Do I wake or sleep?

Saw Ragtime last night with Michael. This is a new scaled-down production--you might even call it stripped down. I didn't see the original production on Broadway, only the first national tour--I didn't have a problem with that set but apparently it attracted some criticism for being too much--too big, too bulky, whatever. Bearing that in mind, I think this set goes a little too far in the other direction--it looks like scaffolding up there. As a means of showing off the cast, as a structural piece that helps advance the action, I think it works--I just think it looks ugly and colorless. There's a middle ground, just add some more movable set pieces. They do this well enough in the New Rochelle WASP household, they need to do it more for the other settings as well. And have more of a car up there! Someone on ATC said it very well, "Fred Flintstone wants his car back!" The car is a symbol of Coalhouse's material success, we really should see more than an outline.

The performances are a little uneven but generally pretty good. The two strongest, IMO, are Stephanie Umoh as Sarah and Bobby Steggart as Mother's Younger Brother. The latter is incredibly intense, completely in the moment all the way through and manages somehow to be both scary and touching. He also sounds great. Stephanie Umoh doesn't always sound flawless (I think she's covering a little too much) but she does a pretty good job and she's so incredibly sweet and likeable as Sarah. I suppose you could argue that you kind of HAVE to like Sarah, she's written that way but you can't write charm, the performer has to bring that. Furthermore she's absolutely gorgeous, she looks like a radiant fawn up there.

Father and Mother were good but didn't particularly excite--I thought Mother was a slightly more interesting actor than singer. The kid playing Edgar is terrific, and I want to adopt the Little Girl. Tateh was--again, okay, but I thought he was missing something, he seemed to take himself SO SERIOUSLY, a little humor helps with that role and makes your eventual breakdown in the tenement neighborhood more impactful. Coalhouse acted the role quite well but I don't think he's supporting very well, I wasn't that thrilled with his singing.

Loved Donna Migliaccio (Washington DC actors represent! Everyone knows her down there) as Emma Goldman and am grumpy that one poster on ATC wrote her and the guy who played Booker T. Washington off as caricatures. I thought they both gave believable, fully realized performances. I also liked Harry Houdini and Henry Ford--yeah, they're not huge roles but I still liked them.

And--Evelyn. I always get cranky when I see Evelyns. I've never seen one that seemed to be anything much but a caricature. This one was waaaay too brash, grinning nonstop, with a really unattractive red wig* and just--trying too hard. Brash is not sexy. Cheap is not sexy. Subtle is sexy. Evelyn Nesbit was neither brash nor cheap--yes, she's written as a chorine milking her notoriety but you can make her more interesting and self-aware than that, you can have her winking (figuratively speaking) at the audience, especially on lines like "ruined at the age of 15!" She wrote two autobiographies for God's sake, she wasn't stupid. And frankly she was a hell of a lot more sympathetic than she's portrayed in the show--she really was a victim of her own beauty. Stanford White was nothing more than a proto-Roman Polanski, although he had a much more longstanding relationship with Evelyn and took care of her for a long time.

They also cut the second verse of "Crime of the Century"--well, they didn't exactly cut it but she mouthes the words to underscoring while Edgar or someone else gives us more exposition. O-kay, I can see the wisdom of that change, I just don't like it because I love that song!

*I'm so mortified. I've seen many pictures of Evelyn Nesbit but they're all in black and white--I had no idea she was a redhead. I've been grumbling about the fact that the original EN in 1998 was a blonde, because of all the characters whose appearance you need to get right, it's hers since that's orignally what made her famous! Anyway, she was a redhead.

Such a beautiful score. Man, do I love that score. Just to hear that live...

I sort of know Mark Aldrich, who played Willy Conklin. He's also from DC, and back in the '90s he was friends with a friend of mine, Charles. Charles and Amy (his GF) were sort of trying to set me up with Mark at one point--I think Charles and Mark were both doing A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theater (while Amy and I were doing Fiddler on the Roof at one of the dinner theaters) and we all hung out after their show one night at Sweet Georgia Brown's or one of those Southern restaurants that sprang up in DC after Clinton became President. I doubt he even remembers it :)

It strikes me as odd that Tateh is able to sell his "movie book" for a dollar--a whole dollar, really? A dollar was quite a bit of money back then, it would be at least $20 nowadays, I should think.

I love this! I've been laughing about it all day. "Aw, man..."

I'm rewriting A Christmas Carol again--TTC is doing a smaller, version of it this year. It's going to be staged in the Hoboken Historical Museum which is an interesting space. Not huge but it has some cool features like a balcony and stairs. Anyway, we're doing it as a reading, so I have to figure out how to slim down the script and keep a good amount of music (it wouldn't be MY Xmas Carol without all that exquisitely Anglican music!).

