Haines His Way

I dp[oke to Joshie about the overture and Mattress. I gather that, economically, the production, and Adam Guettel, decided to go with Coughlin's 14-piece orchestration over the larger Encores! orchestra. I also believe Coughlin and Guettel are friends.

Fourteen (14). That's one four. Classic show. Broadway. Heavy revisal.

Yea, we wept...

Got a treat coming up in two weeks:  the Bedford Playhouse is showing the Todd-AO Oklahoma! in (of course) full roadshow format, with guest Andy Hammerstein - who it turns out is on the theater's advisory board. Silly me, I hadn't been aware of that.

BK's close personal friend Janet Maslin will moderate, along with Robert Harris who will also speak to the technical aspects. This is the 30-fps real deal that Bedford ran at their test screening in 2018 that, thankfully, RAH invited me to before the building restoration had even been completed. It is eye-poppingly glorious, and I believe it had only been shown at the Chinese just a few years prior to that.

I'm told that Andy Hammerstein still raves about WCSU's production of Allegro last year, which is great to hear.

This past week, I treated myself to the first season of a BBC TV series I had heard about but had never watched.

In fact, the only reason I watched at all was because I caught a Graham Norton Show on which Olivia Colman appeared.  She was sitting with Jodie Foster who said that all her friends had told her she should watch "Broadchurch" but she never had.

I am not a huge Olivia Colman fan. Not a foe, either.  But I watched the first season of "Broadchurch" and was riveted...by Colman, by David Tennant, and by the entire cast as the death/murder of a young boy was investigated.  Among the most important things they got totally right was the impact sensationalism has, especially when media gets involved and starts printing things about various people in town who have pasts they uncover.  Then, the town folks start in harassing and pointing fingers and tragedy follows.

I watched only the first season, and I won't offer up an spoilers.

I dp[oke to Joshie about the overture and Mattress. I gather that, economically, the production, and Adam Guettel, decided to go with Coughlin's 14-piece orchestration over the larger Encores! orchestra. I also believe Coughlin and Guettel are friends.

Today is Saturday in the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area), and it is, of course, the day of the "third birthday" celebration for Miss Brynlee Mims, tales of which may be forthcoming later today.

I hope for a tranquil hour or less while I am there, but I am not making any bets.

Vibes for a tranquil birthday party!

There is a new concert pianist on the scene. And he sings, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVhBO1cuaw8

Very nice!

Today is Saturday in the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area), and it is, of course, the day of the "third birthday" celebration for Miss Brynlee Mims, tales of which may be forthcoming later today.

I hope for a tranquil hour or less while I am there, but I am not making any bets.

TOD:

I will preface my selections by saying that my earliest memories of going to the movies were of three films:  "Anastasia", "The Ten Commandments" and "War and Peace" -- all 1956 films.  I saw the first two in theaters in Augusta, Georgia, and the latter in the small theater in Johnston SC (where I now live). 

It is amazing to me how vivid my memories of those films remains from those first viewings although I have watched all three many times over the years.

That said, when I read lists of Hepburn performances, I seldom, if ever, see "War and Peace" listed among them.  I have to express surprise for that, alone, because she is absolutely luminous as Natasha Rostova, and she is the very best thing about that film which is a very good movie considering the - at the time - unfilmable nature of the gargantuan Tolstoy tale.  The Russians, of course, did film it...in a 431-minute adaptation.  In 1956, that would not have played at all well in U.S. theaters.

My favorite Hepburn performances:

Rome Adventure
Sabrina
War and Peace
Funny Face
The Nun's Story
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Charade
My Fair Lady
Wait Until Dark
Two for the Road

.

There is a new concert pianist on the scene. And he sings, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVhBO1cuaw8