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Musicals

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Musicals have long been a polarizing art form, with countless individuals dismissing them outright. The most common critique I encounter is the perceived lack of realism—a sentiment that seemingly undermines the genre’s unique storytelling potential. Yet, beneath this surface-level objection lies a misunderstood world of emotional expression and artistic innovation.

While musicals may not appeal to everyone, dismissing the entire genre means missing out on numerous exceptional films and theatrical performances that offer rich storytelling, compelling characters, and innovative artistic expression.

If not for “The Sound of Music,” most of us would not have experienced the takeover of Austria by the Germans, other than in a clinical sense. If not for “Fiddler on the Roof,” most of us would not be aware of what the Jews went through during the final years of Czarist Russia, which is a very important part of human history. Some might argue against me, but “South Pacific” and “The King and I” brought up racial subjects that were right on the edge in their day.

The timeless melodies of classic musicals transcend generations, breathing life into narratives that might otherwise fade. “Sound of Music” exemplifies this phenomenon, captivating audiences decades after its initial release. Its enduring appeal suggests a universal resonance that speaks to contemporary viewers as powerfully as it did to its original audience, proving that great storytelling, enhanced by memorable music, can create an emotional connection that defies time.

Fiddler on the Roof stands out as a timeless masterpiece that transcends musical entertainment. Its profound narrative explores cultural traditions and social change with remarkable depth. The musical’s songs, particularly poignant pieces like “Sunrise, Sunset,” beautifully capture the emotional landscape of Jewish life in early 20th century Russia. Beyond its melodic brilliance, the story offers rich historical insights that could profoundly educate students about cultural identity, family dynamics, and societal transformation. The work’s thematic richness makes it an invaluable educational resource, deserving of broader recognition in academic settings.

Humor often serves as a crucial element in storytelling, providing levity and emotional relief that can make narratives more engaging and memorable. The inclusion of lighthearted moments not only breaks tension but also creates a more relatable and enjoyable experience for the audience.

While musicals often showcase exceptional musical compositions, not all achieve a perfect balance between narrative and score. Some productions primarily serve as platforms for memorable melodies, which can still be thoroughly enjoyable. However, certain musicals, like Desert Song, possess narratives so minimal that the music becomes the primary driving force. In such cases, removing the musical elements would leave behind a skeletal storyline.

Memories of Music

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One thing you young people will find is that the music you listen to today will help form your memories of tomorrow. I can remember listening to music when I was four. Oddly, they are some of my strongest memories, perhaps because they were reinforced so often. I am sure I listened to “Whispering Hope” sung by Gordon MacRae and Jo Stafford close to a thousand times within a few years. It is still my favorite song, and when I am going through trying times, I will listen to it 5 to 10 times.

The point of my post is that tonight I was listening to a show where many songs were being sung that brought back many wonderful memories. Almost every song they sang was old, and they brought back really good memories.

Then they sang “Cotton Fields (Back Home).” I remembered it immediately, but I was having trouble with the lyrics. Worse, I couldn’t remember the name of the song.

Naturally, I went running for my computer pad and started looking into it. I’m glad I did. The one place I listened to it the most was by Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass. I guess we bought the album around 1974 or 1975.

It was an instrumental, which explains why I had trouble with the words. However, there was an oddity noticed, which I am sure you can verify. This song must be close to holding the record for being the most recorded song ever. I think I came across close to a dozen without trying. I was trying to find a copy of the album we bought back in 1975. I gave up looking. I am sure someone would like to sell me a CD or MP3 copies of the album, but all I could find were cassettes.

Nonetheless, my wife told me of an error in the lyrics. There is no place in Louisiana a mile from Texarkana. I guess we can still pretend. It’s a nice song, anyway.

My Argument

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An unknown man walked up behind Brian Thompson, a CEO of the largest health care company in the US, and shot at him 5 times. Withing seconds, a fine man is dead on the ground.

That is pretty much what we know. Much of the rest is guesswork. We do know one or two other things, but in truth the police can only guess that it is all directly related. The man on the electric bike might not be the killer, though if not, might be a planned decoy. To a degree, he does seem to have too conveniently spotted.

