Haines His Way

This is random, but someone introduced me to it today. Just go to www.accuradio.com, click on the Broadway icon, and you can listen to an array of Broadway tunes while on the internet. I find it helpful because I don't have to bring loads of cds down here to my comp, and I've heard some songs with which I'm not familiar. Now I know what cast recordings I must go and buy!

First of all....

[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JED!!!![/move]



What a weekend this has been for me!  WOW!   (Warning: very long post coming up)

Yesterday, I, my friend Kate and my new friend Mel went to see Bouncing Gold Wiseguys., more simply known now as Bounce.  Who was it that said that to be a Sondheim fan means getting your heart broken at regular intervals?

Okay, it was not bad.  It was just very far from being great.  We Sondheads are so used to seeing nothing but greatness from him that anything that is merely good comes off as mediocre by comparison.

It's kind of hard for me to pin down where exactly the show went wrong (or at least not right) for me.  I think my friend Kate said it best when she described it as being too "blatant."  There weren't many subtleties, many layers.  Parts of the plot were very predictable.  I mean, I'm not demanding that it be full of irony and darkness...it IS a musical comedy, and who wants to overdose on irony and darkness and excessive depth for that kind of show?  But I guess I had just expected more.  However, the show WAS very funny and there were plently of laughs throughout.  I also thought the second act was better than the first.

The sets were great, I thought...elaborate without overdoing it, and the costumes and choreography were also well-done.  

Okay....now the acting.  I thought everyone did good work, but this show, IMO, belonged to....MICHELE PAWK!  Is there nothing this woman cannot do?  She took a character that could have been rather one-dimensional (the stock character of the brassy but sweet gold-digger) and just made her so funny and vibrant and sympathetic.  And that voice!  It was such a joy to see her onstage.  

Richard Kind and Howard McGillin were both very good, as Addison and Wilson Mizner, although I think both of them still have room for growth in terms of finding their characters.  But they had a good chemistry together, played out the jealousy and love between the brothers well, and made their characters likeable even though they were playing con artists (one of whom is a drug addict).  McGillin has such a gorgeous voice and I didn't realize how handsome he is either.  Speaking of handsome, Gavin Creel did a great job as Addison's younger lover.  Somehow, I liked him even better in this than I did in TMM.  And Jane Powell sounded fabulous as the Mizners' mother.  

Okay...now the music.  Kate, Mel and I were joking that the score to Bounce is like the Collected Works of Stephen Sondheim Abridged.  There ARE some very good songs....among them the title song, Boca Raton and You Are the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me, but I have to say this is not his strongest score by a long shot.  Some of the songs have an early Forum-era feel, and are more conventional musical comedy numbers, but others have the more trademark Sondheim sound.  I heard musical phrases a lot of other Sondheim shows...like when Jane Powell is singing at one point, the melody sounded sooo much like Dot in the second act of SITPWG and Mel pointed out that she heard a lot of Into The Woods in there.    And one musical phrase sounded a lot like "God, That's Good" in Sweeney.  I guess it's kind of inevitable that this should happen...I just thought it was kind of interesting.  

The show really does need work before it opens, but it DOES have potential.  Overall, I enjoyed myself...I just hope they can get this together SO much...as it is now, I don't know if it would survive very long on Broadway.  I feel like saying this is sacrilege, because I love Sondheim's music sooo much, but I also didn't want to let the fact that I'm a huge fan keep me from being somewhat objective.  

OH...After the show, the girls and I went to the giftshop and bought stuff.  We chatted with the saleslady and she told us that Sondheim had been in the gift store a number of times!  He had bought a couple of Degas bags!  Which led me to joke...will his next musical be Sunday at the Ballet with Edgar?  After Bounce, I slept over at Kate's house and we watched Follies in Concert and the film version of Noises Off.  It was really fun...we couldn't stop laughing about how Elaine Stritch wasn't wearing a bra in Follies in Concert...not even once!  

Wow...that was long, wasn't it?  Anyway, I DID miss having my HHW over the weekend and I'm glad I'm back!

Emily--that article was hilarious!  You must never give up in your search to find a cute straight musical-loving guy!

The BK signing pics were so great!  Really enjoyed seeing those.

Sarah--I'm glad you're back , sweetie, and   that you had such a good time at Homecoming!  I'd love to see a pic too!  I bet you looked bee--ooo-teee-ful!  

BK, I agree with you. Our Broadway Radio Show is wonderful and I always listen to that first. Then I move on to the BBC and other stations.

The problem with Accuradio is that it doesn't always work. When I first discovered it at work, the Broadway station worked fine but now it doesn't work for nuttin'. Cabaret Radio also does not work. I've tried and tried and tried. Sending e-mail to Customer Service doesn't do much because they say that it may not work on every computer. Funny thing is, though Broadway doesn't work, I can listen to Swingin' Pop Standards 24/7 on my office computer. AND Broadway, Cabaret Radio and Swingin' Pop Standards all work on my home computer which is a slower, dial up connection. Go figure. At least at work I can listen to the BBC. After Donald, that's my favorite, Showtime, Stage and Screen and so many others.

