Haines His Way

Charles Pogue, I'm pleased to know you are both fine.

Now that you mention it, I would enjoy watching DEAR RUTH again.  

LOL DRJOSE - Her brother is in STATE FAIR with me in a barn in the middle of a field in Putnam County, Indiana!   It is a small world!

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all

...Oh, we did that whole thing a few days ago... sorry.  

The statement,
I didn't like the show the first time I saw it, but after subsequent viewings, it grew on me
always bothers me.

It's very expensive to go to the theatre.  And the successful show (or theatre artist) must entertain the first time out.  Normally, writers don't get a second chance to convince an audience their work is worthwhile.

That's not to say I'm not pleased to find that some of you have found enjoyment in a show that you didn't like the first time around.  I applaud you for your faith and perseverance.

Seems to me that human beings run a wide gamut of mental health.  Some of us need to see shrinks regularly, and that's fine.  Some of us are crazy enough to fire guns at presidents, and that's just not acceptable behavior.  When I first saw Assassins, years ago, I was interested in what Weidman and Sondheim had to say about the collection of crazies they portrayed.  The women who shot at Ford have a dialogue that's kind of a collegiate comedy sketch.  Oswald, they suggest, was inspired by the assassins of the past (and future).  I learned nothing new about Hinckly.  Nothing I didn't already know about Czolgosz.  Learned some stuff about the ones I haven't mentioned.  I don't think there's any connection between me and any assassin.  Sure, I have passionate political beliefs, but many of these people didn't.  I would never fire a gun, own a gun, or touch a gun.  So, nothing in Assassins indicts me, or makes me feel I've anything in common with the criminally insane.

To tell the truth, I'm at a loss to figure out what Sondheim and Weidman are saying about the American assassins, but I haven't seen this Broadway version yet.

So happy you are enjoying it DRPANNI!  LOL....it was made by human hands for human hearts and ears!

Hey, nice going BK.

I am hungry.

My brother is being annoying.

The statement,
I didn't like the show the first time I saw it, but after subsequent viewings, it grew on me
always bothers me.

It's very expensive to go to the theatre.  And the successful show (or theatre artist) must entertain the first time out.  Normally, writers don't get a second chance to convince an audience their work is worthwhile.

That's not to say I'm not pleased to find that some of you have found enjoyment in a show that you didn't like the first time around.  I applaud you for your faith and perseverance.

Seems to me that human beings run a wide gamut of mental health.  Some of us need to see shrinks regularly, and that's fine.  Some of us are crazy enough to fire guns at presidents, and that's just not acceptable behavior.  When I first saw Assassins, years ago, I was interested in what Weidman and Sondheim had to say about the collection of crazies they portrayed.  The women who shot at Ford have a dialogue that's kind of a collegiate comedy sketch.  Oswald, they suggest, was inspired by the assassins of the past (and future).  I learned nothing new about Hinckly.  Nothing I didn't already know about Czolgosz.  Learned some stuff about the ones I haven't mentioned.  I don't think there's any connection between me and any assassin.  Sure, I have passionate political beliefs, but many of these people didn't.  I would never fire a gun, own a gun, or touch a gun.  So, nothing in Assassins indicts me, or makes me feel I've anything in common with the criminally insane.

To tell the truth, I'm at a loss to figure out what Sondheim and Weidman are saying about the American assassins, but I haven't seen this Broadway version yet.

I guess - well, not guess - what I am trying to say about Assassins is that the "success" of the evening depends upon how the director wishes to portray the people, the assassins, in the show.  -Regardless of whatever Mssrs. Sondheim and Weidman had in mind; regardless of whatever point they were trying to make when they were writing it.

I've seen Assassins a few times, and I've MDed the show too.  For myself, the show only really worked when the director and actors found a way to make the assassins sympathetic.  Or at least get the audience to ask, "What exactly was the one straw that broke the camel's back?  What pushed them over the edge?"  -And then to backtrack to the fact that these assassins, these people were "normal" at one time.  Just like we are "normal".

-And at times, this approach may seem to work against Weidman's text.

And I would also say that if a piece of theatre, movie, book, teleplay was not "totally entertaining" the first time I saw it, but it made me want to try to figure it out, to want to see it again if possible, then I would think some sort of "mission" has been accomplished.  And I would also venture that some of the most acclaimed pieces of Art throughout history were not fully understood nor fully entertaining upon first experience.

-Sorry for starting all those sentences with "and"...

