Thursday, November 30, 2023

What Else Can I Say About November, Darlings.............But Thanks?????????????????????


                               Can you believe it, girls, here we are at the end of the eleventh month.  Only one more to go in 2023.  This month seemed to fly by.



                                Between my birthday, and its iconic celebration, Musical Theater Week, seeing "Harmony" on Broadway, having my beloved David, and sharing making it through another year with him, all I can say to November is thank you, and that I am proud to have been born in this month, rather than the one I was supposed to have been born in, which was January!  Who knew how things would have turned out, then????????????



                               All in all, November was a great month, girls, and I hope it was for you.



                            Now comes the holiday hysteria of December.  And I am scheduled for an endoscopy on the 13th.  Wish me well, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where Would Nosferatu Go For A Manicure?????????????????????


                       Seventy years before BARBRA played Dr. Susan Lowenstein in "The Prince Of Tides," with the most talked about fingernails in town--hell, twenty years before BARBRA herself was even born--there was Max Schreck in 1922's "Nosferatu."



                        You have to admit, girls, he is pretty grotesque looking; it took nine more years for Bela Lugosi to makes a vampire classy in 1931's "Dracula."



                         But, really, darlings, the question begs to be asked.  If Nosferatu were about today, where could he go for a manicure?????????????????



                          I just heard, dears, that Sally Hershberger has opened a new salon, in Hudson Yards, so that would be my choice, as they do both manicures and pedicures at that location.  If not successful there, I would suggest a visit to Elizabeth Arden.



                          This vampire badly needs a manicure!  I am sure either place could accommodate him.



                        After all, to entice victims, even vampires need to be well-groomed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Girls, We Have A New Reader, So Let Us Welcome Her With Open Arms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                   Our new reader is Martina Cortes, and let me tell you, Martina, you have come to this blog at the perfect time, because at this time of the year, the posts on here get crazy!  Wait till you see what I have cooked up for tomorrow.



                                     No matter how you found your way here, I hope you find it entertaining and informative.  My sensibility may be wacky, but there is some insight within.  Feel free to drop in and comment on here, anytime.



                                       So, welcome, Martina, and allow me to salute you with this blog's unofficial theme song!

                                       Here is Deborah Harry, singing "Call Me!"  Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"The New York Times 10 Best Books Of 2023;" Well, Actually, The Top Five Fiction Picks, Versus Mine!


                            This is the moment book readers have been waiting for all year, darlings!  What does The New York Times consider to be the five best works of fiction for the year?  While I do not cover non-fiction, as I hardly read any, I can assure you that "My Name Is Barbra" made neither the Notable or Ten Best Lists.  She must be really pissed.



                              So am I, when I consider some of these choices.  Let us start with The New York Times.


                              1.
                                      "The Bee Sting," by Paul Murray--The only one The Times and I agree on.  As stated in my previous post, this is the story of a struggling working-class Irish family that has an ending
 no one sees coming.  Even if one reads just the last page, it will not make any sense without having read the entire novel.  And the novel is so engrossing, it is hard to put down.  Don't miss it.  The Times did right with this one!


                                 2. 

                                        "Chain-Gang All-Stars," by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah--As right as The Times got it with "The Bee Sting," they really messed up here.  I listened to Gilbert Perez last night on a Times video defending this book; how it was groundbreaking, he couldn't put it down, etc.  Hons, I could not get past page 60.  What is meant to be a criticism of the American penal system comes off as misogynistic gladiatorial fighting between women prisoners, battling for freedom, while audiences watch.  It is like "The Hunger Games" revved up to the level of Rikers.  And it is crap.  I don't need to read short, static sentences in street jargon I have no way of understanding.  There were better books for this spot--Colson Whitehead, James McBride--than this garbage, which is exactly where this selection belongs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                      3.  

                                   "Eastbound," by Maylis De Kerangal--No, darlings, I have not read it yet, but I intend to.  This sounds like an interesting exploration of two people trying to find meaning in life.  And in these times, who isn't?   Unlike the previous selection, I think this one has promise.


