March 2016 – Observations Along the Road

CyberStew: Security, Safety, and More

Posted onThursday, March 31, 2016Authorcahwyguy

userpic=cardboard-safe In advance of the silliness tomorrow, here’s some serious cyber-related news chum:

Ransomware on the Attack. There is a particularly nasty new ransomware out there called Petya. It’s nasty because it encrypts your disk extremely fast. How does it do it? When the ransomware is installed, the master boot record (MBR) is replaced with a malicious loader and the system is then forcefully rebooted. This then causes Windows machines to load the malicious code rather than the operating system. A screen then appears which pretends to be the system tool check disk (CHKDSK) and runs a ‘scan.’ As this fake scan proceeds, Petya is encrypting the Master File Table on the drive. Two tables encrypted, and your drive is toast. What can you do? Of course, be careful on that which you click. Cisco has a good article on detecting ransomware, and Bitdefender has a free tool that supposedly modifies your system so ransomware thinks it is already infected.
Toshiba Batteries: Halt and Catch Fire. If you have a Toshiba laptop (as I do), you should know that there is a major recall in place for Toshiba batteries. It could affect you if you bought your system between 2011 and 2016. Slashdot has a bit more information, including a link to download a program to check your battery. I did. My system is safe.
Windows 10 on the Attack. Last week I provided some advice on how to prevent automatic Windows 10 upgrades. PCWorld has an article on a free utility that will control automatic and unwanted upgrades to Windows 10.
Antisemitic Printer Attacks. Here’s another attack in the news: A White Supremacist group took advantage of unprotected printers on college campuses and made them all print antisemitic flyers.
Unsafe Hospitals. Think your medical equipment is safe. Think again. Nearly 1,500 vulnerabilities have been found in automated medical equipment.
Tracking on Android. On a lighter note, here is some Android software you can use to ~~stalk~~ track your friends. Hopefully it is better than Friendfinder, which I find to be somewhat flakey on Android.
And We Bow our Heads. Lastly, here’s a lament for the hard drive.

California Highway Headlines for March 2016

Posted onThursday, March 31, 2016Authorcahwyguy

userpic=roadgeeking March has been a busy busy month for me, but I have found time to accumulate some headlines. As it is lunchtime on the last day of the month, enjoy these while you munch:

Caltrans Removes East Span as Part of Bay Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project. The 77-year-old east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is being taken down, piece by piece, as part of a Bay Bridge seismic retrofit project. In fact, the new bridge was designed to be a lifeline in a large quake. It will be used to transport food and emergency supplies to San Francisco or Oakland in an emergency. The new east span of the bridge opened in 2013. The self-anchored suspension bridge was built at a cost of $6.4 billion.
Roadshow: Highway 140 to Yosemite needs 4 more years of work. Q: If you’ve been to Yosemite during the last several years and have taken Highway 140, you’ve seen the massive landslide west of Yosemite View Lodge. The slide completely covered the highway, and Caltrans was forced to build two bridges to detour around it. There’s a sign that labels the repair work as the “Ferguson Project.” However, it doesn’t look like any work is under way. This is a heavily traveled route. Is there any projected completion date?

Evidently, I Drank Too Much 🍸 A Shred of Evidence @ Theatre 40

Posted onMonday, March 28, 2016Saturday, April 2, 2016Authorcahwyguy

userpic=yorick Distracted and impaired driving. This is a major factor as to why our roads are unsafe these days. From driving while drunk, high, or sleepy to fiddling with electronic devices while driving, anything that distracts the driver from paying attention to the road is bad. Luckily, there have been major publicity and educational campaigns about this. While we still have problems with drunk drivers, they are much less frequent thanks to folks like MADD. People know now to have a designated driver, and that even one drink might be too many. But that wasn’t always the case. It certainly wasn’t the case in 1958, which is the timeframe of the play we saw yesterday afternoon, A Shred of Evidence by R. C. Sherriff at Theatre Forty (FB) on the grounds of Beverly Hills High School.

A Shred of Evidence is a murder mystery about a man who was killed by an unknown driver on late evening in a suburb outside London. Unlike most murder mysteries — which are told with a focus on the investigator and the investigation — A Shred of Evidence is told from the perspective of another driver on the road that night. As the play opens, the driver, Richard Medway, has just woken up. In talking to his wife, Laura, he discovers the he had arrived home last night, disheveled. He had gone upstairs, leaving the car running and the garage door open for the local constable to find. Luckily, the constable had woken the wife and gotten everything closed down. He informs his wife that he will become a director of his company, with a substantial boost in pay (enough to send his daughter to Oxford — although the price — £250 — seems awfully low these days).

In further discussions, he learns that the car was damaged, and there is a stripe of green paint on the side. Turning on the radio, he also learns that there had been accident on a local street where a driver hit a man on a bicycle, and then just driven off. He doesn’t think he had done it, but after a visit from a local questioning inspector, he isn’t so sure. As he thinks back on the incident, he realizes he had had a lot — perhaps too much — to drink and could have been driving drunk.

