Girls, Can You Believe This THING Wants To Play Sally Bowles In "Cabaret??????????????" And Fantine In "Les Miz!????????????" Fantine?????????????????????????????

                            You have got to be kidding me.  Is this some sort of belated April Fool's joke?  Because that is what it sounds like.

                             I will say one thing in favor of Miss Lea I-Am-Better-Than-Everyone-Else Michele--she has the hair for Fantine.  But that is about it.

                            The role requires an emotional voice, beauty, warmth and vulnerability.  Fantine is the show's emotional center; there would be no story without her.  And she is supposed to break audiences" hearts.   After seeing Michele braying her way through "CHESS," though she can carry a tune and hold notes, she has no emotionality, no sense of characterization, making the notion of her playing Fantine, let alone Sally Bowles, who, though a survivor, still has a vulnerable quality ridiculous!  And aren't we a bit too, shall we say mature, Miss Michele, for these roles?????????

                                 She scored lucky in "Funny Girl," but never fully erased the memory of BARBRA, though I am sure she thought she did.

                               Quit while you are ahead, Lea.  Don't dare ruin any of these classic shows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                You are simply playing an older, more haggard and arrogant version of Rachel Mayberry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   That is where you will stay, and where you belong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Day Just Happens To Fall This Year On Maundy Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    After 47 years, it remains the saddest, most life changing day of my life thus far.

                                  My mother had been hospitalized for 6 weeks with inoperable lung cancer. We knew what the result would be.  But even if anyone thinks they are prepared, are they really?

                                    My father and I said good night on April 1, expecting to see her the next day.  Around 7:30AM, the phone rang.  It was the doctor, telling us that mother had passed.  I recall waking up in bed, and that the radio downstairs was playing a song I hated, and came to hate even more--"Honey," by Bobby Goldsboro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      And just a week after we put down our beloved, but ailing, 14-year-old French poodle, Baby Mouse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        What happens now?  What does the future hold for me.  I felt like Scarlett looking out on her life after seeing how the war had ravaged Tara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           I could never imagine then I would be where I am now.  The next three-and-a-half years were difficult ones for me.  

                                            Still, I never forget this day and what it did for me.  And how, like small starting engines, it ignited my life.

                                              But the loss is still felt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laudy, Laudy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's Maundy Thurssday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                         Now, things really speed up as Holy Week closes in, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        This is the night of The Last Supper, Judas betraying Jesus, Peter denying Jesus, and Jesus himself arrested and taken away.  What a rough 24 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        Today, we reflect on this day, and why things happened the way they did.  Jesus did this for us, and we should remember him for it.  However you reflect on this day, do it any way you choose.

                          And remember, according to legend, the words Jesus said to the Apostles at The Last Supper--

                            "Everyone get behind the table, for the picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Today Is Spy Wenesday, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                         Holy Week really kicks into play here on this day.  Hardly happy, this is the day when Judas began his betrayal of Jesus.  He told them where he could be found and that the man they will see Judas kiss is actually Jesus.

                              No, girls, it is not a day to play spy or James Bond.  It sets in motion the path for the joy of the Resurrection, which will occur that coming Sunday.  And which we know as Easter.

                                Oh, sure, bunnies and baskets are there, but the real deal is Jesus rising from the dead to save all us sinners.  Know what I mean, darlings????????  I include myself in this category.

                                  Take some time to reflect on this day.

                                   And the suffering Jesus endured for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here We Are In April!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        Girls, we have completed one fourth of 2026.  But alas T.S. Eliot called April "the cruelest month," and I have to agree.  This is a hard one for me, as it has so many death anniversaries in it--six, I believe, including the most life changing, my mother, which happened 47 years ago tomorrow.

                                          So, I don't think I can be blamed for being a little apprehensive.  Nevertheless, there is Passover tonight, Easter on Sunday, and with it the annual screening of "The Song Of Bernadette," in a remastered edition!  We also have tickets to "Becky Shaw," and "The Lost Boys" musical, our taxes are done

                                             It could be April may not be that bad a month after all.  We can only hope.

                                            I just have to keep thinking of Judy Garland and Fred Astaire doing "When The Midnight Train Leaves For Alabam," in 1948's "Easter Parade."

Farewell To March!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                               Lions, lambs, who knows?  This was an interesting March we had this year, in terms of not only weather, but everything.

                              We had some birthday dinners.  I finally saw "Death Of A Salesman" on stage.  And the wonderful Daniel Radcliffe in "Every Brilliant Thing."  We went to Fauchon, with its pink elegance, and had afternoon tea!  We did our taxes and came out OK!  And, on Palm Sunday, appropriately, we went to a screening of the 1959 "Ben-Hur."  Still impressive!

                                 Alas, I fear I am failing in my reading.  Though I am past 25 books read, I feel there should be more.  And I have some gigantic forthcoming volumes I need to get through; I am going to reach my goal of 100 books.

                                   Maybe that will be what April brings, along with its showers.  Help me get through it, girls!  April is the hardest month for me to face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    But March was good to us!

                                    See you next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is This The Future Of Theatrical Set Design?????????????????????????????

                         The photo, darlings, is from The Metropolitan Opera's latest production of Wagner's "Tristan And Isolde."  If it plays on the screen, I might go see it.

                             But look at the visuals.  This is almost identical to the recent Broadway revival of "Waiting For Godot," with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter.  Is this now the future of theatrical set design?????????  The production was directed by Jamie Lloyd, who helmed the appalling "Sunset Boulevard," so I wonder if this circularity is sparking a trend?

                                Frankly, it reminds me of an old sci-fi tv show from my childhood called "The Time Tunnel."  It starred James Darren and Lee Meriwether among others, and featured an enormous black and white striped tunnel, stretching into infinity, where anyone who gets near is hurled back into time.  Darren and another man are, and the show follows their journeys through historic events.

                                  But I was fascinated by that enormous tunnel, which took up a good portion of the lab set.  And now it is being copped for Broadway and the opera?

                                   Heaven help us!  Do you know there is a production of that wretched musical, "Starlight Express" going on in London right now?

                                     Please, God, don't send it here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!