I know, here I go with the conspiracy theories again. However, there is one more fact that cannot be overlooked. The gunman has, at least temporarily escaped. This is in spite of all the cameras in NY, NY.

They are guessing at how the shooter arrived and how he left. The point is, by this time, the man might be in almost any part of the world. No one knows who he is. Know one even has a good description.

On the other hand, he might be just a few miles away, hiding in the sea of humanity. NY, NY is a good place to hide considering there are over 8 million people there, he might could hide there for decades.

I don’t like the idea that a man can and has done this. However, the fact of the matter is, it has happened. We like to think we will find him. However, unfortunately, we may never know. The murder was apparently well planned and followed. They might have his DNA…good. However, they might not have anything to compare it to. Moreover, it is all academic if he is in Timbuktu.

It does remind me of another murder. Apparently the killer was Oswald. Apparently, he didn’t plan his killing nearly as well. They captured him in, what, an hour or two. At the time, they had no cameras as NY, NY does today.

To be sure, there were many who witnessed it. To be sure, there were, who knows how many, law enforcement officers in the area. Yet, when you come right down to it, it is easy to see that Oswald had no escape plan. Clearly, if there was a plan, it was to just run like crazy.

It is the primary reason that I think Oswald was not acting alone. That is, of course, assuming he was the one who shot Kennedy in the first place. There is another reason I have my questions. The evidence has been locked up in a vault and no one is allowed to see it for over half a century. People usually don’t hide stuff when they have nothing to hide.

Going back to, Brian Thompson. I hope they find and convict the killer. However, the longer it takes, the more I am likely to believe, his only justice will be God’s. That justice is more certain than that of man’s.

Shockwaves

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When Trump first decided to run for president, it sent shockwaves through the republican leadership. He was for things that the people were for, which was unusual. Only a small number of those running for the nomination made it near to the convention. I might add, most of the leadership of the republican party didn’t like it to the point that they withheld their support, publicly.

That made the next shockwave even more shocking. The dems just knew they had it all sewn up and there was just no way Trump could take out that powerful blue wall of the mid-west. Yet he did and it sent shockwaves, not only nationwide, but worldwide. Suddenly, the leaders were having to deal with a new type of president and many of them, such as, those in the Middle-East, the one in Russia, the one in China, and most notably, the one in North Korea.

The next shockwave was when the Republicans lost the big red wave of the mid-term. Many are still trying to figure that one out.

Still, there was no way that Old Joe could win against Trump, especially from the basement, but, somehow he did, I suspect with the help of those ballot counting. Nonetheless, it was another shockwave.

Finally, the dems figured they had a shoe-in for Kamala. I mean, didn’t she try using the same method as Old Joe. She did, at least for a while, try to run her campaign from her bunker.

Now, one after the other, I see well known dems speak in confusion. They realized that there was another shockwave. Some will say they lost because of this. Some say that. Naturally, none of them wants to admit that the reason they lost was because of the evil candidate they decided to run and the treacherous ideas that they were trying to sell.

Truthfully, I cannot understand the shockwaves completely, especially the ones where the dems won. I mean, who would vote for a worse form of education? Who would vote for wars where millions die. Who would vote for opening the border and closing the spigot of energy. I can’t understand any one of the reasons, let alone the bunch.

However, the voters have spoken again and removed those who liked such things. And so it was we had another shockwave. Trump not only won the electoral college, but the popular vote as well.

Still, considering what Kamala and the dems were in favor of, I can’t understand why she got more than a handful of votes. It seems to me the real shock is that she got as many votes as she did. I mean really, turning little boys into little girls. Allowing men on women’s sports, while requiring the women to share locker rooms and showers with the with the men. I would like to meet one person who would vote for such things, let alone the many other things.

I ask, is the right to abortion that important to them? If it is, that’s the real shocker. This is especially true considering that the goal is to have more abortions among the Black women. I think they have a word for that and it is not one I would want to live with.

Time to Call An Emergency?

