A Little Night Music

Magnet #986 - A Little Night Music

Look, I dunno who told Broadway that I would totally buy any and all magnets of any and all shows I attended, so definitely make magnets for that one definite sale they'd get, but thanks!

And, thanks, Telecharge for having great sales. Between you guys and Playbill, you're killing me. But maybe saving me, too. /melodramatic

Although, I will admit that tonight's performance of A Little Night Music, I would have likely paid full price sometime between now and January 9th, I feel sure. Because hello, you don't get any better than Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch on Broadway. I mean, amazing. People were wiping tears away during Send in the Clowns. For real.

I was worried at the beginning, because during the first number, I had troubles understanding the book and lyrics as they were being sung by the chorus. I can't figure out if that was Sondheim's fault, or if my hearing's getting worse. So the first part of the show, I was thinking, hmmmm, maybe I need to check out those infrared hearing devices, and would I look silly next time I went to a show asking for one, and would they believe that a "young" person really needed them, and would they give me guff about it, and how would I look in the audience, wearing one? Can you see them? Are they like headphones? Does it have an infrared laser that people will notice? Will it look like on tv or the movies when they show up on someone's forehead, if I look their way? Will the sopranos hurt my eardrums? And why does her voice go up so high in the first place, mine doesn't do that!

Uh, yeah. Pretty busy in my head for the first couple of numbers. But, I finally eased into the show, as Elaine and Bernadette showed up and I got out of my head. So glad I did, too. As the story was being set up, I started thinking ahead of how they were gonna solve each couple's storyline, and was greatly amused as the show moved forward. So, yay, terrific job. And not just by the two grand dames - they were surrounded by a great supporting cast, who performed their solo numbers with such fabulous verve, it kinda made me want to sing.

I won't, obviously.

You're welcome.

I know, I'm a lucky gal for being able to see such wonderful shows with Broadway greats. I don't take it for granted, I promise. I've seen Bernadette a couple of times - in Annie Get Your Gun and a Broadway puppies benefit (not even kidding) in Shubert Alley, and no matter where I see her, I'm always brought back to her performance in Annie.

And, even as I hated this number when I was little, I love, love, love seeing Tim Curry, Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters belt out Easy Street.

Let's all go to the show

Magnet #304 - Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular

After living here for more than a dozen years, I finally braved the tourists and the crowds and the children, and went to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City last year.

The show was both great and a little odd at the same time. The performances themselves were spot-on, and supercool to watch all the Rockettes do all their dance numbers. I've only met a couple of Rockettes, and it amazes me that they all have to be the same height and build, just to even be considered.

But, I had an odd kind of moment during the show, because I realized how used to being in NY I've become. Growing up down in NC, where I knew one Jewish guy in high school, we always said Merry Christmas. Then, over the years here, I've just gotten used to saying Happy Holidays, to be more inclusive of all religions. So I was surprised (at how surprised I was) to see how Christmassy the show was. I know that the show is actually called Christmas Spectacular, but when they actually did the Nativity story, I was surprised to see that overt Christ message - outside Mass. I dunno, it was just an odd, very Christian, moment for me.

Anyway, moving on - I've seen a couple of Daytime Emmy productions at Radio City, and now the Christmas show, and each time I sit in one of their seats, I just marvel over the auditorium. It's quite amazing. I love Radio City, as a performance venue, and this may shock you, but I've taken the tour. Twice. With the same tour guide. Seriously.

It's such a wonderfully designed theatre, and it's just chock-full of history from its Art Deco days with Clark Gable and Ginger Rogers, to now, where apparently Cheech and Chong are playing (?).

But for me, it'll always be the theatre where Gracie and Daddy Warbucks took Annie, when they all went to the movies.