La storia d'amore di Puccini tra Rodolfo e Mimi

Once more, I was sitting in a cherry seat at Asbury Memorial Church, this time C-1.

Once more, I was attending an event for this year's SVF-9, the final live event for me.

Once more, I was treated to an opera by Puccini, one of my favorites of all such writers.

This time, "La bohème" had been chosen, presented in an abridged form that kept it to one act, with four scenes.

I'm glad I chose my unicorn mask for this outing; a fanciful and romantic face covering, for this fanciful and romantic tale of love!

I've never seen the story in its full version, but of course I was familiar with it.

Peter Lake was here, as he had been last year, reprising his role as the Rodolfo, the in-love and lovesick writer and sweetheart of Mimi, pairing him again with Liz Lang, allowing her to show off her theatrical talents.

The role of his roommate, Marcello the painter, featured Jean Carlos Rodriguez, a new artist last year, who has certainly blossomed quite nicely!

That one's on-again, off-again lady love, the flirtatious Musetta, with Angela De Venuto proving to all, once again, that she has serious comedic chops!
Leo Radosavljevic and Marciano Gladić rounded out the sextet, as Colline (played by the other last year) and Schaunard, respectively, friends of Rodolfo and Marcello.

I had remembered to bring my glasses this time, but I was seated close enough to the screens that I didn't need them - yeah!

Thanks to more than half a lifetime of watching foreign films, I was able to bounce quickly over to the translations and then back to the action on the stage, so I missed none of the evolution of the love story...

and the struggle of staying together with money problems all the time...

and the struggle of staying together when one is very ill and the other helpless to aid...

and the eventual return of the two to each other's arms...

for one last embrace.

Oh, yes, my eyes were tearing up as Musetta had barged in, announcing that Mimi was down in the street, struggling to get up the stairs to see Rodolfo...

and, still, when vain Musetta rushes off to sell her jewelry for medicine and a doctor...

and, again, when she returns with Marcello, the pair having procured not only those items but also a muff to warm Mimi's cold hands...

and beyond, as Schaunard notices Mimi is not sleeping, but dead.

Wow.

As I was wiping the tears from my eyes, I saw Marijan doing the same.

Nice to know I had such good company for this final evening.

Bravo, my dears, bravo!

livin' it up, livin' it up, alright - it's friday night!

I made sure to specifically "put my face on" before I went out tonight.

After all, it's a date night Friday, and I was all dressed and wearing my dance shoes!

I know, it's been quite a while since my last date night, but since SVF-9 had passed its COVID tests and would be returning to the stage, I wanted to welcome them in a big way!

That's right, the festival is three days off schedule due to a COVID scare, but they launched right back on with "ROCK" at the CMC!

There was even a live band to help get everyone else all fired up - I came ready to move my feet!

But, look, up there on the bricks...

doesn't that silhouette look like a blonde, with long hair, wearing a hat?

I had never noticed that before, but, then again, this was the first time the Morris Center has been in this configuration, with the stage aligned on the side wall.

Off to her left, there even seems to be a reflected side view, or perhaps it's a back up singer?

Speaking of such, several of the rock songs played tonight had a featured singer with three to five back ups on stage with her... I guess they were all ready for a Friday night, too, after three unplanned idle days.

Although I enjoyed hearing all fifteen tunes, the stand-out performances tonight were by a singer that's new to me: Lauren Jelencovich.

She did two songs that are usually sung by a man - "What A Wonderful World", by Louis Armstrong, and "Hallelujah", by Jeff Buckley - and she was aMAzING!

I very nearly stayed for the second show, just to hear "Hallelujah" again...

very nearly...

but I had promised myself dinner at The Pirates' House.

Hey, what's date night without dinner on the town?

After a fabulous repast of Georgia Salmon, I didn't even need dessert.

Hey, that broiled salmon, topped with the sweet mango and peaches, and grilled broccolini on the side - oh, my!

Plus, mashed sweet potatoes were there to sop up the fruit juices....

yeah, I didn't need dessert!

I had it with my dinner!

Woot woot!

By the time I'd finished with my concert and fancy meal, the moon had made its way above the buildings on Factors Walk.

Holding my phone above the wire fence at Trustees Garden, I snapped this on my very first try.

Right place, right time.

Yes, Bell and James had it right!

ceviche! chalk! church!

"Oh, lookie! It's your darling first niece!"

Yes, it is! At long last, too! Feels like forever since we've been together in person!

