But Mr. Adams

leave me alone! Saw 1776 twice on Thurs-
day. It's quite a fine performance lead by the riveting James Brennan, wonderful as ever as the "obnoxious and disliked" John Adams. John Schuck is endearing as Ben Franklin. Matthew Ashford plays a full-blooded, in every sense of the word, Jefferson. John Scherer is a self-possessed and ever confident Richard Henry Lee, and Mark Zimmerman does a masterful turn as John Dickenson.

James Barbour renders Molasses to Rum to Slaves in as fine a fashion as you'd ever want to hear. Just wish his acting in the role had a more aristocratic bent to it than it has. Somehow he's managed to imbue the stately Mr. Rutledge with a cross between Wiley Coyote and a sleazy imitation of Clark Gable playing Rhett Butler. Oh well, his singing was superb.

Teri Bibb presents a most authentic Abigail Adams and comes across as a high spirited and supportive wife, and is a feisty complement to John's fiery temperment. Bets Malone is the best Martha Jefferson I've seen. Too often the role is played by someone who seems air-headed. This Martha was elegant, graceful and witty with just the right amount of flirtatiousness which made you understand Thomas Jefferson's slightly melancholic attitude. It's only after Adams sends for Martha that Jefferson can complete writing the Declaration of Independence.

The Sacramento audiences are some of the best audiences you'll find. It's fun to listen to the preshow and intermission chatter. Both men and women will say to one and other things like "Isn't that so and so we saw in...?" and they will be right! Music Circus has been around for over 50 years and the audiences really know their theatre. In contrast to some places, the men seem to enjoy it as much as their wives.

This show resonates because it depicts events that directly affect all Americans to this day. It manages to convey the seriousness of purpose which our founding fathers had, and yet maintains a sense of balance by its vivid characterizations. The score is excellent and the dialogue engagingly witty.

Dr. Benjamin Franklin: Please Mr. Dickinson, but must you start banging? How is a man to sleep?
[laughter from Congress]
John Dickinson: Forgive me, Dr. Franklin, but must YOU start speaking? How is a man to stay awake?
[More laughter]
John Dickinson: We'll promise to be quiet - I'm sure everyone prefers that you remained asleep.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin: If I'm to hear myself called an Englishman, sir, I assure you I prefer I'd remained asleep.
John Dickinson: What's so terrible about being called an Englishman? The English don't seem to mind.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin: Nor would I, were I given the full rights of an Englishman. But to call me one without those rights is like calling an ox a bull. He's thankful for the honor, but he'd much rather have restored what's rightfully his.
[laughter]
John Dickinson: When did you first notice they were missing, sir?
[laughter]

(Click here for more photos and photo credits.)

Psych, psych, baby...

yeah, that's it... just pretend you're going to Disney-
land up and back 2.5 times. Piece of cake. As soon as my wash dries I can hop in the car and take off to Sacramento. 505 miles. I left about 11:30 last year, and got there at 9:30 with two generous stops. I'm just hoping no maniac in Hell-Lay will be sitting on top of a bridge threatening to jump, tying up traffic. Do that on your own time buddy. Sunglasses? check Contact Lens cleaner and case? Check. Toothbrush & Paste? check. Clean undies? Check. Battery charger and extra batteries? Check. Electronic gear? check Snack table? Check. Plenty of shirts? Check.

All the way up I can think of how best to formulate the response to Fr. Ray Blake's question regards U.S. "bloodlust." How little he realizes that it's precisely the opposite that impels a fierce protection of the right to keep and bear arms. I know the answer. But how to explain to the european mindset? Perhaps they "don't get it" - because they are not descended from people who were impelled to leave.

I will be once again seeing James Brennan perform in 1776 in the role of John Adams. Musical theatre doesn't get any better.

Esther says I can be it

.
if I want to be it. Esther, the Oahu mom got a meme and she said if you haven't played you can, so I'll be it too. She says you have to give 8 facts/habits about yourself, and post the rules. Well, Esther posted the rules already, and she's just showing "oldest child" true colors by saying you gotta post the rules. I was an "only." I didn't have no stinkin' rules...but I wanna play anyway. Consider yourself "it" if you feel like it. Or don't if you don't need no stinkin' "only" telling you what reindeer games to play.

