Replies: 28 Unseemly Comments
Well, I guess your Roumanian Adventure was contagious... I actually haven't been to bed yet. It just turned out to be one of those nights where once it came to be 5:00AM, I just decided to stay up. I even met a friend for an early breakfast. -Oh, and I did do some baking last night, too, so that might be part of the reason for my "insomnia". ????
In any case, it sounds like you had a wonderful time, BK.
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 02/15/2003 10:24 AM PST
Before I even read BK's notes for today, I wish to respond to a couple of posts from yesterday.
Jason: When I moved to New York (Long Island, actually) some 28 years ago, my mother was constantly saying she was worried about my safety, since it was such a dangerous place. Then the kid in the house behind them in an upper upper Dallas suburb accidently fired a rifle. The bullet went through their glass door and missed my mother's head by about six inches. After that, I told her I was worried about them living in such a dangerous place.
French Accents in Phantom? Well, actually, they shouldn't be speaking English at all, but French. Or, to put it another way,
"Mein Führer, vy must ve speak alvays to each uzzer mit ein dumkopf Cherman accent?"
"Vell, Fritz, if ve spoke to each uzzer in Cherman, de American audience vouldn't verstehen us."
Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/15/2003 10:44 AM PST
Oh, I got distracted by the mailman at the door, and forgot to post about today's topic...
I've had quite a few feasts... and some just plain ole eat-too-much-food-just-because-it-was-there pig out sessions. However, my most memorable feast was at Disneyworld.
I had arranged for the Chef's Table seating in Victoria & Albert's at the Grand Floridian Resort. It was a most wonderful evening.
Basically, after consulting with the diners, the chef constructs a meal for you. You can get it with and without wine pairings. We had it with. Additionally, you get to sit in the kitchen, take off your required jacket, and watch your food being prepared a few feet away from you.
The evening started off with a fantastic bottle of champagne, then an "amuse bouche" - I think it was something seafood-y. Then came at least five courses. The chef gave me and Steve different dishes with each course so that we could try almost everything they were preparing that night. I can't remember specifics right now - although they did provide us with custom hand-written menus afterwards - but we had a salad, a soup, a fish course, a meat course, and a dessert. Ah... dessert!
As the evening goes along, you can also ask questions about how things are prepared, and walk around the kitchen. Well, coming from a cooking family and being a pretty good cook myself, I asked some good questions. The staff actually seemed to like talking shop. So, as a way of "re-paying" me for my interest, when the dessert course came, they gave us three of them - chocolate three ways - a mousse, a souffle and a cake. Totally decadent. Oh, and a couple of truffles thrown in for good measure. Needless to say, we felt compelled to clean our plates...
We actually had trouble walking out of there, and when we got back to the hotel room were so tired, happy, and full - and almost drunk (all that wine!) that we just had to lie in bed for a few hours to let everything settle.
*And for the price we paid, it was a total bargain. The complimentary champagne alone was equal to half our total bill!
I have some cleaning to do this afternoon, I come across the menu, I'll post the specifics later.
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 02/15/2003 10:44 AM PST
And as to the ethnicity of Guido Contini, Raul Julia wasn't Italian, nor, for that matter, is Jonathan Pryce.
Come to think of it, Leontyne Price isn't Japanese.
It's called "acting".
Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/15/2003 10:48 AM PST
William,
I guess what most were trying
to say, regarding Phantom, is
that the cockney accent for the
populace is a little bit too
much and can also be hard to
grab for an American
audience, as well as Emile in
South Pacific should not have
an Italian accent either....
Posted by François @ 02/15/2003 12:32 PM PST
About accents, as long as the accents match the nationality, it doesn't make a difference. Antonio has a very heavy spanish accent and he's playing an Italian. Jonathan Pryce and Raul Julia had normal amersican-ized accents, therefore, it doesn't make a difference. I hope that clears some of this up.
Posted by Matthew @ 02/15/2003 01:00 PM PST
I have been presented on several occasions with neverending sumptuous spreads but can't seem to succumb. Apparently, there's something in my digestive system that stops the minute I see more food than I can eat at one sitting (Las Vegas buffets come to mind). I remember once being tempted with an alarming array of chocolate confections by a former boyfriend whom I believe had other things on his mind besides feeding me.
From yesterday's topic: In my VCR - OCEAN'S ELEVEN (the remake). Talk about non-stop eating! I actually sighed with relief when Brad Pitt belched at the end of the movie!
