five dances, and all new to me!!!

"Seriously? You actually maximized the full potential of the AMC A*List this time?"

Seriously, I did! Of course, that was after getting only one movie in last week. Remember I had predicted that "Freakier Friday" would be the limit? Well, it was. Good thing that it was a movie I really enjoyed! It could have been such a train wreck, but they managed to keep it on the rails. Carolyn had not liked it, though. Ah, well.

"Oh, did the two of you see it together?"

Nope, but we do text back and forth about them, as we always do. I keep expecting to run into her at the cinema, but it rarely happens. I thought for sure she would have been there on Sunday, as I knew she came into town for church. Alas, I did not see her before or after the two dances I had that day, nor all week.

"So, you did your double header on Sunday???"

I did! I needed to be out around people, but not too close. You see, some of the folks who'd traveled in for the SVF13 opera tested positive on Friday for COVID-19. Dumb, wealthy, idiots. I makes me crazy that folks act like that coronavirus is gone and they can just carry on however they want. (sigh)

"Oh, no! That's terrible!"

Yeah, we had to break out the masks and hope for the best. I had planned to go over to Tony and Laura's on Sunday, hang out with the family for Bert's 9th birthday. However, I abstained, as I didn't want to be giving the boy an unwanted gift of illness, not to mention everyone else there. So, I went to the cinema, knowing I could sit well away from anyone else... and that's exactly how it turned out. I watched "Shin Godzilla 4K" first, not realizing it was from 2016. Odd, right? But that movie perfectly displayed how slowly government works, with none of the elected officials wanting to take responsibility for expensive decisions - pretty funny! That movie also went through the monster morphing into four forms, each worse than the other, with the people having to change their plans each time.

"Hahahaha! So, a Japanese two-step, was it?" 

You got that right! Then I was off to "Weapons", billed as "horror" and "dark comedy". It was neither. "Fantasy" would have been more apt. I had been concerned about children getting hurt in it, but none of the 18 were.

"I thought there were 17 kids that went missing..."

... and 1 that did not. The poster and promos didn't mention 'Alex', the only classmate left behind. Nor was his Pennywise-esque 'Aunt Gladys', who had suddenly started living with the child's family. I will say that Amy Madigan was suitably creepy in that role! But her presence didn't make this "horror". She certainly wasn't the only odd character, either, as the teacher was plenty creepy, too. Kudos to Josh Brolin as a bereaved dad with an analytical mind! I very much appreciated his methodology as he tried to find out what had become of his son, 'Matthew', and the other 16 who vanished.

"Very good! I'm glad you took a chance on that one."

Me, too. It isn't anything I'd watch again, but it was well made. I liked the nonlinear story arc, too, with "chapters" dealing with key characters, giving some back story. That rather reminded me of "Cold Pursuit", though without the body count. (smile!)

"Yes, dear. I'm betting "Nobody 2" more than made up for that lack!"

Not surprisingly, it did. LOL! The whole finale at the theme park is just fabulous!!! I'm planning to see it again just for all the shenanigans there! Oh, and for Christopher Lloyd!!! The 86-year-old man stole every blessed scene he was in... and never once removed his sunglasses! What a great trick, having him play the Grandpa of the family! Actually, it was nice to have the other family members get some character development this time around. I really liked this one so much more than the first one.

"That's wonderful! And you saw that one on Tina Tuesday, I see."

I did, as a treat after I became a part of the Borg collective. This sequel will most def be seen again! Maybe I'll run into the hat-wearing young man and his mom who were also there - that would be nice! I had quite the chat with them after the movie!

"That's even more wonderful!"

And I had another long post-movie chat after today's film! That was "Honey Don't!", about a lesbian dick trying to find out why her clientele keeps turning up dead. Trick and Tara were there, too!!! Sitting in the front row, too!!! How wonderful to see them again!!! Both of their daughters have given them grandchildren now. I bragged on their son, Skylar, too, providing the great tunes during a dinner with friends.

"Hold up, g'friend. The movie was about who doing what?"

A lesbian... oh, I see what's tripping you up. Maybe I should have said 'private investigator' instead of 'dick', is that it? Hahahaha! Trust me, when you see the movie, you'll know why thought of that with 'Honey'!

"Oh, I see, you were trying to be cute about it, slip in a pun. Gotcha! So, Trick and Tara are grandparents? I guess so. It's been three years since you've even seen them."

