shake it like mary magdalene!

"What's that you say?"

Just a line from one of the songs tonight in "Sister Act"! Ain't it divine?!!

"Hahahaha! I saw that pun you snuck in there!"

I figured you would! You know how keen I am about listening to the lyrics, right? Good thing! These songs were just full of puns and double entrendres!

"Very nice! But I don't recall the movie using made-up songs."

G'friend, this wasn't no movie! It was a live musical!!! At Savannah Arts Academy!!! An absolute gift it was, too, at this time of year. I guess that's a silver lining of Hurricane Milton, as that storm was the reason it got canceled in the fall.

"So, here it was in the winter, during a cold spell, to brighten your new year!"

That's true! And guess what else? I wasn't solo! I'd posted the flyer about the show on fb, tagging two of the Asbury theatre-goers, and one of them joined me! Robin and I had a nice chat last night on the phone, then I went ahead and bought my ticket for tonight.

"Good move! That made sure you didn't back out on her because of the weather."

Ah, you know me well. And guess what? They had Varnedoe Theatre nice and toasty! I was so pleasantly warm that I took off the sweatshirt I had on over my sweater and undershirt. Just delightful to be warm, walking around enjoying the orchestra while I waited for her to get there from Pooler!!!

"That's wonderful! Now, tell me: did Robin enjoy the musical?"

She did!!! We were both laughing and clapping and having a wonderful time throughout the show!!! Get this: her son was in theater at his high school in California, so she went to all of the shows he was in. She's missed it, as he's 31 now, so she's very pleased that i like going to the various high school plays and musicals. Wonderful!!!

"How truly wonderful that is! I know you've had a struggle trying to get other Asbury folk involved with these shows. Maybe she'll be able to light a fire under them!"

Perhaps so! Oh, and tonight was closing night for the play, so they gave roses to all of the seniors in the show! My favorite, Jada Banks, was the one who played 'Doloris', so this is her last year at SAA. I'm sure going to miss her. I'm going to miss several of those kids, like Emory Liang, who played 'Sweaty Eddie the cop'. I even clapped when his character fired his gun and shot 'Curtis' (Josiah Williams), who was about to kill 'Doloris'.  Such a flashback for me of the cop firing his gun to save Bruce Willis' character in "Die Hard"! Anyway, all told, I think there were at least ten graduating seniors in this one.

"Plus, this was Richard Lundin's last play to direct. You met his replacement, Betsy, tonight. She sat right in front of you and Robin, with her daughter who goes to Garrison."

That's right!!! The little girl played 'Spud' in "The Adventures of Captain Potato"!!! She really was pleased that I had liked the short play so much!!!

"Of course she was! And her mama was, too. That probably was good for Robin, too. She's trying to get involved with helping behind the scenes and had talked to Betsy about that. Me being such a fan of children's theater undoubtedly spoke well of Robin, too."

Very cool! I'm so glad she came out tonight in this low-40's weather... glad I did, too!

ending the year on a high note!

Quite literally, as we all were at a musical matinee of "Mufasa"!

How better to see a movie about family than with family, n'est-ce pas?

Quite a good movie it was, too!

All four of my great-nieces of Hinesville stayed put for this one, so that means it definitely held their attention!

Here are Miyah and Chloe, both holding their baby dolls that Santa brought them.

Poor Chloe is still a little sick, but I hope her new meds will soon kick her headache to the curb.

Alyssa and Leila didn't have baby dolls with them.

Here they are, respectively, to either side of their Papa.

Alyssa did have a stuffed critter, though!

Leila brought a big blanket to keep the cinema chill off, as well as the hooded coat she wore.

I wonder if she might already have thyroid issues?

I'll have to remember to ask Michael about that.

I remembered to give Michael the three shot glasses I'd set aside for him in September, plus a new Star Wars coffee mug with Yoda on it.

I'd received two for Christmas, so he was the first person I thought of for sharing!

 

So where's that first niece of mine?

There she is, absolutely beaming!

She is finally the owner of that art print by Renoir that Mama had so enjoyed!

I approached her about taking it a few months ago, but she wanted to make sure I was ready to part with it.

I'd assured her that "Dance At Bougival" had been with me for plenty of time - 

I didn't want to wait until I died for her to have it.

This way, she has it death-free, a memory of her beloved Grammy, and the many good times they shared for the first eighteen years of Christina's life, to enjoy every day.

i thank You, God, that I could do this for her.

 

Now, off I go to Olive Garden for dinner with Christina and her girls!

Michael and the twins are off to Chelsea's for a year-end party, so I'll have to catch them another time.

What a wonderful Tina Tuesday this has been!

up to the highest heights!

"Oh, let's go, fly a kite!"

I do so love that song from "Mary Poppins" and was thrilled to hear it tonight!

Moreover, every child on the stage had one and each waved their colorful paper diamond enthusiastically!

I just know Barbara would have loved it, too.

She's the reason I was there, as she was the one who introduced me to these plays by the students of Rambam Day School.

