Everything is interesting

I've been meaning to write in here several times in the past few weeks -- I've just been too busy, I'm afraid. I meant to write some detailed thoughts about the Iolanthe I directed at Brown, and about attending and performing at AppleFest in New York, and a detailed review of the VLOG Yeomen, and some thoughts on the MIT Mikado, and my thoughts about auditioning for Pirates at Brown, but I've done none of those things. So here's the very quick version:

Iolanthe went very well. I loved that cast. It came together more last-minute than I'd've liked, but it really did end up being a high-quality product. We did some clever things with a pretty inconvenient venue, including some fun Powerpoint background stuff. Maybe sometime soon I'll type up a list of some of the particular things I enjoyed about that Iolanthe, but I don't have the time now. (This post is coming during a quick break from writing a term paper.)

AppleFest was a fun time. I came back exhausted, but I really enjoyed spending some time with old friends and making some new ones, and doing some singing, too. It had been a while since I'd done any performing of any kind. Buxton, I think, had been the last time I'd sung for an audience. Friday night there was a Pirates sing-through. The crowd was a little thin, so the choruses could have used some filling out, but it was still a fun evening. Samuel had to leave half-way through, and Sam asked me to take his place, so I sang the distribution of pirate tools. It was fun.

Saturday afternoon we had a long rehearsal for the Saturday night concert, and then Saturday night we had the Saturday night concert. Lots of people were coming together from all over to sing lots of stuff, and only some of them made it to the rehearsal. Blue Hill was auditioning that day, so many of them were unable to come until later. Indeed, some of them showed up at the theater as we were walking onto the stage! So it was a partially improvosational concert, but I thought it went quite well. I sang in all the choruses, and I also sang the Bunthorne/Jane duet (on zero rehearsal with that Jane!). I was just slightly distressed to see that my other solo was the last solo of the evening, immediately following the sublime Richard Holmes's "Time was when love and I...", which was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. But my song was sufficiently contrasting as to make things acceptable. I'd written a new "Little List" song. Here it is:

As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list — I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed — who never would be missed!
There's the pestilential nuisances who write for autographs —
All people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs —
All children who are up in dates, and floor you with 'em flat —
All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like that —
And all third persons who on spoiling tête-á-têtes insist —
They'd none of 'em be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed!

There's the tenor who enthuses with his GARISH FORTE TONE!!!! [Very loudly, on a high note]
He never will desist! — I've got him on the list!
And the minor lead who points out every flaw except her own
She never would be missed! I've got her on the list!
There's the overzealous chorister with rubber for a face [here, make an exaggeratedly enthusiastic facial expression]
And the patter man who's sure that down and center is his place
And the lady who does musicals, and recently she's felt
That the problem with light op'ra is, we sing instead of BELT!
And that singular anomaly, the diva solipsist--
I don't think she'd be missed — I'm sure she'd not he missed!

And the one who treats "ensnarl" and "general" as if they rhyme
The amateur parodist -- his rhyming and his scansion are bad!
The conductor and the pianist who can't keep up the time [here, Clive drags terribly]--
[To him:] Stay with the soloist, or I'll put you on the list!
And the internet savoyards of a compromising kind,
Such as — What d'ye call him — Thing'em-BLOG, and SAVOYNE...ever-mind,
And tut-tut-tut and What's-his-name, and also You-know-who —
The task of filling up the blanks I'd rather leave to you.
But it really doesn't matter whom you put upon the list,
For they'd none of 'em be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed!

Sunday afternoon I went to see the VLOG Yeomen, which I thought was pretty good. I'd written some notes for a detailed review, but I seem to have lost them. If I have time later, I may try to say some more specific things. And Sunday evening was an Iolanthe sing-through, where I got to sing one of my favorite roles, Strephon.

Whew, ok, that's the quick version of AppleFest.

Next: the MIT Mikado. I went to go see it last night. Unfortunately, I'd gotten myself mixed up, as the closing show was yesterday afternoon. So I missed it, which I'm still sort of beating myself up about. My best friend Emily was directing and music directing. I helped them with their set strike, then availed myself of their cast party. I'm tired today.

Last week I auditioned for Pirates at Brown. I'd been debating whether I'd rather do the Pirate King or the Major-General, and decided I'd rather do the Pirate King. I really enjoyed the Major-General in August, but that was awfully recent (indeed, that was the most recent show I've performed in). And I don't know that the role would give me a lot of chance for improvement just now -- I don't know that my skills have developed in a way that would make my Major-General in March much better than my Major-General in August was. The Pirate King, on the other hand, gives me some cool opportunities for development and improvement of some skills. Vocally, it's a more interesting role for me right now, and of course the acting would just be a lot of fun. I did the role once, long ago -- 1998, I think. My second G&S role ever, at the ripe old age of 16. Sam (Iolanthe music director) and I were the only two called back for both of those roles, so we knew we'd each get one. I'd've been perfectly happy to do either, but I was very happy this morning to read that I'd gotten the Pirate King. That will be fun.

Ok, back to work. Yes, philosophers may sing, but this philosopher/singiner must philosophize. More eventually.