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For a while Kamala was treading water quite well. However, now she’s having problems. She seems to just be thrashing about, hardly keeping her head above water. It would appear that Trump is no longer in the margin of error but outright leading in the polling.

It brings to mind, is it time to call an emergency? Then what? It has gotten a little late to do anything. I guess nearly half of the votes have already been cast. Maybe they need to beg Old Joe to return. As bad as he was, now he might be better than Kamala. Maybe they can ask for Hillary to come to the rescue.

Regardless what they do, it will seem what it is, panic. It will be clear that they are no longer swimming along but thrashing. As near as I can tell, they have really two possible routes. Stay the course and take the beating. On the other hand, fake an illness by Kamala, which might make it seem seem more normal, though it is likely too late.

Regardless, most likely as the thrashing gets worse, the emergency will get worse. As the emergency gets worse, the thrashing will get worse. This could end up in a runaway. Even with all their cheating, with all the laws they break, the dems just might not be able to salvage this one.

Of course, I am not a prophet. I can only tell the future by studying the past. Moreover, things can change in an instant. Dozens of things can change things. It could get worse for Kamala. The panic just might get so bad that they won’t let her anywhere near a reporter.

There Be Monsters

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Starting in 1976, the series “Alice” made it’s debut, which was based on the movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. We did used to watch it though it wasn’t really my favorite.

Thinking back over it, they really did have some talent on that show. By talent, I mean the actors did well at convincing me they were the people they weren’t.

It is still on TV from time-to-time and I will watch parts of it. I imagine most who saw it live aren’t still around. I think it was yesterday, the episode they showed was about a fight over tickets to a personal appearance by three famous people.

I can’t remember who 2 of them were, but one was OJ Simpson. It’s pretty obvious why I remember that one. It is a reminder that there are monsters in this world who live among us and most of us have not a clue as to how horrible they are.

In the show, Mel wants one of the tickets, because he wanted to see OJ. and maybe get an autograph. It did catch my attention in a number of ways. 1st, clearly, it was filmed before he committed the murders. 2nd, I wondered about them showing the episode. For sure, someone realized the significance of a monster being portrayed as an idol.

After considering, I believe they made the right choice. You see, before he was as monster, the Juice was a hero. Many had put him on a pedestal, even me to a lesser degree. I never was much of a football fan.

I watched the trial of Simpson and tried to stay objective, that is objective as a person can be. As the trial drew to a close, I came to two conclusions. He was guilty and he would not be convicted. The team they put together to prosecute were full of pride and they were stumbling with every other step. The glove was not their only mistake. It was just the final one. If I were on the jury, I would have had to vote not guilty based on the evidence.

Nonetheless, the monster was revealed. He was no longer on everyone’s pedestal and in a little while, he did to a lesser degree pay for his crime. Moreover, his name was forever sullied before man and football fans. (almost the same)

Might I remind one and all, it is not the first time a guilty man went free. Our justice system is not perfect. We go way out of our way to protect the innocent, Rightfully so. The cost is that, sometimes the monster is set free.

OJ killed two. It is horrible. He was a monster.

However, look at all the those monsters who remain free and admired by millions. Many will never go to trial. Some will remain free and powerful, as Obama, as with Biden. They are both highly respected though they are responsible for the murder of millions, many of whom were killed for being Christians, many of whom were killed for being educated females, many for helping our soldiers.

Then there is that character that had his own island where he did… well, no one will ever know what all he did. And due to a convenient death in a federal jail. And, of course, we can only speculate who who took part with him. No one will have any idea who is still on the job after taking part in the cover-up.

Today, a show was on called, McMillan and Wife. One of the stars of the show was one of the worst kind of monsters, a child abuser. Rock Hudson abused boys and internationally passed AIDS onto them. Today, this monster is still held in high regards, even idolized.

He died of AIDS, but not until he passed it on, knowingly to perhaps hundreds. Just what kind of hero is this. The Juice killed 2. Rock Hudson likely killed hundreds. How is it that he gets the pass. How is that he escapes the monster label? How is it that some still call him hero?