Here Is What I Looked Like The Morning After My Sleepless Night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Forget Judy Garland, or Neely O'Hara, darlings, I was a wreck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Happily I am sleeping better, though our apartment seems warmer.  Or maybe it is male menopause.  Who knows?

                                   This is the worst I have ever looked.  On ordinary mornings, when I have slept, but have had no coffee yet, I look like Morgan Fairchild as the scalded bitch in 1978's "The Initiation Of Sarah."  But, believe me, what you see here is worse.  The former can be eradicated by one sip of coffee; the other takes hours of work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Hons, I don't wish this on you.  Whether you take Sominex (is that even still made?) or Vodka, I wish you all a safe and restful sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laudy, Laudy! It's Maundy Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              "Look at all my trials and tribulations.
                                                Sinking in a gentle pool of wine.
                                                Don't disturb me now, I can see the answers.
                                                Till this evening is this morning, life is fine."
                                                --The Apostles, in "Jesus Christ, Superstar," by
                                                 Andrew Lloyd Webber

                                       Yes, darlings, it is Maundy Thursday, with the foot washing, the Last Supper, Judas, and all that.

                                        Let's get a few things straight.  While the joke still exists that Jesus said, at the Last Supper, "Everyone get behind the table, for the picture," there is no truth to the rumor that David McCallum is Judas Iscariot.  He only played the part in the 1965 George Stevens film, "The Greatest Story Ever Told."  And that film was more about story telling, not truth telling.

                                          The truth is we are headed into the Easter period with great uncertainty, and I want to tell my readers I feel it all with you.  So with those feelings go my best wishes for a joyous Easter or Passover season.  Don't let the maniacal behavior of others stop our spiritual enjoyment and growth.  I bet Sister Camille would agree with that.  I know she would!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             So, all the best to you, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              And don't forget your Easter bonnets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             "Always hoped that I'd be an apostle.
                                               Knew that I could make it, if I tried.
                                               Then when we retire, we can write the Gospels,
                                                So they'll still talk about us....when we've died!"
                                                 --The Apostles, in "Jesus Christ Superstar," by
                                                    Andrew Lloyd Webber

Hang On, Celia, We Are On Our Way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         This is an open blog post addressed to Miss Celia Keenan-_Bolger, the acting divinity of "To Kill A Mockingbird," at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway.  I just want to say, as the time draws near, that my spouse, David, and I, will be attending the matinee performance, a week from Saturday, on April 27, and I want you to be there!  So, take care!  I mean, I want to see the others, too, but I am telling the cast and crew--if Celia is not on that performance, I will NOT go in, except to get my money back and another ticket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            I just want to alert everyone at the Shubert, and to inform them there will be another post of this sort, even closer to the attendance date.

                                            So, Celia, keep truckin'!!!!!!!!!!!!   You have a TONY nomination coming soon, and, if there is justice, a TONY Award this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             And I want to see you in the performance that earns it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Go, Celia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, My God!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mary Kay!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I Don't Mean The Cosmetics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               "Well, I never will fergit, the first time that we met,
                                                  Dancin' square dance back to back, at the D.A.R....."
                                                --Mary Kay Place as Loretta Haggers, singing "Baby
                                                   Boy" on 'Mary Hartman'."

                                         I am talking, of course, about that wonderful actress, Mary Kay Place.  How I wish she had worn her Loretta Haggers wig in "Diane."  I mean, if Graham Jarvis had still been alive, I have no doubt he would have ended up in this movie.  You had to love him as ol' Charlie Haggers!!!!!!!  He may have been a nerd, but Loretta loved him, because every night he gave her four minutes of "skyrockets plus!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Now, girls, when was the last time you had even thirty seconds???????????  Does anyone remember?????????????????????

                                          I was a little put off when I read this was about aging baby boomers, because most of the actors cast are way older than I.

                                           Mary Kay Place plays Diane, a Christian martyr, if there ever was one.  She is not Catholic, but guilt ridden, so this widow fills her days with all sorts of volunteer work--from church donations to soup kitchens.  And if anyone, family or friend, is in the hospital, Diane is sure to be beside them, visiting.