                                        4.  
                                          "The Fraud," by Zadie Smith--I have read it, and while I do not object to its placement here, I would not have chosen it.  Unlike the 'Chain-Gang' author, Miss Smith can write.  But what she has written is an in-joke for Dickensians, where she narrates a renowned trial in 1790 London, as a series of sketches, like "The Pickwick Papers."  Those who don't get it may find it confusing.  The book is a bit overlong, but the idea is promising, and the writing is good.  She does not succeed as well with this as with "On Beauty" (2005), but this is worth a read.


                                         5.  
 "North Woods," by Daniel Mason--I am rather happy this made the list, as it has the cutest cover--just LOVE that kitty!--and the blue background......ah!  But it is also the family saga of a Massachusetts family over several generations, and that is my kind of read.  One might think this is a western, judging by the book's cover, but far from it.  Perhaps this book will make up for The Times choosing that awful book placed at number two!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


     


 
                                            Well, girls, those are the picks of The New York Times.  Having read two of them, I can say overall not disappointing, except for that misogynistic junk that overly politicizes a narrative, destroying the flow, and then masqueading it as literature!


                                              I don't masquerade, dears.  I stand by my selections, which are all well written and made me so happy by reading them.  Here are my picks for 2023


                                                1.   
                                             "Wellness," by Nathan Hill--When I discovered this was written by the author of "The Nix," which was my Book Of The Year for 2016, I knew I had to read this one.  Well, Nathan Hill has done it again!  In probing the marital malaise of Jack, a photographer, and Elizabeth, an art history adjunct professor, he also gets down to what is wrong with our society--socially, culturally, economically, examining how we interact both socially and through media, social and otherwise.  This is a novel about EVERYTHING, and I knew before I was halfway through I had found my Book Of The Year.  Do not miss it, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                                 2.  
                                             "The Covenant Of Water," by Abraham Verghese--The author of "Cutting For Stone" has done it again with this epic novel, over several generations, but at its heart being the story of two brothers who go into medicine--differently.  The book is clinical in its medical details which readers may find difficult to understand, but Verghese's sense of narrative is so strong and disciplined that at over 700 pages, it felt like half, because it just moves so fast, and the reader--this one at least-- was spellbound and could hardly tear myself away from it.  Clear some time for yourselves, girls, and have the kind of reading experience one so seldom gets anymore.


                                                3. 
                                               "The Bee Sting," by Paul Murray--This much lauded novel deserves every bit of praise it has garnered.  Using the kind of lyricism the Irish excel at, Murray tells a harrowing and heartbreaking story of a struggling family, present day, with an ending that will grab you by the throat and stay with you long after you have finished the book.  Another one not to be missed.


                                              4.  
                                              "Yellowface," by R. F. Kuang--This was the novel that gave me hope; it was almost halfway through 2023, and I thought I would never find any contenders.  But then along came "Yellowface." Both a literary novel and a thriller, it concerns two women vying to be successful writers.  The more successful of the two dies, and that is all I am going to say, because what follows is a roller coaster ride into the literary world, and those desperate enough to want to be a part of it.  Well written, highly readable, and hard to put down.


                                                   5.  
                                                "Pet," by Catherine Chidgey--Remember that boy or girl in elementary school everyone hated for being "Teacher's Pet?"  Ever think about what dynamics might be behind it? Well, this novel examines them all, turning what might have been a pedagogic exploration into --I am telling, you, girls!!!!!!!!--The Thriller Of The Year.  Sure, there are some familiar tropes, but it is packaged in a way that the unexpected is delivered.  I look forward to this author's next work, but this one has got to be read!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No reader will ever enter a classroom again thinking the thoughts they once did.



                                                   OK, girls, take your pick.  Hey, if you prefer The New York Times, it is not a problem.  But I stand by mine.  And would someone who enjoyed "Chain-Gang All-Stars" please tell me why.? Anyway, 2023 did not turn out to be the greatest year for Fiction, but some goodies did come our way.  Enjoy them, and I look forward to more book discussions--which I am going to try and implement--in 2024!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                                    Happy Reading, Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




                                    

      

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

It Is Book Talk Season, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, Let Us Start With "The New York Times' 100 Most Notable Books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


                                Girls, not to worry, I will not go through all 100, just those I have read, and what I think might be worth reading.  This could get interesting, so let's get started.



                                  List Books I Have Read--                                                                                                                                   1.
                                    "All The Sinners Bleed," by S.A. Crosby--I read this one early in the year. I loved his previous novel, "Razorblade Tears," and this did not disappoint, as a Black sheriff seeks to catch a serial killer of Black children in a small Southern town.  Suspenseful and exciting.


