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fauxkloreIn the vacation summary, I forgot to mention that I also did the other free walking tour on offer in Sydney (an evening tour of The Rocks, the old part of town). And I checked out Vivid Sydney, which is an exhibit of light sculptures, including lighting the sails of the opera house. I failed to get any decent photos of the latter, alas.
The worst jet lag was Thursday morning when I stood in front of the elevator in my office building for at least 2 minutes before I could remember what floor I work on. I'm reasonably recovered now, though I did sleep way more than usual over the weekend.
I did manage to get myself out of the house for a story swap on Saturday night. I was particularly pleased that not only did we have a newcomer, but he told a couple of stories.
Then, on Sunday I drove to Rockville to see The Victorian Light Opera Company production of Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer. The former is, of course, too short to do on its own, but I think the latter was too long to pair it with. They were enjoyable, at any rate. Blair Eig was a bit weak vocally as The Learned Judge, which was somewhat made up for by Bennett Umhau's strong vocals as The Usher and Courney Kalbacker's acting in the role of Angelina. (One of the strengths of this company tends to be expressive acting, instead of relying solely on vocal quality.) As for The Sorcerer, I want to particularly note Tom Goode as Dr. Daly. I also want to mention that this score must be particular fun for the percussionist in the orchestra.
Now the only Gilbert and Sullivan operetta I haven't seen a live performance of is Yeoman of the Guard. If nothing comes up sooner, the Ardensingers (in deepest Delaware) are doing it next spring.
Oh, I almost forgot the celebrity death watch. There was TV host Richard Dawson, bluegrass musician Doc Watson and two authors. Ray Bradbury got a lot of attention, of course - and deserved it. I really should reread a few of his books, as it has been way too long. But I also want to mention Paul Fussell, whose snarky essays both entertained and enlightened me. I particularly recommend his book, Class, a fine manual for all aspiring intellectual snobs.
Finally, my more recent reading included rereading a lot of Shirley Jackson. I'm not really crazy about The Haunting of Hill House but I love We Have Always Lived in the Castle. And her short stories are often intriguing. Everyone has read "The Lottery" (which I still find absolutely terrifying) but I want to particularly recommend the wickedly funny "My Life with R. H. Macy."
The worst jet lag was Thursday morning when I stood in front of the elevator in my office building for at least 2 minutes before I could remember what floor I work on. I'm reasonably recovered now, though I did sleep way more than usual over the weekend.
I did manage to get myself out of the house for a story swap on Saturday night. I was particularly pleased that not only did we have a newcomer, but he told a couple of stories.
Then, on Sunday I drove to Rockville to see The Victorian Light Opera Company production of Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer. The former is, of course, too short to do on its own, but I think the latter was too long to pair it with. They were enjoyable, at any rate. Blair Eig was a bit weak vocally as The Learned Judge, which was somewhat made up for by Bennett Umhau's strong vocals as The Usher and Courney Kalbacker's acting in the role of Angelina. (One of the strengths of this company tends to be expressive acting, instead of relying solely on vocal quality.) As for The Sorcerer, I want to particularly note Tom Goode as Dr. Daly. I also want to mention that this score must be particular fun for the percussionist in the orchestra.
Now the only Gilbert and Sullivan operetta I haven't seen a live performance of is Yeoman of the Guard. If nothing comes up sooner, the Ardensingers (in deepest Delaware) are doing it next spring.
Oh, I almost forgot the celebrity death watch. There was TV host Richard Dawson, bluegrass musician Doc Watson and two authors. Ray Bradbury got a lot of attention, of course - and deserved it. I really should reread a few of his books, as it has been way too long. But I also want to mention Paul Fussell, whose snarky essays both entertained and enlightened me. I particularly recommend his book, Class, a fine manual for all aspiring intellectual snobs.
Finally, my more recent reading included rereading a lot of Shirley Jackson. I'm not really crazy about The Haunting of Hill House but I love We Have Always Lived in the Castle. And her short stories are often intriguing. Everyone has read "The Lottery" (which I still find absolutely terrifying) but I want to particularly recommend the wickedly funny "My Life with R. H. Macy."
