Let There Be Art! And Let It Be On Stage!

“Whatever the worries of the hour or the threats of the future, once the picture has begun to flow along, there is no room for them in the mental screen.” 

                                              ~  Winston Churchill 

Winston Churchill, an avid painter himself, wrote this quote to express his feelings about painting. But I see it as broader than that. These words could easily apply to any creative venture that we could describe as "art." And, for me at least, that includes theatre.

 

We had a wonderful experience last weekend. Rick and I headed to Stratford, Ontario, to see our friends, Suzanne and Jim in London and together go to the Stratford Festival. We went to see see two musicals, playing back to back with only a short dinner break in-between and featuring the same casts.  

Tomorrow's Theatre Designers

I had the most delightful experience recently, which I mentioned in an earlier post. I was invited to a master's class in theatre design at Michigan State University to share some of "my story" and my commitment to the arts. The assignment for the students was to listen carefully under the hypothetical idea that I was a wealthy major donor funding a re-do of a grim auditorium lobby. Their assignment was to design the lobby and a gown for the grand opening, that reflected what I shared in class.

Among the thoughts I included in that talk were little obscure facts about me -- love for history and art as well as theatre, a passion for bright colors, bad feet (no heels, please!), the integration of community and university and some of my favorite things.

When You are the Outlier

Recently I read an article in the New York Times titled "Free Yourself from the Wisdom of the Crowd." The article talks about five star ratings and how we rely on strangers when we are making purchasing decisions, generally through online ratings. Given that only a small percentage of people write reviews, this can be risky business.

Author Joann Chen quotes Matthew Salganik, author of "Bit by Bit: Social Research in a Digital Age" who says: "Knowing more about what other people are doing and thinking can help us all find the best things faster but it can also lead to stronger fads where people are following people who are following people who are following people."

Although the subject matter, consumer online shopping, is different in many ways, the article resonated with me on a topic completely different -- the musical "Hamilton."

I should give you a little background here, so you know where I'm coming from. I go to the theatre  lot. I was a theatre major in college. I've seen numerous professional companies, including shows on Broadway, London's West End and countless professional touring companies. I go less now than I used to -- it's way too expensive.

But when "Hamilton" came to town (ticket prices starting at $125 and up) I knew I had to see it.

Because everyone was seeing (or had seen) it. Some of my very good theatre loving friends had seen it many times, often traveling to distant cities to see it. (Think about it -- the theatre ticket, travel, accommodations, just to see a show. I say this, but I timed our visit to London to see "Company," so as far as travel for theatre goes, that one is up there!) And more to the point, just about everyone loved this show. Loved it over and over. Everyone from professional theatre critics to longtime theatre-going friends to enthusiastic amateurs who seldom attend the theatre.

I wanted to love it like everyone else. I wanted to say it was the best thing I'd ever seen. I wanted to be able to say to everyone I knew, "You've got to see it, you just have to!"

I was falling into the category of the person who reads the five-star online review. Just assuming it would be the best because everyone says it is. Maybe you've seen it and agree. From the bottom of your heart you agree it would be worth every penny of $172 for a seat. (Good seats, I might add). And I don't want to detract from any enjoyment of the show for anyone. I'm glad you enjoyed it because I know you probably paid a lot for the tickets! I feel for anyone who also was taking their kids and spending in the $500 zone for a family to see it, because you could do a lot with those dollars. And I admire you, too, for taking your kids to live theatre! It's the only way it will survive -- building an audience while they are young who appreciate the excitement of real drama happening in front of their very eyes.

But I am one of the outliers.

I am not quite a "Hamilton hater" (this is a wonderful article in the Chicago Tribune on this topic). But I didn't love it. And I've been agonizing on why, having discussions with some who are like-minded and others who are big fans.

I really did love the set. (My friend Jan took this one!)

And I admire the work tremendously. I think the writing and concept is truly genius. A (mostly) rap musical about a historical figure most don't know except for his photo on a ten dollar bill and the history surrounding Alexander Hamilton seems, well, dull. And yet, Hamilton's life and the events in the musical are anything but. The show has the power to reach a group of people for whom going to the theatre is a rare, elitist thing. And, it has the power to bring music that the theatre-going norm (and I'm talking about the audience we saw, which was largely 50-plus white people) to a new audience. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creative genius behind the show, deserves the kudos he gets.

