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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Is NOT About "Law And Order," Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Girls, you may recall awhile back my posting of the Daniel Radcliffe show, "Every Brilliant Thing."  His charm and energy were not only galvanizing, but his personality gave this show, dealing with hard topics like depression and suicide not only gravitas and humor but a warmth.  I loved it.

                             But if you want to see it properly, darlings, do so before May 24.  Because that will be Radcliffe's last performance.

                             Watching the play, I thought what it might be like should a woman perform it.  Could it hold up under a change of gender?   I started thinking of my personal choice--Celia Keenan -Bolger, who would provide the warmth and comfort it needs.

                                  But, oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Someone--stupid enough! --had the bright idea of inserting Mariska Hargitay into this play.  After twenty plus years of playing dour Olivia Benson, like a character out of a Joan Didion novel, she chooses to make her Broadway debut in this?  Are you kidding me?

                                   Even she admits she has never set foot on a stage!  And so, she takes on a one-person show?  She is indeed biting off more than she can chew, and after her fans go, I am not sure how long this play will run.  Sure, they are going for a name, but can she act?  From twenty years of the Law And Order" franchise, I am not sure.

                                      So many more worthy actresses could have stepped into this.  Why she? 

                                     Hell, even Jinx Monsoon would have been better!  Or Mike Myers as Linda Richman, or Madonna as her friend Liz Rosenberg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      But Mariska Hargitay?  Time will tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      If only I had followed my dream into casting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What If "The Golden Girls" Had Been "The Blue -Haired Ladies?????????????????"

                            The thought occurred to me this week, darlings, after watching several episodes of "The Golden Girls."  Before going on, let me say that, during its original run from 1985 to 1992, when I would be home on a Saturday night, I watched it faithfully, never imagining at time would come when I would be that age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Well, girls, it has happened!  Now, I am a Golden Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 As for "The Blue- Haired Ladies," it is an interesting idea, but it would never work.  Here is why.

                               The titular phrase refers to ladies of a certain age who regularly attend Wednesday matinees of Broadway shows.  Meaning the show would have to be set in New York and cast with a group of New York type actors.

                                Beatrice Arthur is the only one from the original who would make the cut.  How about Elaine Stritch, Tovah Feldshuh, and Tyne Daly to match?

                                   It sounds good on paper but fails for several reasons.  First, one would not have a Sophia character here to keep them centered.  Unless Bea Arthur does.  Second, there would be no variation; the actors would all sound New York, and the humor would be exclusively New York.  Much too much of a good thing which viewers would quick tire of.  What the actual show had going for it was different regional backgrounds and regional humor--New York for Dorothy, the South for Blanche, Scandinavia and Minnesota for Rose, and Italy and Sicily for Sophia.  A better and more diverse blend of acting styles and humor.

                                    A New York "Golden Girls" is nice to contemplate.  But not real when it comes down to it.

                                   Cast and creators knew what they were doing, back then!

                                   Leave them alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    

Oh, My God, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Ben-Hur!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Martha Scott And Cathy O'Donnell As Miriam And Tirzah! Jesus And The Crucifixion! The Miraculous Cure From Leprosy! Oh, My God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             This was only my fourth viewing of "Ben-Hur," the 1959 MGM version, which won 11 Academy Awards--a record for its time--and the 1959 New York Film Critics Award.  David and I attended a screening yesterday, on Palm Sunday, which is the perfect day to see this film.

                              The film cost $15 million to make in its time.  Today, it would cost hundreds of millions, and it would not be as good, because everything would be CGI, whereas here, everything--sets, crowds--all the spectacle looks real because it actually is.  Sets were built and costumes designed.  No short cuts here, and it shows.

                                 I always speak first of Martha Scott and Cathy O'Donnell, as Miriam and Tirzah, Ben-Hur's mother and sister, because they not only walk off with the film, they prove something I never before realized.  Though Charlton Heston deservedly won an Oscar for his performance it is apparent that director William Wyler had to pull this performance out of him, and one can tell.  Furthermore, everyone around Heston outacts him spectacularly.  This picture is moored to reality by its superb supporting cast.  

                                 Girls, I am telling you, I was so moved I could barely get out of my chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Certain films were designed for the screen, and this was one!  Darlings, you owe it to yourselves to see it the way it was meant to be seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   The cinematic miracle of "Ben-Hur" is its craftsmanship.

                                    The kind not seen anymore and may never be seen again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!