"I thought y'all were meeting for margaritas on Tuesdays?"

I wish! The last of those was on 13 July, which I had called our penultimate luncheon before she returned to teaching. Then there came the spate of thunderstorms that curtailed our outing the next week... and one thing after another ever since.

"Oh, that's right. Then the breast cancer scare for you and the 'kids might have COVID' scare for her after school started, and Bananas' games and now the opera festival taking up weekends and evenings. "

Exactly. But we were together today! Me and her and the girls, munching Mexican food!

"Just they way y'all like it!"

That's right!

"Was this at the Jalapenos here? I don't recall any of them having outdoor seating."

We were at the one in Richmond Hill, which is kinda sorta (joke for the bfrb, as it's nearly his 39th birthday!) halfway for both of us. As you can tell, this is post-meal, as there is no shrimp ceviche in sight. It's gone, gone, gone, baby!

"So these were at the catching-up-with-life and breathing-the-same-air portion?"

You got it! Miyah had a green crayon, but Chloe had none. But Miyah had spotted a red one under a table... so she fetched it out, then gave her green one to her little sister. How super sweet, right?

"Oh, that really was! Good for her!"

Yes, it was. She had a real meltdown earlier during the meal, just before the food came out. She'd had her tablet turned up LOUD, so I'd turned the volume down while she was in the bathroom with Christina. Upon her return, she'd cranked it up again, so I'd asked her to turn it down. That's when she started losing her cool, stomping, putting on her 'mad' face, mumbling her words, repeating herself again and again. I took the tablet, to keep her from turning it up, and she carried on for probably another twenty minutes, stomping around on that outdoor patio. We didn't talk to her, just made sure she was safe, as we ate our food and talked. Then, she returned to the table and started eating, not even looking at the tablet, as if nothing had happened.

"I guess ODD is like epilepsy in that way. There are no physical signs that someone has the malady. That's why it can be disconcerting when, all of a sudden, the electrical storm hits their brain and causes a radical shift in their behavior or personality."

So true. A doctor is to determine this week if she has the disorder. I wonder if they'll be running an EEG to look at brain activity? Christina said she hoped the doctor would be able to see Miyah in full-tilt tantrum mode; I suggested she might want to provoke an attack, to help them make a diagnosis.

"Good idea. As you well know, it's very hard to diagnosis anything that is ischemic in nature, be it a gremlin in a piece of electronics or more like your breast leakage deciding to stop three weeks before you finally have a surgical consult."

So far, Chloe doesn't seem to have those issues. Then again, her birth mother wasn't taking drugs during that second pregnancy, so perhaps Miss Chlo will be okay.

"That's definitely something to hope for."

Both girls are sweet as can be, most of the time. Take Miyah - even though I had taken her tablet, as her real self, she drew a picture for me, of me with her and her sister. With no prompting, apropos of nothing. How about that?! I have it up on my refrigerator, like the proud G'Aunt I am!

"I know you are!"

You bet I am!

"So, when does the chalk come into the story?"

Right about now, funk soul brother!

"Hahahaha! I love that song!"

Me, too!

"And you were saying..."

Right about now - oh, you mean to carry on with the tale. Gotcha! We four went to the park, just down the street, where, the girls had their birthday party last year. When it started raining, we forsook the swings and slides for the covered area, where Christina broke out this new artist box of chalk. That was all that was needed for fun!

"And are those your scribble flowers that you always draw?"

Two of them are, but the other two are not. Miyah had asked that I draw one for her, so I did (upper purple), doing it in slow motion and talking of how I was doing it all the while. Chloe, naturally, wanted me to draw one for her, too, which I did (lower pink), again giving the full demonstration of how to do it.

"And they had copied your actions and drawn their own flowers???"

Yes, they did!!! See why I said I was a proud G'Aunt??? They listen so well!

"Wow, they really do. Miyah's looks really good!"

I know! They even put on the stem and little 'leaves', just like I do.

"What's with the sign?"

None of us saw that until after we'd been drawing a while. Then, the supplier of the chalk - that would be Christina - who was relaxing with Mousse, not creating artistic endeavors or her own - spotted that solitary warning. Ack!

"So, that's when y'all stopped drawing?"

Heck to the no! In for a penny, in for a pound, right?

"I see. So, I take it that Christina is the one who spotted the water hose, too, and set about removing the evidence when y'all were done?"

