Topic: THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET (Read 33803 times)

bk · « **on:** August 28, 2005, 12:15:52 AM »

Well, you've read the notes, you've picked up the gauntlet and run the forty yard dash with it, and now it is time for you to post until the cows come home - they'll be picking up the gauntlet as soon as they figure out what it means.

bk · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:18:11 AM »

And the word of the day is: LIGATURE!

bk · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:18:41 AM »

And now - Dino at the piano.

Rodzinski · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:25:04 AM »

I am here at the change of notes!!! Yeah!

George · « **Reply #4 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:26:21 AM »

Well, it's about time.

George · « **Reply #5 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:26:57 AM »

Of course, I'm just sitting here like so much fish.

Rodzinski · « **Reply #6 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:31:02 AM »

BEDAZZLED, I loved when I was younger and first saw it. Then a little less with each viewing. Some great moments, but not cohesive and particularly fizzles towards the end.

But I do love the song "Love Me!!!" and the "Bedazzled" song Cook does, and I found those for download last week, so I'm set.

Rodzinski · « **Reply #7 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:32:34 AM »

Going to a minor league baseball game in Newark tomorrow. Not my idea, believe it or not, so can't do brunch unfortunately, Jose.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #8 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:34:47 AM »

Quote from: Rodzinski on August 28, 2005, 12:32:34 AM

Going to a minor league baseball game in Newark tomorrow. Not my idea, believe it or not, so can't do brunch unfortunately, Jose.

No prob. I just have me a craving for some Popover Care, Sarabeth's or Good Enough To Eat. We shall see...

Rodzinski · « **Reply #9 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:35:17 AM »

Well I've seen a few times on vinyl a Broaday cast recording of a show called TAKE ME ALONG, about which I know nothing, except it has songs by Robert Merrill and a cast of Jackie Gleason, Robert Morse and Walter Pidgeon, so maybe I would like to go back in time and see that. Anyone know anything about this show?

Otherwise, since I am on a Morse kick, I would like to see his best night in HOW TO SUCCEED.

George · « **Reply #10 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:38:10 AM »

Later today (Sunday), my niece and I are going to see "Red Eye." I don't really know anything about it except that it's a scary movie set on a plane. Ebert and Roeper gave it Two Thumbs Up®, but I didn't really pay attention to the overview of the story. I'll find out in the early afternoon.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #11 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:38:53 AM »

Topic of the Day:

The one show that comes to mind at this hour of Merrily We Roll Along. It's a show that's near and dear to my heart, even with it's faults and shortcomings. And I really would like to see a full scale production of the original book and songs - or maybe even an Encore's type remount. I want "The Hills of Tomorrow" at the "end" and end of the show again! -I wish I could have gone to that reunion concert a few years back!

bk · « **Reply #12 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:39:44 AM »

Take Me Along is based on O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness. It has a really wonderful score, and, until the last minute, Guy Haines was going to do Staying Young from it. I gather that because of Gleason's star power, the show became skewed to his character, which apparently was fatal for a musical based on a play that is not really about his character. But the songs are great. But the topic isn't just to see a show, it's to take the Time Machine back so you can be there for the entire creation of a musical from start to finish.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #13 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:40:05 AM »

DR Cillaliz - As for "The 40-Year Old Virgin"... Just make sure you stay for the "finale".

George · « **Reply #14 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:40:23 AM »

Well, I must go to bed. I also have to take my contact lenses out. I've been wearing them for quite a while, today and my eyes are tired...and a little dry.

So, goodnight, all!

Tomovoz · « **Reply #15 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:43:30 AM »

I've always preferred the "original" version of Merrily too Jose. I saw an excellent production of it. The rewrites don't work as well at all IMHO.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #16 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:46:02 AM »

I was in fact going to say "Merrily" for my choice. I'll go for "Pacific Overtures" instead. I found the "Someone In a Tree" segment on "Broadway - The American Musical" very interesting. I've only seen the show produced in a semi staged concert version and it was wonderful.

Rodzinski · « **Reply #17 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:47:21 AM »

Ah, yes, I read the TOD more closely now. I still would like to see the HOW TO SUCCEED creation. Imagine Loesser, Fosse, Morse in his prime...

For a negative vibe experience, it might by fun to see what really happened behind the scenes of the ill-fated Jerry Lewis HELLZAPOPPIN.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #18 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:47:23 AM »

And since I mentioned Merrily We Roll Along, I now shall proceed backward in time...

When I got out of the subway, I heard a bunch of police sirens, cars racing by, horns beeping... And once I walked the few steps to 145th and St. Nicholas Ave., I noticed a bit of a commotion across the street on the other corner. A few women were yelling at someone, some people were trying to hold other people back... Apparently, some sort of fight. Well...

By the times all the sirens had stopped, I had counted 15 squad cars on the scene, and numerous men and women in blue checking out the scene. An ambulance eventually came on the scene, but I did not see anyone get in or out of it once it was parked. Eventually, some of the policemen got back in their cars and drove off, and that helped to partially restore some of the traffic flow. I'm still not exactly sure what happened, but I was just glad that it appeared that no one really got hurt - even though a few people were cuffed and put into squad cars - and that it was not happening in front of my apartment just about a 100 feet away.

$:-\$

bk · « **Reply #19 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:55:42 AM »

Rodzinski has a point - it might be equally fascinating to sit in on the creation of a musical that had the highest hopes going in - great creators, cast, etc. and see what went wrong, how they tried to fix it, and finally why it still failed. Say La Strada, or Lolita, My Love, or Breakfast at Tiffany's.

bk · « **Reply #20 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:56:42 AM »

Oh, one lovely thing about Major Dundee was the appearance of the recently departed Mr. Brock Peters. Our screening was preceded with a little twenty-minute clips tribute to Mr. Peters.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #21 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:57:14 AM »

The subways were/are running weird tonight. I was waiting to take an A-Train at the Port Authority stop, when a D train pulled into the station. People were asking people who were on the train if it really was a D train or if it was an A train "in disguise". Well, since both the A and D go to 145th, I got on.

Once on board, the guy sitting next to me said that it was an A train, but that they had not changed the signage on the train. -Something to do with the fact that no C trains are running this weekend due to track work.

Well... We reach Columbus Circle, and we hear - very faintly - "Next stop, 125th Street". OH! It is a D train - Express too! Some people then ran for the closing doors to get off the train - otherwise, they would have had to deboard at 125th and wait for another train heading back downtown.

Well, I wasn't really complaining.

Once I got home, my roommate, Faith, had just gotten in too. She mentioned the whole subway mess tonight. Unfortunately, she was stuck on the other side, so to speak. She was waiting for the D train at Rockefeller Center. She and about 200 other people on the platform. After about 20 minutes, she said that a subway worker came by walking the tracks, "I don't what you guys are waiting for, there are no D trains running on these tracks tonight." A chorus of expletives from everyone on the platform as they headed back out to the exits... and towards Eighth Ave. to catch the D train over at 50th Street.

...And on her way out, Faith noticed the small, handwritten sign posted in the MTA Booth stating that the D Trains would be running on the A/C tracks in midtown tonight.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #22 on:** August 28, 2005, 12:58:03 AM »

Quote from: bk on August 28, 2005, 12:55:42 AM

Rodzinski has a point - it might be equally fascinating to sit in on the creation of a musical that had the highest hopes going in - great creators, cast, etc. and see what went wrong, how they tried to fix it, and finally why it still failed. Say La Strada, or Lolita, My Love, or Breakfast at Tiffany's.

...Well, Merrily was a flop too.

