Points"- this is where you let people know if the artist, or the composer or the show has any sort of ready-made fan base...whether they won any awards...whether there's anything particularly unique about this CD, whether there's *ahem* a blog already online about the making *ahem* of said CD....

Press- this is where you put reviews of preferably the CD. But if you don't have any of those, then you can put reviews of the artist, or good words from famous people, etc.

.........and that's a SELL SHEET kids.

SO.

once i get all THAT shit done....

I need to compile a list of press people that I already know-

or that have already generously contacted me about helping me promote the CD-

and I need to start putting press packets together for them.

I also have been starting to make address labels for all the pre-orders, donations, etc....

and my AWESOME mom brought 300 padded envelopes all the way from Rochester in the car when she came up this weekend as her donation to the cause.

So.

Even tho the CD is 'done'-

there is still TONS TONS TONS to do PR wise.

And...

depending on how exhausted I get by all of it-

it pretty much never ends.

Obviously there's the big push right now-

with the CD release party...

and the CD release date...

and all that good crap.

but.....

I will need to constantly hustle on this thing if I really want it to keep having a life.

Of course-

one always HOPES that people dig it so much that it takes on its own life....

and it will be more about people calling ME about the CD than the other way 'round but....

more often than not....

because there's SO MUCH out there....

you gotta hustle to keep your head above the fray.

Anyhoodles-

not a particularly FUNNY post today--

but i think an educational one for all of you who are considering making your own CD as well.

heads up-

just cause you drop that bastard off to get reproduced....

know that that was just phase one....

phase two is upon me...

and I'm doing my best to juggle as many plates as I can.

Again....

I have developed an appreciation for yet another job that you pay people thousands to do.

PR.

God bless 'em.

Every one.

Ok hons....

more writing to do...

more soon....

xoxo

dl

THE CAR SONG

Sorry I've been a little lax on the promise of 'machine gunning' out some posts here.

My mom was visiting, and I've gone back into BILLY ELLIOT after 5 weeks off with a fractured ankle-- and that's all been more of an adjustment than I realized.

So.

Let's talk about THE CAR SONG.

This is really a very simple story.

Which is fitting as this is an incredibly simple song.

And i mean that as the highest compliment possible.

I was driving around my hometown of Rochester, NY while in town for the holidays during my Sophomore year at Carnegie Mellon. This was the very very used car I'd driven throughout most of my high school years which was in such terrible condition that it rattled enough to earn the nickname "The Tunaville Trolley".

I loved this car.

And I actually loved the parts of this car that were the most busted.

I especially loved the rusted out hole beneath the pedals at my feet that I had covered with a plank of wood. This hole came in most handy when I would lock my keys in the car pretty much every other day. I'd just crawl under the car- pop my hand through the hole, reach up to the ignition and voila. Of course, every time I'd drive over a puddle or snow I'd have to lift my feet up to avoid getting doused, but otherwise- it was a handy byproduct of its own neglect.

The other thing I loved about this car is that it introduced me to country music as its radio was permanently stuck on the one country station in all of Upstate NY.

So I'm driving in a minor blizzard (pretty much par for the course up there) with the lights out and the window down- which anyone from blizzard country knows sometimes is the only way to get home on a snowy night- and I hear these lovely guitar chords come from the radio.

it's hard to hear with the wind blowing...

so i roll up the window to hear the song better....

and it's....

so delicate.

it's so very....sweet.

and innocent.

I start listening to the lyrics....

it's a story.

Oh Lord, I love story songs.

That was actually, another potential title for this CD- "Story Songs".

It's about a woman named Claire.

She's been waiting a long time for love (sing it sistah)...

and finally, she met a simple salesman...

they fell simply in love, and married...

they spent their whole very simple lives together.

And, already I'm hooked....

I don't know why, but I think I've always known- even when I was younger- that true love would elude me in this life. At least until 'later' in life. I've always known that I would watch everyone pass me by here...very Carrie Bradshaw but without the shoes, the rent control or the fashion sense. I don't know, but any story about someone who finds love 'later' in life- I've always been drawn to. Even when I was very ironically, still early in mine. 

Anyway.

The beauty of this song is that...

the music and the lyrics mirror the simpleness of the story.

This isn't...

a great dramatic, epic love like Romeo and Juliet or Anthony and Cleopatra...

it's just two normal, average, simple people who finally finally found each other after so very long....and they didn't complicate anything. They were smart enough- and maybe they were just old enough to know better....to appreciate that fact that they found it at all. I don't even imagine that they even say much to each other. They sit on the porch- or by the fire- and just 'fit' and it's all just so very simple.

They met-

they fell in love-

he asked her to marry him.