                                            The film is hard to sit through, the ending a downer, but the film is brightened by a list of young and old character actors--Estelle Parsons, Andrea Martin (who, though playing dramatic, still manages to inject a comic liveliness into her role),  Deirdre O'Connell, Glynnis O'Connor (My God!  Where has she been?  And has she aged!!!!!!!!!!), Joyce Van Patten, Phyllis Somerville, Jake Lacy, as Diane's drug addicted son--Oh, yes, she copes with this, too!--Brian, and Phyllis Somerville, now on Broadway as Mrs. Dubose in "To Kill A Mockingbird."

                                               And don't forget Danielle Ferland, who originated the little girl in "Sunday In The Park With George," on Broadway, in 1985, and went on to do the same with Little Red Riding Hood" in "Into The Woods," back in 1987.  She has morphed into a fine fatty of a character actress, who works more than I thought.  When her name appeared on the cast list, I could think back, and recognize her, though I did not, at the present moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               

However, THE highlight, THE reason to see the film, is the actress who is currently the toast of Broadway in 'Mockingbird.'  That is right, darlings, Celia Keenan-Bolger!  CELIA KEENAN-BOLGER!!!!!!!!!!  Everything she does in this movie is magic.  She plays Brian's wife, Tally, who is despicable in a unique way, and that is her phony niceness.  Her Uriah Heep like approach in helping addicts to their seat at a meeting, her bird monologue, and when she passes the vegetables at the dinner table are all high points of Celia's gifted acting magic.  One loves her servitude, without losing sight that she is one of society's most annoying characters--the reformed addict, bursting to proselytize, but never gets a chance to because Diane and her son go at each other from the get go. What is remarkable here is without a raising her voice, or shifting her tones, one gets that double edged blend of nice and nasty from Celia.  Is there anything this actress cannot do?  I cannot wait to see what she does next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That this film held my interest was some feat, being that I saw it following a night where I got no sleep.  Maybe that is why I found all the Diane driving scenes nausea inducing, and was confused about the fluidity of time, not knowing Diane's dream sequence with the young man was a look back into her past misdeed, and that the moments leading up to Diane's actual death were something else.

May Kay Place triumphs as Diane, making this not so uplifting film worth seeing!

But Celia, and that cast--DIVINE, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fascinating, Because The Emphasis Is More On Activism, Than Tragedy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     When Dave Cullen's "Columbine" came out, just ten years ago this past April 6--can you believe it???????--I read it, and was riveted.  It felt like being there, and the entire history of the tragedy, from the victims to shooters families, the planning and execution, were laid bare for all of us who were not there to take in.

                                         As soon as I heard about him coming out with a book on  Parkland, I knew I had to read it!

                                        Just to recall, the incident known as Parkland, took place on February 14, 2108.  Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!  Great, huh??????????????????  The shooter was 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who fired on teachers and students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, from which he had been expelled the year before.

                                        One reason I recount this is because Cruz, his background, motives, or outcome, are nowhere mentioned in this book.  The tragedy is described through the eyes of those who were there, and then the book morphs into an almost how to on student activism.  Many of the survivors, including Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, demonstrate how they did not want to be remembered as another Columbine--whose twentieth anniversary, darlings, is this Saturday!!!!!!!!!!-- so they formed the MFOL (March For Our Lives) organization.  The rest of the book details the students' experiences, leading, guiding, or simply participating in this organization.

                                           Energy at this age is indefatigable--I remember having it, myself, but when nervous breakdowns, grades slipping, and inattention to AP courses took its toll, one could feel sympathy for these kids, who were in way over their heads but persevered.  Cullen gets it all down, objectively, leaving the reader to admire both him and the kids.

                                              I was glad to move on to something lighter after "Parkland," but I would not have missed reading it.  My activist soul was stirred.  There is something out there I need to do.

                                              I just have to discover what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Is Going On, This Holy Week?????????????????