                                  2.
                                        "The Bee Sting," by Paul Murray--After "Skippy Dies," how could Murray top this?  Well, he almost does with this tale of a struggling Irish working class family, and an ending that will raise the reader's hair and cause one to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                    3.  
                                       "The Fraud," by Zadie Smith--Smith is a mixed bag with me, and I had high hopes for this one as it was set in 18th Century London.  She almost succeeds in what I think she is trying to do--tell the story of a renowned 1790 English trial as a series of sketches, in the manner of Dickens' "The Pickwick Papers."  But it is a near miss.  She hit the mark when she re-did "Howard's End" as "On Beauty," but while readable, "The Fraud" never approaches the brilliance of that earlier work.


                                     4.  
                                     What Zadie Smith failed to do, Ann Napolitano succeeds at.  Following her moving "Dear Edward," is an update of "Little Women" to a present-day Boston working class family, with as much warmth, poignancy and sadness as the beloved Alcott classic. 


                                   5.  

                                        "Pineapple Street," by Jenny Jackson--Another family saga, this time of an upper crust family in present-day Brooklyn Heights.  Before you think "pretentious snobs," darlings, Jackson shows that being rich is not all it is cracked up to be.  I was surprised at first to see it on the list, but it does earn its placement.


                               6.  

                                       "Tom Lake," by Ann Patchett--The title is a place, not a character. Us girls just love our family sagas and theatrical stories.  I also love Ann Patchett who adds another winner to her list of accomplished novels.  Read this one, dears.  Read anything that has Patchett's name on it.


                                7.  
                                     "Yellowface," by Rebecca F. Kuang--Fasten your seat belts, girls, and tuck in those panty girdles, because this literary thriller will have you on the edge of your seat.  It takes an interesting turn at racism, too.  The first novel I read this year that truly satisfied me.


                                      I must apologize, dears.  I thought I would have had eight on the list, but there was one book I could not finish, and I will save that for the end of this post, when I discuss what I am appalled by.


                                         Now, here I go, with more book suggestions for you.


                                          List Books I MUST Read
                                              1.  
"Blackouts," by Justin Torres--Winner of the 2023 National Book Award For Fiction, this historical novel sounds like an undertaking worth its while.   My beloved, David, is also interested in this one, so we will assuredly buy a copy.



                                            2.  

                                         "Bright Young Women," by Jessica Knoll--Girls, I just loved "Luckiest Girl Alive," so this tale of Ted Bundy, his victims and other women connected to him sounds like a perfect fit for me!  And for fans of serial killer historical fiction--because Bundy was real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                         3.  

                                          "Crooked Manifesto," by Colson Whitehead--The author's follow-up to his wonderful "Harlem Shuffle," so I cannot wait to get my hands on this.  Ever since "The Underground Railroad," Colson Whitehead has been getting better and better.


                                          4.  

                                            "The Heaven And Earth Grocery Store," by James McBride--Hey, it is James McBride.  Isn't that enough????????????


                                          5.  

                                          "Kantika," by Elizabeth Graver--Historical, romantic and Sephardic, "Kantika seems to have everything going for it.  I can't wait to read this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                        6.  
                                      "Lone Women," by Victor Lavalle--I have been aware of Lavalle for quite some time now but have never read him.  This American Western, with a different kind of heroine could make me a fan of his.  I am anxious to find out.


                                           7.  
     "North Woods," by Daniel Mason--Isn't this just the cutest cover ever seen?  Isn't that just a nice big, cuddly kitty?  What would seem a western from the book jacket is actually the historical saga of a Massachusetts family over several generations.  And you know how I love my family sagas, darlings.  Will Lizzie Borden make a cameo appearance?  I hope so!  And how about those Salem Witches??? 
                                              8.  

                                   "The Reformatory," by Tananarive Due --Based on real life events this is the tale of a young Black man sent to a cruel and sadistic reform school in Florida--the kind that Ron De Santis wants to re-open.  This is a story that bears repeating, and so I cannot wait to read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!  


                                            9.   
                                       "Same Bed, Different Dreams," by Ed Park--A cacophony of the mĂ©lange of American culture with wit and style, I have heard good things about this one, and am curious to see what kind of writer Ed Park is.


