Flavor of the Day - Musicals

Two musicals in the span of 6 days... again! I can't help it! I NEED to watch live performances! I bet staring at the computer screen all day contributes to my reflexive madness that has overwhelmed my dry spirit. It's feelings other than super happiness that make me recall my human existence (as with most musicals), yet the happy endings remind me of all the joys of just simple existing.

So last week Friday I watched James Joyce's "The Dead" in Hollywood. Having never read the short story, I hadn't a clue what to expect. Most of the play surrounded an exuberant Irish family partying at Christmastime. But the end it all came together - about how we view life in different ways at different stages. I recall the narrator mentioning something about walking on smooth ice, but then when you get to a crack, you realize there's much beneath the surface you never knew about. Many metaphors about what lies underneath the surface, raising the dead, and reverence towards and remembrance of our loved ones. I loved the music. I wish I could have purchased a copy, but the option didn't exist. It's since inspired me to read the book, though sometimes Joyce is hard to dissect.

Tonight I watched "My Fair Lady" at the Ahmanson. I'd never seen it before (the play or the movie) but it is one of my mom's favorites, and as I witnessed the scenes for myself and listened to the tunes, I remembered my mom singing and humming those songs when I was a kid. She's the one who motivated me into the arts and inspired me to appreciate culture. I just love going to these things because I feel more intelligent, of a higher class, and of an older generation. Although these delusions should be pardoned, I allow them for one night to elevate my esteem and my confidence. It reminded me of both Cinderella and Pretty Woman. And although it was a comedy, it left a bittersweet aftertaste in my head. It got me thinking... about the motives of men, about placing walls around our hearts, and about how we can change ourselves and others by our mere presence or absence. True, these really have nothing to do with the play. My whole over-analytical mind got in there and delved much further than the surface, digging deeper and deeper until it came around and unearthed my own soul at the moment.

NOTE: Keep in mind I love theatre. I hope more of you build an interest in it. I'm running out of theatre buddies and am always hoping to inspire more people to at least open their minds to it. Also planning on joining a theatre company soon. If interested, inquire within and we'll get something concrete going.