What a Weekend!

...and the fun ain't over yet!  Talk to me on Thursday, when I plan on getting drunk during all the free time I will suddenly have.  I guess I didn't check my calendar very well, because I have been entirely too busy.  I was afraid I wouldn't be able to give all the stuff I watched its proper attention because of tiredness, but I think I'm holding up pretty well. We'll see what happens when I see the last show of my current crazy series on Wednesday night...

Last Thursday, I saw a new children's musical written by some dear friends - Wringer.  It was performed at City Center in their smaller space.  I don't know the original book, but it seems to be quite popular in the Young Adult literature genre and won a lot of prizes when it was published.  Wringer tells the story of Palmer, an awkward ten-year-old who can't own up to his true feelings - not to his father, the other boys at school, or the kindred spirit who moves into the house next door.  Not until he forms an unlikely friendship with an unlikely friend does Palmer realize there's strength in being yourself and standing up for what's right.


It's a touching story, with some very sad and rather scary moments,

and it makes a fine musical.  My friends have written a very tuneful score, and one that's smart and doesn't talk down to kids.  The libretto is funny and real and gets some mature ideas in there. The actors were all quite good and it was an enjoyable evening.  I will say that although the direction was pretty seamless, I was a tad disgruntled that almost all of the action played to the center of the house and not the two sides (that space has audience on three sides). So that meant, because I was in one of the side sections, I missed some of the delicious lyrics - and so did some of the kids who were sitting on the sides.  The kids in the center section had a great time, though, so hopefully the next time the show is done, the whole space will be accounted for.

Friday night, I saw another casual friend's show, Death for Five Voices, presented at the Sheen Center by Prospect Theater Company.  I was interested in seeing the show for several reasons, not only because I know and enjoy the composer/lyricist's work.  The musical had a tryout in Italy, and I always enjoy a connection to Italy.  Plus, the musical is based on a true story about a sixteenth century composer.  I enjoy music from the Renaissance, though I admit I had never heard about this particular composer at all.  But all signs pointed to my enjoying the piece.

I thought the music and lyrics were sublime, truly.  Some of that choral music is some of the most gorgeous I've heard in years.  The first act closer, "Ever Closer," was spellbinding.  The performers were expert singers and interpreters of songs. Unfortunately, I didn't find much of the acting to be on par with the singing.  But that's ok.  The show was well-staged and well-designed and I look forward to hearing about its development.  And that truly breathtaking music was worth the price of admission.  I would be up for buying a cast album STAT and I would even be up for seeing the show again. 

Saturday, I made another trek to Theater for the New City to see one of the closing performances of Charles Busch's Cleopatra.  The show was even faster and funnier than when I saw it a few weeks ago - I even noticed a riotous section that I hadn't noticed before.  As always, Charles was in terrific form and the audience was along for the ride from the very beginning.  I especially enjoyed the arc he has put in the play for Cleopatra, who starts off as a tough-talking teenager and who matures into a romantic queen for the ages.  With gorgeous wigs.  :)  The musical sequences were terrific and Tony Sheldon mined every single bit of everything out of his three characterizations.  He's truly one of my favorite performers and I hope I get to see him more often.  I went with two handsome pals and we had a spectacular time - they introduced me to a new restaurant AND a new patisserie, so a grand time was had by all.  

To finish, last night, a friend and co-worker had a song presented at Carnegie Hall as part of their Distinguished Concerts International New York series.  The Maine Festival Chorus, which seemed to have over 200 singers, performed eight diverse songs, and my friend's was one of the best!  It was a mournful, beautiful song about a lost friend.  I cried knowing my friend was having a Carnegie Hall debut and I cried over the song.  It was a cry fest.  I admit to sneaking out and not staying for the second act since my week was long and in fact is still going strong, so I missed the tango portion of the evening, but it was thrilling to sit in the second row and experience something few people get to experience.  Hopefully, everything I have coming up can live up to and exceed my expectations...