                                        10.  
                                           "Take What You Need," by Idra Novey--Another author I have not heard of, but a mother and her estranged daughter set in rural Appalachia sounds like a good formula for a novel.
Mothers-daughters, and fathers-sons are always locking horns!  Don't I know, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                       11. 
                                      "This Other Eden," by Paul Harding--Not to be confused with Paul Murray, this novel is also based on rural events, as castaways form a community of their own on an island called Apple.  But will it be taken away from them?  This was the year's Pulitzer winner, so it more than worth taking a look at.


                                         12.  

                                          "The Unsettled," by Ayana Mathis--I really have to get with it, darlings, because I have yet to read her renowned novel, "The Twelve Tribes Of Hattie."  Here is another historical novel spanning Philadelphia and Alabama, with plenty of political and social unrest in between.  Add it to my TBR list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                          13.  
                                          "Victory City," by Salman Rushdie--Hey, it's Salman Rushdie!  Look what the man has been through recently.  It is at least worth a try.  I will save this one for when I feel I need a REAL challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                              14. 
                                            "The Nursery," by Szilvia Molnar--No, she is not related to Ferenc, but I have a feeling this will be the book most all wanted "The Perfect Nanny" to be.  Much psychological probing and character exploration.  I am ready!


                                                15.  

                                             "We Could Be So Good," by Cat Sebastian--This author has written a lot, but I have never heard of her. Still, the potential for an insightful, meaningful gay romance is comforting amidst all the beach side trash.


                                                  There you have it, girls!  All the Notable Books I read, and that worth reading.  Now, to close I will express what I am appalled with.



                                                    Let's start with--
                                            "Wellness," by Nathan Hill--That this book did not make "The New York Times 100 Most Notable Books List" is a DISGRACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                                                                
                                      "Chain-Gang All-Stars," by Nana Kwime Adjei Brenyah--How the hell did this crap make any list?  I could not get past page 60.  Sports talk, prison and street vernacular, and violence masquerading as literature?  This would make my worst books list and was one of two books I could not get through. The other one shall be revealed next.


                                                                                
                                            "Birnam Wood," by Eleanor Catton--Ten years ago, when Catton's novel "The Luminaries" appeared, I was enthralled.  When this came out, I sat down to read it with great expectations.  They were quickly dashed.  Not since Richard Powers' "The Overstory" has a novel disappointed me.  I don't recall where I stopped, but it was not far in.


                                                That's it for today, girls.  Tomorrow we will talk about The NY Times Ten Best Books Of 2023, or Top Five Fiction Picks, as far as I am concerned, versus mine.  I promise there will be quite a difference, and I stand by my selections.  They are better than The New York Times.


                                                                                 


                                                                               





                                  





                                      

Monday, November 27, 2023

The Story Of Poor Nora Clay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                   From 1999 till 2004, a renowned NYC writer named Bob Reiss took the pseudonym of Ethan Black and wrote five of the best detective mysteries ever.  All featured, as the hero, a detective named Conrad Voort, who was not only good looking, but from a wealthy aristocratic Dutch family of lawmakers that went back several generations.  But what distinguished the books were his perpetrators, often people in situations one could feel sorry for.  So, one felt as bad for the killers as their victims.



                                   Two of the most haunting perps in the series were Nora Clay, in 2,00's "Irresistible" and Wendall Nye in 2003's "Dead For Life."   Today I shall focus on Nora.


                                      I must warn you.  This discussion will include spoilers, so if you have any intention of reading this novel, stop here!


                                     Nora had it all, sort of.  She was raised in the town of New Thames, Massachusetts.  Her mother, Edith, provided comfortably for them both.  While they did not live in the town's best section, they were not exactly on the wrong side of the tracks.  And certainly, far from Goat Alley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                      Nora was attractive and talented, with a flair for acting, having received praise for portraying Laura in a high school production of "The Glass Menagerie."  But on a summer day in August, all that changed.


                                       Having finished helping her mother with the day care, she rides off on a bicycle to meet her friend, Harriet, at Revere State Park, for a swim in the lake.  Unfortunately, and with no explanation given, Harriet never shows up.


                                         Elsewhere, Nora discovers a group of boys high school age putting the make on one of the local cheerleaders.  Now, girls, we all know how notoriously cheap they can be, but this girl has integrity, and sense, and makes off, fighting with words, without the boys laying a hand on her.