Absolutely correct! Then Miyah and Chloe had fun stomping in the puddles until it was actually time for us to depart.

"Not all to Hinesville?"

No, just them and their dog, Mousse/Moose. Hey, maybe that's what he should be called! Maybe I'll try that and see how he likes it the next time I see him and them.

"Okay, you do that. Hey, looks like you finally made it to church again."

Hey, looks can be deceiving, kiddo, but I did end up feeling like this was Sunday.

"You're deliberately being disingenuous, aren't you?"

Just a smidge! I truly was at Asbury Memorial, though. Doesn't it look like I'm wearing a very fancy tiara?

"Yes, dear. Was that at Billy's sermon this morning?"

Oh, no, I missed that. In fact, I haven't been back since... well, since before my adventures in Florida and California, actually.

"If you aren't allowed to sing, you don't want to go?"

Yeah, pretty much. Though that wasn't the case today! Sherrill Milnes even led us all in singing "Hallelujah" this afternoon!!!

"Well, hooray for that, and a rousing 'Amen!', too!"

My thoughts exactly! How fabulous to sing, even masked up, alongside those stained glass windows, surrounded by those peach walls and vaulted ceiling! "Inspiration" was the title of this segment of SVF-9, and inspirational it was, with fourteen songs voiced by eight artists - make that nine, as the great star of the Met chimed in!

"Oh, I just know Carolyn would have loved that!"

Yes, she would have. Hopefully, next year we will be out of pandemic mode and the concert of religious works will be free, as it usually is. Then she and I will enjoy it together!

"That would be magnificent, and such a blessing!"

Yes, it would be. Now, I've take the time to smell this warm rose - you know how much that means to me - but then I'm off to catch a movie! The Ryan Reynolds one that I've awaited so long is finally in the cinema... and I've been so very busy that I haven't been able to see it yet. What's up with that???

"Busy, vibrant... right? That's a good thing, a very good thing."

So very true! I feel like I've been holding my breath since last March, waiting, waiting, waiting, and hoping for a cure. You know, not just for this COVID-causing virus, but more in the spirit of R.

"I am well aware. Now, relax, breathe, and see "Free Guy"! And just let it be the movie it is, not the movie you wish it might be. That way, you can be surprised and enjoy it."

Thanks... I'll do that.

"Sweet dreams! You've had a delightful day with those you love!"

i thank You, God.

adorable musical, cenerentola!

It wasn't Rossini's Cinderella, nor was it Disney's version...

but what a sweet, adorable concoction, in another collaboration with youth!

I just wish I had thought to pack my eyeglasses.

Eleven students at Garrison School for the Arts contributed text, including a prologue and song lyrics, to Michael Ching's one-act opera, "A Royal Feast".

Their words were displayed on two large screens while they read them aloud, or sang during the performed work-in-progress this afternoon with the SVF-9, again at Asbury Memorial Church.

At least I wore the right mask!

I had gotten dolled up for the Savannah VOICE Festival event this time, wearing my flowing, dark green, dress, and doing my hair a little differently, mostly down.

Hey, it is a matinee on a Saturday, right?

(smile!)

So, as I'm leaving the house, I remember that I didn't yet pack a mask, and those are mandated to be worn in Savannah by the mayor, as our COVID numbers are up to January levels.

Which to wear?

I'd been talking to Christina earlier and this one that she gave me practically leapt into my hand.

Honestly, it did!

And Sally and Jack, with him in his spidery tux, struck just the right note for a night at the opera!

(Got that little joke? You're welcome!)

 

Why particularly spiders?

Well, the middle-schoolers wanted critters in this show.

The animated one had talking animals, and, as that was the one they knew and loved, this addition, set post-Royal Ball, needed to have them, too!

And so it does!

Mice, of course, three of them, all billed as "wise" mice!

Two hilarious seagulls, singing of eating hotdog buns, but not the hotdogs!

But, most important of all, were the two spiders, each singing of the beautiful web she had woven today and verifying they didn't "hate" their males, they "ate" them!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

Totally adorable!

(smile!)

 

Here's the thing I like best, though.

This tale explained how it was that Cinderella could understand the animals: she had been bitten by the chimney spiders and their venom gave her the power to literally talk to the animals in two-way conversations.

That just has to be something those kids dreamt up!

Totally adorable!!!

(smile!)

 

Right place, right time for me!

Now, to change clothes and see if I can get the back yard mowed.

The next few days are bringing rain, rain, rain, and the grass is almost tall again.