1. Fact: My FAVORITE drink of all time is an old-fashioned highball. Seagram's 7 with ginger ale. Grammy gave it to me and all my cousins when we were little on the occasions of Easter, New Years, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Because. She. Was. From. The. Old. Country. And. That's. How. You. Raised. Kids. To. Hold. Their. Liquor. So. They. Wouldn't. Feel. Like. Drinking. Like. An. Ass. On. The. Corner. With. Their. Buddies. Because. By. The. Time. We. Were. That. Old. It. Was. No. Big. Deal. Having. Been. Given. A. Half. Finger. of Whiskey. And. A. Lot. OF. Ginger. Ale. At. Age. 4.

2. Habit: If I'm in the office of some really anal retentive person and they leave the room for a minute, I will slightly skew something on their desk. You know the type. The pencil HAS to be to the right of the paper clip jar. The name plate HAS to be centered just so. These are the same people it's fun to goof on by putting your water glass down just SLIGHTLY into their "mental half" of the small table you are sharing for lunch. They will feel uncomfortable. They won't know WHY, generally. Not if you do it with stealth. If I haven't done that to you, it's a compliment. In other words I don't consider you to be anal retentive.

3. Fact: I've studied French, Latin, Italian, German, and Russian. I can't speak any of them especially well ... but annoyingly French is my "best" foreign language. I have come to the conclusion that I hate the sound of French. Just. Because. Too "poncie" sounding to my yankeedoodledandy/germanic/anglo-saxon/ eastern-euro ears. Italian doesn't irk me in the same way. Maybe it's just because they are so fun loving and forgiving to anyone who attempts to speak their language. I REFUSE to have any truck with formally studying Spanish, It's more fun, having had enough Latin, French and Italian to GUESS at what they are saying, than to know for sure. The only two words that they have that I really like is "querencia" (the place in a bullring where the bull feels most comfortable--thank you for that one, Bill Buckley) and "cachingadera." If you don't know, don't ask, because I'll just lie. Oh, and through dad's Pennsylvania Dutch roots, I also know a few phrases/words from that tongue. "Kannst du nicka fauna inna zumma?" "Can you catch flies in the summer?" [classic thing you teach little kids to say] "Spritz" "Rutch" "heevahova" and "middoch" are a few others. The eastern european side contributed "gotchies" [underpants] "edaydu dupa" [said to small children in a kind way, but the literal meaning is more like "take your hiney out of this kitchen I am trying to get dinner on the table and I am tripping over you more than the puppy." ] I know a few nice things too, like "Christos Voskrese, Voistinu Voskrese" at Easter.

4. Habit/Fact - I'm ambidexterous to a point. Until I was about 13 I alternated throwing a baseball either left or right handed as the mood suited me. I finally settled on throwing left handed, because I liked playing 1st base. I bowl right handed, just because I was taught that way. I write right handed, and not because "sister made me." The woman DISTINCTLY said "if you feel comfortable with the pencil in your right hand use it, if you feel comfortable using your left hand, do that." And in the days before "professional educators" said 6 was too young for cursive writing, sister taught us cursive writing. I can't print for squat, and don't want to either. I can ONLY open combination locks left handed - ditto I have a preference for using the left hand to take off the gas cap. When I was MUCH younger and still played racketball, I used to regularly piss off my opponents by switching hands when I got tired of playing with one hand or the other. "Ha-ha...you thought you hit a difficult shot to my backhand? Not so, sparky!"

5. Fact: Had season tickets to the Padre baseball games from 1972 through 2000. Came up with 5 baseballs. All on the bounce. Would have had 6 but some summbitch leaned over just as I was about to catch one in the glove and snared it from the section behind me. I wasn't too mad though. I mean, it wasn't like I didn't already have 5. Mom came up with two. Dad was oh-fer. Mom and dad each got buried with a baseball. If some relative remembers to put one in my casket, or doesn't steal all of the remaining ones, I will have one too. I have an autographed Tony Gwynn baseball bat too.

6. Habit: I always shower and lather "the Gilbreth Way." If you don't know what I'm talking about, read "Cheaper by the Dozen." Once tried, never forgotten.

7. Fact: I've visited 33 states of the 50. Someday I want to say I've been to them all....except I'm thinking that maybe I should leave one out. Because. Maybe I'll leave out Arkansas, because Bill Clinton is from there and I can't stand Bill Clinton.