Hey, as I told those two former Odd Lot folks, this one had the same "Modern Western" feel to it as "Americana." did last night. I didn't know any of the actors in either one, but found both to be very well done, with solid acting and solid stories. I'm hoping that 2023 film seen at NCG Cinema might show up on Peacock someday soon! Plus, I liked the bumper sticker on one of the trucks: "My heroes have always killed cowboys." Trust me, that's a perfect joke on Indian land! And guess what? That movie seen off the A*List only cost $3.52, as I had little balances on the two NCG gift cards I brought in! Hooray!!!

"Well, I am glad you have had such a satisfying week of movies! I'm glad you managed to fill that dance card, too. Best of all, I am very glad that none of these were repeats for you! You have had plenty of that of late. Nice to have new movies filling the screens!"

Heard that, sister! Let's hope that trend continues a little, but not totally. I do want to see some of this week's movies again! Now, let me wrap up this post before I lose power again during this thunderstorm. It wasn't out long, but that was long enough!

big rain come soon...

... that meant I had to make hay while the sun was shining.

Literally.

I mowed and collected grass clippings, rather than letting those lie.

They're dumped in a barren area just inside my back yard, near the fence, where the sun never shines.

I started with the back yard on Tuesday evening, about 7:40 PM, going until the battery on my Ryobi mower gave out.

I made sure to cut diagonal areas to allow moisture to escape, as it was so thick that it was sodden, even after two days of no rain. 

The bag to catch the clippings had to be emptied three times. 

Then, on Wednesday evening, about that same time, I repeated the process, mowing until the little light on the front of the Ryobi was just not enough to continue.

That time, I was in the front yard.

I had to empty the bag of clippings four times over forty minutes. 

This morning, knowing rain was forecast for evening, I was out in the front yard again, this time by my Japanese magnolia.

I had hoped the shade from that dear tree would be helpful, and it was, but it didn't help as much as it would have had I started mowing at 11 AM.

Instead, I overslept and didn't get in the yard until just about noon30.

I had to dump out the clippings bag at least four times.

Still, I managed to get the walking circle re-established.

I also cleared the path from the curb for the mailperson to reach my sidewalk.

Both of those are good things.

Plus, my front yard has a bit of a sculpted look to it now.

That wasn't on purpose, mind.

Pure serendipity that I achieved that classy touch.

Maybe, next time, I will get even more creative.

That forecast I used on Tuesday changed abruptly yesterday, with the rains starting a day earlier than expected.

Thunderstorms are to begin just about 7 PM this evening, wrecking my mowing time.

They are to rock on throughout the weekend.

That's okay.

I'm fine with stopping the mowing now.

I do have one question, though.

Wonder what all this activity has meant for my heart monitor data?

I'll find out in October, I guess!

(smile!)

resistance is futile...

That's what I texted to go along with the photo. 

 

I knew that all on that list would get the "Star Trek" reference. 

 

I rather feel like I am Borg, now that I have this gadget affixed to my chest.

 

As I told nurse Robin, I had no idea the heart monitor technology had evolved to this miniature.

 

It doesn't even use my phone for its communication, as it has its own.

 

That phone, of course, is the big, clunky, flat, smart phone that nearly everyone else has, but this is fitted with a nonskid case to keep it stable on any flat surface.

 

That's good, as I need to keep it within a ten-foot radius of wherever I am.

 

I intend to place it on the kitchen counter, the arm of the couch, the dining room table, or my nightstand.

Well, except for those occasions when I am out and about, like now.

 

After all, it is Tina Tuesday!

 

I'm at AMC, obviously, but there's no double-feature in my future.

 

I am finally getting to see "Nobody 2" and I'm looking forward to it!

 

Meanwhile, I thought I'd check out the Hawaiian Citrus flavor of the Dipping Dots.

 

As I told Breeanna and Alisia, it tastes like I'm eating a pina colada!!!

 

Very nice... but a bit messy, as the little globules roll like crazy, leaving little milky spots wherever they land and melt.

 

Oh, snap!

 

Time to go!

 

The movie starts in less than ten minutes! 

 

I wonder what the Borg expression is for "catch you later"?

 

(smile!)

i think i found a winner!

"At Music Bingo?? Did you finally win again? It's been a while."

That it has been! We keep getting these new folks joining us, and they win, so that's good. But none of us regulars at this table have been so lucky.

"There's that key word: luck. Bingo isn't a game of skill, which is why everyone can play it. It's purely a game of chance, of luck, of good fortune... of the Universe providing you with a card that has the right numbers that get called. Rather, in the case of these Monday night games, a card that has the right songs that happen to come up in Jade's playlist."

I thought her name was Sara...