P.S. Get set for another BIG CABARET SHOW on the West Coast. The first ever PALM SPRINGS CABARET CONVENTION at the Annenberg Theatre will take place on March 7, 8, & 9. Click here for a link http://www.psmuseum.org/performances/32003.htm#cabaret
AND - A new cabaret series (MAMA ROSE CABARET 2003) debuts March 12 with the beautiful and talented ANNE KERRY FORD http://www.annekerryford.com. There's quite a lineup of talent thru October. Mama Rose Restaurant is an absolutely charming restaurant in Costa Mesa, California. The $45 ticket/reservation includes the show and three-course dinner, tax and gratuity. Seating is very limited so don't wait till the last minute to make your reservations. Here's a link to their website (still under construction) http://www.mama-rose.com
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 02/15/2003 01:02 PM PST
Breakfast at Brennan's in New Orleans was certainly the most elegant and decadent meal of which I have partaken. Reading the menu increased my cholesterol substantially.
I think we were there for three hours and then went back to our hotel to sleep. Eating can be such a tiring pastime.
Dear Reader Laura. Should I not have sent my entire savings to our African friend?
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 02/15/2003 01:12 PM PST
Hey? Where is everyone?
I'm homebound today - using the crappy weather as an excuse to be a couch potato today.
-Also, I still haven't been to bed yet - been up since 9:30 yesterday morning...
-Oh, the cheesecake and cookies (oatmeal, chocolate-chip, pecan) were a hit at rehearsal. Well, it really wasn't a rehearsal. They had so many people out sick today, that they just had a "tribe bonding" session. It was very effective and emotional from what I could tell. My goodies seemed to arrive at just the right moment.
I'm actually hoping for some good snow.. but it just looks like we'll be getting a lot of wintry-mess here in Richmond... However, up north in DC, they're predicting up to 18 inches! They already have 7!
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 02/15/2003 01:26 PM PST
We got off our cruise ship this morning and checked to see if there was a trivia contest today and low and behold it's mine, so I guess I can't enter. I'm celebrating my 56th B-day today in Florida and am happily looking forward to missing the upcoming snow storms in NJ. I missed you guys this week.
Posted by steveg @ 02/15/2003 01:35 PM PST
We're still talking about ACCENTS? We don't need no stinking accents. We need FEASTS, man, FEASTS. Now, where in tarnation IS everyone? If Steve G. can get off a cruise ship, find a computer and post, then the rest of you errant and truant people can do the same (not get off a cruise ship - but post). I want some posts here, I want to hear about feasts damn it.
Also, a big Hainsies/Kimlets happy birthday to Steve Gurey who, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo) posted. Let's break out the cheese slices and ham chunks, damn it, and put on our colored tights and pantaloons and our pointy party hats, damn it, and let's dance the Hora and also the Locomotion. I can't, of course, because my legs are too sore from all the dancing I did last night. Now, where in tarnation is Laura - she got a Meltz and Ernest song, after all.
Posted by bk @ 02/15/2003 01:39 PM PST
Laura is at a church work day. But I will draw her attention to the Meltz and Ernest song as soon as she gets home.
By the way (BTW in internet lingo) if Mom was here right now, I'm sure she would say that the most memorable feast she has ever partaken of was when I made her some floop and made her eat all of it.
Posted by Sandra @ 02/15/2003 01:46 PM PST
Happy Birthday from OZ to Steve. Al Pacino is not cruising too is he?
My breakfast listening this morning is "Hair" OBC.
Posted by Tom from OZ @ 02/15/2003 01:48 PM PST
I've never been to a real "feast," but at work we have a (formerly "Christmas" now known as) "Holiday" Potluck every December that is the grandaddy of all potlucks. At 10:00 a.m. morning break, we have a gift exchange and a goodie-treat mini-potluck before the main lunch buffet feast. There are so many different kinds of desserts. You never know what will be brought, but it's a lot. At about 1:00 p.m. or so, we have the main lunch time meal. The administration buys a turkey and a ham and everyone else brings something to share (hence the term "pot-luck), and even more desserts show up. Lunch always lasts more than an hour. Everyone gets stuffed, and no, alcohol is not permitted. It's the best eating event out of the year!
Posted by George @ 02/15/2003 02:00 PM PST
Well, lucky birthday boy Steve
is obviously on vacation....
while some of us are hard at
work..... but we POST, ho yes,
we post.....
Food, glorious food!