This is the focus of the play. Information keeps coming up that circumstantially appears to indict Richard, and Richard keeps working to convince everyone that he didn’t do it. As the days goes on, Richard discovers just how much he had to drink, and how much he doesn’t remember.

So did he do it? You’ll have to see the play to find out. Let’s just say… nah, let’s not.

Shred of Evidence (Publicity Photos) A few broad comments on the story itself. The play is long — perhaps 2.5 hours plus intermission. It’s not a musical, just lots of discussion and exposition to bring out the various factors. That can combine with a warm theatre, comfortable seats, and the modulation of the voices on stage to drowse one out — especially in a post-lunch production. I caught it happening to me a few times, and I saw it happening to other audience members. I’m not sure how to counter that, but perhaps a bit more emotion and either movement or modulation in the tones may help somewhat.

The second broad comment I alluded to in my introduction. The play focuses on a drunk driver. He’s the hero. Throughout the entire play, he’s working to actively cover up the fact that he drove while drunk — and his friends are enabling him. They are coming up with cover stories and buying into his rationalizations. To the modern mindset, that’s unconscionable. Would we cover up for a friend that had driven while drunk. Would we even let him get on the road (or would we call a cab or an Uber/Lyft)? This clash — between the values of 1958 and the values of today — needed some sort of framing to distract the mental gnashing. At minimum, some public service announcements in the program would probably have been appropriate.

Under the direction of Jules Aaron, the actors executed to story in a reasonable fashion. It is unclear if there were directorial choices that could have been made to up the energy, choices that might have addressed the perception of the length. I can’t answer that, but I can comment on one very puzzling directorial choice: at the end of every act or scene, melodramatic music would swell as on a soap opera. Puh-leaze. Musical manipulation of that sort is not necessary for this play, and it seemed forced (and even someone insulting to the audience).

In the lead positions were David Hunt Stafford (FB) as Richard Medway and Alison Blanchard (FB) as Laura Medway. The two made a believable couple; there was just a casual friendliness that comes from long-term relationships. Stafford handled the role well, although there were numerous odd hesitations and a few misstarts on lines that I rarely see these days. I’m going to chalk it up to a bad memory day — we all know that happens as we get older. Luckily, these mostly fit the character and the actor went with the flow. Rounding out the family in a much smaller role was Katy Yoder (FB) as their daughter, Pamela. She was fun to watch — bouncy and energetic and exuding fun. She brought that special spark that the show needed a bit more of.

The investigator of the accident was portrayed by Daniel Lench (FB), whom we know well from his numerous appearances on the boards at Repertory East Playhouse (FB). He gave yet another wonderful performance, bringing an interesting character, energy, and accent to the role.

Providing the support for the lead character (Richard Medway) were John Wallace Combs (FB) as John Cartwright, the Medway’s friend and solicitor, and Richard Hoyt Miller (FB) as Captain Foster, one of the two men that Richard had driven home that night. Combs made a strong Cartwright, coming across as friendly and concerned, and well informed about legal issues. He, too, had a just a few issues with line misstarts. Miller’s Foster was everything you would expect in a rugby-playing carpet salesman.

Rounding out the cast in smaller roles were Peter McGlynn (FB) as Mr. Bennett (the other man that Medway drove home), Esther Richman (FB) as Bennett’s wife, and Richard Carner as a police sergeant. My only comment here is that McGlynn came off as suitably menacing, but Richman’s portrayal of his wife seemed perhaps overly shrill. Suzan Solomon (FB) was the alternative for Mrs. Bennett.

On the production and creative side, the set design by Jeff G. Rack was sumptuous and elegant — a full detailed recreation of a British suburb house. The sound design by Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski (FB) provided appropriate sound effects, although I could have done without the aforementioned melodramatic music. The lighting design by Ric Zimmerman (FB) essentially emulated house lighting, meaning it was mostly whites and yellows and didn’t amplify the emotions. The costumes by Michele Young (FB) and Makeup / Hair / Wig Design by Judi Lewin (FB) worked together to appear suitable for the characters, although I can’t speak to authenticity for the locale or the era. Linda Brennan (FB) was the dialect coach. Don Solosan (FB) was the stage manager; Richard Carner was the assistant stage manager, and Jean Sportelli was the assistant director. David Hunt Stafford (FB) is the Artistic / Managing director of Theatre Forty (FB).

A Shred of Evidence continues through April 17 at Theatre Forty (FB). Tickets are available by calling 310-364-0535 or through their website. Discount tickets may be available on Goldstar or LA Stage Tix. Despite the length, we found the play enjoyable.

* 🎭 🎭 🎭 *

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre critic; I am, however, a regular theatre audience member. I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted. I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I had been subscribing at three theatres: The Colony Theatre (FB), Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB), and REP East (FB): but all have gone or are going dark., I just added a subscription to the Hollywood Pantages (FB). Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups.

