I forgot to post that the reading went really well last Friday. It took place at Free Times Cafe at 9:30pm. People laughed when they were supposed to (generally) and seemed to be interested to see what happens next which is always a good sign. What’s that quote: ‘Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a present’. I don’t what that means but it seems to fit. I definitely am very uncomfortable with compliments…not that I’m comfortable with insults, it’s just I forget how one is to respond to them. I generally just say thank you but I find it hard to really take in a compliment. I’m more comfortable with uncomfortable silences where I can just deduce that everybody hated it. I gotta change that.
Each playwright had to introduce there piece, I was nervous for the explanation of what the play was about beforehand so I prepared a mini-speech. For those of you just tuning in, I’m writing a musical called Nobody’s Idol. It is about many things. The theme is ‘the pursuit of fame is a maddening pursuit’. That’s the underlying idea. It takes place on the set of the world famous singing competition / rehab television show, Nobody’s Idol. There are many characters but I focused on 4 of them for this reading. The characters are ‘Fame'(the host), Derek Worm (the judge/therapist), Amber (contestant who’s obsessed with Derek) and Chantelle (contestant, a former ‘toddlers in tiara’s’ beauty queen who got too much plastic surgery). I had good actors for the reading. Fame was read by Rob Norman; Derek read by Josh Wiles; Amber read by Ruth Goodwin; Chantelle read by Rong Fu.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a song to happen for the reading. But eventually, when it’s a full length musical I would love the style to be songs you’d hear during one of those televised singing competitions. I realize I have no training in writing music and so I was just kind of trying to will it into happening. I took 3 lessons in writing composition and got a little keyboard and tried to write songs…they were kind of awful.
It’s a week or so after the reading and I’ve written quite a lot more and am adding in the other characters. I’m feeling really good about ‘the book’ but it’s still unclear how music will happen for this musical. Ideally, I’d love to learn everything there is to learn about music composition in a month and write amazing songs that are both heart-wrenching yet help move the story along without lyrics that literally sing out the plot. I think that’s one of the reasons why people who don’t like musicals, don’t like musicals. And I guess because they’re always so goddamn chipper all the time. “Cool” people can’t admit to liking stuff like that.
Anyways, I love this musical. I think so highly of this idea and have day-dreams where I’m turning down Johnny Depp when he requests to play ‘Fame’ (hasn’t he already played enough parts like that already. Plus, I’d want him to play Derek). That’s mainly because of my latest rewrite which is very Tim Burton inspired. And then a couple nights before the reading I had a dream that Jake Gyllenhaal read one of the parts and demanded all these last minute rewrites. It was kind of a nightmare but then it was ok cause he’s attractive. I’m very excited about this project and hope it can come to life one of these days. (Oh and maybe write me a big checque so that I don’t have to work at a coffee shop).
Other news:
So I’ve long since forgotten about my quest to be in a musical. That’s so last year. Even though I still want to be a good singer and everything and one day I do want to be in a musical my focus is so on Nobody’s Idol right now. Also seriously neglecting the one woman show some would say have abandoned it completely but I say the project is on hold. I’m still going to do it just probably not this year. I’m going to New York at the end of the month for improv. I want to see a play. I’ve actually never seen a non musical when I’ve gone too Broadway so that’s what I’m going to do. Not sure which one yet. Going with a friend, I have ideas of what I want to see which seem to differ so we’ll see. At the moment, I’m not entirely thrilled with the musical options on Broadway mainly because either those shows are coming to Toronto so I tell myself I’ll see them when they get here or I’ve seen them already or just not interested. I’m also planning to see a tone of improv, which is my other passion baby. I’m also going to be moving soon so I have a lot to think of these next couple of weeks which doesn’t even include the millions of hours serving coffee.
Waking Dreams Up 