Wish me luck!

(smile!)

they say the neon lights are bright on...

All together now!

We all know this song -

and ya gotta sing it loud and proud -

"Broadway"!!!
No, those aren't lights of the noble gas shining on the stage at Asbury Memorial Church.

SVF-9 is recording tonight's concert, as this is to be streamed-for-pay later.

Not everyone could be here, especially since the pandemic has ramped back up, as bad, and worse, than it ever was, and hospitals are again full.

Due to limited seats, the 6 PM show was sold out; however, I was so very fortunate to be able to scoop up a Rush ticket for the 8 PM show!

I was even granted a premium seat in the 4th row!

Super fabulous!

Fourteen songs, most from Broadway shows I never heard of ("Bright Star"; "Aspects of Love"; "Six"; "Saturday Night") or will most likely never see ("Hamilton"; "Bandstand"; "Ragtime"), though there were several that I was rather familiar with, either from the movie versions, local theatre productions, or from the God On Broadway series here at AMC ("Hello Dolly"; "Carousel"; "Les Miserables"; "Guys And Dolls"; "Twelfth Night"). 

What's that?

I've only listed twelve musicals?

That's because there were two songs not from that source!

"When You're A Singer", a parody of "When You're An Addams", was first heard by me last fall, when Savannah VOICE gave us a parody of "Hocus Pocus"!!!

Then, it had seven men; tonight's version had 3 of that 7, plus one new; respectively, they were Carlton Moe, Peter Lake, Leo Radosavljevic, and the new 4th was Eric Sebek, with all cavorting and hamming it up, as they should!

Utterly hilarious!

Then there's the song written specifically for Kelli O'Hara, "They Don't Let You In The Opera (If You're A Country Star)" - and, no, I'm not familiar with her at all, nor this song, which could easily have been penned for the charming Kentuckian, Emily Yocum Black, who sang it for us tonight, pantomiming throughout!

Such great fun!

In the order performed, the songs told a story, painting the varied landscape of love, from lovelorn to new love, from unrequited to shouting from rooftops, from the way it was to the way it is, from love lost to love found again; all the many colors from hopeful romantic to hopeless loser.

Truly, it 'twas like a concert and a musical, done with operatic range!

What a fabulous Friday the 13th!!!

So many thanks, y'all!

See you tomorrow afternoon!

DEEP as opera: heard!

What a grand view I had for this third, and last, evening in the rotunda of Telfair Academy!

(Thanks, Katie and Olivia, for D-13!)

I was very excited about "Song", as I knew several works from the youth at DEEP were to be featured... and I do so love their insights!

Of the fifteen pieces performed, five were from four of those middle-school students!!!

The poetry from Lincoln Davidson and Madeline Pelli was transformed into a musical triptych, painting a poignant picture of hope for better days and easier nights.

"I Lay Myself To Rest", "A Voice", and "I Dream Of A World" had been set to music with the help of Patrick Vu (who had helped do the same for an artist in svf-8.)

The middle piece, paraphrasing a classic riddle as "if a man shouts in an empty house, does anyone hear him?", nearly brought me to tears.

In its entirety, that trio of songs reminded me of classic works from Elvis Presley ("If I Can Dream") and others, speaking to a human need for unity and connection to others.

That trio was performed by Chad Sonka (with his lovely baritone), Sara Zoe Budnik, and Melanie Spector (both sopranos). 

Heather Jones performed "Worthless", another that wrenched at my heart, written by middle-school student Ella Zipperer and set to music by Dave Ragland.

Why did it affect me so?

The child was being regarded as nothing, absolutely nothing, for only being "100 pennies" instead of a dollar bill.

Wow.

The fourth student appeared on video, having not only composed "Blessed By The Best" but also set it to music and performed it - quite enthusiastically, too!

I just have to believe Louis Armstrong would have loved that one as much as I did!

Positive perspective and faith in God - oh, yes!

Maybe living in a pandemic, still, has made me even more sensitive to such issues.

I just know it's been like a dream to be attending concerts again!

Maria Zouves even performed two pieces, "Sinevi Stin Athina" and "Floghera", plus there was Jonathan Walker-VanKuren with "I Found A Woman" and the fabulous "Landscape 1: From A Train", in which the piano captured the sound of wheels on a rail very well!!!

Even so, with all this wealth of poetry in the air, the performances I was most drawn to were the two solos from Mariano Gladić for "Cancion al arbol del olvido" and "Los pajaros perdidos".