Happy birthday Jed!

I'm supposed to be writing an essay about why Leonardo da Vinci was the perfect Renaissance man, but since I like to be argumentative, I'm writing about why Leonardo da Vinci was NOT the perfect Renaissance man.

Excellent report, Maya.  It does make one wonder what normal audiences feel, i.e. people who don't need to cut anyone some slack, in other words, non-fans.  I would like to get to see it, but won't unless they bring it in.  

Now, dance, baby, and we need an explosion of posts, oh, yes, we need an explosion of posts.  Unlike the last few days, getting posts today has been like pulling teeth, but this does tend to happen on weekends.  Ironically, it usually happens on Saturday, not Sunday, and yet Saturday was amazingly strong.  Now, let's have an explosion of posts, shall we?

You know, I don't mind rebuying DVDs of favorite movies if the transfers are better. A CHRISTMAS STORY certainly was better to name a recent example, and so were THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER and PATRIOT GAMES. I don't think I'd watch JFK enough to upgrade it, so I think I'll probably just keep the one I have. And I read one review that said the Extreme Edition of TERMINATOR 2 didn't have as good a transfer as the Ultimate Edition had. (Obviously, that person was not able to see the high def version on his computer.)

I'd like to add ALL ABOUT EVE, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER and MARY POPPINS to that list of worthwhile double-dipping.  And then there's THE BEGINNING OF THE END, which was previously only available as a Mystery Science Theatre title, but now, has that spiffy transfer as well as an absoring, amusing commentary track. . .
I haven't double-dipped on TERMINATOR 2, yet. . .I have the second version. . . and I have absolutely no reason at all to double dip on LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. . .

DVD-speaking, dontcha just love Marian's line in RAIDERS?

"This whole place is slitherin'!"
(sounds to me like something from HARRY POTTER)!

Maya:  Great report on "Bounce".  I do know what you mean about hearing bits and pieces of other shows.  I've heard those similarities in most of his stuff, even though it's always been more a stylistic effect rather than an outright reminder of another song.  In the case of "Bounce," I take it the "feel" is probably more noticeable because you don't find the songs making their own statement relative to the book.

It's interesting to read, however, that the book is so funny.  This show is an interesting one to follow, I think.


Jason:  Have you talked to your landlord?  If you have and he's done nothing, call the Department of Health and ask them what you can do.  I DO empathize and know whereof your heebie-jeebies can take hold and make life unbearable.

Jed:  What did you do/get for your birthday??

Well, I couldn't let the whole day go by without a single post.

[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]HAPPY BIRTRHDAY, JED![/move]

At least with both Jed and I on the West coast, I can get away with this late birthday greeting.  Unfortunately, he is probably already asleep, or not home from rehearsal yet.

Without a doubt, the smiley face in the blue spotlight was the BEST.

Jason:  I am very sorry about your continuing mouse problem.  I did not mean to make light of it before, but you do have a way with words.  I do hope that there is some way that you can move out of that place.  You deserve far better.

MBarnum:  Don't you just love Portland.  I lived there back in the '70s.  I still have wonderful memories of my time there.  Sadly, I don't go down there much any more.  All of my really close friends in Portland passed away from AIDS, including the friend who I always considered to be my brother.

Well, that was cheery.  Best go to bed.  Good night!

I think the line about Sondheim fans getting hearts broken at regular interval was from one of Frank Rich's first reviews in the Times, of Merrily We Roll Along.  I could be wrong, though

I am about to say something I never thought I would:  I just saw a movie with Jason Alexander and his tenderness in one of his scenes actually made me cry.  

After all these years, I finally caught up with Love! Valour! Compassion! tonight.  I found it a very touching and life- (and love-) affirming picture.  I thought Terrence McNally's screenplay was well written and each of the actors quite natural.

Well, the cat is bored with the ice cube. Probably because it has melted. He's now looking out the window, which is not entertaining me in the least, and I am forced to ponder the question, "What's the deal with Leonardo da Vinci?"

Still up and no homework in sight....which makes me want to do the Night Owl Dance....

[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]*dance, dance, yawn, procrastinate, dance, yawn, dance*[/move]



Glad you enjoyed, SWW!  When are you and Der Brucer going to see Forum?  I'm planning to see that as well as Camelot sometime this season.

Noel--Yes, I think it was Frank Rich...that sounds very right to me.  Thanks for reminding me!

And with this...I will make myself do my homework...really I will....

Maya - your dances crack me up!!!  I was quite adept at the Procrastinating Night Owl Dance myself when I was in college.

You know, I'm really getting tired of hearing about Leonardo da Vinci. I mean, he wasn't even a perfect Renaissance man, or anything.

On a more serious note, my thoughts and prayers are with the folks in southern California tonight.  Our minister needs to be in LA tomorrow, and I may end up driving her there in the morning, since the airports are closed.

IT WORKED!!!!  Thanks Mark!  Here's a picture of the other group, Kitka.  They were fabulous, also!