2007-07-28 
 

ever after

G and I attended a performance of Into The Woods the other night at CTA Crossroads Theatre in Walnut Creek. It's small venue in the suburbs and, I have to admit, my expectations weren't that high. That said, they really put on a good show. I've absorbed enough theater from various friends that I could go hypercritical on certain things, but I truly enjoyed myself too much to do that.

Grant you, I've always had a soft spot for this particular musical...and not just because I ended up sleeping with one of the princes after the first time I saw it in my early twenties.

Retro apologies to POC, with whom I was supposed to be visiting at the time...and gratitude too him too for not kicking me to the curb for being such a selfish prig. Would it help all 8 of my loyal readers to know that the gentleman playing the prince also played the part of the wolf? I mean, how could I resist? And he made me feel excited- Well, excited and scared. Point is that POC is one of my best friends and I haven't heard from the prince in well over a decade.

Into the Woods also accompanied me on my cross country odyssey and hearing songs from it usually fills my head with images of wide flat plains, Santa Fe, the Colorado Rockies and a certain corner of the Grand Canyon.

But I digress...back to the performance. I was very impressed by some of the actors. The Baker, in particular, sang beautifully and managed to look so sad towards the end that I wanted to jump up and give him a reassuring hug. (Yes, we were that close to the stage. Due a severe back up at the Caldecott Tunnel that added TWO HOURS to the normal 30 minute drive we were ushered in through the backstage area and into the front row. Only missed half of the first number and were rewarded with the ability to see the entire cast up close and personal.)

I also have to give a thumbs up to the witch. While I caught one or two of the other actors mimicking the intonation and/or actions that I know so well from the American Playhouse DVD version, the witch made that part her own. In my mind, no one will ever top Bernadette Peters' iteration, but very interesting to see a different take on it.

To sum up...I'd forgotten how much I love live theater. Between Into the Woods and last weeks' treat viewing of Kiki and Herb, my new goal is to see much more of it. Avenue Q will be in SF over the next few weeks and I'm going to try to coax G to see that one next.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, memory lane, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 11:28 PM

Comments:

No worries, although I think your recollection of the sequence of events might be a bit off. He and I did two seasons together, and I don't think you could have slept with him the summer we did Into the Woods (at least, you couldn't have slept with him for the first time after) because that was the summer I was sleeping with him. And I know that you slept with him a year before I did.

So you must have slept with him after whichever of these shows you saw: H.M.S. Pinafore, Lend Me a Tenor, Evita or The Music Man. Those were the shows from the year before, and I know you came up at some point that summer.

Isn't it nice how gay men share?

PS: My word verification is "doinp", or, as I see it, "Doin' P." Appropriate.

# posted by  brian : 4:36 PM, July 31, 2007

 

Egads! It was Evita! Just goes to show you what an impression ITW made on me that it was the only show I remember seeing...although now that I think about it, I saw Music Man as well. (and Camelot?)

So tell me if my otherwise faulty memory is correct on this one. Did Stephen Sondheim come up to see it or was that a dream?

# posted by  Mike : 9:16 PM, July 31, 2007

 

Well, I was had a real part in Into the Woods, as opposed to just chorus, which is probably why that show stands out. Because it's all about me.

You did see Camelot, which I directed and in which P was Lancelot. I remember afterwards you asked me if I had choreographed the dances, and when I said no, you looked puzzled and asked, "So what did you do?" I was a little taken aback.

Sondheim didn't come up and see any shows, although that would have been awesome. Julie Hagerty was the biggest celeb we ever got, I think.

# posted by  brian : 9:35 PM, July 31, 2007

 

OMG! I LURVE HER!

In other news, I was a bit of a dumb ass, wasn't I? You've taught me a lot over the years.

# posted by  Mike : 12:03 AM, August 01, 2007

 

Oh, PS, nobody plays a mysterious man like you do!

# posted by  Mike : 12:09 AM, August 01, 2007

 

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