She knew I would enjoy them as much as she did.

Two of the teachers who knew her greeted me, having seen me with her at these holiday plays for the past few years.

In keeping with tradition, this year's offering was also a musical.

"A Spoonful Of Sugar" was a take-off on the flying nanny (there's a little joke!) and contained several familiar songs, including both of the ones that the chimney sweeps sing - and there must have been a baker's dozen of them doing it!

There was a line of elementary-aged boys the length of the stage, as all wanted to be in on those dance routines!

I would have loved dancing with them!

There were also a few songs that touched on Judaism and even one about the man that the school is named for, set to the tune of the Beach Boys' "Help Me Rhonda" - making learning fun, just as the nanny did!

I think my favorite of those was "Soup and Challah", to the tune of "Supercali" -

"Soup and Challah, Candlesticks, Kiddush it is delicious / Every Shabbat meal we eat is really quite nutritious / Can I have some chicken served on Irma's special dishes / Soup and Challah, Candlesticks, Kiddush is is declicious!"

Guaranteed to bring a smile!

After the free show was over, I knew to stay for the free dessert: a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Many thanks for making me welcome, y'all!

i thank You, God, for this gift from Barbara.

thanksgiving 2024!

First, I'm thankful for all the wishes of the day sent to me!

This was received from my first niece, just moments after the Peanuts gang went by in the Macy's 98th Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Plus, I'd watched "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" last night, so those characters were fresh in my mind as well as my heart.

Right place, right time!!!

Second, I'm thankful for all the wishes of the day that I shared with others!

Sherry Moore was the first to send me this, and I promptly moved it along to others that I know and love.

So very festive, isn't it?

Third, I'm thankful for the food Smitty brought over yesterday for this day.

He and Mary were to be at Tyler and Hannah's in Rincon; Tony and Laura, as well as Dane the dog, went down to Tampa to be with her two middle sons, Cole and Alek.

With the food given to me, I had ham and pasta soup to start my day.

Fourth, I'm glad to be such a regular face at AMC that I get treated like royalty.

I went to the cinema for the 1000 bonus points for getting a ticket to "Wicked, Part 1".

That wasn't what I wanted to see, though.

Santa and his brother Krampus were on my list!

So, they told me which screening room held "Red One" and there I went!

How lovely that the two movies had the same starting time!

Fifth, I'm thankful to have continued the tradition of watching the Detroit Lions play.

Most years, that game is a loss for them, but not this year!

Sure, as Jeff the ex said, it was a real nail-biter during those last two minutes of play, but the Lions managed to keep their edge over the Chicago Bears.

Whew!!!

Sixth, I've been blessed to have gorgeous weather.

Rain is forecast in a day or so, and the yards both needed a trim.

The front yard won out and I mowed at least two-thirds of it before the Ryobi stopped.

Perhaps I will finish it tomorrow, perhaps not.

Seventh, after all was done, I feasted upon smoked turkey breast, baked sweet potato, and deviled eggs. 

That was a meal I didn't have to cook or prep, thanks to my brothers.

Eighth, I'm now being treated to "Mary Poppins" - the 1964 musical with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke - on the telly.

i thank You, God, for this day of gratitude.

no magic, just illusion

Well, that was mostly true for this week's A*List collection, even that last one.

That may sound strange considering the identity of the "Screen Unseen", but it's still true.

Given that "Gladiator II" started this week anyway, drawing in a crowd for a special screening of an 'unknown' movie seemed a bit of a ruse.

At least it was only $6 for anyone without an A*List to take the dance.

Those other two movies were actually viewed for free by me.

I saw "Anora" on Tuesday, and watched "Wicked" Wednesday (i.e. tonight).

Somehow, my A*List was not working on those two days!

So, Alicia gave me the free pass on Tuesday, and Jackson did tonight.

I suspect the issue is this: they were entering me in as a "Senior", as they should.

However, AMC currently has my order status listed as "Adult", having inexplicable changed it from the correct "Senior" earlier this year.

I'll test that theory the next time I buy a ticket at the cinema.

I had not problem placing orders online for those two movies a few minutes ago, as is evident in the photo above of my trio.

How to know those are scheduled for tomorrow?

No check marks to denote they have been viewed.

Illusion, plain and simple.

So, just why was "Anora" not magical, just illusion?

That was the name of the dancer-escort at Club HQ who fancied herself as having won the romance lottery when she married a wealthy Russian's RPG-addicted son.

Ah, but she was no "Pretty Woman", and he was no Richard Gere-type businessman.

Lots of sex, lots of money flashed around... but all illusion, not real.

It certainly was not the "romantic comedy drama" it was billed as.

 

Then there's "Wicked: Part 1", seen at its "Early Access Fan Event".

So many fans turned out that they had to move it into the Big-D screening room!

The cinema also ran out of the LEGO kits, so I missed out on that.

Still, I'd watched "Defying Gravity" on CBS last night, so I was totally pumped for the movie!