(Rick said it reminded him of a Harlem Globetrotters game where the people doing the work were almost entirely minorities and the people watching were white.) 

But the show I saw wasn't the CD I listened to before attending. (And if you are thinking of doing so, you'd better listen to it a lot and commit the words to memory.) The CD was crisp, clear. The music well mixed. The orchestra didn't overpower the vocals, especially the raps. It's not my genre and yet I found myself liking the CD very much.

The show (which is almost exactly the CD and all sung) is at the mercy of its performers and orchestra. As I struggled to hear over the orchestra, I wasn't able to sit back and let it really move me. I was working too hard. There were serious diction issues with some of the performers even when you could hear them (not everyone felt that but I wonder -- were they the people who had committed the show to memory? I would bet yes.) There was so much going on onstage that I felt overwhelmed and couldn't focus. Too many dancers, too many words, too much, too much.

And yes, there were a few real standout performers. I will give them their due for they saved it for me. Unfortunately, Hamilton wasn't one of them. There are other things that bothered me that I wouldn't hesitate to mention except it's probably not relevant to you so I'll skip it. But that wasn't my only criticism.

But as I said, I was the outlier. The audience leapt to their feet at the end (apart from Jan and me, and eventually I did because when you have people standing in front of you, you can't see what's going on.) It certainly was a hard-working cast and they deserved applause. And it's pretty obvious to me our group were the outliers of the audience. You can recognize this in yourself when you keep wondering "how much longer can this go on" when everyone else is going "oh, I hope it never ends."

As we were walking out, I said, "I am so tired." And Mark said, "You haven't been dancing for three hours." To which I replied, "No, I've just been assaulted for three hours." And surprisingly, a woman walking out overhead me and said, "I know just what you mean."

I wonder -- is it all the advance hype? I think that plays a part -- all those five-star ratings. If all I knew was that it was a rap musical about Alexander Hamilton and it won the Pulitzer and the Tony, would I have liked it more? I think so. But knowing it was "Best thing ever!" -- that's pretty subjective.

It makes me nervous to really recommend anything with that awed "WOW! You have GOT to go." I've said that before, because it was what I believed. But all I will say from now on is, "I really loved it and thought it was the best thing I'd been to in ages (or the worst) but it's up to you."

Because things really are subjective, aren't they? As Jan said several days later, "I think opera is a work of genius too, but I don't like it." And then we had another glass of wine because just talking about it got us agitated!

We can admire what we don't care for and respect it for what it is. In this case, I admire the huge educational outreach of Hamilton to schools and young people and their willingness to make a large number of ticket available at a $10 rate through a daily lottery. They can afford it -- but that doesn't mean they have to do it. I admire the scope of the writing. There's a boatload of info packed in there, a number of fun or good musical comedy songs,  and lots and lots (and lots) of words that rhyme. I know how hard that is. Indeed, it has me working on my own rap musical entitled "The Mueller Report." Seriously. The prologue is finished. I'm now starting work on the second section, titled "Volume I." Because I've got the time and I can do this kind of thing. (And it's a darned good way to read a pretty fascinating report! As much as I say I hate to recommend anything after my Hamilton experience, I will say love it or hate it, every American should read it.)

None of us felt we got our money's worth out of the show, even though we were all glad we saw it. If I won one of their $10 lottery tickets I would have returned, hoping to see more. And maybe that's why people go so often. Once is not enough when there is too much to take in.

If you haven't seen it, I do hope you enjoy it more than we did, that you find it worth the ticket price. (Our combined ticket price could have bought us a nice little B&B weekend with a really good dinner. In season so think that on through.) I really want you to like live theatre. I want you to LOVE it. I want you to go enough so you know what YOU like and what you don't.

But don't just take anyone's recommendation for your opinion, including mine. Love or hate it or anything in-between. But let your review be your own.

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Quiet Weekend

I thought just for once it would be nice to chat a little about things going on in my world on a quiet weekend -- within a few days of it happening,instead of a few weeks! 

Rick took a boy-on-his-bike-hike on Friday, returning Saturday. So, I enjoyed another walk to the Ditch.

 

Evenings bring their own beauty.

This was the first time I'd seen a deer that stood still long enough for a few photos.

 

Granted, the zoom couldn't handle it without a little fuzz. Nonetheless, I was entranced.