I am at work right now and I've been here since noon.  Anyway, I logged into my computer and went to the Comcast.net homepage and they had an article saying that former President Reagan's family had been called home because he's taken a turn for the worse and could die within the next weeks or months...they didn't know.  I just went back to Comcast.net and it's just been announced that he's died.  "In Paris, White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said President Bush was notified of Reagan's death in Paris at about 4:10 p.m., EDT, by White House chief of staff Andy Card."  That would make the announcement at 1:10 PDT.  Here's a link to the Associated press story (which is where Comcast got its story).

Still listening, JR. Listened in the car, now have it on at home. Wonderful! I'm going to pause now. Have to do more writing - and this is definitely not background music.
I guess when they ask me in years to come "What were you doing when you heard Ronald Reagan had died?" I can answer, "'Listening to 'Salt Peanuts.'..."

Okay, which of our East Coasters can take up the slack re the book signing.  Elmore has tried with Applause, to no avail, so why doesn't someone try The Drama Book Shop.

Noel posted:

The statement,
I didn't like the show the first time I saw it, but after subsequent viewings, it grew on me
always bothers me.

It's very expensive to go to the theatre.  And the successful show (or theatre artist) must entertain the first time out.  Normally, writers don't get a second chance to convince an audience their work is worthwhile.

Jose replied:

And I would also say that if a piece of theatre, movie, book, teleplay was not "totally entertaining" the first time I saw it, but it made me want to try to figure it out, to want to see it again if possible, then I would think some sort of "mission" has been accomplished.  And I would also venture that some of the most acclaimed pieces of Art throughout history were not fully understood nor fully entertaining upon first experience.

Which dialogue highlights a unique artistic dilemma for theatrical works – they usually get only one bite of the apple.
We think nothing of “warming up” to an orchestral piece, a painting, a sculpture, or a collection of poems. Indeed, most of us relate fondly how the work “grew on us”, how we delighted in discovering new nuances not at first apparent. Some might suggest that a hallmark of great art is that it presents itself in many layers of craftsmanship – the first piques our curiosity, the next engages us, and, like Eliot’s (or, if you insist, Dante’s) multifoliate rose, following layers unfold revealing new delights. How many given a second chance to see Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon”, or to hear again Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, or visit anew with the Pieta, would reply, “No Thanks. Been, there, done that.”

Because theatre at it’s heart demands our “presence” (and as Noel so rightfully observes, charges us dearly for the pleasure) it suffers from a “sink or swim” exposure syndrome not afflicted on the other arts.

der Brucer (waiting 47 years to use "multifoliate" in a sentence)

Not a happy news day for Philadelphia Republicans.

DRJAY do you recommend a particular recording of DIE KLUGE. I would like to hear it.

See post above.  Last night was the first time I ever heard a note of the piece.

LOL DR JOSE.

Interesting articles DTM.  I don't mind Reidel - he is what he is.  And some of the things he writes are funny....truth usually is.

Yeah, Reidel can be funny.  But there's always a mean ugly streak behind it.  The little boy who got beat up regularly still has some issues that he needs to deal with.

Evening all!  Sorry I didn’t make it back to post last night.  I got tied up on the phone when I called a friend about the waterspout.  I had to tell about my trips and by the time I got off the phone it was past ten!

Beets!  I’m not 100% crazy on them but have ate them since I was a kid.  My Mother always makes them with the juice in the can, a little water, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar.  She also cuts an onion and puts that in with it.  Sometimes she puts hard boiled eggs in with it as well.  It turns them pinkish/red.  

She does the same with green beans.  

I’ve made both of them and taken them to work for different dinners we’ve had and people seem to have liked them.  I’ve been asked for the recipe many times.

I have to say that I like the green beans more than I like the beets.  

Oy, Jason!  I don’t know what to say about what you saw!  Gross.  I’m glad you didn’t have your camera either!  LOL!

Tomovoz, I have the DVD of the Mr. Crawford version of  “Barnum”.  I hope you enjoy your copy as much as I have mine.  I love the “bloopers” that were left in.  

Elmore, I hope you finish what your working on and have a good time where your going.  We’ll miss you on the board!

Is JAG on DVD?  I’ll have to get those if it is.  I love that show.  It’s one of the few that I take the time to sit and watch.

While I was out and about today I bought the book, “Wicked”.  I’m looking forward to reading it but I have to read “Dune-The Machine Crusade” first.  

Someday, when I get the bigger house, I will have a room like yours Bruce and I will have all hardback copies of the entire Dune series.  I know I missed the “Ask BK a question day”  but I’m going to ask anyway.  Have you ever read “Dune”?  Has anyone else here read it?  What did you think?