And just what would be my reason for that?

He sang them to me!

He looked straight at me - practically dancing in my seat, feet tapping, hands at work with my invisible piano - and sang to me that he would not think of me at the tree of forgetfulness, and that he realized I had been his only love among all the lost birds.

He did, he most assuredly did!

How blessed am I by the Best?

i thank You, God!

And now the blessing that is this day continues - the Chicago White Sox are playing the New York Yankees at the Field of Dreams, a place etched into my heart... and I get to see it for free on tv!

i thank You, God!

maria, i just spent earth day with maria...

It's absolutely true!

My day began with Maria Zouves at the center of "For The Beauty Of The Earth", the song that was the heart of this "VOICES That Heal" episode.

That's the program that Savannah VOICE Festival does in conjunction with Hospice Savannah, under the guidance of Chad Sonka, that baritone I adore.

(I do hope my oldest niece, Christy, was 'there' with me or was able to watch it later.)

That was at 11 AM, with breakfast.

At 1 PM, Maria was back again, this time paired with the JEA for their Thursday "Food For Thought" Zoom.

(I sure do miss the lunches shared with others at the 'live' talks.)

The VOICE folks were there for "From Stage To Screen", sharing the hurdles surmounted and insights gained last year during the svf-8.

As she put it: "We had all the ingredients pulled together and ready to cook, but then the stove broke down."

The task then was to convert the planned onstage shows into virtual onscreen films while maintaining the level of artistry and engagement that the previous seven years of festivals had achieved.

Carlton Moe, Marijan Gladić, Melanie Spector, Chad Sonka, Jessica Ann Best: all were there to speak of problems they had faced and conquered - bravo!

As they again shared some of those opera videos, I sang along and clapped and let them see how much I appreciated their work!

That was something they had all missed, that return visual from the audience that the message imparted was received.

I totally understand.

I miss being in the audience at a live show.

I know that, I do...

but it really came home to me in the last video shared.

That was one I didn't know, one I had not seen before.

Serendipity had Peter Lake and Emily Yocum Black in Savannah recently and Maria said they were filmed for an amazing 14 videos, all with proper pandemic protocols in place.

Wow, right?

For this lunchtime zoom, we were treated to one of those new pieces.

The song was "Tonight", from "West Side Story", one of my favorite musicals.

The place was the garden shared with Paul and Cathy at the Owens-Thomas House.

And, at some point while Peter and Emily were singing and dancing along, I transitioned from enthralled to in tears.

I tried to mask my reaction, not wanting to bring down the others at the zoom...

I tried, albeit not quite successfully, wiping my tears on my sleeve at the end...

trying to pass it off as emotionally touched by the music.

Fortunately for me, the zoom ended shortly after and I quickly took my leave -

and found myself gasping for air as I sobbed.

"I want my life back," I heard myself shout, when my breath had returned.

I do, too.

I have so missed being in the audience for a live concert, for a live play, for a live talk.

I have so missed that.

look! an elf! but not on a shelf!

No sirreebob!

That elf is clearly sitting in a basket, though at first glance I thought it was in a planter.

That's probably because my mind linked the greenery above to the woven tub and proclaimed it as such.

As for the elf, it was accompanying Tiana Sorenson as she sang a wistful version of "Toyland".

Other toys had guest appearances, but only the elf retained the honor of remaining in place.

This was not probably not meant to be a toy, but it certainly tickled my fancy!

The elegantly ornamental pop-up tree was in a holiday card and was in the last of four such opened during the course of the 80-minute show.

The first card also held a tree, the second had a colorful train, and the third revealed a willow covered in snow.

Such dainty things they were, and so lovely!

All, and more, were part of "Home For The Holidays", a VOICE Holiday Special, aired twice last night and once today as a matinee.

Singing the title song whilst performing various seasonal activities are Emily Yocum Black in Kentucky (upper left), Carlton Moe in New York, Jessica Ann Best in New York (lower left), and Leo Radosavljevic in Illinois.
Oh, Tiana was performing from Chicago, too, by the way.

Emily may have had the most appearances in this holiday show, as she is in six segments and her voice is in a seventh!

For "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion!" she was the only singer, but not the only musician.

I was quite impressed with the performance, but I was even more impressed with how good this concert was, not just in how it sounded but in the regard for the health of all involved.

The only other instrumentalists actually shown in any segments were partners of singers.