Based on the 2003 Broadway musical, I was very excited to hear Cynthia Erivo sing!

Such a voice she has!

However, the beginning of the movie was dark, starting with 'Dorothy' having already accidentally killed the Wicked Witch of the West with water and 'Glinda' bringing the official word to Munchkin Town.

Very dark scene.

It just felt wrong to me, longtime fan of "The Wizard Of Oz" that I am.

I'll be sure to tell my first niece about that off-step.

I'll also tell her that this is -NOT- appropriate for her girls or the twins.

They already seem to believe that mean-spirited is okay as long as one is seen as pretty on the outside... which describes 'Galinda' throughout much of the movie.

Yikes.

Plus, the character is blonde, which certainly wouldn't help the four great-nieces to dissociate their identities from hers.

That said, the movie musical was very good, having several touch points from the 1939 movie classic for those of us who know that by heart.

I loved every scene with 'Elphaba', and I loved the Prince, too.

And Jeff Goldblum... he was magnificent as the magician who knew only illusions.

In fact, of everyone who inhabited Oz, 'Elphaba' was the only true magician, as it turned out.

Say what?

It's true.

But see for yourself.

Again, I very much enjoyed the movie, though it certainly cast a different light on some of the key characters.

Nonetheless, I plan to see it again.

In fact, as I already have reservations for it and the Russian movie tomorrow, I'm planning to stay for at least part of the 2 PM "Wicked"...

but I will certainly not see the other one again.

 

This WSAV weather song is no illusion, though.

Just a pure and simple indicator that Savannah is transitioning from fall to winter.

Just look at that nasty little dip... ack.

Down, down, down into the low forties for the next three mornings.

I am so blessed to be retired and not expected to be out in that cold!

Plus, according to the Farmers Almanac, the weather on November 21 sets the tone for the coming winter.

Does that mean the temperatures will be able to struggle up from those lows at dawn to reach the mid-60's for mid-afternoon?

I just may be okay with that.

We'll see how it goes.

(smile!)

like reindeer bells

The difference is this: "New Music" affects just adults.

Unlike the bells on reindeer harness in "Polar Express", which most children lose their ability to hear as they age into more responsibilities, the tune played by "Coalhouse Walker" causes different responses in the grown folk who are exposed to it.

Some hear the "New Music" and cannot help but dance to it, accepting its different tempo and the different source of its maker.

Some hear "New Music" but are unmoved by it, preferring to ignore it.

And some cannot even hear "New Music", mired as they are in the past rhythms of their lives and those of their ancestors.

That was the beauty of the Savannah Stage Company's latest production of the musical, "Ragtime", first performed in 1996, about 15 years after the movie.

The show allowed us to fully appreciate the different affects of American music on people of the early 1900's, whether they were wealthy and white Americans, middle-class and black Americans, or poor immigrants from Slavic countries.

Contemporary images were used on the background scrim to draw parallels between today and the social attitudes of that time more than a century ago.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, people are people, now as they were then.

The difference is this: the number of enlightened ones has grown.

That's progress towards equality for all, slow as it is.

Depending on one's definition of generation, only 4 to 5 generations have elapsed between 1906 and 2024.

Only 6 to 7 generations have elapsed between the end of the American Civil War and today.

That adds a bit of perspective to the slow evolution of social change in society.

Social change does occur, though perhaps not at the pace some would like.

Some think that type of change is too fast, hence the election results this year, which will, in turn, lead to different changes for some parts of society.

We shall see.

Meanwhile, it's been good to see how far America has come, through the eyes of the characters in this musical, from the citizens of the time, all of whom were once immigrants, to the newcomers in search of a better life here.

There are a few nice touches along the way: "Tateh" jumping up and clicking his heels as he sang and danced; "Coalhouse" and "Sarah" leaning into each other as they began to dance; the shadows of "Coalhouse" and "Sarah" on the backdrop, with the flag waving beside them, as the story came to an end.

Very nice touches of grace.

I'll have to make sure and tell Jayme about those.

to the moon, Alice!

Oh, my, how I laughed and laughed at that line!!!

It was nearly the end of the play, and Uncle Fester has a rocket strapped to his back.

When the mother of Wednesday's boyfriend asks him where he's going, that line was his reply.

Honestly, I just busted out laughing and had to make myself stop!

After all, I doubt if any of the parents would have recognized Ralph's oft-repeated line from "The Honeymooners", but I grew up with Jackie Gleason on the TV.

Plus, that late-night show is often my nightcap before bed on Sundays.

Yes, I was definitely right place, right time, with this musical!

I'm so glad I threw myself out of the house to go see it.

 

"The Addams Family" was at Savannah Country Day, a place I associate with Barbara.

I'd even invited Sandy to come see the middle school musical with me, but she declined.

So, I'd taken myself to it...

and found a familiar name on the program.

Henry Dickerson was there, too, running the soundboard this time instead of lights.

Nice.