8. Habit: when I have to get ready for a trip I leave off getting ready until the last possible moment. Like Now. Because I'm taking a road warrior trip up to Sacramento this Wednesday to see Jimmy Brennan play John Adams in 1776. We'll probably hit the state fair too. The cow pic was chosen just for my friend Christine's benefit, in case she logs on to her computer before she leaves Michigan for the airport. [Take your cell Chris, I'll get there, God willing, sometime Wednesday afternoon, if I get up before the crack of crack, or Wed. evening if I don't. I don't think I would dare second act it though, if I get there at 9:30. ] I hope my friend Christine brings extra T-shirts, because I may need to borrow one. Fat chance. I see a trip to the laundromat up there. I wonder if that same panhandler will hold the door open for us!


9. Fact: I like stream of conscious writing. You probably guessed. This fact is here because Esther said "8" and I wanted "9." Because odds are cooler than evens.


10: Habit: Instead of counting sheep, I often run through the list of presidents or British monarchs. I tend to do the British monarchs backwards and the presidents forwards. But I can do either either way.

11: Fact: I am DONE. [I SAID odds were cooler!]

Damn Yankees - son of Redux

I would be remiss if I did not remark on the wonderful costumes George Mitchell designed for Music Theatre of Wichita's production of Damn Yankees. For anyone not in the know, theatre costumes are "built." If you've ever been in a costume shop, you'd know why. Believe me the buttons and zippers et al are constructed in such a way that you know "they ain't comin' off easily." Costumes, particularly for the principals, are made to measure for that specific actor. [Oftentimes, depending on budget, costumes are hand tailored for the rest of the cast too.] Many hours can go in to building a single costume.

Also a delight to the eye was the choreography by John MacInnis. It's very hard to have a large cast with short rehearsal time learn sometimes complicated choreography in 10 days "ready for stage." But it's amazing how quickly this can come together. Dance numbers often times are not completely jelled by the first performance, but you can see it getting better with each performance. It's almost criminal the runs are so short.

Here are some links to give you the idea. [I've done links to be safe on copywrited material - and I know linking to the MTW website will be "safe."]

Shoeless Joe From Hannibal Mo number
That's Karen Robu, who played Gloria. Her real life husband played Van Buren, the manager. The guys are in the uniforms of the Washington Senators. [A notoriously bad team in the 50s, when this musical is set.]

These next two comic characters have great costumes throughout - NO part is a "small part" and these two played it to the hilt. I particularly love the watermelon pattern of the dress on the left. So help me, I want cushions made out of that material. Fans: Doris (Patty Reeder) and Sister (Betty O.)



There's nothing like a good go to hell plaid with orange/red shirt. And yes, the devil is rather handy with fire.


It is not easy designing costumes for Lola. The character should be playful, and sexy in a way that is non-threatening - she has a lot of silly things to do and say -- but yet she can not be percieved as foolish. Bad costumes (as I have seen in the past for this character) can make the performer seem silly and ineffective -- or if not that, the performer has to work uphill to overcome it. George Mitchell outdid himself designing Lola's costumes. JoAnn M Hunter played Lola, and a finer performance of the part I could not imagine. She was just perfect in every conceivable way. Notice the detail of the feathers on the hat reminiscent of devil's horns. The hot pink to remind you of where she comes from, and also the fripperies of the gathering and flounces that fall from the tight waisted jacket. Lola is Applegate's "associate" - she's sold her soul because she was tired of being "the ugliest woman in Providence, Rhode Island." JoAnn is a choreographer herself, and was the assistant choreographer for CURTAINS.


This next link has Joe Hardy (Chris Peluso), Sister (Betty O.), Meg Boyd (Alma Cuervo), and Doris (Patty Reeder.) Joe is homesick for his wife, and pretends to be a fellow in need of a room to rent. I like this grouping, because it illustrates the attention to period detail - as modified for stage.
Joe has on a shirt with a plaid front facing with zipper down the the top, and chinos - a look that was not uncommon for young men in the 1950s. Sister has on a white shirt and purple skirt. Now the shapes and patterns and colors are what they would have been in the 50s -- but Sister's skirt is made out of a heavy purple quilting -- something she wouldn't have worn on the "street" in "real life." But the material works particularly well on stage giving the full skirt body and pizazz. Great read. Meg's reddish pink is a great example of what a working class to middle class woman would have worn in the 50s. The big buttons and pockets are all in the right places, and the pockets and flaps spot on. Her hair is set "just so." My friend, Christine, remarked after the show how like her own mother Meg reminder her. And I must say, upon reflection, she certainly reminds me of photos of my mother and my aunts taken during the 50s. Doris's floral print was very popular, as were the white yokes Doris and Sister have on.
Sister and Doris are gushing over Joe, whom they have recognized as the "greatest ballplayer ever."