                                           Now, Nora is just 13, and as discovered she has not yet ovulated, nor has any idea what being pregnant means.  Thinking herself blissfully alone, Nora gets out of her dress clothes, stripping down to a bathing suit underneath.  She swims out to a diving raft in the lake, where she suns herself, and doses off.


                                              It is when she awakens that the nightmare begins.  Standing over her, leeringly, are four high school boys--Will Green, son of the high school principal, Joshua Low and Roger Trumbull, both from the town's more affluent families, and Curt Maze, son of the town's deputy police chief.  They mock and leer at Norma, determined to unload all their pent-up anger and lust on her.  She makes it off the raft, and swims to shore, where she finds her clothes and bicycle gone, taken by guess who.  She runs, searching for the bike, and the boys follow.  In brutal fashion they hold her down, and, one by one, gang rape her, leaving her hurt and bleeding.


                                                Nora makes it home.  But what happens next is that Nora does not receive legal justice, but the justice of small-town hypocrisy.


                                                 While the boys' families are appalled by what their sons did, they do not want this to ruin their futures.  So they approach Edith with a plan.  As restitution the boys will work for Edith, and the boys' uncles too, assisting in whatever housework is needed.  Edith says it is up to Nora, but the child understands her selfish, garrulous mother, wants the work done, thinking that it is enough justice, but it is not.  Nora is not happy, and simmers in anger at the boys.  But soon she starts displaying symptoms of pregnancy, and this is where she and her mother part ways.


                                                     Edith wants her daughter to abort the baby.  The father is never revealed.  Two of the boys move away, and the others do their chores and keep their distance.  Even when the two boys move, checks keep coming to Edith.  Nora wants to have the baby, but her mother, using small town hypocrisy, talks her into having an abortion.


                                                      Years later, Nora meets and dates a man she feels is right for her. Except she discovers that, back in New Thames, the abortionist botched the job, so now she can never have children.  Her fiancĂ© abandons her.


                                                       By age fifteen, Nora has had it with her mother and New Thames.  So, she heads for NYC, and makes it as a transcriber, working from home.  The novel takes up eight years later, when Nora is twenty-three, and receives a note from her mother, dying, who says--NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!--"Darling, you were right!"


                                                          Nora is filled with rage and anger.  She sees a therapist but is betrayed when he comes on to her.  She then becomes a serial murderess.  But instead of going after her mother--from whom she is estranged--or the boys and their families, Nora, who transcribes for an abortion clinic, goes after men who impregnated women and forced them to have abortions in the first place.


                                                             Eventually, Nora comes to discover, through Conrad Voort, that she has been killing for the wrong reasons.  Nora is eventually caught, but not harmed; before the law can do anything, she kills herself, fitfully out of guilt and remorse, in front of Voort and colleagues in the lobby of an apartment building.


                                                               Poor Nora got no justice of her own.  And even though she died by suicide the lack of justice ended up killing her. If I had been Nora, I would have charged the boys and their families, ruining all their lives. I would have taken Nora's mother to court, charging her with child negligence and endangerment.  That was the justice Nora deserved.


                                                                Serial killers are not born but made.  Nora did not have to become one.  But the circumstances around her, and how wrongfully they were handled transformed the anger she had no place to project it into projecting it wrongly as a serial killer.


                                                                 I pray no girls ever go through what Nora did.


                                                                  But, darlings, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Girls, Join Us Tonight At 8PM, As "Svengoolie" Shows The Time-Tested Favorite, "House On Haunted Hill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


                             Oh, girls, it is simply TOO much.  From the opening, with Elisha Cook, Jr.'s talking head, to the slamming of the door at the end, this film is packed with camp.  Carolyn Craig, as Nora Manning and her over the top hysterics, when she spots the head in the box, the crazy housekeeper on a dolly, not to mention a falling chandelier, and a ceiling leaking blood, this time-tested favorite always brings a smile to the face and is such fun to watch.



                               Little Pippin, Baby Gojira's sidekick and assistant, has never seen it before , so we are excited for him.  I don't think it will be too intense, because it is such high camp.



                              I still insist that the back part of the building that was my workplace resembled the exterior of the house.  And I still stand by that, after 42 years.