I hadn't realized I would also know someone on the stage, but I did!

See the boy in the black suit?

That's Emmett Witchel, as Gomez Addams, holding hands with Morticia Addams.

As soon as I saw him, I flashed back to this summer!

He had worn that same suit in "Bravo, Broadway!", when I'd first noticed him.

That SavChTh summer camp really paid off!

He was definitely one of the most confident and most natural actors this time around!

Yes, I'll be keeping on eye on him as he progresses in his acting roles.

I am so very glad I left home on this drizzly night!

This 75-minute bit of fun was exactly what I needed to bring out the sun!

 

Then I came home to Sam of "Ghosts", wanting to be in a musical.

And which one was it?

No, not "The Addams Family", silly.

It was "Anything Goes"!

I saw that one six years ago, having found out in Jinhi's fb post that it was playing and that her niece, Lillian "Sushi" Soucy, was in it.

So, back to the TV show: Did the innkeeper get the part"

Yes, with Alberta's coaching, she got the role she'd wanted to play in high school!

How very cool that I was home in time for this musical, too.

i thank You, God!

2 indians and 1 bard

"Maybe you should sing it?" 

Sure, I can try that! Let's use the music from "12 Days Of Christmas", shall we?

"Fine by me. You're the busy, vibrant, woman, after all."

You got that straight! Okay, here we go...

On the first two days of this week my true love gave to me

two A*List movies in Hindi

and a playwright on a high school stage!

"Hahahaha! That was glorious!"

Thanks! That was actually fairly decent, for off the cuff. Fun to do, too.

"I know it was! Now, talk to me about the piece at the school first!"

I'd love to! Remember the kid at AMC, Henry Dickerson, who also ran lights at Tybee Post? Well, he'd told me that his school, Savannah Country Day, was doing a Shakespeare performance in the fall. So, tonight was the night! Like the play last week, this group of thespians are also destined for the state one-act competition. The difference is, this troupe chose a comedy! "Shakespeare In Love" is getting two runs, tonight and tomorrow. And guess what? Silly me had forgotten to tell Elvis so he could remind me! I would have missed it had I not been cleaning up the November photo album on my computer! That would have been very sad, because I totally enjoyed myself tonight!!!

"Very cool! Looks like you even had a front row seat. I know you like those!"

Not front, but second, with no one in front of me. Yes, 'twas grand!!! That photo was taken as the cast of 22 were taking their bows after their "David Poole" - James Venhaus - called them all forth. They'll have to tighten up on their time, as this ran about 5 minutes too long for the competition rules, but they can certainly do that. Remember the 1998 movie version of this story? That was just over 2 hours in length. This 2014 play was written based on that movie, but was performed in 50 minutes. No idle moments here! The time just flew by!!!

"Wow!!! And you say they'll go at it again tonight? You could see it twice!"

I could, but I will not be doing that. I have the cardiac ablation Thursday at 1 PM, so I am taking things slower, with only the WNS on my schedule tomorrow.

"Oh, yes, I forgot about that date with Dr. Cobb. That's very important, and it's very important that you be chill for Thursday morning. Okay, how about that AMC A*List? You have some Bollywood or Tollywood as your dances?"

Lol! No Tollywood, as those are in Tamil, not Hindi. Actually, neither of these had the huge musical numbers of a Bollywood, though they did have some good party scenes and one had several romantic interludes. "Singham Again" was action, comedy, and romance, with a bit of the Indian myth of Lord Ram and Mother Sita woven in for texture. The best part was seeing so many actors that I already know and love: 55-year-old Ajay Devgn and 44-yo Kareena Kapoor Khan as Bajirao Singham and his wife, Avni, with the myth being mirrored in their romance; 34-yo Tiger Schroff and his father, 67-yo Jackie Schroff, as a keen fan and a mortal enemy, respectively, of Police Commissioner Singham; 39-yo Arjun Kapoor (real-life cousin of Kareena) as the evil enemy's son, determined to destroy all things Singham; 57-yo Akshay Kumar and 39-yo Ranveer Singh, Singham's best buddies; and 38-yo Deepika Padukone, one of the fiercest officers and known as 'Lady Singham' by all... but real-life wife of Ranveer Singh. Pretty cool that so much is all in the family, right?

"Oh, my!!! So many familiar faces in that group!"

Right? My favorite was Ranveer, though. For this role, he sported a thin, twirly-end, mustache and was absolutely enchanting! His role was definitely played as the the comic relief, to break the tension of the non-stop, kick-butt, action. Very, very cool! Just as a side note, guess when his birthday is?

"The 6th of July, just like your middle little brother's..."

The 6th of July, just like Ronnie's! I really like that little tidbit! (smile!)

"Yes, very nice. And what about the second Indian movie?"