My Saturday jaunt took me by my favorite honeysuckle bush. It smells heavenly!

Harry was out, strugging his stuff.

Again, too far to get much clarity with the zoom. Still, my Big Bird makes me happy.

A duck family was near the walkway -- mom and her four babies. Dad was in the bushes, an occasional mallard tail showing through.They seemed content to scratch the ground and just wander, play and pick on each other!

 Of course, most just liked simply hanging out in the shade on this steaming hot day.

This child (with his grandma) was entranced by them.

So was I!

They were getting big, but were still downy.

Mom's feet were bright -- ready for a quick getaway if tempted.

 

I loved watching this family -- mom clearly called the shots.

 

When she moved, they did. Otherwise, she was content to let them explore.

I love seeing people out there -- this was a group of teens by another duck area.

And supper was on for Mr. Chips here!

 

Rick returned that evening and we enjoyed a riverside picnic before seeing the musical "Baby."

It was tranquil, calm and quiet. We'd periodically see geese and ducks float down the Red Cedar. A few joined us on shore.

 

They took off, though, when a rubber raft came along! The kids' parents were on shore, walking their dog. The geese took a pass!

Then the excellent production done by Michigan State University's theatre department. This photo was taken before the crowd filled in but they still deserved a much bigger audience than it had. 

This was the last of four nights for this show -- and the last of the free season of several shows for Summer Circle Theatre. Can't wait till next year.

All this -- and I still have Sunday left -- as you can see, it's warm here, even Lizzie is a sprawling!

A Monster Everyone Loved!

Note: If you haven't entered my One World, One Heart drawing, it's down a couple of posts here! And, there's a look at Jacqueline Winspear's newest Maisie Dobbs book on Chopsticks and String!

Not everyone likes Mel Brooks, but he's one of my favorites. So many of his movies just make me laugh -- they're the kind of thing you want to watch if you're really depressed, because they are so silly, how can you stay gloomy?

Some of my favorite memories involve Mel Brooks movies -- I remember watching "The Producers" with my cousins on my aunt's TV at the lake and later, going with the same cousins to see "Blazing Saddles" at the tiny movie theatre in Gaylord.

"Young Frankenstein" was a favorite, too. Gene Wilder, who seems to be in Brooks' repertory company co-wrote the script and starred.

Brooks directed and the film pulled in over-the-top performances from Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeleine Kahn, Kenneth Mars and Teri Garr -- most of whom had been in one or more other Brooks films.

So, when the musical came to East Lansing, I had to go see it!

Now this can be dangerous business. If you read Chopsticks and String, you may remember my "White Christmas" experience, in which the musical violated my sense of the deeply loved movie. (Which didn't mean it wasn't good -- it just took plot liberties that bothered me.)

So, I was a tad nervous, despite good reports from others who'd seen the production.

(Side note -- remember when they used to make movies from Broadway musicals instead of Broadway musicals from movies? "Sound of Music," "My Fair Lady," "King and I," "Oklahoma!," "Oliver." Now you can go to Broadway and see things like "The Producers," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Mary Poppins" and "Legally Blonde." Just interesting...)

Anyway, Gypsy gave Rick and I tickets for "Young Frankenstein" -- and mighty good seats, too.

Walk in and you see this drop, setting the stage for something spooky.

Here's a closer view -- take a good look.

And this was the opening of the movie!

So far, authentic!

And then, POW! Lights flash! (Note to anyone with epilepsy or seizure disorder -- serious use of strobes and flashing lights.) The play begins!

The company we saw had three leads from the Broadway cast (which closed early, due in part to the recession and declining Broadway attendance a year or two ago). Roger Bart, who played Frankenstein, was also in the play and movie of "The Producers."

The fellow who played Igor (pronounced Eye-Gore) was terrific, too. He was also in the original cast.

Well, as the play unfolded, both Rick and I were delighted. "This is the most fun I've had in the theatre since I can't remember when," he said. I agreed. The lighting, technical elements of the production were perfect, and if I had to quibble (and I suspect this was the sound system), sometimes the lyrics in the chorus numbers were a little difficult to pick up -- but it was easy enough to follow anyway.

And if you like tap dancing, homage to Fred Astaire, and great style, the "Puttin' on the Ritz" number puts the movie to shame! For that matter, so does "Roll in the Hay" (below), just a quick scene in the film, and several other moments, too.