                             So , join us for fun and laughs.  Time to return to reality, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Just look at that hair, and glamorous gown!  There will sure to be some sophistication and bosoms in this film, thanks to Carol Ohmart, who went on to appear in the 1967 camp horror classic, "Spider Baby."



                                Oh, girls, what we are in for, tonight!  See you at 8PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, November 24, 2023

Birthday Chronicles, Part Five--The Night, And Afterwards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                          So, we made it back to the hotel from the theater, girls.  You want to talk about anxiety? Forget Mel Brooks; I have enough for us all.  I was nervous walking the streets of Manhattan at night--Something I never gave a thought to, thirty or forty years ago--and I was worried because I had not slept well the night before, and how would I sleep in this lovely, but strange, environment?



                          As it turned out, between all the magic of the day, and with David right beside me, I slept one of the best nights of my life.  And yes, we stayed up until 11:45PM, when I officially turned 69.  One year closer to 70!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Where did the time go?????????????


                                                                         

                        Sleeping the way I did that night, time just drifted by, and it was soon morning.  We got up-, showered and dressed--oh, my God! real water pressure, elegance, and all kinds of shampoos and conditioners.  I was in a beauty paradise!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Coiffed, we made our way down to the dining area, where we had breakfast; I had oatmeal and coffee, which is my usual breakfast at home, while David had bagels and lox.  We were satisfied.  But all dreams must end, and by that time, both of us were exhausted from the previous day.


                                                                        

                       So, we took an Uber, and returned home to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where Baby Gojira was so glad to see us and hear of our adventures.


                         And that was my 69th birthday.


                        Sweet dreams, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                           

Birthday Chronicles, Part Four--So, How Was The Show?????????????????????????????????


                                        Darlings, by the time we settled into our Row E Orchestra seats at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, I was in full theater mode.



                                         "Harmony" is this dark musical, with Book and Lyrics by Bruce Sussman, and Music by Barry Manilow.  But if you are expecting "Mandy," forget it.



                                         This book show is about a sextet of harmonists during the late Twenties and early Thirties, who performed worldwide, and had the most beautiful harmonic sound long before The Mamas and The Papas.



                                           It was a lively, introspective evening, but not a great one.  What was lacking in dramatics and classic musical theater was made up for by the performers--Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, (the best of the six!) Blake Roman, and StevenTelsey. Their singing and dancing were exceptional, and I knew they were in good hands, because the show was directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, ("Follies," "The Music Man") so everyone was showcased to their best. David and I were especially excited about seeing Julie Benko , (Who saved "Funny Girl" from being a disaster!) and her performance as activist Ruthie is heartbreaking and moving.  Our only regret was Julie was not given more stage time, and a long number for herself.  But the final one, where she bids her husband farewell, filled me with tears.  And Sierra Borges--what an impressive vocal actress!  I have heard of her for years, but never actually seen her.  What a revelation.  Finally, framing the show, is Chip Zien as Rabbi, who survives to tell the story, and plays a number of other characters. His performance is unquestionably award caliber.  He does a shattering monologue in Act Two that takes one's breath away, and after, even the audience could see how exhausting this was for Zien, who is now 76, to perform.



                                          And yet....and yet.  It was not a classic, like "Gypsy," or "Cabaret,"(Which is being brought back to Broadway again; I mean, do we need it?) though there are plenty of influences from thereof, and Carlyle's choreography makes good use of some Michael Bennett and Jerome Robbins turns.  It is so evident that the creators of "Harmony" wanted this show to be the classic David and I hoped it would be, but it unfortunately misses the mark.  What puts the show over is the impassioned commitment to the material by all of the performers on the stage, right down to the smallest bit parts.



                                         There are more than just veiled references to the Holocaust; it is outrightly portrayed, in its own way, and yes, some of "Harmony" is hard to take.  Future audiences be forewarned.



                                         I cannot speak for David, but I can tell you, while I did not feel like singing or dancing in the street after seeing "Harmony," I knew I had spent a satisfying evening at the theater.  And that was good enough for me.



                                      Still to be continued, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



                                          

Birthday Chronicles, Part Three--The Algonquin Hotel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                          OK, girls, so now I am being whisked through the streets of Manhattan, having no idea what is in store for me.  I suddenly noticed David carrying his Mary Poppins bag, and saying we were going to a "literary hotel."  In the back of my mind, I thought, "The Algonquin? He has got to be kidding."



