The new orchestrations necessitated by the staging, sharpen the score to a fine point. Harold Prince's original production benefitted from the looming and dense sound. This one gasps, bursts, and sings with such pointed intensity that you're pulled even deeper into the recesses of the murderous barber's mind. "It stings a little" to borrow a phrase from the score, and it keeps stinging until its final glorious moment. Buy this recording NOW.

Read more about the production on the official website Sweeney Todd on Broadway

Get tickets at www.SmartTix.com. More info at http://bearcreeknyc.com/Objete.htm.

Glimpses of Objete. Get your tickets Now!

Come see The Cosmic Bicycle Theatre's production of Objete. It got great reviews in Montreal. It is also the penultimate production in our theater before the massive renovation. Get tickets early at www.SmartTix.com. More info at http://bearcreeknyc.com/Objete.htm.

Brokeback Mountain

I highly recommend this movie, for nothing else than Heath Ledger's remarkable performance. The arc of the story rests entirely on his journey. There is a subtleness to his acting that you might not have expected. I only had one problem with the movie *****SPOILER ALERT***** I found the dead sheep predictable and very unnecessary. As Ennis was riding back up the mountain, I kept begging the movie not to do the obvious thing and show us the result of his sin. And there it was...the punishment for crossing the line, the dead sheep. My problem with this is that it's too Greek tragedy. The story was not being told in that fashion and it was too bold and too obvious a choice. I was discussing this with someone on Sunday and he said that it was true to the book. Not having read it, I couldn't argue (although books and movies don't have to have anything to do with one another.) So, I read the book. WRONG!!!! No dead sheep. Ang Lee, or Larry McMurtry, put it in there. The only mention of a dead sheep in Proulx' story is a suspicion by Ennis that the coyote with balls big as apples musta got some lambs before he shot it. Too Greek to put it in. Still, go see the movie.

Get your tickets now for Confessions of a Mormon Boy

I knew Steven Fales very briefly at Boston Conservatory. He left after freshman year to go on his missionary duty for LDS.
I got back in touch with him by accident when his solo show Confessions of a Mormon Boy started touring the country. I wrote him and he's the same nice guy I knew way back when.
Tickets are available through the Soho Playhouse, for an upcoming NY run. The show is directed by Jack Hofsiss, who directed the original B'way production of The Elephant Man and the television version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Jessica Lange.
Do your best to see this remarkable performer baring his soul and finding his way through an adventurous life.

Puzzle

Puzzle undone

I got a great gift for the Christmas season. When Grandma went into St.Barnabas Nursing Home, it was clear that she was not returning to her house. She collected creches over the years. The only one I wanted was one that my father made. My mom sent it to me. As you can see, it's a puzzle. I always liked it.

We have a small tree this year. We thought Hazel might grab at ornaments so we went tabletop.

I love it when you get sent truly funny ones

Bush’s Brain Game 

 

Click it to play

So, I have been personally affected

 

My complaint about the transit strike.

 

 

Happy Holidays etc

The tree guards that Jack designed got a nice opening last week. We had our block association holiday party where we unveiled the tree guards.
C. Virginia Fields (Manhattan Borough President), Keith Wright (Assemblyman), and our new councilperson Inez Dickens came to wish our block well and congratulate us on the project.
It also gave us a great opportunity to discuss some other issues we feel are threatening Harlem revitalization; namely harassment of tenants by unscrupulous (greedy) building owners and the new practice of advertising air rights to prospective buyers. There was good talk and I was especially proud of Jack's contribution.

scp

French Buffet

We’re selling a buffet on craigslist.  Now that the curtains are done, the buffet no longer fits.  Check out the piece here http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fur/117485013.html.  NYC locals only.  I can’t arrange shipping right now.

Got these curtains hung in the bedroom. Now, I just have to hem the bottoms...and clean the room!

Jack designed uniform tree guards for our block. The first sample was installed today. It'll be great when they're all in.

Callaboo in a sorta front pic

Nanny tapes

I think these tapes were made in 1973 or earlier. 

 

My father’s mother, who we called Nanny, was quite a storyteller.  She loved telling Bible stories and family history full of blood and guts.  As a child, I was terrified of her stories.  My mother would have to calm me down after visiting Nanny because I’d been subjected to Civil War stories of amputated gangrenous feet and Jesus on the cross bleeding water from open spear wounds.  After some time my mother asked Nanny to refrain.  But she would have none of it.

 

She did however, record at least three audio cassettes of her oral history.  My brother Justin recently digitized them and I’ve been listening on my iPod.

 

They are fascinating.

 

It’s like she’s right here telling tales again.

 

I’ve cultivated a darker sense of humor since I was 3 years old.  So, now I listen with rapt attention.  The gangrene still freaks me out a little.  But, what a treasure to have this history.

 

Callaboo got a new one too! But she wouldn't sit still!

Callaboo and Sean