Upcoming Shows: April will start with Lea Salonga at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) (FB) on April 1 and an Elayne Boosler concert at Temple Ahavat Shalom on April 2 (this concert is open to the community; get your tickets here). We have a mid-week concert of the Turtle Quintet at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) (FB) on April 7, followed by “Children of Eden” at Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) on April 10. The next weekend’s theatre is on Thursday, because the weekend brings our annual visit to the Renaissance Faire (Southern). The Thursday show is Stella’s Last J-Date at the Whitefire Theatre (FB). The fourth weekend in April is is Pesach, but the Indie Chi Productions dark comedy Dinner at Home Between Deaths at the Odyssey Theatre (FB) sounded so interesting I’ve booked Sunday tickets. The last weekend of April has a hold date for The Boy from Oz at the Celebration Theatre (FB) (although we may end up seeing the Landmark Musical Theatre (FB) in the Bay Area instead (support their kickstarter), meaning I have a weekend to program!). May starts with a hold date for Endgame at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (FB). We then run off to the Bay Area for our daughter’s graduation from Berkeley. While there, we may squeeze in a show: the Landmark Musical Theatre (FB) is doing The Boy from Oz, but otherwise the pickings and concerts are bare. May 21 has a hold for Los Angeles: Then and Now, a new musical at LA City College (FB) from Bruce Kimmel. The last weekend of May has holds for the MoTAS Outing to the Jethawks, and Armadillo Necktie at The Group Rep (FB). As for June? It’s the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), and I’ve started to hold dates for the following shows: All Aboard the Marriage Hearse ✨ All The Best Killers are Librarians ✨ Qaddafi’s Cook — Living in Hell, Cooking for the Devil ✨ Squeeze My Cans ✨Tell Me On A Sunday ✨ Toxic Avenger: The Musical ✨ Vintage Box ✨ Einstein ✨Titus Andronicus Jr. ✨The Old Woman ✨Sweet Love Adieu ✨ My Big Fat Blond Musical✨. We thought about Love The Body Positive, but then again… no. Can’t be scaring people. As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Bitter-Lemons, and Musicals in LA, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves.

How To Succeed … The Other Way 🎩 Gentleman’s Guide (GGLAM) @ Ahmanson

Posted onSunday, March 27, 2016Monday, March 28, 2016Authorcahwyguy

userpic=ahmanson In the early 1960’s Frank Loesser classic How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (H2$), the main character, J. Pierpont Finch, works his way to the top of the company by ruthlessly eliminating through unsuspecting tricks those above him on the food chain. It ends on a note of “what’s next?”, after someone suggested that the President better watch out.

Now, transport yourself back to London in 1909. In A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (GGLAM) (FB), currently at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), we have a similar story: Monty Navarro, an outcast cousin of the wealthy and famous D’Ysquith family, discovers that there are 8 people in the line of succession between him and the position of Earl of Highhurst. He, too, learned that there is a way to succeed without really trying to get to the top: through love and murder. As Monty murders… or perhaps doesn’t murder… his way to the top, the audience is taken for a rollicking and extremely funny ride.

The notes to the show note the similarity of the plot to Kind Hearts and Cornets, the 1949 film starring Alec Guiness, where he played eight different characters in a wealthy family being murdered by the ninth man in line for the fortune. It notes that both Kind Hearts and GGLAM are both based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman. Yet in writing this up the parallels between GGLAM and H2$ are quite striking: a young ambitious man working his way to the top while deftly sabotaging, directly or indirectly, those in the path above him to clear the way. Both, at times, exhibit their era’s stereotypical attitudes that are a little bit off today. Both are extremely funny. Both won Tony awards.

What GGLAM adds to the mix that H2$ does not have, however, is a playful conceit drawn from Kind Hearts: all the family members being killed are portrayed by the same actor. This quick change adds to the fun, because unlike film where there is time to change hair and makeup, stage transitions provide extremely little time. This means the actor portraying the family-to-die must be very versatile and creative.

What are the basics of the story, which was adapted from the aforementioned novel by Robert L. Freedman (FB) (Book and Lyrics) and Steven Lutvak (FB) (Music and Lyrics)? Monty Navarro, who is at the bottom of the social rungs living in poverty, is informed just after his mother’s death that he is a disinherited cousin of the aristocratic D’Ysquith family. His branch was cut off after his mother married a Castilian for love, instead of marrying for position or power. Monty is informed that there are eight D’Ysquiths ahead of him in the line of succession. Monty resolves that he will regain his rightful place in the family. After being scorned on his initial approaches, he meets with the only D’Ysquith that will talk to him: the Reverend Lord Ezekial D’Ysquith. After a dilemma similar to that faced by Seymour Krelborn with the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors results in the death of the Reverend, Monty resolves that he will become the Ninth Earl of Highhurst. How? Well, this is A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, isn’t it? All that stands in front of Monty are Asquith D’Ysquith, Jr., Henry D’Ysquith, Lady Hyacinth D’Ysquith, Major Lord Bartholomew D’Ysquith, Lady Salome D’Yssquith Pumphrey, Asquith D’Ysquith Sr., and Lord Adalbert D’Ysquith.

