Mind Our Properties, Mr. Rutledge!

live theatre, there's nothing like it
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Last week we'd seen 1776 six times. One of the fun side effects of doing that is you get to see different things every night, because no two shows are exactly alike. Actors adjust to each other and the audiences. And occasionally **** happens.

For instance, all week James Barbour, as Mr. Rutledge, the delegate from South Carolina, was giving an exhilarating performance of the song Molasses to Rum to Slaves. The song reminds the delegates from New England, that they haven't had pristine hands as regards the issue of slavery, given many Boston merchants provided the ships for the Triangle Trade.
Click here for a sample of the song from the original B'way cast recording.

Usually, the way it's performed, Rutledge has a cane that he cracks two times across a desk mid song during the following patter:

Rutledge: "Gentlemen, you mustn't think our northern brethren merely see our slaves as figures on a ledger, oh no sir, they see our slaves as figures on a block..."

[explosive cane whack]

"Notice their faces at the auction, gentlemen, white faces on African wharves, 'put them in the ships, cram them in the ships, STUFF them in the ships' - well hurry gentlemen, let the auction begin"

[cane thwack]-

Then the song continues with appropriate sound effects as the whip cracks.

Saturday evening the first time Rutledge smacked that cane he broke it right in half. Breath taking. Given the number of people on stage it was amazing he didn't manage to impale anyone. He calmly picked up the other half and for the second smack, cracked the two together.

Next night [God knows what they used to put it back together or if they gave him a new one] that first table "crack" had all the strength of a butterfly farting. My friend and I exchanged "notes" afterwards. Both of us had to stiffle a fit of the giggles. Most of the audience was none the wiser.

(Click here for photo credit and other photos.)
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Back to the Future!

Good news on the artsy- fartsy window front.
This past Sunday I attended Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Sacramento. Overall the church is very attractive. I did note a few windows "I could have done without" - the "modern" vineleaves-and-
cutesayings kind. Not abstract enough to make you vomit or anything, and "okay" in their place - like somewhere besides a church - but not something the average Catholic would really look at and say "that window is really inspirational" or "wow."

(artsy-fartsy window begging to be replaced)
A LOT of their windows were really wonderful though, like the ones on the lower eye level in the nave of the church, and the excellent ones behind the altar and in the transcept aisles. I grabbed a bulletin after Mass, and noted the following item:

"As promised when the Cathedral reopened in 2005, the Diocese of Sacramento has purchased a set of antique windows to replace the modern windows in the clerestory of the Cathedral. The first of those windows will be installed in the Cathedral next week, in time for the 150th anniversary of the Sisters of Mercy being celebrated on September 29.

In all, 10 antique windows have been purchased by the diocese—fabricated in the 19th century in the same style and brilliant colors as those in the east end of the Cathedral—portraying the joyful and glorious mysteries of the Rosary.

The diocese bought them from a church in Chilton, Wisconsin, that is being closed because the parish is amalgamating with a neighboring parish. The first window to be installed next week illustrates the first joyful mystery, the Annunciation, and is being sponsored by the Mercy Foundation to honor the 150 years of service by the Sisters of Mercy in the Diocese of Sacramento.

Sponsors are also being solicited for the remaining windows. A window can be sponsored for $150,000, and the sponsor’s name is enshrined at the bottom of the window, in the same style as those in the east end. The sponsors of the east end windows include such historic names as Margaret Crocker, Birdie Fair, and Tessie Fair."

(This video is a little less than a minute)

The sad note is, of course, that it looks like other church parishes were being consolidated in Wisconsin.
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Jesus said I could have TWO...

really
Some years back when my friend Chris-
tine and I started coming to Sacramento for shows, we had come across Leatherby's Ice Cream Parlour. Believe me, when it can get up to 100+ degrees the thought "Ice cream would really hit the spot now" tends to cross one's mind.

So...we looked in the phone book and "Voila." It's now a "tradition" to stop by - a lot of times more than once. The first time we were there we sat almost right under this crucifix...I hadn't noticed, and my back was actually to it. I had one ice cream, and was REALLY hungry for another one. So I was musing out loud, and Christine said "Go ahead, Jesus would want you to have another one!" I said "huh?" And she pointed above the office door. :-D

This sort of thing, i.e. a crucifix in a public place used to be not uncommon for small restaurants and other little businesses. It's nice to come across it when it still happens. Anyway, Leatherby's is THE place in Sacramento for ice-cream. I'm taking a guess here in thinking the owners are Catholic. Call it a hunch.




I HIGHLY recommend the caramel sundae. You can get it with one, two or three scoops. This one has two. They make their own ice cream, and their own caramel and hot fudge sauces. The caramel has a great taste and consistency. It's not unlike the butterscotch kisses from See's Candy, but gooier - as befits a sauce.






And here's a 20 second video clip of Leatherby's. It was packed. Oh. And Jesus informs me if it's Lent, just have a flavor or a topping you don't like. Offer it up.
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Klan Sheep?

meant to post this one the other day I've often thought that people who joined the Klan were sheep, but I never knew they also took sheep's outfits. These cuties had just been groomed for showing at the State Fair.

McNAIR!!!! Fetch me some Rum...

or socks... what-
ever. One thing about travel, is that no matter how much you pack, eventually you run out of clean shirts and need to do your laundry. Actors are also mortal, and do their own laundry. Theatre actors do anyway, because while I was doing my shirts, "McNair" was doing his stuff too. I was pretty sure I spotted him, but wasn't going to say anything...then he happened to put a dryer load in close to where I had set up with my computer. So I said "McNair?" then he turned around and I said "Mr. Bateman, I believe?" He was surprised I recognized him, as on stage all the actors have heavy wigs on and sometimes they can be hard to recognize when they are offstage.