"Yeah, you got that wrong, sunshine, but that's okay!"

Hmmm... okay if you say so!

"I did, I do believe. (smile!) Now, what were you saying about a winner?"

Oh, that. The food! Their menu is fairly limited, as the Midtown Sports Grill caters to the type of food my brothers like for their game-watching. I get it. The name of the joint spells that out. Still, I was thrilled to learn last week that they allow grownups to order from the kids' selection! Tonight, I was quite hungry, so I ordered the regular chicken finger plate, with its four fingers grilled, and a side of tater tots - and I ate every bit!

"Well, good for you! Next time, you should bring a Lactaid with you so you can check out their Greek salad. That always looks so good when Elissa gets it."

Honestly, that's what I wanted this time! But I forgot the pill. Hence, the chicken fingers.  Oh, with honey mustard sauce! I ate all of that, too!

"And who all was there this time?"

Marcia with her daughter, Amanda, who brought her 10 yo daughter, Sheva. Sandy, who didn't arrive until the bottom of the 2nd game, due to nap interference. Then Elissa with her sister-in-law, Jan. Jan, of course, won the first game! LOL! Then her good luck rubbed off on Elissa, who won the third game! That was nice, as it's been a while since she won a free drink!

"Sounds like it was a wonderful evening! I'm so glad you have this in your life!"

Me, too! (smile!) And now it's time for "The Quiz With Balls"! Yes!

ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown

So sang Smokey Robinson, but he was singing about a different clown.

"I Pagliacci" was six years ago with Savannah VOICE Festival!

The clown for SVF13 was "Rigoletto", a hunchbacked jester with a malicious flair no doubt honed by years in the service of a womanizing Duke.

That hunchback was played by Sherrill Milnes to great acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera in 1972, when he was 37 years old.

I wonder what the age was of Jean Carlos Rodriguez, the man who had that role tonight at Asbury Memorial?

That's him, centered in the photo, taking his bows at the end. 

It's quite possible he was in that age range, too. 

 

I admit to being a bit lost at the beginning of the opera.

As well as being occupied with my volunteer duties, I was thrilled to discover we had a live orchestra in the house!

That meant Marc Chesanow and his bass were again part of the show!

So was Richard Ochoa (violin) as well as another I knew: Xiaodi Liu (oboe), whose tall, blonde wife tipped me off to his presence.

Very nice!

However, when showtime arrived, I found myself unfamiliar with the story.

Even worse: I was sitting in the very last row, without my glasses.

Would I be able to read the translated dialogue from back there?

Fortunately, I could... and did!

Ah, and what a tale of woe that befell this clown...

such a sad loss of a beloved Gilda by a father...

and all due to the twisted jester's venomous nature.

Wow.

Here's a surprise: I recognized one of the songs!!!

Gilda had been warned that the Duke was a lecherous beast, but she didn't believe that... not until she heard him boasting in "La donna è mobile", which basically gave him carte blanche to cheat with, and on, women before they could do so to him.

That wasn't very noble of him, was it?

There was one nice bonus, too.

The young man who had helped me and Kim the last time at this space?

He had a right nice amount of stage time!

Juan Angel Johnstone-Chavez played Count Ceprano, a young noble whose wife was one of those seduced by the jester's master, the Duke of Mantua.

Such a very nice baritone that young man has!

I'll be looking forward to more from him next season!

I guess that means this final performance of SVF13 was a success -

it left all of us wanting more!

(smile!)

2 out of 3 and the 4th will be free!

Sandwiches, that's the deal, sandwiches!

Jason's Deli has this promotion on Club Sandwiches that goes like this: buy three during this month, and they'll pony up a fourth one for free!

I hadn't really planned to join in on this one, but they made me a deal I couldn't refuse.

Namely, they gave me a five-dollar discount on twenty bucks of food.

That's when the notion came to me: buy two clubs with that 25% discount.

So, I did exactly that yesterday.

This is half of the whole Deli Club, which was one huge sandwich.

The photo shows what was left after I ate lunch.

I saved the free side - that bag of chips - to go with this half sandwich for tonight's dinner. 

And this is half of the California Club, served on a croissant, with free Blue corn tortilla chips with salsa.

It's the only Club that has that perk!

Usually that side costs $2.59, but I needed it for Friday's dinner, as I missed the S&K Friday Fiesta for the second week running.

That left the other half sandwich for lunch today - very good!

Four meals for less than $20 - and all I had to do was drive to the deli to fetch them home!

(smile!)

thrice to the wooded areas we go!