So where is the Love in the title? That comes from Sibella, the love interest of Monty. However, she does want to marry for wealth and position, which at the start of the story, Monty doesn’t have. Instead, she marries the boring Lord Hallward and keeps on with Monty on the side … growing more interested in him as he moves his way to the top. Complicating matters, however, arise when Henry D’Ysquith passes. Henry is living with Phoebe D’Ysquith, and quickly, Phoebe falls in love with Monty. She proposes, he accepts, and now you have the complicating love factor of the story.

I won’t go into the closing details of the story; you can get that from the Wikipedia synopsis if you don’t mind the spoilers. Suffice it to say that the path from the first to the last, with the complications of the two women, are hilarious. This is the type of humorous farce that last week’s Bach at Leipzig needed to be, but wasn’t. Under the direction of Darko Tresnjak (FB), the silly and crazy energy required is maintained from the opening song until after the curtain call. Tresnjak brought out a playfulness in his acting team that was broadcast to the audience and was infectious.

The acting team was extremely strong. In the lead positions were John Rapson (FB) as all the members of the D’Ysquith family, and Kevin Massey (FB) as Monty D’Ysquith Navarro. I never saw the original cast member, Jefferson Mays in the role, so I cannot compare. From my vantage, Rapson was astounding — being loads of different characters in different costumes all with different comic mannerisms. He was just a hoot to watch. It seems that everything he did — and he was having fun doing it — was with the express goal of “the funny”. It worked. It is difficult to say which of his many characters was the most fun… it was either Henry or Lord Adalbert in his interactions with his wife. Massey’s Navarro was able to keep up with him; a 1909 Pierpont Finch plotting and scheming and occasionally second-guessing himself in a very funny way. Massey’s songs were less aimed at the funny, and he had a lovely voice with which to carry them off.

The love interests were portrayed by Kristen Beth Williams (FB) as Sibella Hallward and Adrienne Eller (FB) as Phoebe D’Ysquith. Both had lovely singing voices, both were sexy, and both had great comic chops. This was demonstrated in top form in the Act II number “I’ve Decided to Marry You”. I enjoyed watching them both, but I must admit I was very taken by Eller’s performance (it is just so cute). Fun, fun to watch. Hint: If you sit close enough (or bring binoculars), watch their facial expressions throughout the show (as well as those of the other D’Ysquiths). These actors were really into their roles.

Almost all of the other roles, with the exception of Miss Shingle (Mary VanArsdel (FB)), the lifelong friend of Monty’s mother who informs him of his status, are played by the members of the ensemble switching into named characters. All of these folks were very strong. Again, it was fun watch their faces and movements — it is clear they are having loads of fun doing this show and that energy and fun comes is projected out to the audience. I do want to highlight Kristen Megelkoch (FB), who was spectacular as Lady Eugenia — her comic interaction with Rapson’s Lord Adalbert was just hilarious. The ensemble (and swings, because I have no idea whether any of those ninjas were on stage) were: Christopher Behmke (FB) (Magistrate, Guard, Ensemble), Sarah Ellis (FB) (Swing/Dance Captain), Matt Leisy (FB) (Tom Copley, Ensemble), Megan Loomis (FB) (Tour Guide, Ensemble), Dani Marcus (FB) (Swing), Lesley McKinnell (FB) (Miss Barley, Ensemble), Kristen Megelkoch (FB) (Lady Eugenia, Ensemble), David Scott Purdy (FB) (Swing/Fight Captain), Chuck Ragsdale (FB) (Swing), and Ben Roseberry (FB) (Chief Inspector Pinckney, Ensemble).

As they often point out at the soon to be dark Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB), live musicals are nothing without live music (a lesson that the Theater League in Thousand Oaks evidently didn’t learn). GGLAM had a 13 person orchestra (when do they change from a band to an orchestra?) under the music direction of Lawrence Goldberg. The orchestra gave a very nice sound and did not overpower the actors. The orchestra consisted of Albin Konopka (FB) (Associate Music Director / Piano), Eric Kang (Piano / Librarian), Jonathan Davis (Oboe / English Horn), Larry Hughes (Clarinet), Andrew Klein (Bassoon), Joe Meyer (French Horn), Robert Schaer (Trumpet), Jen Choi Fischer (Violin 1), Marisa Kuney (Violin 2), Diane Gilbert (Viola), David Mergin (Cello), Ken Wild (Bass), and Cliff Hulling (Percussion). The music contractor was Seymour Red Press / Robert Payne. Paul Staroba was the music supervisor. Orchestrations were by Jonathan Tunick.

The dances in GGLAM make clever use of the space, and are not the typical production numbers (kick kick step turn). Kudos to Peggy Hickey (FB) for the choreography. As dance captain, Sarah Ellis (FB) got the un-envious job of maintaining that choreography on the road.