Liz Lang sang "Winter Wonderland" while Michael Ferrara accompanied on piano before rejoining her in the home.

Leo was joined by Angela De Venuto for "The Holly And The Ivy", with both singing and both playing the piano side-by-side.

For those two songs, the two performers lived together so no masks were needed.

I am single and live alone.

Perhaps that is why I preferred the piece done by Emily, the piece which showed friends getting together responsibly to do something they all loved: make music.

Yes, that was very nice!

Not that I didn't enjoy the absurdity of "Bidi Bom"!

After all, it had a trio of men making silly faces for a song that featured silly words!

That's Carlton on the left, Peter Lake on the right, and Jonathan Walker-VanKuren stuck in the middle between those brunettes!

(Hint: ya gotta sing that phrase to get my joke!)

And I very much enjoyed the sweetness of this one.

That's Jessica opening packages on the sofa, perhaps with her Grandmama assisting - oh, how very lovely!

But those scenes were interspersed with Jessica in a sparkly party dress as well as outdoor holiday vignettes as she sang about the joy of being "At The Christmas Ball" - whew!

So much energy flowing all around that flirty tune!

Speaking of flirtatious numbers, this bit from the opera "La Bohème" certainly was!

Emily played the wench Musetta to Mariano Gladić's Colline.

Meanwhile, Liz Lang's Mimi is with Peter Lake's Rudolfo and Chad Sonka's Marcello.

Plus, there was a larcenous waiter played cleverly by Fowler Black.

No, he isn't shown here and he didn't sing a word, but he was a lot of fun!

(smile!)

However, when it comes to fun, "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" was positively full of it!

The four corners were the first to be filled, with Peter, Daniel Cohen, Leo, and Mariano, going clockwise from upper left, singing of that partridge in a pear tree... repeatedly!

Emily was next up with her two turtledoves, then Jessica sang of those three French hens and Patrick Joel Martin chimed in about four calling birds in his home.

But it was Liz, getting more and more exasperated about those five golden rings that made everyone laugh!

Perhaps it was Carlton's six geese a-laying that she confused with the Giant's Golden Goose...

yes, that must have been why Liz was so overwhelmed!

She couldn't get those geese to stop laying golden rings!

Hahahahaha! Hahaha!

Was she aware of Jonathan's seven swans a-swimming?

How about the eight maids a-milking that JoAnna Pope received or the nine ladies dancing for Tiana?

Then there's the matter of the ten lords a-leaping around Chad and the eleven pipers piping for Angela and those twelve drummers drum-drum-drumming with Sherrill!

But, no, no, the maid in the middle had forty golden rings and not nearly enough fingers or toes to wear them!

Goodness, gracious, what's a girl to do???

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

 

And after all that commotion, it was truly quite nice to relax as Peter Lake crooned from his home in Santa Rosa Beach...

oh, yes, just the sound of the locale brings a smile and a relaxing breath.

Irving Berlin would have been so pleased with this rendition of "Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep)", I am sure of it.

'Twas quite lovely, as was this program from Savannah VOICE.

My many thanks for this, as well as all of the free online shows shared with me - and the world - this year!

all hallows day and night of VOICE

Tread lightly, the sisters will waken...

best to not be in the cemetery at all...

do you not hear the maniacal laughter?

Be quick, be quick... oh, 'tis too late!

The trio of witches have stirred back to life, only to find no trick or treat allowed during this time of pandemic.

Curses upon this befouled arousal!

But, soft... could not their youth be restored with scary songs...???

Ortlinde clutches Waltraute's right hand, Gerhilde grabs onto the left hand, and the three cast a spell to make it so!

As soon as the words left their lips, there's Giani!

He's waxing rhapsodic about his love of monster movies, having just watched one and heard Christopher Lee read "The Bride Of Lammermoor".

That's when the sisters realize the power of song to rejuvenate - and what better songs than those of Mozart!!!

But, of course!

Feeling better after a healthy dose of "Don Giovanni", the sisters take their turns at solo numbers to demonstrate their prowess!

 

 

After a quartet performed the "Danse Macabre", a fearsome sight arose: three floating heads mouthing nonsense words about the valley of the king!

Very spooky... and utterly delightful to the sisters three!

Greatly refreshed, and almost back to their youthful visages, they have but one request: more Wolfgang, the darkest of his dark!

And so they were rewarded with the songs of the Stone Visitor as he reprimanded Giovanni for his many misdeeds - oh, yes!