                           Well, dolls, that is right where we ended up.  We walked in, and I discovered David had booked a room for us at The Algonquin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh, my God!  We were going to rest up, walk to the theater and see the show, and then return to spend the night there!  A night on the town!  Literally!  I could not believe this was happening.  It all seemed like some kind of fever dream.


                            Nevertheless, that is what we did.  Our room number was 800, on the eighth floor, and we settled down comfortably to rest, which I desperately needed, after that magical experience at Balthazar.


                                We rested, until 7PM.  Then it was time to dress for the theater.


                                 To be continued, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthday Chronicles, Part Two--The TKTS Booth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                         OK, girls, so last I posted, I was being whisked out of Balthazar, half looped, and to the subway, where I operate automatically.  The R train came, and I got on it, promptly sat down with my book, relaxed, and began to read, thinking we were going back to Bay Ridge.  I got a little testy when I discovered a stop I was not familar with, and said to David, "What's going on?  Aren't we going to Bay Ridge?"



                           I should have been paying more attention to David, who, whisking me from "Balthazar" said blithely, "This is not the end of your birthday yet."  What???????????????



                          We stopped at 49th Street, familiar to me from doctor visits.  Instead, David said we were going to the TKTS booth.  Once there, we got in line, and David told me to scan the list, and pick a selection for my birthday show!



                             I scanned the list, and there were so many options.  Yet, in the back of my mind, I was thinking, "We are going to the theater at night?  And on a Saturday, yet?"  Something we just don't do.  I supposed we would take a cab or an Uber home, because there is no way, in this day and age, either of us would ride the subway at night.  And from 49th Street it is about an hour ride to our neighborhood.



                            I knew the subject would be hard for David, and me, as well, but I really wanted to see "Harmony."  So, that is what I chose.  Now, we have these two tickets for a show that does not start till 8PM.  It was 4:30, in the afternoon.  I asked David what we will do till eight, because I am far too old to start hanging around stage doors to the theaters, at my age.  He said we were going to the hotel to rest.  Again, it was like I had not heard him. A hotel?  What on earth?



                         To be continued, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Birthday Chronicles, Part One--Balthazar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



                             OK, girls, so last Saturday was my birthday.  I always choose the place to dine, and this year I decided on Balthazar, on Spring Street, in SoHo, because it is a known hangout of ANNA--Anna Wintour, that is.



                              It turned out to be more than we bargained for.  The restaurant, as you can see, was colorful, luxurious and packed.  We had a nice corner banquette.  The food was scrumptious.  For appetizers, David had the famous Balthazar Salad, and I had their celebrated French Onion Soup.  For the main course, David had the famous Steak au Frites, and I had the Chicken Paillard.  It was delicious, and light, which was something I wanted, because I had a glass of wine to go with it.  For dessert, David had the Babba au Rum, with Vanilla Chantilly Cream, while I had the Chocolate Souffle Cake, with Vanilla Ice Cream.  There was a candle on top, and the staff sang "Happy Birthday" to me.  It was lovely.



                             But wait--there is more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



                             Sitting to our left was an elderly woman, and her daughter.  It turned out the woman was celebrating her birthday too--she was 94, Polish, and a Holocaust survivor.  Her daughter, who was lovely with a great sense of humor was a topflight Manhattan real estate agent.  We became chatty with them and had a lovely time.  Then we learned a person to their left was celebrating her birthday that day, and so our section turned into the Birthday Corner.  The Maitre d gave us two flutes of champagne; I only drank half, as I had imbibed a glass of wine, and, with my low tolerance for alcohol, frankly, darlings, I was half looped.



                                Because of my state, I did not hear the Maitre d announce that Nancy Pelosi was coming to Balthazar, and soon we heard this clapping from the front, and into the main room walks Nancy herself, looking fabulous, and gracious to all.  Girls, I am telling you, she must have heard I was going to be in town, and at Balthazar, so there.  No ANNA sighting, but Nancy made the day!!!!!!!!!!



                                  As we headed out of the restaurant, and on to the subway, I was still half looped.



                                  I thought we were going back to Bay Ridge.  I had no idea what I was in for.



                                 To be continued tomorrow, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!