Believe it or not, it was a ghost story!!! "Bhool Bhuliyaa 3" was most definitely timed for a Halloween release. Like the two preceding movies in this series, the story revolved around a malevolent spirit, Manjulika, who was haunting the palace and keeping out the royal family. Enter 34-yo Kartik Aaryan as 'Rooh Baba', passing himself off as a ghostbuster, kinda sorta. He gets busted as a fraud and tricked into going to the palace to handle their ghost problem so the royals can move out of the cattle shed and back home. Very funny movie!!! Much more romance in this one, too, with six musical numbers, too! My favorite has to be "Hukkush Phukkush", with its 'hocus pocus' pun in its title and lyrics. Nice inside joke, y'all!

"What a rare treat for AMC to have those two movies! And for you to be able to use your A*List reservations to watch for free!!!"

Right? Carolyn had been quite surprised at that. She was with me for that double header on Monday, with us popping out to Olive Garden for dinner in between them.

"So, what shall you see for the third movie?"

Actually, it's the first movie that's missing: "Here".

"What was its title?"

"Here", the new one with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright and a crazy amount of technical help. They get to age from teens that end up pregnant to senior citizens with age-related issues. Still, they are not the focus of the movie. The piece of land the house sits on is the core. The couple and their progeny, as well as the residents before and after them, just serve to mark the passage of time, as does the music. I got to hear "Monster Mash" and even "A Brand New Key" as the movie progressed, reminding me of very recent fun times! That may have been my favorite parts of the movie. Oh, plus the whole bit with the invention of the "Relaxy Boy" recliner was delightful!!!

"Wasn't there something about your great-great-great-whatever-grand uncle?"

You mean Benjamin Franklin? Why, yes, there were a couple of mentions of him. Apparently, his bastard son, William, owned the land for a while, and we have several scenes with him kvetching about the father. 

"That's odd."

Well, the whole movie was odd, bouncing around disjointedly in time, just as "We Live In Time" had done. I endured it better this time, though, partly because of the great soundtrack, partly due to the historical elements thrown in. Would I watch it again? Not if I have to pay for it. Maybe someone will string together those bits with the La-Z-Boy inventor. I would definitely watch that part!

"Well, why isn't it listed in your trio?"

I have no idea. AMC has become a bit haphazard with their bookkeeping. That's okay. I know which movies, and when, and that's really all that matters. (smile!)

mixed media: now THAT"S entertainment!

What a most excellent idea to have gone out this evening!

And how marvelous that I could follow it up with something recorded and not yet viewed!

That way, I was able to enjoy two types of shows in only one place, then another two types of shows in another place.

 

The first was a holiday tableau with a choral and narrative assist, in the form of a short play within a movie.

What made that doubly cool for me was the fact that I knew it first as a play!

I speak, of course, of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever", viewed at NCG.

That photo is of the Herdman house, where six very poor kids live, six kids known far and wide as trouble-making bullies, six kids who...

ah...

"I'll never tell"!

Hahahahaha!

Got you good with that switcheroo, didn't I?

And such an excellent lead-in for the second round of fun for me tonight!

Consider the photo as a clue, with 'Zander' and 'Anya' dancing as they sing.

In case you've not guessed it was a college-age musical about coupling up and secrets.

That was in the form of a one-act play within a television show.

TA DAH!!!

It's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", doing it "Once More, With Feeling", once more!

Ever since catching the whole episode two years ago, I watch for it.

No more, as I have it recorded now, so I can watch James Marsters telling the Slayer to "Let Me Rest In Peace" whenever I want!

 

And I shall, too.

I'm thinking that last song and dance number, "Where Do We Go From Here", may be relevant in the upcoming post-election days.

As 'Giles' sings, "The war is done, and we kind of won, so we sing our victory cheer."

Only, no one is smiling.

With all the vitriol splashed so liberally since summer started, everyone will just be worn out.

Here's hoping the vote will be decisive and no run-off will be involved.

Meanwhile, I'm going to watch this again for sweet 'Spike' dreams...

the man is such a poet!

(smile!)

frenchie and the beast

Musical in the morning!

Musical in the afternoon!

I wonder if I'll be treated to a musical tonight?

We'll see!

Tony and Laura's new TV plan has an incredible inventory that I've hardly begun to sample.

I know Dane won't care as long as he gets his evening treat of doggy ice cream!

Today began with another GOB musical at Asbury Memorial and this one was a long time favorite that I've eagerly anticipated: "Grease"!!!

From the backdrop - a rendition of Savannah Arts Academy, standing in for the show's "Rydell High School" - to the musical numbers, it lived up to the hype!

I'd already heard the choir sing "We Go Together" at the karaoke night. 

They performed that twice today!

Even so, this one - "Beauty School Drop-Out" - was hands down my favorite!

Sure, having the Gretchen Greene Dancers there for "Born To Hand Jive" was lots of fun, as they are quite an energetic bunch.

But the young woman playing 'Frenchie' stayed in character for the entire service, and that was quite impressive!

Plus, I always liked 'Frenchie', as she was such a sweet girl, even if she was the most "mixed-up non-delinquent on the block", as 'Teen Angel' called her in this scene.

