REWRITE NOTES: Way too melodramatic. You know who doesn't care about handkerchiefs? Automatons. Let's replace the soldiers with soldering and re-configure all this jealousy with formal greetings. We'll call it -
23A
Singer who spelled out what she wanted
25A
Crew collection?
26A
Trash receptacle
27A
RB goals
28A
Classic yacht rock album
30A
She rode shotgun with Chase on many a vacation
32A
President of Mexico from '12-'18
34A
"____ fair in love and war"
35A
REWRITE NOTES: Alas, poor audience if we greenlight this mess. The play's not the thing, 80s Brit Pop is. Ditch the Dane, up the body count, and let's go-go to to work. We'll call it -
40A
Many fortes?
41A
Hails from Havana
42A
Guts
46A
Paul Anka's "___ Beso"
47A
What you dip a French dip in
50A
Kelly or Flanders
51A
Snowman not often depicted as "holly jolly"
53A
He saw dead people
55A
2022 Best Picture nominee based on a Murakami short story
58A
Noteworthy Von Bismarck
59A
Follicle fear
60A
REWRITE NOTES: Dig the conflicted couple, hate the cliché setting. NOBODY CARES ABOUT BIRNAM WOODS! But you know what people are obsessed with right now? Truckers. A semi-sweet tale starring two real-life ex-lovers ascending the corporate ladder on the open road? Witch, please! We'll call it -
62A
Classic Conan bit "In the ____ 2000"
63A
"Work" singer, to fans
64A
Evel obstacle, perhaps
65A
Place where it's nice to feel kneaded?
66A
Madness ranking, at times
67A
144, to be precise
Verticales
1D
Kitty that likes to cuddle
2D
On the boat
3D
Low members of the choir, perhaps
4D
Eight-pack
5D
Where the salt of a margarita goes
6D
Gucci once described as the "Michelangelo of Merchandising"
7D
Billy Blanks exercise style
8D
Progress toward
9D
Philosophy that emerged in India around the 6th Century
10D
Auld Lang _____
11D
Al Borland accessory, perhaps
12D
Producer of Prozac
16D
Zeus's papa
18D
Teething treatment
22D
QVC alternative
24D
Alana of "Licorice Pizza"
29D
Noshed
31D
Result of a Tide change?
32D
Webb launchers
33D
Unprescribed drugs, at times
35D
California has over 4,700 of them
36D
It's usually not par for the course
37D
Shade
38D
What the "quicker, picker-uppers" do
39D
The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia
40D
Compassionately
43D
Type of whiskey
44D
Shows doubt
45D
Hinder
47D
Tull integral to the British Agricultural Revolution of the 18th Century
48D
Takes out a photo ID?
49D
Rolling ones gather no moss
52D
Statement of personal concern
54D
It's under some hoods
56D
Farmiga or Wang
57D
Something illegal to drop?
61D
It comes before or after chicken - that much we know