Turning to the production and creative side: Alexander Dodge‘s scenic design for the tour provides a limited working stage within a stage that keeps the action narrowly focused and emphasizes the comic and theatrical nature of the story being told. This is complemented by the projection design of Aaron Rhyne (FB), which permits the working stage to be many locations through back projection of a scenic flat, often with animation. Both combined with the lighting of Philip S. Rosenberg to provide an effective package of sight and mood. [ETA: An aside on the lighting: I noticed much fewer lights for this show than usual, as it appears the Ahmanson has gone to the more versatile LED lighting systems.] As for sound, the sound design of Dan Moses Schreier was one of the clearest I’ve heard for a tour in ages. Of course, the creativity didn’t stop with the stage, lights, and sounds. They were complemented by the remarkable costumes of Linda Cho, the hair and wig design of Charles G. LaPointe, and the make-up of Brian Strumwasser. As an example of how these were remarkable, consider that John Rapson had to instantly change not only costumes, but wigs and makeup in seconds during transitions, and it was flawless.

The remaining members of the production team were: Dianne Adams McDowell (Vocal Arranger), Binder Casting (Casting), Tripp Phillips (Production Supervisor / Assistant Director), Daniel S. Rosokoff (Production Stage Manager), Eric H. Mayer (Stage Manager), Sarah Helgesen (Assistant Stage Manager). Neuro Tour provided physical therapy. There were loads and loads of producers. This was an AEA tour.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder continues at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) through May 1, 2016. Tickets are available through the CTG Box Office. Discount tickets may be available through the CTG Hottix program, and Goldstar. It is well worth it — a well done very funny show.

* 🎭 🎭 🎭 *

Upcoming Shows: This afternoon saw us in Beverly Hills for A Shred of Evidence at Theatre 40 (FB) — this will be written up in the next day or two. April will start with Lea Salonga at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) (FB) on April 1 and an Elaine Boosler concert at Temple Ahavat Shalom on April 2 (this concert is open to the community; get your tickets here). We have a mid-week concert of the Turtle Quintet at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) (FB) on April 7, followed by “Children of Eden” at Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) on April 10. The next weekend’s theatre is on Thursday, because the weekend brings our annual visit to the Renaissance Faire (Southern). The Thursday show is Stella’s Last J-Date at the Whitefire Theatre (FB). The fourth weekend in April is is Pesach, but the Indie Chi Productions dark comedy Dinner at Home Between Deaths at the Odyssey Theatre (FB) sounded so interesting I’ve booked Sunday tickets. The last weekend of April has a hold date for The Boy from Oz at the Celebration Theatre (FB) (although we may end up seeing the Landmark Musical Theatre (FB) in the Bay Area instead (support their kickstarter), meaning I have a weekend to program!). May starts with a hold date for Endgame at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (FB). We then run off to the Bay Area for our daughter’s graduation from Berkeley. While there, we may squeeze in a show: the Landmark Musical Theatre (FB) is doing The Boy from Oz, but otherwise the pickings and concerts are bare. May 21 has a hold for Los Angeles: Then and Now, a new musical at LA City College (FB) from Bruce Kimmel. The last weekend of May has holds for the MoTAS Outing to the Jethawks, and Armadillo Necktie at The Group Rep (FB). As for June? It’s the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), and I’ve started to hold dates for the following shows: All Aboard the Marriage Hearse ✨ All The Best Killers are Librarians ✨ Qaddafi’s Cook — Living in Hell, Cooking for the Devil ✨ Squeeze My Cans ✨Tell Me On A Sunday ✨ Toxic Avenger: The Musical ✨ Vintage Box ✨ Einstein ✨Titus Andronicus Jr. ✨The Old Woman ✨Sweet Love Adieu ✨ My Big Fat Blond Musical✨. We thought about Love The Body Positive, but then again… no. Can’t be scaring people. As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Bitter-Lemons, and Musicals in LA, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves.

News Chum – In No Particular Order

Posted onSunday, March 27, 2016Monday, April 11, 2016Authorcahwyguy

Observation Stew Before I work on the writeup from last night’s show, I want to clear out the accumulated news chum links. I don’t have the time to put them in any particular theme or order, but I’ll try to give some idea why I thought they were of interest.

