Friday, July 18, 2014

Maestro Bernstein==>A


Friday==>We will get today’s posting started with a huge TGIF shout out to all of my Worker Bee friends out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks.

Yes, I know it has been a long week and you are tired and all of that mundane stuff ... but remember ... as your favorite blogger has told you oh so many times==>your weekend doesn’t get started until at least 5:05pm ... and ... also remember ...  you are under constant surveillance by your bosses who have recently installed state-of-the-art spying devices in your work areas.

You are so very welcome!!

Now ... moving on to Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s entertainment event, the Off Broadway show ...

MAESTRO BERNSTEIN @ Town Hall, the play with music written and performed by Hershey Felder, a critically acclaimed master entertainer and virtuoso pianist, who brings to life one of America’s greatest musical legends, Leonard Bernstein==>A

What a TOTALLY enjoyable evening!!

I am happy to report that my comp. seat was excellent, in the rear of the orchestra, row R, on the aisle.

This one-man show includes the extremely talented Felder singing, playing the piano, and conducting as well as telling stories. He becomes Bernstein from his birth to his death in 1990.

A recurring theme was Bernstein’s great insecurity because he wanted to be known as a serious composer even though his mentors (such as Dimitri Mitropoulos, Aaron Copland and Fritz Reiner) pushed him toward conducting.

Bernstein became internationally famous as the music director of the New York Philharmonic, the orchestra he first led in 1943 as a last-minute substitute for Bruno Walter.

Felder played works from Bernstein’s Broadway musicals West Side Story, Candide, On the Town, and Wonderful Town in addition to his classical compositions.

The whole evening was thought-provoking, educational, emotionally involving and extremely well-performed. Too bad this was a one-night only performance.

Before the show officially began Felder came on stage to advise us that this performance was being broadcast live on a NPR station and that it would be performed without intermission. There were no commercial breaks during the performance. This meant the show had a running time of 2 hours, without intermission, which was kinda long.

When the show was over he received a standing ovation. He then asked us to sit back down because there was to be a follow-up interview after a brief commercial break. Well ... not for your favorite blogger. I joined a steady stream of audience members heading for the exits. It was a great show, but I had had enough ... but ... 

I left Town Hall with a big smile on my face as I headed back to the apartment.

Moving on to today ...

My entertainment event will be a musical that is part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) ...

5:00==>OPRAHFICATION - “In 2011 Oprah closed the book on 25 years of dominating global television to focus on building her new empire, the Oprah Winfrey Network. It's not been going so well. She is now back with a single retrospective episode to celebrate and present us with the ultimate interview about her journey. There will be gospel, mo-town, doo-wop, rock ballads, love ballads, and lullabies in a celebration of all things ‘O’” (NYMF - full price ticket)

This musical is playing at the Signature Theatre Complex on West 42nd Street, has a running time of 1:15, without intermission, and the remaining dates are: Saturday, July 19 @ 9:00pm, Monday, July 21@ 5:30m; and, Thursday, July 24 @ 9:00pm

When the show is over I will come back to the apartment and settle in to watch the YANKEES/CINCINNATI game at 7:05pm from Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed and Ego Built.

On the mound for The Yankees (47-47) will be David Phelps (3-4) vs. Mike Leake (7-7) for The Reds (51-44).

Yeah ... I know ... I know ... it’s Friday night in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In the World ... but ... my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... remember ... as a retiree every night is a Friday night for your favorite blogger.

Also ... he has a big-time need for a baseball fix ... so ... just live with it.

Oh ... and speaking of living with it ... if The Bronx Bombers have any chance of making the playoffs they will have to go at least 39-29 for the remainder of the season.

On this happy note, will close this posting out with ...

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.01 miles (or, 6,596 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>764.18 miles (average 3.86 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

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