It's hard on a highly respectable man

[sovay]

Apparently it is culture weekend. On Thursday, I heard Susan Cooper read a remembrance of John Langstaff and the Revels at the Cambridge Public Library. (The reading was for Cambridge Voices, but she was gracious enough to sign my old trade paperback of The Grey King.) Last night I met fleurdelis28 at the BU Theatre for Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, with a pre-show talk by the composer and Phyllis Curtin. (It is one of my favorite operas, an Appalachian murder ballad with apocryphal roots; I've had the 1962 recording with Curtin and Norman Treigle since I was a junior at Brandeis, but I'd never seen a production.) And tonight, thanks to the magic of the half-price ticket kiosk in Copley Square, we're going to see Coppélia at the Boston Ballet. (It's a comic ballet based on "Der Sandmann." I can't even figure out how that should work, but you expect me not to see it?) Right, and it's also my father's birthday observed. Just in case there wasn't enough going on.

And someone on WERS just finished singing Irving Berlin's "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning," which I can respect very much. I was standing in the rain at ten in the morning to ask about ballet tickets. I felt like the opening scenes of The Red Shoes, or possibly Elizabeth Enright's The Saturdays. I'll go with the latter; it decreases my chances of ending up folklorically dead.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

(1) How cool that you got to hear Susan Cooper and get your book signed.

(2) Just your few words here about the opera Susannah made me very curious, so I read the story synopsis, the description of its Appalachian-based music, and its relation to the Biblical story of Susannah and the Elders--wow, just fascinating.

(3) Coppelia was the first ballet I ever saw performed.

(4) Happy birthday-observed to your father!

[muchabstracted.livejournal.com]

I missed Susan Cooper? You have to share these things!

[straussmonster.livejournal.com]

Woah, how old IS Carlisle Floyd now? His Of Mice and Men is also top-notch.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Go with The Saturdays. At worst, you can only fall out of a boat in Central Park and narrowly escape coal gas....

But how lovely! All your stars must be aligned artistically.

Happy birthday to your father.

Nine

Irving Berlin

[lauradi7.livejournal.com]

Was it hyping this event?
>>Sunday, April 18, 3pm
Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall
Longy Welcomes
American Classics
Yip! Yip! Yaphank!
A concert performance of Irving Berlin’s World War I soldier show, in its first modern revival.
Tickets: $20 General Admission / $15 Students and Seniors<<

[zdenka]

Oh hey, I just got back from the afternoon performance of Coppelia. There are a few things I could criticize, but on the whole I enjoyed it very much. I'll be curious to hear what you think of it. I hope you aren't disappointed; the ballet is much less sinister than any story by Hoffman or that act of the Offenbach opera would lead one to believe.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Glad you were able to go to the Susan Cooper reading and to the opera, which sounds fascinating. I hope the ballet is enjoyable.

Mornings are no fun, but I'm glad you got your tickets. Glad also that you're going with The Saturdays, as opposed to the Hans Christian Andersen story.

Happy Birthday Observed to your father!