Truly was wonderful!

Plus, we ended the day with "The Trees Of The Field" - sweet!!!

 

My next event was the matinee performance of "Beauty And The Beast" at SavChTh.

Sure, I knew it was sold-out before I even went, but I also know they try to not ever turn anyone away if they show up in person.

And, guess what?

I got a seat!

Sweet!

However, that's not my photo, and that isn't my hand, either.

Danielle Houston took that shot when she and Thomas went last night.

Still, that's the typical pic I would have taken, so I borrowed it from her fb page!

I was seated too far up, and with too many intervening others, to have taken such a fine photograph.

How was the musical?

Well, it's only been six years since I last saw it.

Danielle was in that 2018 performance, as one of the town wenches 

eager for Gaston's attentions.

Somehow, I kept flashing back to that version during this one.

Not that Joel Cadoff's 'Beast' wasn't magnificent... because he was.

Not that Chris Bass and Daniel Malone didn't shine as 'Cogsworth'

and 'Lumiere'... because they did.

Not that Matt Myles wasn't absolutely perfect as the muscle-bound

'Gaston'... because he was a total hunk!

Not that Saree Fioravanti wasn't spot-on delightful as 'Belle'...

because her and her voice were quite lovely.

I think it was because I felt lost in the crowd, way up high, in the dark.

I'll have to be more mindful of that in the future.

avenue Q at henry and waters

If I had been as early as I was last week, I might have missed my pew mates. 

See the thin woman in the blue dress, standing there in the middle?

She's Ellen and to her right is Amanda Kulkowski.

If not for Amanda saying my name, I might have passed right by, given my inability to spot people in a crowd.

But she did!

So I'm right there, beside Amanda, with my long hair loose and down for the cooler weather.

Directly behind me is Ryan McCurdy.

He, like Amanda, greeted with with a big hug -

how wonderful to be there with them this morning!

Why were we standing?

We were singing "happy birthday", facing the on-stage camera, to a house-bound old lady.

We could just as easily have been standing to belt out "Amazing Grace", though!

Did I say "belt it out"?

That means it was to the tune of "The House Of The Rising Sun"!!!

I do so love that version!

In fact, I love it so much that after the service, I fixed myself a snack at Holliday Hall and headed out to Greenwich, where I sang the first and last stanzas for Mama, Frank, George, and Miss Zaida.

That was great fun!

I was delighted to see that the big trees had weathered Hurricane Helene well.

I made a little stack of branches that were down.

Plus, I gathered up the bouquets and loose flowers that had been blown around.

Glad I keep large take-out bags in my car for when I have trash detail there.

 

Oh, I have just rambled on and not said a word about the GOB service, haven't I?

Well, the stage was populated with puppets this time!!!

"Avenue Q" was the featured choice, and we even had Ken Roberson - the choreographer of the 2003 musical - in the audience with us!!!

One of the songs, "There's A Fine, Fine Line", was sung by Alex Swanger as she operated the puppet, Kate.

Such a fun tune about breakups... but with a bit of a snarky side.

I admit, I wasn't very familiar with this musical, as I haven't seen it again since it was performed at Club One back in August of 2012.

I hadn't written much about it on fb, and I wrote nothing about it in my blog.

I feel sure it was because of the snark, and the mean tone underlying the words of nearly every song.

That's just isn't my thing, n'est-ce pas?

But it was good to see the puppets and be reminded of Angela Beasley.

rockwell reception!

I know, that sounds like a party for the Flintstones!

Didn't Fred's boss have that surname?

Hahahaha!

Wrong Rockwell!

This little gathering was at the Jepson.

It seems like forever since I was at one of these!

Such classy little hors-d’œuvre we had, too!

That's butterbean hummus flatbread topped with ginger shrimp in the foreground.

The ball is mushroom risotto drizzled in butterscotch - that was definitely dessert!

Plus, there were mini-tacos of mojo pork - yum!

My thanks to the Wildflower Cafe for the catered affair... such a delicious tapas dinner!

Thanks to Vicki, too, as my dining companion there.

She volunteers at the SKIO aquarium!

(smile!)

That little feast, with me savoring at least three rounds of each nosh, served me well for the discussion ahead!

The museum has a new exhibit, "Norman Rockwell And Peers: Illustrating Childhood", with an informal Q&A between Erin at the Jepson and Judy Goffman Cutler, the woman who first drew interest to the original artwork done by illustrators of the first half of the 20th century.

Of those, Norman Rockwell is certainly the one I know best, remembering his covers on various magazines from my youth, as well as reprinted on calendars I've owned over the years.

That's Judy on the right, in pink, and she was so very informative about the history of Rockwell and other American Illustrators.

I guess so: she runs a museum in Rhode Island about what is left of their art.

Of the hundreds of magazine covers that Rockwell's art adorned, very few of his original paintings exist.

Those paintings were essentially regarded as drafts by the printing industry, and, once the image was set for the issue to be printed, there was no need to keep the painting.