"Dies Irae" from the "Requiem" provided the last few drops of cheek blush and lip rouging that the old girls needed!

Now, they could safely return to their slumbers and await an awakening in another three hundred years, with dreams of children roaming the streets unaware that they were the treats witches seek ... in the Twilight Zoom!

Bwah ha ha ha!!!

Thanks, Savannah VOICE Festival, for this nod to "Hocus Pocus"!

Such great fun... and a treat so sweet that I've indulged twice!

(smile!)

giani, jinx, rodolfo... peter!

I don't know how I've missed it.

His true identity has been revealed in every program, but I misunderstood and though it just referred to who was singing, not to who was acting.

Even here, where the man has received a wake-up call and a request to re-run his first appearance at svf-8, I still didn't catch who he was.

 

Rather than have the video air again, Giani Canto answered Maria's request with a live encore of that performance of "Savannah G A"!

All gussied up in his lounge lizard style, hair perfectly coiffed, sunglasses firmly in place, I still believed it was Carlton Moe in that get-up.

I did!

I guess we choose to believe what we want, regardless of what our eyes and ears tell us, non è vero?

I had no problem recognizing the real person behind the character Jinx of Forever Plaid.

(That's him, bottom right, below Sparky and next to Frankie, who is under Smudge.)

One might think that was because they were so well featured in yesterday's program, but that would not be correct.

I've been in love for better than a year now with these four gents!

So, just when did it occur to me who Giani really was?

Not until this very moment.

He was hamming it up, per usual, and the tune was one of my favorites, Nessun Dorma.

So, he was doing these big arm movements when he grabbed his sunglasses and removed them... 

and, justthatfast, I finally recognized him!

This was the guy that did the Sinatra show last year for me and the bfe!

I had no problem identifying Peter Lake in this duet with Evelyn Saavedra, no problem at all.

For "O soave fanciulla", I had no problem recognizing that this was a couple who were trying to decide whether to go out on the town or to stay in at home, nor did I err in interpreting their eventual decision.

(Must not have been during a pandemic!)

And this was certainly Peter Lake, again as Rodolfo from La Bohème, this time writing a letter to his girlfriend and carrying on about her with his buddy, Marcello (played by James Wright).

"O Mimì, tu più non torni", he sang in that sweet tenor - oh, yes, I certainly knew who he was!

(Plus, he reminds me quite nicely of ETA Dwight Icenhower - good for sweet dreams!)

Even if his voice were not as pure, his sense of humor and comedic timing would still be a joy!

I just love that Forever Plaid has allowed these four to play with the video segments just as they had in person for SVF7.

The blooper reel for this final show had them posing in a mock-up of "The Creation Of Adam".

I think Michelango would have been rather amused, too!

(smile!)

I know it may seem that the grand finale was all about Peter...

but the show was two hours long and I've not touched on so much of it!

Perhaps I will expound upon that tomorrow, after I've had a chance to see the matinee encore.

I'm not promising that, though, so let me go ahead and thank Maria and Sherrill here and now for this fabulous VOICE festival in Savannah!

Here's hoping y'all have another twenty years of sharing opera with the lowcountry of Georgia... 

and beyond!

(They'll get the reference -

it'll be our inside joke!)

(smile!)

plaid VOICES on broadway!

Just a reminder that the show has been pieced from videos made on various different types of equipment,
by people with varying degrees of technological savvy,
in a wide variety of habitats.
In other words, folks:
if you ain't here for the love of music, like these performers are, then find a door and get out it.
Thankyouverymuch.

Now that the riff-raff and hoitie-poloitie segments have left the building, forward ho!
Ladies and gentlemen, please grab your beverage of choice, turn off any gadgets that might disrupt your enjoyment, and take your seats...
maestro, please cue up "Low Country Lakme" to signal the actors to prepare to take the stage...
four, three, two...

Virtual Plaid here, with 'Virtual Broadway: An Online Parody', as episode ten of svf-8.
We suggest the following shows for the theatre of the future -
The Phantom Of The Plaid
Fiddler On The Plaid Roof
My Plaid Lady
You're A Plaid Man, Charlie Brown!
"Hey, y'all, how about some that I've seen in Savannah?
Charlotte's Plaid Web
Plaid Man Of La Mancha
The Taming Of The Plaid Shrew
Pump Boys And Plaid Dinettes
Intimate Plaid Apparel
Twelfth Plaid Night
Kiss Me Plaid Kate
Bright Plaid Ideas
Last Of The Red Hot Plaid Lovers
Plaid Hazard Point
Eurydice Plaid"

Pardon us, ma'am, but we're trying to perform here, so if you would kindly return to your seat...
"Oh, how cute, Nicholas is playing chess by himself!
I play solitaire Scrabble, especially when there's a hurricane in town and the power is out."
Yes, ma'am, that sounds like a novel idea and we'll have to give that one a try sometime.
Now, if you don't mind...