I made apple-y stuff last weekend with the apples we picked--I found a great recipe for apple bread, very rich and sweet with walnuts. (Well, I played with it a bit, substituted some brown sugar for some of the regular sugar for which the recipe called. It made it VERY moist with a kind of streusel thing going through it.) The batter tasted fantastic, like cookies. I also made some applesauce. Tonight I want to make a pie--I took a quick peek for my glass pie pan in the cabinets and didn't see it but it must be there.

Oh, and Polanski update: Emma Thompson mercifully saw reason and is removing her name from the disgusting petition of support for Polanski, the rape-rapist. Yay for sanity!

There seems to be a lot of second-guessing about Bloomberg's smaller-than-expected margin of victory over Thompson--apparently it was only 5 points instead a projected 12 or so. Second-guessing and what seems to me to be an attempt to force this into a narrative, that being Bloomberg's supposed erosion of influence. Frankly I think all it means is that not many people here in the city voted on Tuesday because they all knew that Bloomberg would win. Thompson was nothing, a cipher. All he had going for him was that he wasn't Bloomberg, but he stood for nothing and he made a lot of basic, amateurish errors in his campaign (misspellings on campaign materials and in commercials, poor coordination with staff, etc.). A hapless effort overall.

I said something about this on Alex's FB page but to expand on it--I have a problem with the Democratic party in New York State. They're this well-entrenched party machine, like Tammany Hall, especially here in the city, so the only way to break through is to put in your time and eventually you'll get rewarded with a slot on the ticket. And so we, the voters, are presented with a bunch of talentless party hacks for our Democratic choices--I mean, Bill Thompson? Ferrer? Paterson? The ONLY way Paterson got on the Spitzer ticket for Lt. Governor was because he'd put in the time--he has zero leadership qualities and is unelectable. And with anemic choices like Ferrer and Thompson, we get trounced by more charismatic mavericks like Bloomberg and Guiliani--guys who actually have a chance at breaking through the pack because the pack is so much thinner in the NYC Republican party. Bloomberg was a Democrat originally--he had to switch parties to have a shot at the nomination. (And then switched again to become an Independent.) And look who he ran against in 2001? Mark Green, whom I actually don't mind personally or as Public Advocate, but is a bland, by-the-numbers leader. I think he does better snarking on the side, because he diesn't really impress me as a leader--I reacted quite badly to his negative campaigning in 2001.

The exception to this is Anthony Weiner, who is a NYC Democrat and I love him. He's like a charismatic geek--kind of like Bloomberg, now that I think of it. Very intelligent and a hard worker. I'd like to see him run again in four years.

[shallow]There are some good-lookin' men on the Yankees. Andy Pettite? That intense stare, that nod, that efficient delivery? Hello! And Rivera is just classically beautiful--like, he could be a statue, his face is so chiseled. That Teixeira guy is yummy too, with that sensual mouth. Call me![/shallow]

Oh yeah--after apple-picking and dropping off various passengers and the car, I hung out at the Piper's Kilt to watch the game, exhausted though I was. Man, does the food there suck, but I nursed a Guinness and had a great time. Everyone was in a good mood. It's kind of weird, though, there was a girl there, obviously a huge Yankees fan from her regalia, who made a couple of cracks at people in the stands. Example: the camera cut to a shot of a young woman holding out a banner, saying something like "World Series 2009: Yankees vs. Phillis." People in the bar clapped and this girl sniped "get a new haircut." Later when they cut to a shot of Kate Hudson clapping, the girl simpered "Oooh, I'm a Yankees fan!" She only did this toward women in the stands. I wanted to say--you don't need to be threatened by the sight of other female fans. (And Kate Hudson is DATING A-Rod--I would hope she'd be there!) You're not the only one who loves sports--you're not unique in any way, there are a lot of us out there. Sniping at other women--and only at them--just makes you look insecure. Just chill and have a great time cheering on the team.

Oh, and I didn't notice this on the TV, but apparently for the last inning, the crowd at Yankee Stadium stood for the whole thing, just watching Rivera. That is awesome. What a tribute! This from the Washington Post:

The crowd stood for the whole thing, as if in homage to the master at work. It was a 1-2-3 ninth, the stadium exploding, Sinatra's voice telling everyone to start spreading the news, the great closer meeting his catcher halfway to home plate for a long, familiar hug.

That's beautiful writing--and on deadline too! I'm not used to reading such good writing in the sports section.

Saw Bye Bye Birdie last night.