Posted by François @ 02/15/2003 02:07 PM PST
The longest dinner with a zillion couses I ever attended was in Rome,near the Vatican in the Old City, at a lovely, charming outdoor restaurant (in an alleyway, with little foreign cars whizzing through), called La Cisterna ("the well") in 1971. It lasted about 6 hours, with so many courses we lost count. it only had about 10 tables and all evening, every table was sending eachother drinks and bottles of wine. My ex and my daughter went there a few years ago and it is still there.
The second-longest was in Strasburg, France, home of the scrumptuous goose-liver pate, with about 10 courses; that one was about 5 hours.
Posted by KT @ 02/15/2003 02:23 PM PST
Dear Reader Sandra, what, prey tell, is FLOOP?
Biggest Feast, Biggest Feast... ummm... I can't really remember. Has to have been one of my Aunt's Christmas dinners which consists of homemade lasagna, prime rib, italian sausages, green beans, carrots, a great salad (complete with advocados!) deep fried cauliflower, and some decadant dessert. WAY too much food, you're full for days and days, you don't want to sleep, you don't want to walk, it's not a pretty sight, but a wonderful dinner.
Posted by Matthew @ 02/15/2003 02:41 PM PST
Matthew,
decadent dessert: ain't that
redundant????
To shake off calories, one has
to do the decadance!!
Posted by François @ 02/15/2003 02:51 PM PST
Oy. I spent the day hauling tree branches on our church property. We are preparing our vacant lot to build a new church building. At noon when someone brought a sack of hamburgers, it was a feast.
Posted by Laura @ 02/15/2003 05:27 PM PST
Oh -- and Happy Birthday, Steve!!!!!
Posted by Laura @ 02/15/2003 05:45 PM PST
I honestly can't remember any amazingly long dinners, at least of the sort that involved many many courses dazzling my tongue. (Which really should be "dazzling my tongue and nose," but we never think of saying it that way, do we? And what am I, a queen using the Royal "We" all of a sudden?)
I have been to many many many (that's three manies, which is too many) dinners that have gone on forever, but they were all political dinners where the food was rarely memorable, and neither were the speeches that followed. There was one memorable speech, however, where Jeanne Kirkpatrick was the keynote speaker. She set the tone of her speech describing the totalitarianism of ideas when the Nazis controlled Germany, and then started to point out how a certain group was beginning to follow their goosesteps towards thought control. All of a sudden, she realized that the certain group she was describing was the group she was addressing, and spent the rest of her speech covering her tracks so that they wouldn't know how close she came to biting the hands that had just fed her. It was absolutely amazing...just not in the way she had intended.
Posted by S. Woody White @ 02/15/2003 06:22 PM PST
I've just been listening to the new recording of "The Music Man" and while I have a new appreciation for Kristin Chenowith, I dislike everything else about it. The upside to all this, is that it's bringing the classic musicals to our children, most parents don't think do rent the original musicals (Oklahoma, Music Man, Oliver) for their kids, so they see these "new" versions on network TV. Amen to Disney for that. But I don't understand why people feel the need to tamper with a good thing. If you're going to re-do a musical that has already been a movie, fix something like "Mame" or even "Hello, Dolly!". There, I've said my piece.
Posted by Matthew @ 02/15/2003 06:25 PM PST
The one and main reason for
them to do that to musicals
is.........GREED.
Posted by François @ 02/15/2003 06:45 PM PST
GREED is good. I like Zasu Pitts. However, I don't think it would make a good musical; an opera, yes, but not a musical.
Posted by td @ 02/15/2003 08:01 PM PST
Happy Birthday Steve!
I've just come in from seeing the divine Miss Barbara Cook, who incidently treaded quite lightly when asked about tomorrow night's THE MUSIC MAN; this woman is a inspiration!
BK, when you do get around to producing again, can you please, please, please (that's 3 x please) hook up with Miss Cook?!?!?!
Posted by td @ 02/15/2003 08:04 PM PST
On the subject of feasts, life is a banquet, and most poor bastards are starving to death.
Posted by Mame Dennis @ 02/15/2003 08:48 PM PST
doesn't look like we're setting any posting records. . .
Posted by td @ 02/15/2003 10:40 PM PST
In Montreal, I once had the following
Petite salade du jardin avec vinaigrette César crémeuse légère, Poutine, Double Quart de livre avec fromage, Chaussons aux pommes cuits au four, Thé glacé (grand format)
Posted by Ronald M. @ 02/16/2003 07:07 AM PST