Can you imagine???

However, that's the way it was.

Illustrators were not regarded as artists back then.

The only paintings that survived were ones that Rockwell, or other illustrators, kept for themselves or gave to friends.

Mind-boggling, isn't it?

I very much look forward to perusing the 20 canvases of his - as well as those of Maxfield Parrish, J.C. Leyendecker, Ethel Franklin Betts, Jessie Willcox Smith, and N.C. Wyeth - on some other occasion, but I needed to rescue my car.

See, I had parked in a space that I knew wasn't valid, but I did it anyway.

I figured that if I got a ticket, I'd let that be my "local citizen" freebie from Savannah Parking Services for the year.

But guess what?

No ticket!

i thank You, God!

(smile!)

Now, I'm going to enjoy a free musical!

Comcast has rewarded me with my monthly $1 Movie Night, which I'm spending on 2007's "Enchanted", with the fabulous singing of Amy Adams and James Marsden!

Seriously, who knew he could sing as well as play Sonic's adoptive dad?

(smile!)

2 hours, 18 minutes

"What's up with that funky title?"

That's the thing that all my A*List movies had in common. Each member of this week's trio had that same running time.

"That seems rather odd. No, wait a minute! Two of those movies were the same!"

That's correct! I watched "Joker: Folie a Deux" twice. I very nearly watched it two days in a row, back to back, but I took a day off to watch "Joker", as I haven't seen it since it came out in 2019. That's five years ago between that first one with Joaquin Phoenix and this second one. So, I'm glad I did took the time to watch it again! Comcast gave it to me as a reward this week, so I took that coincidence as a sign for me to do a bit of research. 

"Sounds like an interesting venture..."

Yes, it was. I had forgotten about this line 'Arthur Fleck' wrote in his journal. "The worst part about having a mental illness is... people expect you to behave as if you DON'T." That's the key to both of the movies. Well, that and the falsehood his mom told him so he wouldn't kill himself when he was younger.

"Yeah, that thing about 'he was born to bring people joy and make them laugh', is that what you mean?"

Absolutely. That's why he got a job as a clown. That's why he made up bad jokes and wrote them in his journal. That's why he wanted to be a stand-up comedian. He had been told for as long as he could remember that his special purpose was to make folks laugh. He just misunderstood. The people were laughing at him, as a person, not at his jokes or antics.

"Oh, that's so horrible and so sad!"

Right? And there was a series of unfortunate events that led him to prison. First, Arthur was getting beat up by young bullies for doing his clown job. Second, Gotham was having a war of the classes, with Tom Wayne - you know, the future Batman's mega-rich father - leading the struggle of the wealthy against the working class. Third, one of Arthur's fellow clowns gave him a gun for protection, even though they both knew their boss didn't allow weapons. So, the stage was set.

"Indeed. He was already taking 7 different medications, but those weren't helping. Than the social program that supplied him with a therapist was discontinued, so he didn't have that outlet anymore. Then he got fired for using the gun as a prop in his comic routine. Yes, life was not working in his favor."

Correct. So, when he was riding the subway home, he witnessed those three well-dressed young men bullying and harassing the young woman. His manic laughter after the woman left brought him to their attention, which led to them beating him up. Plus, they stole part of his costume. Arthur brought out the gun to even the odds... and lost control after pulling the trigger the first time. Perhaps it was shock that kept him shooting at them, shock that drove him to chase down the one that was getting away.

"Yes, that happens with people who are unfamiliar with guns. That's the danger."

Enter the media, reporting on the incident. Tom Wayne made out the three bullies as fine, upstanding, members of society with prestigious college degrees. The news revolved around "a clown" seen fleeing the scene. And, justthatfast, others embraced the clown makeup as a symbol of revolt, much as rebels had gladly donned Guy Fawkes masks. It didn't matter that the three bullies had been killed for being bullies, not because they were well to do. The misunderstanding was now etched into the mindset by the media.

"That's true. But Arthur Fleck believed that the crowds of people donning clown makeup or masks were in support of him for standing up to the bullies. He took that as a sign of him finally being accepted - no, lauded - by others. That gave him the confidence to try out his stand-up comic routine... and that brought him to the attention of a TV snark host, Murray. Then, watching Murray's TV show one night with his mom, Arthur was first thrilled to see that host running footage of him at the club, but them Arthur was appalled to realize the host was making fun of his act. 

"Yikes! That's right. That host was someone his mom adored. What a cringe moment for poor Arthur to have the man making him out to be a fool!"

Indeed. Then, Murray invited Arthur to come onto his TV show. And Arthur did, making sure to rehearse his entrance and rehearse what he was going to say. Had he planned to kill Murray, or did that just happen? Well, here's my take on that: you don't bring along a loaded gun if you're not planning to use it. It's just that simple. Perhaps Arthur didn't know it still had bullets, perhaps he did. In any case, he brought it with him, even practicing how he would pull it out.

"Very true. Then, he put on the clown makeup, too."

Well, he did that because Murray had referred to him as "a joker" when Murray was maligning Arthur's stand-up act. Arthur had believed his 'fans' would enjoy seeing him in that makeup on the TV show, so he'd carefully put it on before his entrance. He had artfully crafted that character specifically for Murray's show. I think Arthur was a little disappointed when he had to remind the snarky host of the origin of that 'joker' character.

"You know, that reminds me of that 'mercial where the woman's antidepressant meds aren't working, so she uses a hand sign with a fake smiling face to mask her sadness."

Exactly. Arthur was a clown because he could literally "put on a happy face" with that greasepaint, even though he was always quite unhappy. Being "a joker" was his bid for acceptance by others and his bid for fame on TV.

"Mental illness is certainly a tough topic."

That it is, and it's dealt with throughout "Joker: Folie a Deux", both his and that of others. For instance, Harley is portrayed as a celebrity groupie who sees the fame surrounding Arthur Fleck as her means to also get into the limelight. Her lack of self-esteem is reflected in the lyrics she sings. "If My Friends Could See Me Now" is her tune as she enters the courtroom where all know she is Arthur's love.  "There's a light, a certain kind of light, that never shone on me", she sings, as part of a duet of "To Love Somebody" on the "Harley & Joker" fantasy show. Then she says "I've Got The World On A String" as she becomes the media darling after convincing Arthur to fire his lawyer and defend himself.

"So this really is a musical?"

Yes, a musical about mental illness. Sometimes it's obvious that the song and dance routines are simply in the mind of the singer, but sometimes it's left for us to decide. For instance, are Harley's songs for real, or do they exist only in Arthur's mind? I know I speak often of my mental jukebox, but I don't mount a dance when a song gets cued up. For Arthur, the fantasy is everything. Everything. he doesn't even get that Harley's a celebrity groupie when she insists on putting the "joker" character makeup on him before they have sex in his cell. He goes along with her fantasy, not realizing she is part of the problem. She thinks "The Joker" is who he really is, not just something he created. In fact, his lawyer didn't get that, either. Her entire defense rested on "The Joker" being a split from his personality, a manifestation of his mental illness. He went along with that since the lawyer was convinced it would get his case a judgement of "not guilty by mental defect". That would mean he and Harley would be able to be together again.

"Wow. So, this was more akin to the darkness in Sweeney Todd than to The Joker as played by Jack Nicholson, right?"

Yeah, you could say that. I know I've very much enjoyed using my AMC A*List to see this musical twice. Who knows? I may see it again next week.

"What about the Coppola film?"

Film my ass. What "Megalopolis" clearly showed is that Francis Ford Coppola, at 95 years old, has lost his touch. There was a good science fiction story buried deep within all that hot mess - like, way down deep - but you had to wade through schlock to put it together. Here's how I knew it was no good: the physicist didn't want to discuss it afterward. He was the one who had been so hot to see it! 

"Yikes. That's pretty brutal if the bfe didn't want to talk about it after making such a fuss for weeks about seeing it."

Yes. Such a waste of a talented cast. Perhaps he should take a lesson from the 66-year-old Viggo Mortensen. His Western, "The Dead Don't Hurt", was incredible... and he even wrote the score and starred in it, not just wrote, directed, and produced as Coppola did. Maybe I can find that movie on Peacock to watch sometime... but, now, I'm going to enjoy the look and sound of "Warm Bodies"! That's still my favorite zombie movie. (smile!)

oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day!

All he was missing from the first time was that blue gingham shirt he'd worn!

He had the cowboy hat and the jeans and the leather vest still, but not that shirt.

That's okay...

the last time he'd entered singing that song was October 2, 2005.

It's quite likely that shirt doesn't even exist anymore!

"Oklahoma!" had been the very first God On Broadway (GOB) production here at Asbury Memorial, and Jeff and I were still newcomers at the church.

This musical had convinced me that this was the right place for me!

I remembered watching the movie version of the play with Mama several times over the years, with us singing along with the songs.

How wonderful to have heard those songs again in 2005, then again today!

Here, I was the only one turned around in my seat, awaiting his entrance, at 11:15.

Everyone else soon caught on, but I was the first!

"Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' " as Rev. Billy "Curly" Hester entered...

"The Farmer And The Cowman Should Be Friends", with the choir members up on the stage all in costume and dancing...

"I Cain't Say No" from Cheri "Annie" Hester, with hair in two ponytails...

and, of course, the title song, "Oklahoma!", as a rousing finale by all!

Nice to hear "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and "People Will Say We're In Love", even without the words!

Yes, I just may have to watch the video of today's GOB service again!

What a blessing to have that option!

(smile!)

Oh, one more thing: a photo of me from the Sing & Swing!

I can't say which song I was doing at the time, but how cool that someone took a picture of me doing karaoke!

I found that little surprise in this month's church newsletter.

Hope we'll have another of those events sometime soon!

(smile!)