Saying good-bye at Tampa Airport... a tribute to the first pilots in Florida.
Saying hello to The Rainsford Historic District, the old Governor's Mansion.
My kind of neighborhood, quaint and serene, can't wait until spring!
My 1940's hallway, mellow yellow, and a sensuous ambiance.
I've moved across the country 1800 miles. A great adventure. Snow everywhere, the sounds of early morning shovels. Sunny skies and glaring white makes the days seem exceptionally bright. Now that Christmas is over, I think I'm going to lay back and rest from my six month long, 24/7 effort to get here. But I AM here!
Last night and tonight, I watched the DVD of FOLLIES IN CONCERT, performed in NYC live at Avery Fisher Hall produced in four days, mainly to create a definitive album of the show.
The original 1971 production has become a cult favorite.
What was so completely thrilling, watching this 1985 show, was the emotion the performers felt. I could feel it. They all knew each other, and had known each other for years. So in a way, the lyrics of the songs rang true to them, reflecting moments in their own personal lives. The roster of performers couldn't have been better.
The audience went wild from the minute "The Beautiful Girls" walked down the steps to the stage. Each performer was greeted with such thunderous applause, you knew the audience was packed with hard core Broadway fans. They knew the merits of each Broadway star. To hear Elaine Stritch sing "Broadway Baby," made my heart pound, my eyes tear up, it brought down the house. That woman gives 200% of herself to each word she sings, and says.
I found myself crying through much of the performance, because there was something so touching, so personal, so vibrant about this show. It really was a reunion in reality. Not just the story of a reunion of showgirls, which Follies is, but a reunion of Broadway stars who came together to make this happen in just four days. Consumate professionals, afterwards they said to each other, "Have you ever seen a night like this!" You could see in their faces the joy they felt. One star said, "I like the rehearsals better than doing the show!" They just loved being together. It was all family.
Wearing protective inhalation mask... hey, what about the doggies?
Viewing the fires in Rancho Palos Verdes...
It's become an annual event, the Southern California fires... They are catastrophic, and yet, the serene, centered Californians always seem to manage to take them in stride. Just another event in their lives, like earthquakes and mudslides. They have the best weather in the universe I think, so what's a few catastrophe's?
George Cukor directed The Women in 1939, and Diane English directed her version of the film in 2008. I specifically say "her version" because it is radically different from the original. Diane felt that after 70 years, women had become more supportive of each other, less catty and vindictive.
The original film states "it's all about men." The new version is definitely all about women. Not a man in sight, and very few on anyone's mind, except of course for the wandering husband.
The new film's cast of Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Candace Bergen, Eva Mendes, Debi Mazar, Carrie Fisher, a cameo by Bette Midler, and an outstanding at 82 Cloris Leachman, who has some of the best comic lines in the film, do a wonderful job of being friends, confidants, even in betrayal and sadness, they are dynamic. The film ends quite appropriately in a birthing room, as Debra Messing gives birth to her fifth child. This new film is all about women, their power, their passions, their drive, and oh yes, their relationships with the invisible men.
At first, I was appalled at the difference between the two films, but then I realized that Diane English was right, women had changed, and they didn't need to be so catty or clever or "in your face" with the outfits and the style that was so predominant in the original. I've actually watched it five times, and at the end now, I cry. Isn't that something? Quite a switch from the original, which was a comedy classic.
Well, they went and built a hotel on the elephants' migratory path. Did the elephants mind? Apparently not. They stroll right through the place every November. Makes a great tourist attraction. Eh? Seems the hotel courtyard drops particularly delicious mangoes to the ground, and these elephants cannot resist them! Even though there are other mango trees on other properties, these elephants prefer the ones found at the hotel.
Oh, how I wish I were seeing it this year, but not happening. Next year for sure! A madcap adventure full of fun and craziness. Yipee Cayooooooooooo... It's The West, baby.
Falling in love seems to be my main occupation, although it's not listed on the Blogger selections. Still dancing through life... one leap and turn at a time.
.JPG)
.JPG)