W. O. W.

This *may* surpass The Civil War as the worst Broadway show I've ever seen. I came close to walking out of CW at intermission, after that dreadful, self-indulgent number "How Many Devils?" but since someone had given me the ticket, I figured I owed it to them to stay.

BBB's big main, overriding flaw is the direction--including staging, casting, and the diection of the actors. Gina Gershon, who is gorgeous and who played Sally Bowles for the Rundabout to great acclaim, is egregiously miscast as Rosie. She is really terrible--not only can't she hit the notes, she can't project at all and does this weird, swooping thing on the notes. I can't describe it but she's pretty bad. Her dancing is non-existent, but worst of all is her performance. She just doesn't get the specific style, the energy of Rosie and the show. Her actions and staging is muddled and unclear--she seems like she's apologizing. She doesn't pop.

Stamos is a little better--he at least has a nice voice--but he is just. Not. The Albert type. At all. He doesn't have that nerdy, gangly energy that Albert should, and so he's just not that interesting in the role. Again, he doesn't pop. The girl who plays Kim has a lovely voice and is very sweet, but also doesn't get the role or the show. Kim is supposed to be so wide-eyed, she's ridiculous; "How Lovely to Be a Woman" is supposed to be simultaneously hilarious and adorable, because she's singing about how she's a woman and she's 15 and she's just so darn excited about those "simply beautiful clothes!" This girl sang it as though it were a thoughtful, introspective ingenue anthem--obviously the director didn't go through which phrases to lean on slightly, to make it more comic, like "the wait was well worthwhile," "...a woman's smile" and at the same time, revel in being able to "...stay out after ten!"

But all of this pales to the travesty that was Bill Irwin's performance as Mr. MacAfee. He should not be allowed anywhere near musical theater ever again. His performance of "Kids"--a slam-dunk number, an hilarious, character-based comic number, "this crazy kids, they'll be the death of me"--was THE worst, most self-indulgent, masturbatory performance I've ever seen on Broadway. He moaned and squeaked his way through the lyrics--it literally sounded as though he were having a bowel movement, the way he moaned "Keeeeeeedsuh!" My face was right out of the movie of The Producers--I was truly embarrassed for him. Honestly at this point I never want to see him in any show again, I hated his performance that much.

On the dimly bright side--the teenagers were completely adorable. Ridiculously adorable. I don't know how they directed themselves but they were all terrific, and GOT the show, they nailed the energy. I liked the Birdie too--he's not perfectly cast (a little too young, IMO) but still very good, and sounded nice. The sets are kind of minimal but I did like them, especially the MacAfee's living room--I really want that couch and those pillows! Music direction is only a'ight, I wanted to hear the kids more. Choreography is almost non-existent until "Lot of Living" when it finally picks up (the Shriner's Ballet and another dance number of Rosie's are cut).

Edited to add:



As I said, the teenagers are the best, second-best, and third-best thing about the show. They all give terrific performances. Just look at those adorable faces!

I've been re-reading the book The Fifties by David Halberstam--I got it on Amazon a few years ago, thinking it was another book about the '50s that I'd read years ago--when I realized it was a different one, I perused it but didn't pay too much attention. Mom snaked it out of my bookcase when she was here a few weeks ago so I picked it up again.

Very interesting book that deals with trends/themes/etc. chapter by thorough chapter. One that's struck me is the on Little Rock--I think it's especially poignant now, with all these people claiming "I'm not a racist..." and then saying or doing racist things.

The facts: 3 years after the Brown decision, nine kids were hand-picked to integrate Central High in Little Rock. Elizabeth Eckford was one of those nine. She showed up for the first day of school (well, she and the others should've been there before then--there were legal shenanigans, injunctions, etc., anything to block these kids' ingress). However she didn't realize that the meeting place had changed--Daisy Bates, the head of the NAACP wasn't able to contact her because the Eckford household had no phone. So this little slip of a girl shows up--all alone. She sees the soldiers, the Arkansas National Guard, ostensibly there in case of violence but in reality their purpose is to keep the black kids out. She sees the Guard letting in the white kids--as she tries to follow them through, they block her entrance. Not understanding, she makes her way to another entrance, and another--the same thing happens. There's been a crowd gathering of militant segregationists--men, women, old people, teenagers--who start following this little girl. Yelling unbelievable things. Unbelievable things. To this 15 year old girl, who just wants an education.

Elizabeth Eckford maintained her dignity throughout all of this--behaved with a superhuman control, although I can't imagine her terror. She finally went over to the bus bench and sat down--a reporter helped her and she made her way home. Eventually, finally, the kids were able to get in--the drama had subsided but the war was just beginning.