As I told Sherrill Milnes before the show tonight, this is the third time this year that I've been treated to this musical!

The first had been at the same venue as yesterday's SVF13 event, but only middle-school kids were involved.

The second time was at Tybee, less than a month ago.

Good thing I love "Into The Woods"!!!

Mind, I'm not saying that the musical in its entirety was reproduced this time, as that was certainly not the case.

Oh, far from that!

However, of the fourteen songs presented, five were from that one Stephen Sondheim creation.

Impressive!

The First Presbyterian Church was the host site for tonight's "Once Upon A Time: Fairy Tales Come Alive", with the front bedecked with flowers and greenery galore.

'Twas truly lovely!

I had not yet placed the purple cloth bands on the first five rows of pews for the premium patrons before that photo.

I ended up being the volunteer in charge, as Kim left about 20 minutes into our shift.

That was all fine, though, as everyone knew the drill by this time!

After all, there is just one more show before the grand finale party, so we've all become quite familiar with each other and the routine.

The big differences have been with the venue layout and the location of the bathrooms.

The show tonight also had children in attendance, though certainly not as many as there had been at the school venue last night.

How wonderful that there have been $15 tickets to encourage families to come!

Any who were there for the opera would have been treated again to two songs from "Cinderella", the classic they would have known well!

This arrangement was a bit different, though.

Peter Lake sang his part of "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful"...

then the two stepsisters stepped in with their Lament...

before Ashley Nunez sang her portion of the duet with Peter.

Very nice!

Later, there was a fabulous interaction between Eric Šebek and James Williams III when their songs as Shrek ("Who I'd Be") and the Shadow Man ("Friends On The Other Side") played off each other.

Of course I just ate all of that up!

I wonder how many of the folks there knew both of those musicals?

Not that I knew all of these fairy tales.

The lone numbers from "Falstaff" and "Rusalka" threw me, but I recognized those from "The Magic Flute" as well as "Hansel And Gretel". 

Nice to have some music I'd not heard! 

 

Thankfully, we were rain-free, too, except for a slight drizzle as folks were slowly heading out afterward to their cars.

That was good!

The last time Savannah VOICE had a festival event here had been in 2019 and there had been pouring rain before and after.

I'm so glad Joan Silver got me involved with ushering for opera!

These two weeks have been glorious!

I understand why John Suchower would go to Europe every summer to follow the trail of operas being performed.

He certainly wasn't going to get that here, back in the 80's and 90's.

Thank you, Sherrill and Maria, for bringing your dream to life in Savannah.

seagulls and opera?

 

Cenerentola has returned to the stage she left exactly four years ago.

Did I happen t say that it's been exactly four years, to the day?

Well, it has been, and she's a bit taller now, but still radiant!!!

The "she" this time is Carlyle Quinn, the mezzo-soprano whose voice I had been so  taken by in the first SVF13 show.

The swashbuckling prince in her wake as their stroll catches the Maestro's gaze is Stephen Steffens - and, yes, that's his real name.

I don't know why they were on their way to the stage, as showtime was well over an hour hence.

What a handsome pair they are! 

Then, another bewitching hour has lapsed and their tale - "Cinderella's Royal Feast" - has run its course and the seagulls have stolen the show!

That's them, roosting at the highest point on stage, over on the right.

Voiced by Henry Drangel and William Velasco, they truly had the best lines and even told us some jokes!

One bird to the other: "Why is it so easy to steal food from humans?"

The other to the first: "Because they're so gull-ible."

Hahahaha!  Hahaha!!

One bird to the other: "Why do seagulls like to tell jokes?"

The other to the first: Because they're caw-caw-comedians!"

Hahahaha! Hahaha!! 

Sure the jokes are pure corn, but they're from a couple of birdbrains!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!! 

That last one was pure me, y'all - couldn't you tell?

(smile!)

John Tisbert - yes! The 'Tiz!! - played the evil stepdad, Don Magnifico (not to be confused with Mr. Fantastic or Mister Terrific), and he has some choice words, too.

Those are tongue twisters!!!

"She sells seashells by the seashore" was one of those!

What great fun!

And get this: Theo even played a role on stage!!!

The Milnes-Zouves' son was the Fox!

I cannot recall a single time in the past when he has been part of the cast.

Behind the scenes, yes, plenty.

But actually on stage???

With lines???

Wow.

Yes, I said he was the Fox, and yes, there were seagulls, and there were also rabbits, three mice (not blind, just more like a Greek chorus), a cat, two snakes, and even two chimney spiders. 

Remember them?

They're the ones who bit Cenerentola as she cleaned said house chimney, thereby granting her the power to understand all creatures.

That's at least as good as what Spider-Man got from his arachnid bite!

All of that about the animals was straight out of the initial World Premiere of "A Royal Feast" on August 14, 2021. 

I'm sure "Cinderella's Royal Feast" must have some notable differences, as this, too, was deemed a World Premiere performance.

I'll have to ask Michael Ching about that the next time I see him.

Both have certainly been a lot of fun!

And, having it at Yamacraw Center over at Garrison Arts Academy certainly allowed a lot more children easy access to some opera in their life!

I'm so glad this season has been looking to involve more youngsters!

(smile!)

ya gotta think timon and pumbaa

One of my ex's best friends posted this on my fb... and I love it!

 

It's a joke based on a substance's molecular formula and naturally he thought of me.

 

Hey, if I get folks to think about chemistry, that's all to the good!!!

 

(smile!)

 

Here's the part that makes it extra fun for me: the joke is based on lyrics from a musical!!!

 

The 1994 "The Lion King", in fact, with those two lovable scamps, the lemur and the warthog, belting it out!

 

Oh, yeah, that totally works for me.

 

Okay, enough of a set-up!

 

Here we go!

 

I totally would have given that student partial credit for that answer!!!

 

I always advised them to at least write something, anything, to let me know they read the perfectly good question I'd written and had given it a few seconds of their time. 

 

HCOONa Matata, y'all!!!

tcb and belated bday67

Laundry day!

After all, it is Wednesday.

I even washed the sheets that were on the bed, so I'll have fresh ones tonight!

Did I separate the sheets from the clothes?

Nope!

It all went into the one quadruple-load machine to spin around together for $5.34 - an unusual amount, but SUDS gives 25% on hump day.

Hooray!

 

That was all done by noon30, the time of so many of the SMF concerts I love to usher!

That was good, as the day had started in the low 80's on its way to the low 90's.

Oh, and let's not forget the return of the +10 heat index.

This is my third day of a new SVF13 position: VoD.

As the Volunteer on Duty, I have been tasked with serving in stand-by mode, for a five-hour shift, in case Lani Winslet needs an errand performed.

I volunteered for four such shifts.

The first was on Monday prevening, from 3 PM until 8 PM.

I checked in with her by text, but she replied she hadn't any tasks for me.

 

When I hadn't heard more by 6:15 PM, I went on to Music Bingo!

Such a lovely time with Sandy, Elissa, Marcia, and Amanda, as well as three of Amanda's coworkers at the Habersham YMCA!

I didn't win anything, but I had lots of fun trading quips with Elissa!

Plus, I found out the kid-sized chicken fingers, grilled, with crispy house kettle chips was perfect for my appetite and my budget - most def a winner!

I had my phone on the whole time and Lani didn't need me.

Good!

Tuesday, knowing I had an evening concert that I didn't want to miss, my VoD shift was scheduled from 11:30 AM until 3 PM. 

Again, I checked in with Lani, and she told me she would check to see if anyone needed me to get anything done for them.

About 1:30 PM, she texted to turn me loose... and I went off to see "Freakier Friday" at AMC and eat popcorn!

That just may be the only A*List movie I see this week.

It was a good one, too, so I am fine with that being the case!

Today was another evening shift for VoD, so I checked in about 1 PM to remind Lani that I was there should a task or two need doing.

She thanked me... and I heard no more.

 

Meanwhile, I took care of things around the house, mostly paperwork.

I considered seeing a movie about 6 PM, but opted to go to Oglethorpe Mall instead.

I had a late birthday gift from Bath & Body Works that expires tomorrow, so... I used it to get a quart of hand soap refill!

I also got a bottle of gel soap in that same flavor - Kitchen Lemon - and my total bill was $3.51.

Hooray!!!

That's because I had a 5-buck gift card from AARP points!

I also had the bday67 Panera gift card from my dear blue-sky Penny in my back pocket - hooray!

So off I went in search of dinner and found it in the form of the new Italian Steak & Mozz sandwich.

I had every intention of just eating half of it, but it was soooo gooood!!!

Thank you, thank you, my dear cousin!

What a wonderful, worthwhile, working Wednesday I've had!

i thank You, God!

genetics and VOICE

"Just because someone's voice is classified as "tenor" doesn't mean they sound just like someone else with that classification. Genetics has something to do with all that, too, as it effects the formation of the vocal chords and mouths, for one thing."

