beware the fortune-teller at the fair!

That was the take-away message for this modern musical!

"Ride The Cyclone" was the third 21st century musical that I've seen in less than a week and I must say that it was certainly the most ribald!

This was written in 2008, two years after "The Story Of My Life" and "Hadestown" were first performed.

Like those, it included a bit of profanity, but this one stepped it up a few notches, something which no doubt was a mark of reality for the college students in Jenkins Hall.

I loved it!!!

I also loved that it had two of the "Last Laugh" improv performers.

Dylan O'Brien, his wheelchair hidden in the booth, was 'Karnak', the mechanical fortune-teller fated to die when a rat chews through its power cord at the story's end.

I'd rather have Zoltar predicting my future, thanks!

You see, 'Karnak' predicted the day and manner of one's death, but the fair personnel had dumbed it down to "fun mode".

Thus, it was unable to warn the Canadian choral group to not get on that fatal ride.

 

Liana Kougba, another of the improv folks, was the sweet 'Constance', and her song was about having sex with a carnie because she didn't want to be a virgin anymore.

I wonder if it had been the same carnie that operated The Cyclone?

Ah, an unanswered question!

Here's one I can answer, though: why did she sing about that?

'Karnak' tasked the five chorists with singing about their innermost self, with the one who won the contest having a chance at being alive again.

What hilarious results those were!

'Constance' sang of losing her virginity on this away trip, 'Ricky' (the silent tambourine man) let loose about being a ladies man, 'Noel' the gay romantic wanted to be like Marlene Dietrich in "The Blue Angel", 'Ocean' spouted of her superiority over all others, and 'Mischa' starts with Ukrainian rap that morphs into a love ballad.

Then there's 'Jane Doe', dressed in the same school uniform as the others, but headless, and with the most beautiful voice of them all.

As I told JoJo Ward afterward, I wished I could see it all again!

He directed and choreographed this show by the Masquers.

Bravo!!!

day 33

It's 100 Days of Summer, y'all!
That's what the American Red Cross is calling this blood drive.
100 Days of Summer.
100 Days of Hope.
I encourage you to click here and find a time that works for you. You will then be a hero to three people.
1 hour of time + 1 pint of blood donated = 3 lives saved
Today was the 33rd day of the campaign.
I sandwiched my donation between errands at the school, lunch (fried chicken!) and dinner (pot roast!!) at The Galley, and an evening topped off with an old-fashioned murder mystery.
Very nice!!!
I do hope you have as wonderful a day as I have had today!

bunny bunny and more

Sunday evening, I went to Jenkins Hall at 6 PM, intending to stand in line, if need be, to gain entrance to a sold-out show. The box office wasn't even officially open yet, but the young woman acknowledged that I would be the first, should a ticket become available. She remembered me from Friday morning, trying to get a ticket for any of the last three shows, all of which were sold-out. I was fortunate Sunday, as were nine others, treated to an intimate experience in the Black Box at Jenkins Hall.
The show isn't one you've likely heard of. "Bunny Bunny... Gilda Radner, A Sort-Of Romantic Comedy" is a tale of love and friendship, told through the eyes and ears and heart of the writer who lost her to cancer. Zweibel was befriended by the comedienne once upon a time in the north, when both were young and new to the late-night world of New York City.
I had been a big fan of Gilda Radner and her zany characters in the early days of Saturday Night Live. I had rejoiced with her when she wed Gene Wilder, who loved her madly, and I was shocked and saddened when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just two years later. They were married for just under five years before her death in 1989. She was only 42. Gene built a monument to her, in the form of Gilda's Club, there in her beloved NYC.
Zweibel and "Gilbert" were best friends. This play was his attempt to capture that friendship as a series of shared moments in time on the set, in restaurants, at basketball games. All of the moments really good friends spend together, shared visions, shared recordings of events and people and food.
Zweibel succeeded. His recounting of the bond between he and she brought to mind the bond between me and Sam. His loss of that vibrant tone from the music of his life reminded me of chords I would not hear again.