                               First, on Palm Sunday, there was the fire, in New York, at the Cathedral Of Saint John, The Divine!  It sounded like the damage was minimal, but the Palm Sunday service was forced to be held outdoors, which, really is more in keeping with the spirit of the original event.   Thank God--literally!!!!!--it was an nice day.

                                Monday, while meeting David at a diner for dinner, I first learned of the Notre Dame fire.  At first, I could not believe it,  I thought it was minimal; like Saint John's here in New York.  Rumors abounded the entire church was in ashes, but that turned out not to be true.  Apparently, enough priceless relics were saved, and so was enough of the structure to make rebuilding possible.

                                  But what does it all mean?  Was it an accident?  Terrorism?  Or are the anti-Catholic forces triumphing!

                                    Hons, I may still get to Paris, but, even if I do, even if it's rebuilt by then, Notre Dame will not be the same it was.  How lucky my parents, who took a tour of Europe, back in 1973, were!  They actually got to see the cathedral in all its glory.

                                                                     

                                       Remember the shot of the painting of the burning church in Roman Polanski's 1968 masterpiece, "Rosemary's Baby?"  I always wanted that prop, but when I heard about Notre Dame, I thought of this moment, wondering if that was the church on fire in the picture?  Or was it Saint Patrick's, in New York?  Or the Vatican, in Rome??????????????

                                         Those places, and others of Holy Week, Easter and Passover worship, had better be heavily secured down, because I am not so sure, until I hear for certain, that this occurrence, during Holy Week, of all time, that this was an accident.  If that turns out not to be the case, I am fine with it.  But if it was set by someone, I want justice and accountability.

                                          This upset me so much, I had a visionary dream last night.

                                           I was with a crowd of others, in Paris, watching the blaze.  Suddenly, the sky became divinely alit with blue, and out came Jesus, red robe and all, flying over the church.  When he got near the high domes, he righted himself, stood on what was left.  Then he held out his hands, and, miraculously, before our eyes, the cathedral magically, I mean miraculously, began to reconstruct itself before our eyes.  Exactly as if there had been no fire.  I felt the presence of grace to have been present at such a vision, because I am no saint!

                                              But it does represent my fondest wish for the church, itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               To think, St. Bernadette's Feast Day was yesterday.

                                                What kind of comment is this on religion, architecture, and art??????????

                                                   Pray for Paris, darlings!  Pray for us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Latest In The Nicholas, Miss Kitty Scandal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Apparently, a lot of us in Bay Ridge were not able to sleep Friday night.  On Saturday morning, stopping in to Apple Tree Market, to say hello to Nicholas, I was told he had been naughty!  The night before, he had gone into the Paws Truly section of the store, and broken into a bag of cat nip!  How upset, Deirdre, owner of Paws Truly was going to be!  Nicholas was commissioned to write a note of apology to her, and he did, when I checked in on him, later.  And he did look a little contrite.

                              But you know what?  I have known Nicholas for some time, and he is the sweetest, quietest cat.  I have no doubt he can be wild when he wants to, but someone put him up to this.  And that someone is that scheming vixen, Miss Kitty, from across the garden way.

                                 I have no doubt Miss Kitty tempted Nicholas with her wiles.  I think she sees herself as the slinky cat walking across the entire poster of the 1962 movie--"Walk On The Wild Side."

Just look at this!  Back in 1962, I wanted to see it, because I thought it was about some giant cat menacing a community.  You know, like Val Lewton's 1943 horror classic, "The Leopard Man."  Only, years later, did I discover why my parents did not want me to see it--Barbara Stanwyck plays a lesbian madame, in a New Orleans house of prostitution.   But now, being of age, I STILL want to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, girls, be assured, Miss Kitty is not a lesbian!  She is just some sly piece on the make, willing to lead poor Nicholas down the wrong path!

Only we won't let her, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!  I happen to love Nicholas, and I want to keep him the sweet thing he is.  I will protect him, and I want all you who may visit Apple Market, to protect Nicholas, and support him!

That Miss Kitty is just some vile temptress, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!