No argument from me on that! I wouldn't expect tenors from different families to sound the same. However, tonight's SVF13 concert was "The Three Tenors: A VOICE Family Concert" and the three men were all related. Christian Šebek is the dad and he sang with his sons, Eric and Zachary, here at Asbury Memorial Church. And, as I told Eric at the reception afterward, they all have such distinctly different voices!!!

"Now, that is interesting! Might those different qualities be due to their ages or builds?"

Well, as can be seen in the photo above, I don't think it's their build. Eric is the one face-on to the camera, standing next to his older brother, Zach. Christian is in the back looking over at someone else. His voice has a little warble to it, like Sherrill's does. Perhaps that is from performing classical operatic pieces, but I believe it to be natural. Just listen to "Impossible Dream" and see what I mean. Zach, who was here as a student of the VOICE program back in 2018 or so, has a... 'clean'... sound, for lack of a better word. No warble like his father, no musical theatre anbling like Eric has. Zach is just a solid tenor., even when he's hamming it up with a love song to a toaster oven! Whereas Eric's sound is brighter, as can be heard when he did "At Last", that famous blues number.

"I see what you mean. They're all rather theatrical on stage, though, as was especially evident when they did that medley."

You mean "Pretty Women/What Is It About/Maria/Johanna"? Yes, that was an amazing number!!! With songs from "Sweeney Todd", "West Side Story", and "The Phantom Of The Opera", that one wove together the love songs from three of my all-time favorites - wow!!! I talked to Christian about that at the reception and he told me he and a friend put that together. What a superb job they did!!!

"Oh, wow!!! I would love to hear that again!!!"

Me, too, but I haven't found it yet. I'll keep looking! Meanwhile, I did find the encore piece they sang for us today! It's one of my favorites, though I've never seen the opera - "Turandot" - that it's from. I just remember hearing it a few years ago by none other than Peter Lake, and wishing that it was on tonight's program as soon as I heard the trio's first song, "Til I Hear You Sing". 

"G'friend! Stop beating around the bush! What was that song???"

Oh, that was "Nessun Dorma"! I though I'd mentioned it. Sorry!

"Okay! Much better! And what's going on in this photo? A movie?"

Yes!!! Two former Savannah VOICE alums, Scott Joiner and Jessica Fishenfeld, had created a little opera for the Šebek trio a few years ago. It's a sketch book set to music about a magic ring and which of the sons will inherit it to continue the singing tradition. Very funny! Even the title of it is a pun: "Death Of A Grailsman" - hahahaha!!! Amazingly, it's free on youTube!!! That has these three tenors - and Beth Howard, the sons' mom - on Memorex, but we had them perform it live!!! I can't wait to share that with my great-nieces and great-nephews! They might get inspired to sing opera some day!

"Hey, that could happen! Here's hoping! Mama would have loved that!"

(smile!) 

before - and after - at oldest church

This time, "Voices In Sacred Song" was at First Baptist Church, which has been here on Chippewa Square for 200 years.

I was the first SVF13 volunteer to show up and happened to catch the singers in mufti.

That's Benjamin Sokol, Henry Drangel, James Wright III, Jason Lambros, Lavonya Johnson, Ina Torres O'Ryan, Ashley Nunez, and Samantha Talora, left to right.

That was just before 4 PM.

Flash forward to about twenty past 6 PM.

The last vibrations of Handel's "Hallelujah" still linger from the 103-year-old organ.

Now our line-up has Benjamin Sokol, Ryan Lustgarten, Ashley Nunez, Henry Drangel, James Wright III, Jason Lambros, Lavonya Johnson, Ina Torres O'Ryan, and Samantha Talora.

That means we started with 8 singers and now have 9.

What gives?

Ryan Lustgarten wasn't there for the rehearsal and used a tablet for the two songs he performed; in solidarity, Samantha Talora also used a tablet for their duet.

Very nice, y'all!!!

I did love singing "Hallelujah" with everyone at the end, too.

That's a long-standing tradition at these free gospel concerts.

The best part is watching Sherrill Milnes as he enthusiastically conducts it!

Very nice!!! 

two hits of the bard, straight outta texas!

I have been so blessed with Shakespeare this year!!!

First were two locally-produced musicals, "Romeo & Juliet" with "Much Ado About Nothing", as teens and young folk are prone to do.

(smile! Snuck in a little pun there!)

Those were performed by different troupes which were likely unaware that each had chosen the same writer.

That was all just fortuitous timing for my bday67 - thank y'all!!! 

Last night, and Friday night as well, I was treated to another twosome of the Bard of Avon's works, one historical, one fanciful.

