Good morning, all! Yesterday morning I was up at 5:00 am, this morning 6:00, but I'd prefer 7 or 8 until everything starts healing. I have an orchestration to work on for Ron Raines, so I'll deal with some of that this morning, listen to an Offenbach piece LES BAVARDS for a director friend, see the surgeon at 2:45, and consider it a full day.
I talked to our DRPennyO last evening. She's back in LA with her ailing parents for the next 4 days, and she asked me to send you all her regards. I also spoke to DRJane yesterday, and we were remarking on the peculiarity of three ladies, including DRDanise, whose acquaintance I wasn't even aware of 7 months ago becoming three close and dear friends. Such is the power of magic at HHW, and I'd call Dear Friend BK the greatest magician living for the amazing things, far beyond the disappearing toes, he's performed.
DRJed, I noticed no techno-glitch, but perhaps this feeling of displacement is some legerdemain of an infernal demon reminding you of your current feelings of being kicked by the cosmos?
TOD: magicians? Well, the only major one I recall seeing live is Doug Henning in THE MAGIC SHOW, which I loved for the magic, Anita Morris, and "West End Avenue." I loved on the Ed Sullivan Show the Banana Man, and occasionally I'll think of him and chuckle.
DRTomovoz, I'm a very ardent Kurt Weill enthusiast, but few contemporary Weill artistes raise any enthusiasm: Ute Lemper, to paraphrase my late great friend Betty Chapin, seems to think she invented Kurt Weill (I prefer her artistry elsewhere), and others seem to think because of his Brecht associations that he should be snarled, growled, and rudely performed. Only Teresa Stratas seems to enjoy his melodies and meters, and I love her recordings. We still need a really good MAHAGONNY, and I wish someone like BK would give us recordings of an unexpurgated complete Blitzstein THREEPENNY OPERA and complete Michael Feingold HAPPY END. That would be my idea of magic.