LA Metro Stations and Parking. Here are the first three Metro stations that will charge for parking. North Hollywood will be in the second batch of statements converted (I’ll edit in a link on that). What’s interesting is how the process will work, with exception tickets when you exit. I predict confusion; they could have gone with a much much simpler system (including using your TAP card to pay for the parking)
Why Two Spaces after a Period Isn’t Wrong. Yes, it is the second eternal argument: to place one space or two after a period. It is as strong as the .9999999 repeating == 1 argument.
Bad Reviews are So Fun. Why Gods of Egypt is Like Beast Wars crossed with Bad Internet Porn. You can thank me later.
Feeding the Pig. Michael Johnathan over at Woodsongs had an excellent blog post called Feeding the Pig, about how arts institutions are destroying the art they claim to want to protect.
Anthem vs. Express Scripts. Seems there is a nasty fight going on between my health insurer (Athem) and their Prescription Benefit Manager (ExpressScripts). Why do I predict there will be no winners.
Morning vs Evening People. It seems that if you are not a morning person, you never will be. I’m a morning person. My wife isn’t.
Why the iPod Matters? Here’s an interesting blog post on why the iPod Classic is important: it was the last of our portable devices that wasn’t tracking our every move and interest, and sending it back to the mother ship. Yet another reason I like my iPod Classic.
Deciphering LA Parking. There may soon be an app to decipher LA Parking Signs. Could be useful.
Jews in the News. Two interesting Jewish items. (a) 17 Yemini Jews have escaped civil war for a new life in Israel. Whatever your take on the politics of the Israeli government, Israel still serves a significant purpose as a haven for Jews wherever they are persecuted … and as long as the risk of that persecution exists, Israel is needed. (b) Rabbi Gershom Sizomu has been elected as the first Jewish member of the Ugandan parliament. Rabbi Sizomu is an interesting fellow; he spoke at our congregation a few years ago.
Taking Things Apart. Meet Liam, the robot who will take apart your iPhone for recycling. Of course, if they made the iPhone easier to repair in the first place, this might not be needed.
Understanding Donald Trump. An interesting article in HuffPo on the phenomenon that is Donald Trump. The first two paragraphs say it best:We should just call it what it is: Donald Trump is the leader of the White Lives Matter movement. Someone had to start it — they were gettin’ out of control. First, one of them became president and now they’re in the streets protesting every time a Black thug gets shot. They’re gettin’ a little too free.
Then Trump arrived like white supremacy’s version of Santa Claus with a bag full of gifts. He gave them swagger. He gave them unadulterated machismo — Trump is the most macho presidential contender ever. And Trumpy KKKlaus reminded them that a white man who employs good ol’ fashioned white toughness is unstoppable. And everywhere he looks there’s someone to fight. In Trump’s mind, everything in society is aligned against white men — Washington, Mexico, China, Democrats, Black Lives Matter, everything; it’s a total disaster. So little time, so many asses to kick. Entitlement is a powerful drug and Trump’s a big-time dealer.
Shaking to the Core. Dr. Lucy Jones, our well-known earthquake spokesperson, is retiring from USGS. Who do we turn to now?
Geography and LA Theatre. Another good article on the uniqueness of the LA Theater Ecosystem, which shows why we are very different from New York.
Trees and Termites. A tree fell down in UCLA due to termites. Why do I care? The tree in our street median has termites, and there’s little we can do about it. I can’t remove it (city tree), can’t kill it (city tree, get fined), but they won’t come out and take care of it.
LA’s Record Stores. An article on the nostalgia of LA’s record stores. Alas, they left a number of favorites off the list.
Thinking About Ketchup. A nice article on a recent Reply All that addressed diversity and Twitter, and why where you store your ketchup is an important question. Well worth listening to.
No Windows 10. If you are tired of getting nagged to upgrade to Windows 10, you need to read this and follow what it says.
I Can’t Read You. Old, but always interesting: Why the Wingdings font exists.

Something to Chew On

Posted onFriday, March 25, 2016Authorcahwyguy

userpic=pastrami These have been a crazy couple of weeks, and I haven’t any time to get out generic news chum articles inbetween all the other stuff. But I need to clear out the links, so here’s a first salvo: a collection of food related news chum:

Bay Leaves. This one is an interesting one — so good that I submitted it to the folks at the Gastropod Podcast as an idea for a future episode. The question: Do Bay Leaves actually do anything in a recipe? The answer of the authors is… nope.
My Downfall. Here’s an article on a study that says: when you are tired, you eat more. This does me in all the time. I get migraines, and one preventative makes me drowsy. When it hits, or when I have a headache… boom… I crave snacks.
Hadleys is Moving. Those who have driven out the 10 to Palm Springs remember Hadley’s, the dried-fruit oasis near Cabazon. They are moving to larger quarters. What is interesting is what they are adding: “fresh fruit, non-GMO and gluten-free products and house-made bread”.
Water and Tea. Speaking of fruit, here’s some no nonsense advice: fruit juice isn’t much better for you than soda. I’d add to this: and when you dump all of that stuff in your coffee to make it palatable for you, it isn’t better than fruit juice!
Old to New. Here’s a nice reference article on how to revive old vegetables (other than a defibrillator)

Thoughts on a Theatre Season: Ahmanson 🎭 Geffen

Posted onTuesday, March 22, 2016Wednesday, March 23, 2016Authorcahwyguy

userpic=theatre2 Well, the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and The Geffen Playhouse (FB) just announced their upcoming seasons, so it is time for another “Thoughts on a Theatre Season“…

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The Ahmanson Theatre

Back in January, when Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) and the Pantages (FB) announced their seasons (and after a moment of silence for Cabrillo), I wrote:

Other Tour Musings: Aladdin: The Musical just announced their national tour, starting in Chicago April-July 2017. Those dates mean it can’t go into the Pantages until at least 2018, and this is show that I’d expect to go into the Pantages. So it may show up at the Ahmanson in the Fall of 2017 (they haven’t announced their season yet), or (more likely) it will be in the Winter or Spring of 2018 at the Pantages. It also sounds like there is a tour of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. It is part of the 2016-2017 SHN San Francisco season, so my guess is that it will be a fall show at the Ahmanson, because (a) it is unlikely they would delay it until 2018, and (b) they rarely, if ever, book plays into the Pantages. Fun Home and Something Rotten have also announced tours; Fun Home starts in late 2016; Rotten in 2017. Given the Pantages schedule, I’m expecting both to show up at the Ahmanson. School of Rock: The Musical has also announced a tour; although that’s a show that would fit the Pantages audience better, the long sitdown at the Pantages means it will likely be an Ahmanson show. Gee. I’ve just figured out the Ahmanson season :-).

The Ahmanson just announced their season, and I ended up being 2 out of 6. Here are my thoughts:

Arthur Miller’s A View from a Bridge. Sep 7 – Oct 16, 2016. This is the Young Vic production, but it doesn’t really excite me.
Amalie: A New Musical. Dec 6, 2016 – Jan 15, 2017. This premiered last fall under the direction of Pam McKinnon at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. I liked the movie, so this intrigues me.
Fun Home. Feb 21 – Apr 1, 2017.Tony-winning. Need I say more?
Into the Woods. Apr 4 – May 14, 2017. This is the Fiasco 10-actor version, but I’ve seen the original and I’ve seen it in 99 seat. Why see it again?
Jersey Boys. May 16 – Jun 24, 2017. Been there. Saw it.
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Aug 2 – Sep 10, 2017. Oh yes.

This still leaves the question of where Aladdin and School of Rock will end up: I’m guessing the Pantages after Hamilton; similarly, Something Rotten may also end up at the Pantages depending on timing, or the next season at the Ahmanson.

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The Geffen

The Geffen in Westwood has also announced their season. My thoughts:

Barbecue. Sept. 6 to Oct. 16, 2016. Seen last year at the Public Theater in New York. O’Hara’s comedy follows two families — one white, one black — as they bicker and brawl amongst themselves at separate gatherings in a public park.
Margulies’ The Model Apartment. Oct. 11 to Nov. 20, 2016. This debuted in 1995 and tells the story of a retired couple living in a condo.
Icebergs. Nov. 8 to Dec. 18, 2016. This takes place in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, following four friends negotiating professional and personal challenges. World premier of a Alena Smith play.
Benjamin Scheuer’s solo show The Lion. Jan. 4 to Feb. 19.
Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride. April 4, 2017, to May 14, 2017.
Payne’s Constellations. June 6, 2017 to July 16, 2017. The elusive story involves a man and a woman, bound together by advanced physics.

Plus two productions to be announced later. Only one show piques my interest, which is about par for the course at the Geffen.

Too Many Words 🎭 “Bach at Leipzig” at Group Rep

Posted onMonday, March 21, 2016Tuesday, March 22, 2016Authorcahwyguy

userpic=theatre_tickets Yes, I know the quote really is “Too many notes”, and it applies to Mozart, but go with me here….

Yesterday afternoon, we trundled over to The Group Rep (FB) to see our second show of the weekend: Bach at Leipzig. It was advertised as a farcical comedy: Amadeus meets the Three Stooges. The description of the show on the website was as follows:

Leipzig, Germany – 1722. Johann Kuhnau, revered organist of the Thomaskirche, suddenly dies, leaving his post vacant. The town council invites musicians to audition for the coveted position, among them young Johann Sebastian Bach. In an age where musicians depend on patronage from the nobility or the church to pursue their craft, the post at a prominent church in a cultured city is a near guarantee of fame and fortune -which is why some of the candidates are willing to resort to any lengths to secure it. The play is a fugue-like farcical web of bribery, blackmail, and betrayal set against the backdrop of Enlightenment questions about humanity, God, and art.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Alas, as a famous actor once said, “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.”. And if comedy is hard, pulling off a farce successfully is even harder. Although the author, Itamar Moses, and the director, Calvin Remsberg (FB), try to pull it off — alas, they don’t. Let me describe the story, and then we can try to figure out where the problem lies.

As noted before, it is 1722, and the greatest organist in the world, Johann Kuhnau, has died. A number of musicians are vying for the post, all of whom either have the first name of Johann or Georg. They are also all trying to eliminate the others so they can get the position. That, actually, is really the plot.