Neither were musicals, though "As You Like It" did have a bit of song, whereas "Henry V" had none.

Neither had any overlapping characters in their stories, either, though both were overladen with the minor, and major, titles of those with royal blood. 

However, the two plays did have one thing in common: the theatre troupe which brought their tales to life.

Seriously!

Both were performed by the troupe at the University of Houston, for Houston's 51st Annual Shakespeare Festival, for the purpose of drawing together their "diverse community to explore... common humanity" - how amazing is that???

Here's something even more amazing: all nine performances throughout the course of the festival were free!!!

Then there's this: two of the performances were streamed live, for free, on the venue's youtube channel!!!

What sweet music to my ears when I saw that post on fb!

The only reason it appeared in my feed was because my friend Lorrie Ruggiero, who lives in Houston, had Miller Outdoor Theater as one of her 'likes'.

Hallelujah!!!

So, on Friday, after the SVF13 cabaret, I tuned in to Miller Outdoor's "Dream Stream" for "Henry V" and was a little lost at first, as historical sagas aren't my strong suit.

But what a thrill to hear that famous "Once more into the breach..." as Henry leads his men into battle in France!

Honestly, every military battle since has been fought for the glory perceived in that 16th century quest!

At the end of the bloody warmongering, Henry had lost almost 500 men... but the French had more than 10,000 dead on the field.

Then it was time to pitch woo, not war!

Fair Katharine had agreed to be his wife, so her dad, the defeated king, had to sanction their marriage.

Ah, yes, love wins out and the two kingdoms were made one as well!

Isn't it lovely when a plan works out?

Then, last night, I came home after Friedman's cabaret and tuned in to the Dream Stream again, this time for a rom-com!

Here's the meet-cute of Orlando and Rosalind, after his wrestling victory, as her cousin Celia looks on.

By the end of the play, there are four weddings (and no funeral! for those who get the 1994 reference!)  

First, of course, is that of Oliver and Rosalind, who was disguised as "Ganymede", a man, earlier when she and Celia had to flee to the forest.

Phebe, a shepherdess who had loved "Ganymede", is wed to Silvius, a shepherd who had loved her for some time.

Touchstone, the courtier who had accompanied Rosalind and Celia when they fled, gets married to Audrey, the singing shepherdess who won his heart.

And what about Celia?

She gets hitched to Orlando's older brother, Oliver!

Happy, happy, happy, happy!

(smile!)

I also found out from the youtube chat that the two live-streams will stay up until Tuesday, so I've posted those on fb for JinHi and others of the theatre scene here.

She's been going through a rough patch with new meds for her lung cancer, so these will be a welcome distraction for a fellow Shakespeare fan!

Paying it forward, however I can!

iz dos geven a niu-yorker kabaret?

Here's the reason I ask.

With cabaret-style, you get a bit of banter between the songs, a bit of insight into how they came to be or some words to set the stage... 

so to speak.

(A little pun to get things rolling!) 

However, this third SVF13 concert had a simple title with a complete absence of that word: "David Friedman: My Simple Wish". 

See what I mean?

And yet, the entire evening's entertainment was most def cabaret!

Even the title song was pure whimsy, sung with as much panache and moxie as Tevye exhibited when he fantasized about being wealthy!!!

Indeed, I laughed repeatedly during "My Simple Wish", especially with Eric Sebek emoting so well during his performance!!!

And what, pray tell, had Friedman's 'wish' been?

To be "rich, famous, and powerful"!!!

Hahahaha!!!

Two out of three ain't bad... as I knew nothing of him before last night.

Even so, I took him to simply be a long-time piano-playing friend of Sherrill and Maria, and a fellow who occasionally wrote music.

Even when I took this photo before the show, when my volunteer duties were waning, I still thought that.

See that tall guy in the glasses and yellow shirt, standing to the right?

That's him, quite possibly chatting with Sherrill and Maria as they also stood.

Well, I'm here to say I was mistaken.

David Friedman just may be famous as well as the other two things he mentioned in "My Simple Wish".

I realized that later in the program, when he broke out the big guns: the songs in several of my favorite Disney musicals for which he was the conductor.

Say what???

Yes, Angela Lansbury sang to him when she recorded "Beauty And The Beast" - done every bit as soulfully tonight by Samantha Talora.

Yes, Robin Williams sang to him when he recorded "Friend Like Me" - done in very animated fashion by James Wright III, with the others backing him up.

Yes, Judy Kuhn sang to him when she recorded "Colors Of The Wind" - done in beautiful voice by the charming, and intelligible, Ina Torres O'Ryan.

