Whew, what a weekend! This was my big geekapalooza weekend, with back to back shows of Annie Get Your Gun at Ravinia. I'd never seen AGYG before, but I knew much of the music, and honestly, I would go listen to Patti LuPone sing the phone book, or rap, or do pretty much whatever the hell she wanted to do. I will be there.
AGYG is a sweet, old-school musical, with delightful music (even the sad songs sound kinda bouncy, like when Frank is breezily assuring the girls to stay away from him because he's a "bad, bad man" with a huge grin on his face, loveable cad that he is!) The cast was pretty delightful, too, aside from (the) Patti, we got Patrick Cassidy (even my mom was commenting about how cute he looked in those jeans!) and George Hearn. I didn't have any trouble believing in Patti as a pistol packin' mama (I read a quote somewhere from Lonny Price that said something to the effect of Patti's so good, you just kind of believe whatever she believes - and it's true. Patti says she's Annie, well, damn straight, she is!) The plot is also fairly old school - with the central conflict of the plot involving the best way to get (and keep) a man. Annie is pretty sure that you can't get one with a gun - and when she tries to impress Frank with a fancy new trick, he goes all crazy because (gasp!) she's a better shot than him! Oh no, I can't marry you now, you're a better shot than me! I just wanted to shake him - hello? Does it fit in her character at all that she would double cross you? No. If he hung around her long enough he'd notice that simple girl thing was not an act. And if she was double crossing you, why would she be all, 'Oooh, Frank, did you see that? Did you like it?' Frank and his wounded pride. Because god forbid a girl be better than you, right? Nah, it's just dumb luck. Sigh. And also, he would just have to get over his "A doll that I'll carry is the girl that I'll marry thing" because, dude, please. See what I mean? Old school.
Some of my favorite things from the weekend:
- On Saturday night, about 4 people with those sequined light up cowboy hats came into the pavilion and parked themselves in the front row, with the hats blinking perkily. I can't be sure of this, but I think that someone went down there and told them to turn them off during the show, lest someone catch a glimpse of merrily blinking cowboy hats and commence to lose her shit. Or maybe she would have liked them, hard to tell with her, sometimes. It would have come as a surprise, anyway, to come out on stage and see blinking cowboy hats.
- As further evidence that I am a magnet for strangeness, Sunday evening, I arrived at Ravinia, and parked myself on a bench with a book until it was time to go into the pavilion. A nice older couple approached and asked if they could share the bench and I said, of course. So they were talking amongst themselves, and the lady apologized to me for distracting me from my reading, but I didn't really mind, and I said as much. Then they started talking to me, and had apparently been in a nasty car crash on the toll way on their way to Ravinia. I asked if anyone had been hurt or anything like that, and where they had come from, etc. No one was hurt. Their car was banged up but driveable. The girl who crashed into them was not hurt but her car was wrecked. An unpleasant way to start a lovely Sunday evening, and we got to chatting some more - turns out the gentleman was a fan of theater and opera and liked to travel to New York, so we talked about that for a while. I am apparently nice and approachable, but why, why, why, why am I never approached by young, hot, available MEN?? I ask you.
- Sunday night, I was early to my seat and noticed Patti in the wings, checking out the audience.
- Sunday again, I had seats in row K in the center section. That is the closest I've been in a long while (the absolute closest I've been was row D left side for Gypsy. That was total luck, and I've never been that close since). I didn't take any curtain call pictures since I was so darned close because Patti would be sure to see me (and hey, she had a gun, okay? and I don't have a death wish).
- Patti rocked all of her big songs, but probably my very favorite moment was during "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun" (no, but you could shoot them, which might come in handy when they're prattling on about being a doll they can carry.) and she blasted out "with a GuuuUUUUUnnnn!!! With a guuuuUUUnnn! No you can't get a man with a gun..." Oy, those notes! That voice! Enough to give me goosebumps.
- She was also super cute (I know that most people probably wouldn't call her cute, but she WAS, so there) in "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" and after the "Any note you can sing, I can sing higher" bit, she kind of screeched out a note, looked a little surprised at what had issued forth from her mouth, and burst into laughter. Also, was there ever any doubt over who could sing longer? Patti all the way, although I was worried she was going to fall backwards while she was sustaining the "IIIIIIIIII..... CAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN!" bit.
- A whole seperate shout out is needed for Mr. Cassidy and, as I mentioned, his jeans. He was plenty cute, also.
- A sidebar here, the Ravinia magazine was identical to the one from a few weeks ago - different cover, but same stories. Same profile of Nathan Gunn (which, whatever, he's lovely and delightful, and I will happily read his interviews. In fact, in the future, I offer to GIVE these dinner with... interviews. How bout it, Ravinia?) Same story about the Merm, same exact content except for the program details in the back. This is the first time I have encountered that, and I wonder if it was a mistake or what.
- There was a signing on Saturday night, but I didn't stay. It was HOT, and I hadn't brought anything worth Patti signing, and I can never scrape enough brain cells together in her presence to say anything meaningful. Even though I've been curious to ask her if she's still doing the blood type diet thing, (because if yes, it is working for her!) and tell her that a colleague of mine makes smoothies using kale, so she could try that, if she was in need of creative ideas. Do you think I could actually say these things though?? No. So I didn't wait. And I didn't wait last night, either, because it was late and Sunday and I had to get up early for work this morning.
- I also think I saw Mandy Patinkin lurking around in the audience. I was waiting to leave on Sunday - one of the bad things about sitting close is that it took just about forever to leave. I was looking around, like you do, and peered down an aisle (for easier exit access) and I spotted someone who looked familiar. First I just saw him in profile, so I wasn't sure, so I kept (subtly) looking and he turned around... I am pretty sure it was him. If I'd had anyone with me, I would have done what Heidi did to me in NYC when she saw Constantine Maroulis hailing a cab, AKA, she grabbed me and went "Isn't that... somebody?? American Idol dude?" (It was. We were down the street from Rock of Ages at the time.) So that is unsubstantiated, but there you go. I never spot ANYBODY, so points for me there.
Ummm. I think that's all. For a while I had considered going to Lolla a few weeks ago, but really, it's not my scene. Give me a beautiful summer night at Ravinia, and amazing singers doing a charming musical and I will be happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment