I Love Labor Day Weekend

2013 edition is here.

The best thing about Labor Day Weekend isn't that it's a day longer than most. No, it's because of the "Celebrations" section of the Sunday San Diego Union-Tribune. This is where people pay to announce engagements, weddings, anniversaries, new babies, graduations from kindergarten, and the likes.

If you can pay for it, you can celebrate it.

Every year we get to share in the celebration of Ms. Magic Meryle Cohen's birthday! She hasn't aged a day since I first noticed the celebration of her birthday many years ago. The picture and type have gotten smaller (the column is only 3 ½ inches wide this year) but the information is pretty much what I remember.

(click it to read it)

She sounds like a hoot.

(But for all her accomplishments mentioned in the piece the only thing I can find on the Internet about her is her hint for Heloise.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAGIC MERYLE!

I am so embarrassed!

Back in the sixth grade we got to go (had to go?) to shop class (thanks, Colleen, for reminding me about shop class). We made our candy dishes, ash trays (sixth graders could encourage smoking back then), and the likes.

There were examples of projects hanging on the walls. I chose to make a smiling face. It was a simple face cut out of a board of wood. When I turned it in to be graded the teacher wondered where the other mask was. He explained what the comedy and tragedy masks were about. I had no idea that they were a set. I just wanted the happy one. I was very embarrassed!

So, every time we go to a performance at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, I am reminded of my embarrassment. They have the Comedy and Tragedy Masks hanging over their bar in the lobby.

I am so embarrassed!

Gypsy

We were busy chaps today. This evening we got to see Gypsy. It had five people in the pit. And loud recorded music. I wondered why they bother with the few musicians to add a little bit of music to the recording. Jerry explained that it's like a Thomas Kinkade painting. You know, like a picture with authentic, hand-applied highlights!

They had a good Mama Rose. But the reverb they added to "Rose's Turn" was kind of annoying. Otherwise she did a pretty good job of the scene.

Except for the tiny pit group it was a good little production. The Junes, Louises and girls with gimmicks where quite good.

It's nice to be able to see shows like this right here in Escondido. But the shortage of musicians makes me pine for bigger productions.

The Trocks

Tonight we got to see Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. They're always a hoot! Of course we got to see Swan Lake, Act II and The Dying Swan. Even though we've seen those many times they are always fresh and fun.

They also did Vivaldi Suite (with the tallest woman and shortest man in the company as leads) and Majisimas with music from Le Cid by Massenet (isn't French Spanish music wonderful?). These weren't full of belly laughs. They were great nonetheless.

Nobody should pass up any opportunity to see the Trocks.