The show starts with a lot of exposition. A lot. This exposition continues throughout the show by the characters all writing letters to their wives, who all seemed to be named Anna, and giving them to carrier pigeons to send. There’s a lot of intrigue back and forth, and a bunch of running jokes on the first name of the characters. There is an attempt to draw the structure as a parallel to a fugue with multiple voices all coming together to echo the same point. If you didn’t realize it, it is hammered home with some more exposition at the top of Act II.

bach-publicity-photos It should work. In fact, reading some reviews of other productions, I think it has worked elsewhere. But for me, aside from a few good lines, it was a little flat. I think the problem was two-fold. First, the long portions of exposition doesn’t serve the show well. The author needs a better way to get the audience into the context of the story than the artifice of all the letters, and they just serve to slow things down. Talk. Talk. Talk. This is theatre. There should be acting, not loads of monologues. Secondly, for farce to work it needs to be fast-paced and extremely well timed. It should hit you like a one-two punch, surprising you with one silliness before you’ve had time to process the last. This version was much too slow-paced, especially in the humor. The confusion at the various points needs to be amplified. The tempo needs to be upped, and that might even overcome the problem with the words.

Other than the tempo problems, I think the performances themselves were pretty good. I particularly enjoyed the lead, Chris Winfield (FB), as Fasch: he opened the show, and he pretty much moved the action along. He just needed to move it a little bit faster 😁. I also enjoyed Troy Whitaker (FB)’s Lenck. He had the right touch of youthful overconfidence in his abilities to make him fun to watch. I’ve seen him a few times in other productions and found him strong there (and his voice reminds me, strangely, of John Delancie).

Lloyd Pedersen gave Kaufmann a wonderful clueless dandy nature that was fun to watch. Larry Eisenberg (FB)’s Schott had a wonderful air of treachery around him.

The remaining two characters, Mikel Parraga-Wills (FB)’s Steindorff and Todd Andrew Ball (FB)’s Graupner, left less of an impression. I’m not sure what to make of Parraga-Wills’ Steindorff — Haughty, Handsome, but otherwise not leaving much of an impression. Similarly, Ball’s Graupner left a minor impression. I’m not sure whether that was the author’s intent — that they be minor strands in the overall fugue — or it was how it was played.

Lastly, there was Steve Terrell/FB‘s “Greatest Organist in Germany”. I hear he has a wonderful speaking voice.

Turning to the production team: The scenic and lighting design of J. Kent Inasy (FB), was a reasonably adaptable series of faux-marble arches that were suitable for the various court discussions (this wasn’t a prop-heavy play, other than the various hiding places for music — another running gag). Steve Shaw (FB)’s sound design worked well, particularly the directionality of the organ music. A Jeffrey Schoenberg (FB)’s costumes were excellent, which isn’t a surprise when you realize he’s been working in the Renaissance costuming field for ages. Adam Conn (FB) seemed suitably realistic to this non-fencing expert. Michele Bernath (FB) was the assistant to the director, and the producer was Suzy London (FB).

[ETA: One additional note on the show I just remembered: This is an era where there is loads and loads of talk of diversity in the theatre: both onstage and offstage. I found myself thinking about this as I noticed there was not one female part in this production. If we want audience diversity, we must demonstrate diversity in what is presented.]

Bach at Leipzig continues through May 1, 2016 at The Group Rep (FB). Tickets are available through the Group Rep website. Discount tickets may be available on Goldstar or on LA Stage Tix.

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Upcoming Shows: The third weekend of March takes us back to the Pasadena Playhouse (FB) on March 19 to see Harvey Fierstein’s Casa Valentina, followed by Bach at Leipzig at The Group Rep (FB) on March 20. The last weekend of March brings “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) on Saturday, followed by A Shred of Evidence at Theatre 40 (FB) on Sunday. April will start with Lea Salonga at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) (FB) on April 1 and an Elaine Boosler concert at Temple Ahavat Shalom on April 2 (this concert is open to the community; get your tickets here). We have a mid-week concert of the Turtle Quintet at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) (FB) on April 7, followed by “Children of Eden” at Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) on April 10. The next weekend’s theatre is on Thursday, because the weekend brings our annual visit to the Renaissance Faire (Southern). The Thursday show is Stella’s Last J-Date at the Whitefire Theatre (FB). The fourth weekend in April is is Pesach, but the Indie Chi Productions dark comedy Dinner at Home Between Deaths at the Odyssey Theatre (FB) sounded so interesting I’ve booked Sunday tickets. The last weekend of April has a hold date for The Boy from Oz at the Celebration Theatre (FB). May starts with a hold date for Endgame at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (FB). We then run off to the Bay Area for our daughter’s graduation from Berkeley. While there, we may squeeze in a show: the Landmark Musical Theatre (FB) is doing The Boy from Oz (if we miss it at the Celebration), but otherwise the pickings and concerts are bare. May 21 has a hold for Los Angeles: Then and Now, a new musical at LA City College (FB) from Bruce Kimmel. The last weekend of May has holds for the MoTAS Outing to the Jethawks, and Armadillo Necktie at The Group Rep (FB). As for June? It’s the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), and I’ve started to hold dates for the following shows: All Aboard the Marriage Hearse ✨ All The Best Killers are Librarians ✨ Qaddafi’s Cook — Living in Hell, Cooking for the Devil ✨ Squeeze My Cans ✨Tell Me On A Sunday ✨ Toxic Avenger: The Musical ✨. As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Bitter-Lemons, and Musicals in LA, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves.