Well, dear readers, it is quite late and I am quite tired, but I just got home from seeing Fun Home at the Ahmanson and then going out after. So, let’s start at the very ending of the evening, a very good place to start, and work our way back to the beginning of the day, just for a change of pace.
Last night, I saw a musical entitled Fun Home. I really only knew the gist of the show and had seen the number performed on the Tony Awards – while I didn’t find the song all that I thought the girl delivering it was extraordinary. And, of course, my pal Beth Malone was starring in it and even though I couldn’t get to New York to see it, I knew she would bring heart and light to the show because she’s an absolutely amazing singer/actress. So, I was looking forward to it and happily got invited to see it. We had excellent eighth row center seats, too, which is always nice. I was with occasional dear reader Leslie Young and her nice hubby and daughters Alexa and Mia.
Let’s just say I enjoyed the story and found some of it affecting, some amusing, and some not to my liking, the latter mostly having to do with the score and that irritatingly overlit all about me lighting that shows love so much these days. It’s a typical score of today’s musical theater – they’re all cut from the same cloth so if you like those scores you’ll probably like this. I don’t think much of them – while there are a couple what you’d call songs (the best of which is the title song), mostly it’s just a bunch of notes, mostly sounding the same with the same harmonic structure and lots of repetition. For me, it’s a bit mind numbing – and as much as I can understand why people like some of these shows, I find they all sound the same, with the same sparse instrumentation. There’s a small band on stage (drums are off-stage, hidden in some room and it sounds like it – the band mix, for me, was not so hot). But in the end, the story is touching and the production is fine – it’s under two hours presented sans intermission.
The cast was fine, with one stellar performance – Abby Corrigan as middle Allison – this girl just got out of school and she’s terrific. She’s subtle, real, very funny, and it’s just a beautifully modulated performance and she has a lovely voice. The older Allison lacked the warmth and magic I know Beth would have automatically brought to the part. The lead guy was fine, and so was young Allison, although not as good as the young girl on the Tonys. All in all, I’m glad I saw it, but certainly it’s not a score I would ever need to listen to again. Leslie’s cousin is the general manager (or is it company manager), so we went backstage and he gave us a tour of the theater. Of course, I’ve been back there many, many times, over the years.
Prior to that, after an hour drive, we arrived at the Music Center and parked. The plan was to go to the little store they have there and get sandwiches and/or salads and some liquid refreshment. But the little store is no more – it’s not Tina’s Tacos, so I got a chipotle chicken wrap that was pretty terrible – it was my first and just about only food of the day.
Prior to that, I had a really nice visit with our very own Mr. Nick Redman, who’s recuperating nicely from his surgery. He still has some pain, but he’s up and about. I’d never seen anything in 3D on someone’s TV, so he showed me some and I have to say this new-fangled way of 3D and the new-fangled glasses finally allow an image without all the brightness and color sucked out of it. I found it VERY impressive. We looked at some of Kiss Me, Kate, Prometheus, The Wolverine, and The Mad Magician. Some of it was quite startling in its effectiveness. He also gave me the new Twilight Time releases, but I’ll talk about those in tomorrow’s notes. I was there about ninety minutes and then came home – the traffic wasn’t horrid coming home – just two slow stretches.
But the traffic getting there was horrendous. It took me twenty minutes just to transition from the 101 to the 405, which is an outrage. Once on the 405 it was horrible all the way until just north of Wilshire, where I was getting off. Once one arrived at that point all traffic suddenly was gone, disappeared into the damn ether. I will never EVER understand it. What should have taken twenty minutes took an hour and ten minutes. Sickening.
Prior to that, I’d only gotten five hours of sleep because I awoke at three-thirty having a wretchedly wretched allergy attack. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the generic D brand they sold me does not work for me at all. Only Claritin D works and I have a good mind to bring the rest of the box back and throw it at them. Charlie Brown sold out, and we got almost all of them shipped and the rest go out today.
Today, I have to be up by eight-thirty because she of the Evil Eye asked if she could come a day early and I said okay. Once up, I’ll do whatever needs to be done, then do some banking, then Doug Haverty and I are going to meet Sandy Bainum for luncheon. After that, I’ll come home, hopefully pick up some packages, and relax. I also have to rewrite a bit of commentary because I made a song switch in the show.
Tomorrow and Sunday are unknown to me – just not sure what’s going on, although I think Sami and her mom is coming by in the afternoon for a little visit. Sunday I really will just try to relax, because next week is endless rehearsals, meetings and meals, stumble-through, sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do stuff, lunch with Doug and Sandy, hopefully pick up packages, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, too much stuff. Blu-ray, Peyton Place and the other Twilight Time releases. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have survived our little experiment of starting at the end and ending at the beginning.