Sunday, October 22, 2006
My Favorite Year...
....and me....on this Sunday morning, as Peter sleeps and I write...the new computer that Peter set up for me enables me to listen to the show I have to learn , while I continue to write...I love this...and the speakers that came with the desk top give such great sound!!! Wonderful...it feels like my old pal Evan Pappas is singing right to me as he exclaims about beig "Benjy Stone" and I love it...and now here is my part as his Mom, in the middle of the Opening Number: 20 MILLION PEOPLE..a lovely opening number, full of vitality and old fashioned joy...I can even detect certain elements of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, melodically and harmonically, as if Lynn and Steve are paying homage to their very own traditions at the same time that they are honoring the musicals of the '50's...chord progressions, building harmonies,etc...very signal of their style, and I truly like that. Now the wonderful song (a favorite of so many young men in classes I teach) LARGER THAN LIFE...a truly crafted song, tells the story and enlightens the character the way a terrific theater song should. This song alone made me a fan of the musical. And now, I get to work on their re-writing process and I am most curious to see how they will change it. I will work with the Musical Director, David Holcenburg on Tuesday morning here at my place...i look forward to that.
Today, Peter and I have a day at home, and that is a wonderful thing. His parents, two of my favorite people , are arriving for a few days' visit this coming Wednesday night, and we need to organize our lived-in mess a bit to make it more welcoming for them, though they are most comfortable to be with, whenever they come...they are comfortable and loving people, no matter how messy we are...but we want to clean up a bit, and so we shall. Also, we can talk about the fun time we had last night, our night on the town:
Peter is a new member of the illustrious Blue Hill Troupe and last night was the welcoming party for the new members, and their mates...I was the mate, and went along in that role...we had a good time. This lovely group, that has been in existence for decades now, is basically a very up-scale NYC community theater group, founded on the country estate of some marvelous wealthy family (was it the Vanderbilt's? I must remember, and put it down correctly), and the name of their estate was the Blue Hill Farm, and so when they took their amateur theatricals to the City to raise money for needy charities, they took the name with them, and it has been the Blue Hill Troupe ever since. Every year, they raise thousands of dollars for a charity they pick each year. they do good work, and the mainstay of their productions is the inestimable Gilbert and Sullivan, whose works they have done repeatedly over the years, to actual great acclaim!! Our darling pal Jackie Yang has been with the Troupe for 9 years, and is now their President, so when she learned that Peter was no longer pursuing theater as a career, she begged him to apply to the Troupe for membership so they could utilize his many skills...and so, he applied ,was asked to join, and he said he would, as long as he could work backstage! And so, he is now they call a Backstager! And we had a great time at their party....good food, lovely people and a nice loud dance floor with Disc Jockeys!!! We danced! And that was really fun. Interesting, no matter how many different ways these folks earn their livings in the real world, in the theater world of Blue Hill you can tell a Backstager from what they call a Frontstager...i had fun guessing. But no matter where they work in the Troupe, the people we met were delightful, and could not have been more welcoming. And we were home by 9:30...Peter and I are not what you would call "party people"...we like our home too much.
And so another sunny gorgeous cool NYC Sunday stretches before us, and will be over too soon, and I have begun it my favorite way (while listening to MY FAVORITE YEAR): writing.
Thanks for reading.
Today, Peter and I have a day at home, and that is a wonderful thing. His parents, two of my favorite people , are arriving for a few days' visit this coming Wednesday night, and we need to organize our lived-in mess a bit to make it more welcoming for them, though they are most comfortable to be with, whenever they come...they are comfortable and loving people, no matter how messy we are...but we want to clean up a bit, and so we shall. Also, we can talk about the fun time we had last night, our night on the town:
Peter is a new member of the illustrious Blue Hill Troupe and last night was the welcoming party for the new members, and their mates...I was the mate, and went along in that role...we had a good time. This lovely group, that has been in existence for decades now, is basically a very up-scale NYC community theater group, founded on the country estate of some marvelous wealthy family (was it the Vanderbilt's? I must remember, and put it down correctly), and the name of their estate was the Blue Hill Farm, and so when they took their amateur theatricals to the City to raise money for needy charities, they took the name with them, and it has been the Blue Hill Troupe ever since. Every year, they raise thousands of dollars for a charity they pick each year. they do good work, and the mainstay of their productions is the inestimable Gilbert and Sullivan, whose works they have done repeatedly over the years, to actual great acclaim!! Our darling pal Jackie Yang has been with the Troupe for 9 years, and is now their President, so when she learned that Peter was no longer pursuing theater as a career, she begged him to apply to the Troupe for membership so they could utilize his many skills...and so, he applied ,was asked to join, and he said he would, as long as he could work backstage! And so, he is now they call a Backstager! And we had a great time at their party....good food, lovely people and a nice loud dance floor with Disc Jockeys!!! We danced! And that was really fun. Interesting, no matter how many different ways these folks earn their livings in the real world, in the theater world of Blue Hill you can tell a Backstager from what they call a Frontstager...i had fun guessing. But no matter where they work in the Troupe, the people we met were delightful, and could not have been more welcoming. And we were home by 9:30...Peter and I are not what you would call "party people"...we like our home too much.
And so another sunny gorgeous cool NYC Sunday stretches before us, and will be over too soon, and I have begun it my favorite way (while listening to MY FAVORITE YEAR): writing.
Thanks for reading.
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