Well, dear readers, it is late and I must write these here notes in a hurry but never worry I shall scurry in a flurry until my eyes a blurry, I won’t eat curry, I’ll be judge and jury, played by Michael Nouri, put some fringe on the surrey, and think about Missouri. Whew! Another op’nin’, another notes. These here notes are already jam-packed with nothingness, aren’t they? They are empty of thought, and full of a void, but that’s just the way we like it around these here parts. Whilst writing in a hurry, I am listening to Mr. John Wilson, who really wants to be a big star conductor who does everything, do the Rachmaninov third symphony and I’m afraid it’s a very middling performance in my opinion, especially when there are such great ones out there. I felt the same with his Rachmaninov second. I like his Hollywood and Broadway stuff, although as I mentioned the other day, he really needs to rethink the sound on those Broadway complete recordings. Had to shut it off. Now playing – a Michel Legrand compilation I’d not heard of, conducted by Legrand, leading the Flemish Radio Orchestra. These are also arrangements and orchestrations I’ve never heard – very enjoyable so far. If I had my own orchestra, I’d call it the Phlegmish Orchestra. So, yesterday. I got up at eight, had to get stuff done on the laptop in advance of the rehearsal, did that, answered e-mails, then got ready and moseyed on over to the theater. Rehearsal was fun, and after it Doug Haverty and I went to the Coral Café. We both had patty melts – we both ordered it well done. His was. Mine was anything but well done – it was rare in the middle, but by the time I saw it I just didn’t want to be a pain and send it back, although I should have. I ate it, but after I felt completely nauseous. Fries were good. And I took home a piece of coconut cream pie for pill three in the early evening. I went straight home, answered more e-mails, rested, dozed off for twenty minutes, got some Diet Coke via Instacart (and some Diet ginger ale, too – big sale on the latter – $1.88 for a twelve-pack – probably should have gotten five), had some not so wonderful news about the thing that arrived but which now isn’t really arriving, but will have to be sent again, so I won’t get it until Tuesday or Wednesday or even Friday. What a pain. I’ll regale you with the whole sordid tale once it arrives. Then I had the pie, which was TERRIBLE, took pill three, and then moseyed on over to see Our Town at the Group Rep.
The first thing I’ll have to admit to is I’ve never seen the play or the movie or even the Frank Sinatra musical thing from the 1950s. I think I read Our Town back when I was a teen but certainly had no memory of it at all. So, I found seeing it fascinating on many levels. Firstly, I think it’s not such an easy play to get right for various reasons. As I watched, I wondered what I’d do with the play, and frankly I couldn’t think of a thing. Of course, it’s wonderfully written, and I had a good time watching it, with lots of Group Rep friends in it. It moved along at a steady clip – acts two and three were combined. One of the Broadway incarnations removed all the intermissions, and the play ran an hour and forty-five minutes. But I’m not sure I’d like to see it that way. This was performed with what I gather is the standard backstage look, which works fine. And after I said hi to everyone, I drove home and continued to thing, what if someone offered the play to me – would I turn it down (which would be my instinct), or would I gird my loins and tackle it and if the latter, what would I do with it. I suppose it could be an interesting experiment.
When I got home, I watched a bit of several productions, including snippets of the latest Broadway revival with Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes, a bit of the Paul Newman-led production, and the one that seemed the most interesting to me in terms of casting – the George Schaefer-directed version with Hal Holbrook as that stage manager, and Sada Thompson and Barbara Bel Geddes, Ned Beatty, Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor (she looks like she’d be very good, Benson, not so much). This TV version is more literal, which doesn’t really work with the play, but even the bit I saw I took great pleasure in Ms. Thompson and Ms. Bel Geddes’ performances.
I had a low-cal hot dog for a snack. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, and other than a quick trip to the mail place, I’m staying put, resting, finishing choosing the last couple of songs for Kritzerland so I can get everyone their music, eating hot dogs for food unless I opt for some Wacky Noodles, since I have the ingredients. And then at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I can rest during the day and will hopefully have some news about the arrival of that which should have arrived, then we have a rehearsal from six to nine. Then the rest of the week is Thanksgiving vacation, which I’m looking forward to.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do a quick trip to the mail place, come home, stay put, finish choosing songs, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finally seen Our Town.