In this photo, we can see Meg's dress a little better, as well as Joe's shirt. And of course Applegate (James Brennan) has many guises, and as it happens, accents.


Now, we come to Lola's seduction scene. The trickiest costume of all. This is essentially a comic strip number. Lola must look playful and vampish, but never make you dislike her. You are to feel Joe's discomfort (he is faithful to his wife, after all, and misses her.) But you as an audience number must NOT feel the least bit uncomfortable. A tough task for a costume designer. And as the costume designer you have to support the show and resist the temptation to go "too far." People have brought their children, mind! The costume has a jacket (missing at this point) - the full dress look, the dress part below the waist gone, the gloves get stripped off one by one and finally the drawers are gone too - leaving her in stockings and "bathing suit." But quite a fancy one. I love the tassles on the undergarments. Great detail. Those extra few bucks spend in the notions department were much appreciated to people who notice things like that.
Also, notice in this last photo, that she does have flesh colored shoulder straps. The audience doesn't pick them up from afar -- but here's where "designing something for the stage" comes in. Those elastic bands are going to keep all of Lola's assets in a "safe place." In other words, no "costume malfunction" a la Janet Jackson. -- And relax, PG Audience, Joe resists. Much to Applegate's disgust - who apes Lola's performance after Joe leaves. Nice touch on the red socks!


The mambo number to end the first act was quite fun. We couldn't decide which male dancer was the better of the two -- well, we eventually gave it to one of the guys on the basis of more precise Fosselike handflicks -- but just by a hair. It was like trying to decide which of the Tarleton twins you thought was more handsome.


The "hell scene" costumes in the middle of act 2 were quite fun. I love Lola's Purple/black ensemble, as well as Applegate's velvet dressing gown with the gold "A" -- which he was able to later effectively whip off cape like for his big "Good Old Days" solo. Notice Lola was always in a complementary palette of red/pink/purple -- for instance, she's not going to suddenly show up in chartreuse, or brown.


One can never have too many "go to hell" jackets, either. Some people find it shocking.


More 1950s costumes from the commissioner's hearing scene. I love the detail of the pointed white cuffs on the ladies short sleeve dresses.


The "Two Lost Souls" number was a joy to watch. It's a classic "beatnik" style -- very much in the period. This is an example where the costumer helps the audience and gives them a laugh. At the start of the number, everyone is paired up boy/girl in complementary costumes/colors -- however, there are two nerd kids who are not paired up -- all lost in the mix of the "kewl couples." You just know by THEIR costumes, they are going to end up together. And of course, they are brought together center stage. Love their striped shirts, plaid pants and yellow sneakers. Perfect. Nerds wouldn't even wear something this nerdy in real life (at least not all of these pieces at once) -- but it works great on stage. Nerds are at the far left of this photo.


Here's Lola's hot red number -- Applegate is disgusted by her admission that she's in love with Joe. Applegate gets even (temporarily) by turning her back into the "ugliest woman in Providence, Rhode Island." Yes, that's
"Lola" -- now with a hunchback, fright wig, big nose, and washed out pink. See what happens when you prevent Applegate from affecting the outcome of the game by giving him 4 sleeping pills? I also like the pedal pushers on the girl to our right of Applegate. Very 50s. It doesn't happen by accident!


All's well in the end though, Joe (Charles Parker) goes back to his Meg, despite a final appeal by Applegate and Lola.


I suppose there's always a "next victim" to be contemplated. So many people wouldn't go to the devil if he wasn't so darned attractive to begin with!

Damn Yankees - redux

Sometimes there are exchanges in a musical which just tickle you

Here is a favorite of mine from Damn Yankees: A handshake agreement has been made between Applegate (aka Beelzebub) and Joe that Joe will be able to become the world's best baseball player, so that the Yankees may be beaten in the American Leagure race by the Washington Senators. (Washington: [was always] First in War, First in the Hearts of His Ccountrymen, and Last in the American League.] Joe wants a "Get out clause" and he has the devil's word that he doesn't have to sell his soul if he backs out by Midnight of Sept. 24th.

See here for handshake

Applegate: It's a deal.

Joe: That's all?