It's important to know that Little Rock was actually relatively racially moderate, as Southern cities went at that time. And even more bizarrely, so was Orville Faubus, the Arkansas governor. This is a man who's gone down in history as the proto-George Wallace, a racist, arch-conservative demagogue and yet believe it or not, until the Central High events started shaping up, he was actually quite moderate.* It's--appalling or disgusting, or discouraging, to realize that his actions, which helped create what could've been a fatal crisis, were completely politically motivated. He was not a racist ideologue. He was facing re-election and wanted to defang the segregationists who were going to be challenging him. (And it worked. He was re-elected several times after that.) I don't even know what to say about a man who throws nine schoolchildren to a howling mob, a modern-day Pontius Pilate, just to be re-elected. Like, are you even a human being after that? Elizabeth Eckford could've been killed--easily. Her life was in danger. There were people--more than one--calling for her lynching right then and there, in front of the cameras and microphones. This was the most dramatic episode, but those nine kids were criminally harassed--taunted, stalked, physically attacked--throughout the entire school year. God bless every last one of them. Teenagers? I don't think I could've withstood that at 15. Jesus. How does a teenager have that kind of courage?

*Interestingly, Eisenhower was more racist than Faubus, although he absolutely would've been one of those oblivious types who denied it. The book recounts an interesting episode when a black guy at the U.N., I think it was Ralph Bunch, was going to be honored and Eisenhower was leery of attending the function--because, he said, he thought other people might boycott it, other people might be uncomfortable. He finally was pushed into it, and was stunned to see the function was completely uncontroversial and everyone supported the guy wholeheartedly. Truly oblivious to his own bias. He ended up pulling the rug out under Faubus NOT because of Faubus's actions towards the kids, but because he had gone back on his word to Ike--this bajillion-star general wasn't going to tolerate insubordination.

Although, not that this is to Ike's credit, when he finally did sign Executive Order 10730 (which federalized the Arkansas National Guard) and sent in the 101st Airborne--now the soldiers were on the side of the kids, not the racists--things progressed somewhat awesomely. The book talks about how the soldiers marched up to Daisy Bates home, where the kids were, and saluted the mothers and said "ma'am, we'll bring your children back here at 3:30." Minnijean Brown, one of the nine, said "for the first time in my life, I felt like an American citizen." Which makes me want to cry.

I think people like this morally bankrupt JP in Louisiana want to look at things like this--at one of the most egregious examples of racism on display in this country's history--and comfort themselves, "I'm not like that. I would never do that. That's what racism is." If you'd asked those people yelling those epithets if they were racist, this is what they would say: "No, I'm not a racist. I would never murder blacks, I just don't want them in my school." But thought, feelings, words and actions are all a continuum, you can't compartmentalize. And just because you're not actually doing the worst, doesn't mean you're not contributing to and reinforcing the attitudes that help create the worst.

And not only that, the weird thing is that most of the harassment of the Nine was by a relatively small group--I think Eckford said it was 55 kids out of a pretty large school population (1500? 2000? Something like that). Any white kid who showed any decency to the Nine was also subject to harassment (and the reporter who helped Eckford at the bus stop was practically run out of town). There's something really vile that 55 kids can hold an entire school hostage like that--truly illustrating that "all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Apparently the rest of the nation isn't taking this too well.

Both Governor Jindal and Senator Landrieu are calling him out. GOOD. Embarrass him, point fingers at him, kick him out of office, shame him. Call upon the power of community to enforce community standards.

Two things I love:

"Perhaps he's worried the kids will grow up and be president," said Bill Quigley, director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and Justice...

and

Bardwell, a Republican, has served as justice of peace for 34 years. He said he has run without opposition each time, but had decided earlier not to run again.

Sure you did. Right. This brouhaha, which you obviously didn't think would blow up in your face, has NOTHING to do with your decision not to run again.

Just ordered some darling items from Plasticland, including this oh-so-seasonal plaid pencil skirt:



Can't wait to pair that up with cute shoes and a sweater! The Mad Men look is difficult for me to pull off--I'm not voluminously busty enough--but some stuff, like pencil skirts, I can handle.

Jason, Paula, Big Ben and I are going to Applewood Farms, where we all went a few years ago, to pick apples, taste wine, pick pumpkins, eat seasonal food and generally celebrate autumn. We are renting a car--we could possibly fit in one more (small) person (the rental page says it seats five) or if there are enough people who want to join, maybe you could get a car yourself and follow after. We will be leaving Astoria around 11-11:30.

Apples! Apple bread and applesauce and apple pie! And pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread! The best season of all!