Some Enchanted Afternoon

I actually got to work the system and chaperone a field trip. (Which means I had to behave, make sure the same number of kids came home that left on the trip and make sure everyone got home in one piece. They're super kids, I had to do almost nothing in the way of yelling.) The trip was to go see "South Pacific" and lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was fun, the kids were great and I got to see a Broadway musical. I was actually impressed with the revival. The coolest part was that the orchestra was not only revealed during the overture and entr'acte, but that they were in concert black - tuxes and nice black - no tee shirts! And Kelli O'Hara was still there singing her heart out - I liked her version of Nellie. Not too corn pone, and not too dopey and love-struck. Plus, I mean, she was the original Clara Johnson, so I got a thrill out of seeing her perform live.

Here's me and Kerry (Curly Girl) in the lobby of the theatre at Lincoln Center (we could see Julliard from the windows which was also a thrill.) She's much too enamoured with her iPhone to pose.

And The Beauty Is

The Light in the Piazza. I am so so loving this show. It's my first 'real' run post-Lucas. I also really enjoy working at Smithtown again. It's the one theatre where I've done my longest run (8 weeks of Cats) and feel like a real professional. I like how professional everyone acts and just how well-run it is. (Or at least it seems to me) I also can't complain about the fact that I get paid regularly too.

But I just completely lose myself in the music when I play. I lose all self-consciousness and just for lack of a better word, feel the music. It's shows like this (and The Last 5 Years) that I enjoy playing so much.

Back in the Saddle Again

Played my first post-Lucas show last night. It felt great to get out, it felt great to go to the theatre and just play. I lost myself for a few hours and got my chops back in working order again. And it's funny, the show was "Annie." Annie was the first show I saw on Broadway. I must have been maybe 7 or 8 at the very most. My Uncle Frankie took me and I really remember almost everything about it:

When Uncle Frankie called to tell my mother he wanted to take me to see a show, he said, "Go tell your mother I'm taking you to see "Oh Calcutta!" - which he and my mother thought was funny and left me clueless. I remember being so awestruck at being in the city and feeling so grown-up. Uncle Frankie bought me a Shirley Temple at intermission at the glamorous, sparkling bar in the theatre. He bought me a souvenir program that I still have to this day.

And so began my life-long love affair with musicals.

So I was glad that my foray back into the "professional" world of cello-playing was an old favorite.

And He Wouldn't Want Us To Give it Away

...Not Sweeney. Not Sweeney Todd.

Okay. I confess. I'm a huge huge music geek. Tommy laughs at me often for what I come up with sometimes. My poor son will be subjected to car rides with mom blasting Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown and the like. I laugh heartily at the musical-related jokes on Will and Grace. I laugh even harder at the jokes on Frasier that are musically-related.

I've seen Sweeney Todd in many incantations:

1. My first experience with the show was seeing Hofstra University's Gray Wig theatre company do a production of it. My friends were all playing in the pit and I absolutely fell in love with the show and learned as much as I could about it.

2. The original Broadway production - not in person, but via video. The one most people think of when they think of Sweeney. Angela Landsbury really shatters the whole "Jessica Fletcher" persona there. (Yes, yes, I know she played Mrs. Lovett before the 'Murder She Wrote' lady.)

3. My next encounter with the demon barber was playing in the pit for Calhoun High School's production of the show. It was fun, and the music is great and the kids really did a bang-up job. It's an incredibly hard show to sing and coordinate, but they really pulled it together.

4. The in-concert version done by the San Francisco opera. It featured Patti LuPone, George Hearn and of all folks, Neil Patrick Harris (yup, Doogie himself). It was so well-done, creatively staged for an in-concert production and everyone seriously sang their asses off.

5. The brilliant revival that showcased the actors playing the instruments. Brilliant. Loved every minute of it. I sat there just saying, "That's Evita." "I'm actually watching Evita right in front of me." Patti LuPone and Michael Ceveris - Tony winners. I was glued. And like the good music geek I am, had my picture taken with Patti LuPone and got her autograph.

But the most recent is:

6. The unbelievable film version that Tim Burton brought to life. It was absolutely breathtaking from beginning to end. I loved every minute of it. And of course it was heightened by the fact that it was my first post-baby outing that didn't have an errand attached to it. It was just Diane, Mom and I having a girls' evening out. I even smuggled in Taco Bell to really live it up. The entire cast was perfectly...well...cast. The scenery was the uber-drab London done so dismal, but not to the point of being a cliche. The songs seemed like they belonged perfectly, not like "Hey, let's all break into song right now". I'd be super happy and have renewed admiration for the Oscars if this won Best Picture.

So go see it. Now. It's the kind of film that screams to be seen on a big screen with huge, surrounding sound that really gives you every note of the lush score.

Side note: As much as I like the fact that movie musicals are making a comeback (Chicago, Hairspray, etc.) I don't understand why there was a need to movie-cise the musical "Mamma Mia". This was one of the trailers before Sweeney. I mean, I love ABBA as much as the next gal, but really.....

Attend the Tale of Sweeny Todd

I've seen it in DVD form twice (the Angela Landsbury version and the San Francisco opera version in concert with Patti LuPone), I've seen it live twice (Hofstra's Gray Wig company and the recent revival with Patti LuPone) and I've played it once. I have NEVER been so excited about a movie coming out as I am about the Tim Burton version of Sweeny Todd. I'm actually giddy and waved my hands around when I saw the trailer the other night.

Johnny Depp as Sweeny, Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett and Alan Ruckman as Judge Turpin. What a cast. And from what I saw, I can honestly say that it looks like Tim Burton captured the whole mood so perfectly. Plus just the way he works with the whole "musical as a medium" thing is brilliant.

Color me excited.