North Hollywood, California
Already the 18th and this only the first entry this month? I'm so slipping. But I have an excuse. OK, several excuses. But first, we are going back into "the studio" tomorrow (actually Leo's place) to record 4 new songs, ones we didn't do during the main May-June session. Leo wants to do this while we still have access to the same "cast", for uniformity. And the reason we won't have access to the same "cast" from here on out is...Part I of the announcement I can finally make!

Goodbye L.A., hello PEI! That's right - Leo and I are leaving Los Angeles behind and relocating to Prince Edward Island. Next week! It really doesn't make sense to try to produce a Canadian musical from here, especially at this point in time, and, truthfully, we're both sick of L.A. Have been for a long time. Two years ago we sat at the beach in Cavendish and asked ourselves exactly what there was to stick around for in L.A. Even then we couldn't think of much of anything. It's been one thing to visit PEI and feel the magic; I hope that same magic will be there once we take up residence. One of the first things I plan to do is hook this computer back up and get busy on the rather extensive rewrite I'm going to have to do. I timed Act I and it was almost @#$!$%* long, and I know Act II isn't going to be any better. I've had my confidence shaken this week by the first negative feedback we got about the show and part of me feels overwhelmed, wondering what to cut and how to make it all interesting, and how to make it make sense while cutting it down to an appreciable length. Which is all the more reason I think it's time to be able to breathe in the PEI vibe. I never really wanted to write the libretto from Los Angeles in the first place, but it's the way it turned out, so I'm glad we're finally going and that I'll get a chance to write about Maud on her own soil. I've been so busy going through everything I own these past few weeks - consolidating, throwing out, recycling, donating...getting rid of essentially 2/3 (if not 3/4!) of everything I own since we can only take so much with us. So busy, I haven't allowed myself time to feel excited about this move - just stressed! But I'm feeling some of it now. The excitement, I mean. I really do adore the Island and I can understand what Maud meant when she said she did some violence to her soul by leaving it. It's going to be amazing - as will Part II of the announcement, which I can't make just yet. I should be able to soon, although I don't know if I'll be able to before we leave. But it's part of the reason we're going, and I have to tell you - it's gonna be great to devote my full attention to the show for the next couple of months instead of squeezing it in between work and ten million other distractions. Let's just say I've seen to it that I'll be able to. :)

So, tomorrow, four more songs. In a way, I think it isn't the best timing to record these now when we're planning an international move. On the other...it's kind of nice to get back to it, although, 6 weeks past the main sessions, it's also going to feel weird! You better believe there's gonna be more video - although not nearly as much! I'll try to post it before we leave.

In the meantime...hard to believe Friday it will be one year since I started writing the libretto. If we can get this far in a year, then we can get this show on its feet in the next year, right? Right?

This is where you're supposed to agree with me. :)