Yes, well, I've been back in New York for six days of lethargic, dazed jet-lag. Call me a mincing little limp-wristed pink-garbed lisping sissy if you will, but I've been barely able to curl my girly little wrists over a keyboard and too full of blog ennui to do so anyway.
The antiquated, hair-and-filth-filled computers I had access to in Anchorage deterred me from writing anything in too much detail, and perhaps you'd like a more complete idea of what went on up North.
Trial by Jury was not the main thing going on up there. For those zombie fans who could give a rat's ass about G&S, Trial by Jury is less than 40 minutes long. Madama Butterfly was the big Anchorage Opera production. Opera singers are way more delicate than normal people, and have to rest for a couple of days after singing Puccini. Post-performance hangovers and ice cream and french fry binges do take their toll as well. So on the nights in between Butterfly, while the singers were "resting," two other shows were produced to take advantage of the fact that the theater was rented anyway. One was "Americans Gone Wild," the first half of which was Broadway selections (including one by JERRY HERMAN, which was all that was necessary for me to immediately need a toilet), and the second half being "Sweet Betsy From Pike," a cute little one act Western (Cowboy) - type opera. "A Smattering of Pattering" was the Gilbert and Sullivan program, organized by my old friend soprano KATE EGAN , now living in Anchorage. First half was the most basic Trial by Jury you've ever seen -- it made NYGASP's Trial look like a Zeffirelli production. The second half was "The 'When a Merry Maiden Marries' Show," daytime TV-type "discussion" hosted by Kate. Various G&S characters came out and sat on the couch with Kate while she interviewed them about their relationship problems. For instance, "Yum-Yum, you have something to say to Nanki-Poo, don't you?" "Darling, I don't want to appear selfish, and I love you with all my heart," etc. And then they'd sing. It was frequently pretty funny. The "Americans" and the "Smattering" shows each had 2 performances, so I had plenty of time to be amazed by Alaska. I drove around, went to the museum, zoo, and library, and went flying with one of the chorus guys who has a plane. He told me the percentage of Alaskans who have pilot's licenses -- some unbelievable number I don't remember. And I "rested." There are many good local brews in Anchorage.
Click here for a review of the "Smattering of Pattering" show. It's the only intentionally funny review I've ever gotten that is actually quite amusing!
The Anchorage Barnes and Noble had a VALERIE FRANKEL display near the entrance -- all of her stuff prior to Hex and the Single Girl, which was on the "New Fiction" table.
When Kate was driving me to the airport we remarked that the only moose I had seen while in town was at the zoo. Not 2 minutes later we passed a moose about to cross the road.
I've recently (yesterday) been enlisted to perform the Judge again in an out of the way place -- the Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in England. This festival goes on for 20 full days, 10:30 to midnight! "Basically Trekkies without the ears," is how one survivor described it. My performance is on Monday, August 14. I've never visited England and I probably don't need to tell you what a thrill it will be to perform G&S there. Thank you, Nathan Hull.
Other upcoming Quint stuff, scant though it may be:
These are all Pirates of Penzance (the Major-General), with NYGASP:
April 20, State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ
April 25, Utica, NY
April 27, New Bedford, MA
June 2 & 3, Wolf Trap Festival, VA
I went to "Wall-to-Wall Stravinsky" at Symphony Space Saturday night. 11am to 11pm of free Igor! By various performers, hosted by Isaiah Sheffer. Isaiah also narrated "A Soldier's Tale," which featured Richard "John-Boy" Thomas as the soldier and Leonard "Mr. Spock" Nimoy as the devil, a role I was proud to perform last year. John-Boy and Spock were good, and I'm happy to report that they both still look like themselves. Spock did a bit in the "Devil's Dance" which made me laugh out loud. Of course he didn't dance this energetic number, what he did instead was try to attack John Boy, who would turn around and play his fiddle at him, causing Spock to freeze and grimace and contort the way he and Captain Kirk frequently did when hit by a paralyzer ray or torture beam. The Quintet of the Americas "And Friends" played "Symphonies of Wind Instruments," gad, I love that piece. The Purchase Conservatory Symphony ended the evening with a very well-played "Firebird Suite," led by a truly gruesome-looking conductor with an offensive comb-over. Get a yarmulke!
My brother Doug, many of whose pissy comments pollute this website, went to the hospital this weekend for sleep tests. Look at this mess he had to wear to sleep in:
Jet-lag. You call that jet-lag? Why, back in the day we flew 14 hours backwards and when we got there it was yesterday and we had to do everything we did the day before all over again. In the snow. Uphill! You don't know how good you got it. Plus they worshipped you up there in Alaska, I'll bet. When I was your age we had to pay to perform.
Posted by: Brad Wilson | March 18, 2006 at 10:44 PM
"When I was your age we had to pay to perform."
Obviously your band has never played at Arlene's Grocery, downtown.
Grumble.
Steve's loyal readers would probably like to see me in my sleep study electrodes last night, but I don't know how to post a picture in this blog. I will try to code it in HTML, let's see what happens.
Posted by: Doug Quint | March 19, 2006 at 04:58 PM
The conductor of the Purchase orchestra was Jesse Levine, and I'm informed by an orchestra member that not only does he look like a soft-boiled turd, he is indeed a pompous jerk.
Posted by: Mr. Steve | March 20, 2006 at 07:02 PM