Applegate: Sure. What did you expect? Sign your name in blood or some phoney stunt like that?

[Unbeknownst to Joe, the season doesn't end until Sept. 25th that year!]

More about Damn Yankees...

Wichita has a lot of statuary, and this Jester, outside of the Century II complex, is one of them. The shows were great, and we had a chance to chat with Wayne Bryan between the matinee and evening performances on Saturday. We got a chance to say hello to both James Brennan (whom we had come to see), who played Applegate, and we met Chris Peluso, who played Joe Hardy. Wayne was a real sweetheart and gave us the grand tour of the backstage area, and all the scene, costume and other workshops. Wayne will be directing HAIRSPRAY next, and it was a real treat to see the build for that still in full bore build mode. The costume shop outdid themselves for this production of Damn Yankees.

Music Theatre of Wichita Rules!!!

It's a hit, a palpable hit...

This long weekend my friend Christine (who lives in Michigan) and I are on a sojourn to Wichita to rack up another notch on our theatre going belts. This particular objective was to see James Brennan star as Applegate in Damn Yankees in Wichita, Kansas. James Brennan is our most favorite actor on planet earth, and we'd get tickets to see him to read the Nome, Alaska phone book. In Nome.

The Hyatt where we are staying is treating us as if we own the place -- they ended up throwing us free high speed internet for our entire stay, along with a bottle of California Zinfandel and the staff is all so friendly. Neither of us has ever remembered having such comfortable beds! Believe me, if it wasn't a sin to "midnight requisition one" - we'd pack them in our suitcases would that we could. Exceptionally well priced too.

We can't believe it has been NINE YEARS since we were last here, having come in 96, 97, and 98...when Brennan was Henry Higgins here, and Fagin in Oliver, and later directed Where's Charley? It's too bad only people who follow stage know of him. He's been in 9 Broadway shows, and plays in excellent region theatre productions from coast to coast. He's even done a few turns in Canada, and one in Portugal, of all places. He's a terrific director too. Anyway, we'll see the show again twice on Sat. and twice on Sunday.

Music Theatre of Wichita is blessed to have Wayne Bryan as its producing director now for the last 20 years. This man is an absolute joy to be around and a credit to the community. He's outstanding at nurturing young artistic talent, and Wichita is highly regarded as a venue for both established players and new fresh faces hoping to go on to big careers. Wayne has been friends with Jimmy Brennan and his wife since all three met in Good News - they had their Broadway debut together back in the 1970s. Wayne still does turns here and there, starring at MTW as Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl a few years back.

We did hit the Wichita Art Museum today, they had a nice display of Eudora Welty photos, and some treats which were on loan from the Pennsylvania Impressionists.

Show me a home where the buffalo roam,
and I'll show you a house full of dirt.

Later this morning we will try to hit the Transportation museum (Wichita is and was a major USA train hub - so we think they'll have some neat displays.)

The people here are very accomodating and friendly. Now if they could just DO SOMETHING about the humidity! ;-D

Airlines are Nuts ... Or whatever....

I'd fly this sucker, if the price was right.

I do wish the airlines would come up with some reasonable way of pricing flights. Something that bears a semblance to NOT haggling in Tijuana over the price of a picture of Elvis and Jesus playing poker with dogs rendered on black velvet. This afternoon [July 12] I finally got off my butt to try and book a round trip flight from San Diego to Wichita Kansas and back. I finally found a flight out of Hell-A for a "reasonable" $304 bucks..

Out of San Diego, that would have cost me around $550. WTH? Airline prices have NEVER made sense. I think that the guys that make this stuff up get a case of tequilla and strip nekkid and play bocce ball, Then they throw a set of three darts: 1st dart is the one to determine place of departure. 2nd Dart - Destination 3rd dart - Price. Then the fun begins -- go the night before 180 buckeroos less.... leave the next morning 200 bucks more. If the moon is in the 7th house. -- Flight costs $40 bucks--- but you have to sit next to two caterwauling children and sing "Take me out to the ballgame" ELSE pay $800 -- no refunds. If there's a pink 1962 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors on Main Street at precisely 4:07 a.m. Pacific Daylight time...ALL bets are off. Break a bottle of tequilla and count the number of broken shards. That's how much the flight costs.

Whatever. James Brennan's playing Applegate in Damn Yankees at the end of the month in Wichita....and that's all that really counts.

(Originally posted on my Telegraph on July 12, 2007)