Bill Bateman

We had a nice chat about the show. He's playing Andrew McNair, congressional custodian. McNair is the "gopher" for Congress and provides some great comic relief. He has one of the funniest lines in the musical. After Congress breaks up with a significant portion of "The War Committee" going up to New Brunswick to try and put a lid on the "whoring and the drinking" and "the naked bathing in the Raritan River" - the "Cool, Conservative" men are left to their Minuet, lead by Mr. Dickenson. They all leave, and McNair turns to the post-dispatcher and "Leather apron" and says "Sweet Jesus, how'd you like to try to borrow a dollar from one of them?!"

I hear from my friend Christine, that he played a great Sipos too at Papermill Playhouse in "She Loves Me."

You Should Be Here

...eventually! If you are from the Americas, you should aspire to have your likeness in the lower right hand corner. This is a photograph of a painting above a side altar in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in downtown Sacramento. "They" have reserved a spot for you. When I was in my teens I had happened across a little book called "You are called to Sainthood." [Or something like that!] This altar piece is an unintentional reminder that we should all have this aspiration, no matter what our everyday calling is.

Merlino's - so say all of us

..if a Merlino's freeze was good enough for Ronald Reagan, then it's good enough for us. We got ours at Mr. Pickles.

Since we became acquainted with shaved ice a la Merlino, no trip to Sacramento would be complete without a stop

Where the elite meet to eat!

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But it's a DRY heat...

101 in Sacra-
mento today. Naturally, we didn't just "kick it" but we did decide it was perfect weather to hit the fair. Where else are you going to see Clydesdales,

Watusi cows,

or see the perfect

go to hell shirt?

More pics later, but gotta run. It's "Showtime."

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.)

Murray Family Farms Fudge Rules!

Dis be da place if ya gotta sweet tooth, or if you like tradi-
tional fresh farm produce. Their homemade fudge rocks. Grab some, especially because the next 200 miles to travel will induce as trance like a state you'd ever be in without being on drugs. Made it up to Sacto in 9 hours even, which was pretty darn good considering I stopped 3 times. For ONCE LA traffic was a breeze, only 2 minor slow and goes for a few minutes. Unheard of. Apparently no-one stuck their head up their backside in consideration of my trip.

1st break in Lebec about 200 miles from my house, just after I got over the Tejon Pass north of LA. Denny's meal and gassed up in Lebec. Next HAD to stop at Murray Family Farms, in Mettler just 12 miles up the road. I stopped there last year, and knew the fudge was dynamite. Will pick up some produce on the way back.

(Orange and Vanilla Cream and Maple Chocolate - friend Christine is darned lucky I'm disciplined and didn't scarf all of it - as it was we ate a bit before I remember to take even this picture)

Once I got north of LA and over the mountains the next 200 miles gave no excitement except for a 10 second cheap thrill. It's only two lanes at that point each way on the Interstate 5 [the main drag between Hell-Lay and Sacto & San Fran .] About 100 yards ahead of me, a car swerved into the right lane and I instantly knew why. There was huge hunk of blown tire tread right in front of me, right in the middle of the lane. I had about 5 seconds to decide my option. Car behind me was a good 200-300 yards behind me...BUT there were TWO bigass(TM) trucks to my immediate right. Some space between them - but did I want to cut over there? Stop? OR do what I did which was drive half on the left shoulder and half in the lane without breaking stride.

My heart raced for about 5 seconds as I came around it and just prayed there was no loose debris on the shoulder. St. Anthony "found" me some good passing room. Naturally, I looked in the rear view mirror to check out traffic behind me....duh...did the guy behind me also change lanes once he saw what I did? Hell no...he was almost on top of it too, and dodged right last second. Did he think I was doing a stunt car move for his entertainment benefit? Whatever dude. Pay 'tention closer next time. I think "they" put blown out tires in that stretch of road just to keep you alert! (Truth be told, that area must be a "bitch" to police, because it is HARD to pinpoint to highway patrol just where that stuff is - it can be a good 20-30 miles on that stretch of road before you come to the "next exit.")

Took lots of "I am Camera" video clips with one arm straight and steady. Will try to put some up later this a.m. after I get some sleep. Made another stop at the cute town of Santa Nella, just about 120 miles south of Sacramento...and it was just about dark around 8 p.m. -- Coasted the rest of the way in to Sacto. Staying across from the old Governor's mansion the next block over from the theatre. Lincoln Steffens family also owned the house before it was a the governor's mansion. Ronald Reagan and Nancy were the last Ca. 1st family to live there. [It is a total fire trap!]

If you go to Sacramento, you'll find it's VERY annoying that in the center city section it's a real pain in the rear not be be able to readily find either a convenience store or a gas station. The politicos must have taken a lot of money from the restauranteurs not to have fast food outlets or 7/11s in that part of town. It's surreal. Managed to score my twelve pack of Cokes though - I'm not spending a buck plus a can for that stuff. It's like valet parking. I don't use it "on general principle" - unless under major duress. The patron in front of me was a real load-and-a-half - he managed to turn what should have been a 1 minute transaction into 5 minutes of street theatre. Thus making EVERYONE in line want to kill him. ("NO, you MORON, she doesn't have a pink cigarette lighter, take the damn red one and get out." - we all thought, but were too gutless to say.) When I am empress, I will make a rule that you get to kill ONE person every decade. NO questions asked. (JUST kidding "angels" and Father Blake.)

I'll see 1776 Thursday night and will be all fired up to answer that "bloodlust" thang we Americans are supposedly all het up about. [Hint: ponder the fact that most of us are descended from people who got the wrong end of the stick in some way in the "old country."]

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.