The next night, Rick and I watched the movie (which Gypsy kindly gave to Rick with his ticket). And it was good.

Was it as good as I remembered it? Did I laugh as hard? Did I enjoy it as much as the play?

Nope.

An Influential Woman

Bree recently posted a book review of Andy Andrews "The Noticer." Andrews has done a couple of PBS specials and is an engaging speaker. According to Bree, the book is pretty good, too.

The premise of the book asks people everywhere to "notice" the five most influential people in their lives...as private or as public as participants choose." Bree asked readers to join her in noticing those who have made a difference in her life. Here is the first of several people I'll highlight over the coming months who have been influential in my life.

When I was 16, a junior in high school, we had a new drama teacher come to our high school. She was tall, very thin, wore her hair pulled up on her head and glasses. Her name was Mrs. Stone and she was a reasonably new teacher, only a few years out of college.


That fall she held auditions for the class play, "Diary of Anne Frank." I was fortunate enough to be cast as Mrs. Van Daan, the frowsy, brassy mother of Anne's love, Peter. The experience was a powerful one for all of us in the cast, with strong friendships formed.

Mrs. Stone didn't come to Sexton High alone. She brought with her an adjunct crew -- Mr. Stone, her rock...

...and Mr. and Mrs. Kolloff (aka Penny and Fred).

Mr. Stone designed the lights and technical elements of the shows, Fred did the sets, Penny the make-up and we all worked as much on the complicated sets as we did on our parts.

For the next two years, this team was part of my extended family. Somehow -- and I don't know how they did it -- the foursome maintained the adult roles (we never once thought of them as peers and treated them with that respect) while being grand fun.

But they treated us with respect, too. They weren't just "teachers" of theatre. They taught us -- through example -- about life. They showed us how loving, young adults had a relationship. They weren't our parents; they were only a few years older than we were. But we saw (without the obvious -- and in that situation, inappropriate -- public display of affection) how they treated each other. Respectfully, kindly, with humor, never with derision or put downs.


For many of us, it was our first experience at seeing a healthy man-woman relationship with someone not all that much older than we were; certainly not like our old parents!

Somehow, in our inner city high school, Mrs. Stone never lost control of her classroom or her drama productions. And they were good. They were darned good.

And I was fortunate to see them off-school, too -- as babysitter for their only son, Bobby.


Over the two years I was at Sexton, I had lead roles in several programs and worked crew on others. We all spent a lot of time together.

Well, Mrs. Stone went to MSU's theatre department, and so did I. And after I graduated from high school, our roles shifted from student to friend. They became Lin and Larry, wonderful friends of my family. Lin was the big sister I never had. The year I graduated, they moved to Ohio and after getting a masters in English, Lin decided to take another role -- physician.

She attended Ohio State, became a well-known family physician in Columbus and served on the faculty of the Ohio State Medical School -- most recently as Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine/Predoctoral Director. She is a tireless speaker, teacher, advocate and proponent of training medical students to also be human beings in their patient relationships. She has received numerous awards; they are all deserved.

And despite a grueling schedule that would destroy most people, she has maintained relationships in a way I can only envy -- always there to answer a question (we asked more than a few before Greg's cancer surgery, and I've had a few of my own), never forgetting a birthday, and always generously eager for a visitor to Michigan (especially one who likes to go shopping at Morgan House, a wonderful gift shop with a lovely restaurant attached!)

Her favorite role may be as grandma to Bob and Jennifer's two children.

Lin's passion for Christmas makes mine look rinky dink! And in Larry, she's found a grand cohort, who doesn't hesitate to hoist the 14-foot Christmas tree and help with the many others around the house!

She and Larry remain passionately in love, with a caring, gentleness, mutual respect, and affection we can all only envy. "Bobby" became Bob, a respected doctor himself, and now an equally wonderful husband and father.


In instilling and encouraging my passion in theatre; in showing me how healthy adult relationships should be; in always having time for friends; for being upbeat and positive even when life brings bad news, and for knowing how to really do the holidays, Linda Stone inspires me more than I can say.


Influential? You bet!

Linda Stone is retiring in June. Time for the two little munchkins...

And more time to spend with Larry. It's Ohio State's loss. But oh, what a legacy!

Who is influential in your life? Don't forget to visit Bree to check out what sounds like a fabulous book!