Rodzinski · « **Reply #23 on:** August 28, 2005, 01:02:39 AM »

I've said this many times, but the MERRILY at Kennedy Center a couple years back should have come to Broadway. To me that was the realization of that show's ever-lamented potential.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #24 on:** August 28, 2005, 01:04:51 AM »

I went ahead and braved the late night crowds in Times Square tonight. Lots o' tourists out and about, and all the street vendors were doing good business tonight. Instead of investing in a caricature of myself or having my name painted "decoratively", I headed to the Virgin MegaStore. -I missed you by a couple of hours, DR Rodzinski.

Man, were they having some pretty good sales! Lots and lots of $10 CD, DVDs and other items. And there were even some recently released items in the sale bins too. I had a bunch of things in my hand as I was walking through the store, but eventually settled on Peter Cincotti's debut CD, two 2-CD compilations (I'm a sucker for "easy listening pop hits", and The Carpenters' "Singles" CD. Each one was only $10. Not bad at all. Oh, and I went ahead and picked up the OCR to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels too since it was on sale. -I figured I might as well get to know the score now since I now the contractor for the pit.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #25 on:** August 28, 2005, 01:05:32 AM »

Oohhh... It's just you and me, DR Rodzinski.

Hmm....

Rodzinski · « **Reply #26 on:** August 28, 2005, 01:08:59 AM »

I could not find the Broadway section in the store! They've uprooted everything and moved stuff around. But yes, tons of $10 DVDs.

Okay, the HHW East has outlasted the West Coast it seems. And I must sleep.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #27 on:** August 28, 2005, 01:16:24 AM »

Before heading to Times Square, I spent a good hour just sort of wandering about the city. I started up around Lincoln Center, Tower Records to be exact. I finally picked up the OCR of The Light in the Piazza. While I was there, I did notice the After the Ball and "Haines His Way" CDs on display - and "Haines His Way" was also set up in one of the listening stations.

Then I wandered down to Therapy. Sort of. I walked down Ninth Avenue to 59th. I was hoping to use the bathrooms in the Time Warner Center, but even though the doors were still open, they had closed off access to the upper floors. So, I headed out the 60th street side and back over to Ninth. Once I got to 52nd, I took a right to get to the bar. Then I hit Tenth, hmm... Then I hit 11th... Then I walked around the block and started to backtrack. Where's Therapy? I remember passing the construction site, and seeing St. Vincent's... Luckily, I had picked up one of those freebie mags earlier at Tower, and I was able to look up one of the ads for Therapy. OH! It's between Eighth and Ninth! -I was thinking it was between Ninth and Tenth. Ah, well...

I eventually made my way there, walked in, proceed to use the bathroom, and then I walked right out. The music was just way too loud tonight. I could even tell the patrons were not dealing with it well - there weren't that many people hanging out on the ground floor. There were these empty spaces on the floor which seemed to coincide with the placement of the speakers. Ah, well...

But once outside, I did notice an acquaintance of mine having a pretty deep "conversation" with someone. Alas, that someone was not his boyfriend. Hmmm... I took that as the "hint" that I was meant not to be there tonight.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #28 on:** August 28, 2005, 01:20:02 AM »

Quote from: Rodzinski on August 28, 2005, 01:08:59 AM

I could not find the Broadway section in the store! They've uprooted everything and moved stuff around. But yes, tons of $10 DVDs.

Okay, the HHW East has outlasted the West Coast it seems. And I must sleep.

The Broadway section is currently on the Main Floor (street level) to the left as you enter the doors. Yes, very weird. They are currently remodeling the store, and the "new" Virgin Megastore is supposed to be unveiled sometime in mid-September. Luckily, I noticed one of the dry-erase boards indicating where everything currently was living, and "apologizing for the inconvenience".

However, it was nice being able to browse the Classical and Jazz sections in relative quiet. -That part of the store almost looked like it was closed since the lighting was so dim, but it was open.

bk · « **Reply #29 on:** August 28, 2005, 01:33:22 AM »

I believe the West Coast is still here. Glad to hear Tower has done as promised, and hopefully they're selling a few.

News:

Author Topic: THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET (Read 33803 times)