Boom.

Done.

Simple.

I'm already so in love with this song my eyeballs are itching.

The song goes on....

they've been together 50 years....

and then...

they end up in the same hospital...

but in separate beds and different floors.

it's the only time they've spent a night apart-

and it's because some dumbass didn't think to put them together.

I'm already plotting the demise of whatever stupid shit-head candy striper fucked up their rooms and the song's not even over yet. If I could just jump into the radio and sort everything out for them...

"different beds on different floors? after 50 years? this is an OUTRAGE...WHERE'S THE HEAD NURSE GODDAMMIT??!!"

Well.

By now, I'm completely fucked.

I am totally blinded by tears and have pulled the car over.

I turn the radio up as much as i can....

the story goes on....

Claire starts to lose her memory...

oh mother of Christ...really?

even though the song doesn't say, i'm already positive it's because she's been separated cruelly from her salesman....

fucking stupid-ass candy stripers.

...and so it goes.

Of course, the lyrics are much more poetic than I'm giving them justice- 

on purpose really-

because it's enough that I'm blowing the story itself....

But obviously, i sat in my car for at least ten minutes sobbing my guts up all over the dashboard and when I finally got myself back on the road and home the first thing i did was call the radio station to find out what this marvelous song was by Kathy Mattea.

But i will warn you.

This song will most likely wreck you.

And not because I'm some brilliant songstress or anything...

I mean, Kermit the Frog could be singing this shit with a sinus infection-

The song itself- even more so the STORY itself- is THAT powerful.

My mom literally yelled at me after she listened to an unmixed version of it last week.

she yelled at me.

because she couldn't stop crying for like an hour afterwards.

But even more pathetic...

I still can't get through this song without crying.

And it's the main reason I've never performed it live.

Because I don't want to come off like a complete and total jack weed.

There are some songs i'm on the 'edge' of emotionally....

depending on what's going on in my life...

but as long as i can go into it with some confidence in my self control...i'm ok.

But honestly, as a performer I think it's really self indulgent and irresponsible to purposely do songs that you know you're not going to make it through. That's just....I dunno. Well, self indulgent and irresponsible, I guess. People pay money for you to make them cry, and not the other way around- usually.

And this one...

I just...

can't make it through without crying.

So recording this...was....really really tough.

In fact I think I tried almost 50 takes of the last chorus just desperately trying to get through it without blubbering like a 5 year old girl.

I mean....it was a sad sad sssaaaaaddddddd scene in my bathroom there for a while.

And I tried everything, man.

Tried going for a walk...

jumping jacks....

thinking about Christmas and kittens and shiny things and shit....

I mean....everything.

nothing worked.

So.

I finally....narrowed the end of it down to two takes.

I got a track that even though i was indeed crying...didn't sound like i was crying.

and then...

a track where yes, i was crying but...it wasn't like...unintelligble crying-

which ya know...

never really goes over well on an album.

Anyhoodles-

you all can buy the CD to find out which one i went with.

ooh that was so sassy of me, just there.

Ok but seriously...

heads up ya'll.

Anyway.

Ever since then.....

I have been obsessed with couples who have died on the same day.

Absolutely obsessed.

btw- in the song there's nothing about them dying at all-

but my mind just had to add that ending on for myself cause for me there's no other way for it to go down? Cause I'm kinda....crazy? A little? Like that?

I have collected numerous articles in newspapers, and I even have an admittedly extremely creepy if you don't know the backstory- picture of two skeletons that fossilized while embracing each other on a table near my bed. Of course, once you hear the song and know the backstory then it's all terribly romantic...

so I tell myself as people politely excuse themselves and back slowly out of my apartment.

And an even weirder epilogue to this song's story in my life is....

when we were Juniors at CMU we were asked to bring in one piece of music that meant the most to us, and then....oh Jesus- i can't even remember what we were supposed to do with it. Knowing theatre school it was something dorky like....

"Bring in your favorite song and turn into a rainbow-riding unicorn!" or some weirdness.

So I guess, since I was obviously a total classical music nerd, everyone was expecting me to bring in like- Danse Macabre or Beethoven's Pathetique or something 'high brow' and a total bore for everyone to have to sit through.

But nope.

I brought this baby in.

And i do remember for some reason we had to explain why the song meant so much to us...

and I simply said,

"This is the one greatest dream for my life and my greatest fear. As I know that there is absolutely nothing within my control or power as to whether I'll ever, ever have it."

Track #8 kids.

Welcome to the seat of my soul.

Tread lightly.

xoxo

dl

ps

musical lesson of this number for me? "straight tone is the arrow- vibrato is the vibration after it hits the board"