Last night, we went to the Muny Opera to see the musical Guys and Dolls. For those unfamiliar with the Muny: it is a gigantic outdoor theatre in Forest Park—the closest Los Angeles analogue would be the Greek Theatre or Hollywood Bowl, except that the Muny is (a) locally run, and (b) presents only musicals. The theatre, which according to the program seats 11,000, presents six musicals each summer. The last time I was at the Muny was in 1987, when I saw Big River; I also seem to recall seeing Desert Song at the Muny with my parents, probably in 1979.
Last night was Guys and Dolls, which is gf_guruilla‘s absolutely favorite show. The production was supurb. Sky Masterson was played by Jeff McCarthy, who played Officer Lockstock in Urinetown in New York and Los Angeles (my review). Sarah Brown was played by Catherine Brunell, part of the original cast of Millie. Nathan was Bruce Adler, a Muny regular who was on Broadway in Crazy for You. Miss Adelaide was played by Stacy Logan, another Broadway veteran from Sweet Smell of Success and Crazy for You (she can be seen on the PBS version). From this, you should get the idea that the cast was top-notch. The performance was top-notch as well; all three of us were thoroughly entertained. About my only comment performance-wise was that I kept seeing Officer Lockstock in Jeff McCarthy’s performance (which made the musical even more funny). The performances were great, the orchestra was great, the sets were great, the sound and mic-ing was great (which is rare on an opening night)… even the parking was great (and free—find that in LA!). About the only flaw was the air conditioning system. Recall: this was outdoor in St Louis in summer: thus, the temperature hovered between 80° and 90° with 80% humidity. Schvitz-city—we were limp by the end of the overture. We got home around 12:00 AM and were asleep by 1:00 AM.
One other observation about St. Louis so far: The people in this city are the friendliest folks I have ever met. If it wasn’t for the weather, we could see ourselves living here.
OB Roadgeekiness: One thing we had to drive through yesterday was the interchange at Olive Street Road (yes, that’s its name) and I-270. This is a SPUI (Single-Point Urban Interchange, for the non-roadgeeks). It was my first time driving a SPUI, and although I can see the economy, I found it a bit disconcerting.
Today’s agenda is to go visit Hannibal MO, which is about a 2 hour drive north of here. This is the boyhood home of Mark Twain, about whom Small and Feisty will be studying next year. In the evening, we’ll get together with our friend Linda and do laundry.