[I made sure to compliment her on not "losing the words", as so many sopranos and mezzo-sopranos do when they're swinging for the rafters.]

And, yes, Tom Hulce (my "Amadeus"!) sang to him when he recorded "Out There" - done by Peter Lake in that tenor tone I so love!

Wow.

David Friedman has also written songs for other Disney productions, he's written songs for original Broadway musicals, he's regularly written songs for the "Today Show" on morning television, and he's written books.

Wow.

This was quite a show, tonight, and much more than I'd expected.

Many thanks to David Friedman for being a storyteller and entertainer!

Also, happy 75th birthday, as this year is a special number for him. 

Many thanks to the six singers of his songs - Eric, Ina, James, Samantha, Ashley Nunez (not visible in the photo), and Peter - for bringing out the heart in those songs!

Many thanks to the Savannah Voice Festival for allowing me to be a volunteer!

 

And many thanks to Asbury Memorial Church - and especially to Randy - for making this an easy, and beautiful, venue for SVF13, even on this rainy day!

Right place, right time...

i thank You, God.

bday90 party with aarp!

Remember that "AARP Happy Hour" party that I went to on July 18?

Yeah, the one at Savannah Technical College that no one else attended.

Well, as it turned out, I had the date wrong.

That meant I was double-booked for the real date, which was today.

What to do, what to do?

Well, I did what any busy, vibrant woman would do: I attended both events!

(smile!)

I started off at Eckburg Auditorium, and even had my photo taken!

That's because the AARP Georgia chapter was present, as well as other attendees like myself, unlike that other rainy afternoon.

Hooray!

That photo of me looks pretty good, doesn't it?

I was dressed in my 'blue daisies' dress, with my hair plaited to the right, all ready for my volunteer usher duties at SVF13.

I said I was overbooked, didn't I?

My plan was to celebrate with these folks, then head downtown.

After all, there was food here, and dance music, too!

It was all for the 90th birthday of the Social Security Act, which will actually be on August 14th.

Thank you, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the 74th U.S. Congress!!!

All of us at this shindig, and millions more, would be in deep poverty without that public payroll savings program instigated back in 1935.

That got us in line with other industrialized nations, so that was good.

I wish I could have stayed for some of the games and trivia, but by 5:15 I was out the door, back into a light drizzle, and headed north to Unitarian Universalist Church for the second of two nights of opera at that location.

I'm glad those were Mock Mojitos for that soiree!

(smile!)

cabaret, a la opera!!!

I do so love a cabaret!!!

There's no telling what lyrics may spring forth!!!

Tonight, I laughed and laughed and danced in my seat!

That was in the back pew, situated between two instructors - Timothy Hall and Justin Havard - for the Savannah VOICE experience. 

At the SVF13 tonight, it was "Everything: A Classical Cabaret with Maria Zouves", with lots of contemporary hits from the radio and elsewhere!!!

There was even a fabulously funny farce about french fries that she wrote!!!

(I just had to add that alliteration!!!)

The funniest thing about that?

It's called "My True Love" - hahahaha!!!

But wait... don't I recognize that face of the man center stage?

Of course I do!

That's Richard Ochoa, the first name in violin in this seaport!!!

The fellow in the nice hat is Andrew Sovine, the guest guitarist for this gig.

He's talking to that very nice young pianist, Assaf Gleizner, I met in March.

The gray-jacketed man is the other pianist, David Friedman, who played when Maria was singing one of his songs, "You'll Always Be My Baby". 

(She actually sang two of his numbers tonight. I knew neither song.)

Then, barely visible along the right hand edge with his long white hair and black coat, is Marc Chesanow, the bass player that played with Knauer at the SMF36! 

So very nice to have a band for this cabaret!!!

They really helped round out the sound on the rock ballad (Journey's "Open Arms"!!!), the country ballad (Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me"!!!), the Johnny Mercer hit ("Come Rain Or Come Shine"!!!), the inspirational piece ("Get Happy"!!!), the modern showtune (Wicked's "For Good"!!!) - woohoo!!!

There were a few songs that were new to me.

Michael Ching even took the stage to play his melodica as Maria sang "It's Always Been You", a special composition written for the anniversary of Allan and Arlene Ratner.

How very nice that I actually know those people.

Arlene is a paternal cousin of mi amiga Sandy!

I've enjoyed talking with Arlene at the "Food For Thought" luncheons.

I need to start going to those again!

What a lovely thought from this concert tonight!!!

(smile!)