"Oh, no, don't mind me, y'all, I'll be as still as a church mouse.
It's so good to see y'all again!
What a huge pussycat, Chad!
I wonder what Liz is making -
I could use a drink myself, I'm nigh on to parched."
Hey Sparky, Frankie and Jinx think we may as well go on with the show, and I have to agree.
She'll settle down once we start.
Okay, Smudge, call the others and let's hit it!

For all out there who enjoy a good pie in the face, it's okay!
Even if you stay in your pj's all day, it's okay!
Overeating,
oversleeping,
overthinking -
it's okay!

"That was a right well hoot, y'all, even though I've never seen 'Mame' so that reference was lost on me."
Dear Friend,
This pandemic goes on and on.
I still haven't found any toilet paper in any of the stores.
Are people using it for baklava?
"Oh, Angela, how adorable!
I know this musical!
I saw 'She Loves Me' just a couple of weeks ago on a PBS station!

I commiserate about that whole t.p. situation, too.
Thank God I finally found some, but it took me almost two months.
Oh, what a sweetiepie -
instead of bringing ice cream,
he sent plenty of Charmin!!
Bless Pete, he even found Lysol disinfectant spray...
wonder where he found it?
He's a keeper, g'friend!"

I've got these selfies here,
I took them in the den,
I snapped one in the kitchen and another one on the porch.
Can post,
can post,
on facebook that's where I'll post.
"Hahaha, Jinx - I mean, Peter - that's so funny!
Plus, I know that song -
it's from 'Guys And Dolls'!!!
My church did it last fall."

... can share,
can share,
that's just what I am going to do,
on Instagram for all my pals
and my boo,
can share,
can share!
"Wow, Nan, tha's something I've never done.
That technology is just one more account than I need right now, know what I mean?"

"And just what is it this favorite baritone is going on about?
Let me see, what might it be -
Pinterest? YouTube? Twitter?"
... when there is nothing on tv,
the internet's the place for me
where I watch,
I watch,
my favorite shows are there to see
I watch
YouTube.
"Me, too, Chad! Me, too!"

"Oh, delightful, Peter!
I so loved 'The Drowsy Chaperone' when the Armstrong Masquers put it on years ago.
That was such a very lovely evening, with very lovely music... and so very funny!
How could it not be with Gabe Michael leading the way?
Oh, but I digress...
I do hope you get called for the gig!"
... so I might as well sing!!!

"It's Carlton Moe, and he's hamming it up with another song from that wonderful play!
Oh, thank you, thank you!
I still think you're Giani Canto -
plus, you remind me of my ex,
and that's not bad!
And who are you now - lol -
like I don't already know?"
... I am Aldolpho.
Who's the one that's always fun?
Aldolpho.
Who's the one that gets it on?
Aldolpho!!!

I can cook, too, got my apron on,
I'm ready, just washed my hands.
I can cook, so just get out of
the way 'cause you know this
tiny kitchen ain't got room for
that many legs!
"Hahaha! Liz, I thought that little thing about 'too many legs' was only a joke in my family!
How hilarious that you said it -
or did I dream that part?
Love all those fridge magnets!"

"Speaking of my ex, he would absolutely love this song about missing going out for drinks and getting bar ice!
Carlton and Chad, do you know if this will be on YouTube as a single?
I'd love to be able to send this to Jeff and Amy in Michigan."
I want that ice that when you look you never see,
that ice that fits in glasses!
I want that ice that I cannot get when I drink here...
that ice that I can only get away!

Maria: What is Sean doing, is he going to sing at some point?
Patrick: No, he's just mowing the grass, said it was for the 'b' roll.
"Oh, wow, this is priceless!!!
Hands down - and smelling of soap! - this is the BEST tag yet!!!
Definitive proof that opera singers are regular people, first and foremost, just like the rest of us.
They even trim their own lawns!
And Patrick is right - there is something soothing about watching someone else do yard work."
(smile!)