This morning I find myself wishing that I have the skills to do justice to experiencing Mahler's Third Symphony at Benaroya Hall last night. I do however have an artist's heart; here is what my heart tells me to write:

A full orchestra - so many instruments. Two large golden harps -- how many French horns? How many strings...?!? The first movement - full, moody, then playful, now serene. Subsequent movements: Marching, marching - building up, multi layered. So many instruments. Loud thunderous sound and serene again. In comes "Man" in the form of an imposing mezzo-soprano. Powerful voice - hitting highs that made my nose tingle, eyes well up. Boy's choir; voices of angels as man transcends the cacophony that came before. An ending so powerful (I'm sorry but) it made me chuckle - it was too familiar (dare I say trite) in contrast to the some of the surprises throughout the performance (like the bundle of sticks beat against a bass drum.)

According to my learned friend, the French horns biffed it a little at the start -- but this was completely lost on me. At that point I was caught up in some weeping tones that sounded like what PMS feels like. Lol. Ignorance surely can be bliss. :)

We went to opening night of "Stuff Happens" at ACT last night. Whew! This is an impressive political play that dramatizes the events leading up to the Iraq war. Characters include George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz -- much of the dialog is taken directly from press conferences, interviews and speeches stitched together with fictional (yet believable/highly probable) scenes.

This is obviously heavy stuff. It's worth seeing for the realistic portrayal of the political figures (pretty funny at times) and for the accurate retelling of this story - many POV are conveyed (it helped me finally wrap my mind around why Blair was behind the push to go to war, for example.) This is a tight, well done, well cast production. It runs until July 22nd.

https://www.acttheatre.org/TicketsPlays/Play.aspx?prod=45

My Dad rocks. Check out this edited excerpt from his blog:

"In his famous essay “Nature” Emerson says that...

“Every appearance in nature corresponds to some state of the mind, and that state of the mind can only be described by presenting that natural appearance as its picture. An enraged man is a lion, a cunning man is a fox, a firm man is a rock, a learned man is a torch. A lamb is innocence; a snake is subtle spite; flowers express to us the delicate affections. Light and darkness are our familiar expression for knowledge and ignorance; and heat for love. Visible distance behind and before us, is respectively our image of memory and hope.”

So I wonder what the meaning of mushrooms is."

Read the full blog entry here along with some of his lovely photos of mushrooms:
http://frankwinters.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/the-meaning-of-mushrooms/

I like the first photo -- the 'shrooms look like a couple Hobbit homes nestled in a wee forest.
There's also another set that looks like they reside on another planet. Nifty!

Jim and I went to see West Side Story at the Fifth last night. It was as swanky and cool as dancing hoodlums from the 50's are apt to be -- and unfortunately thematically still relevant (gangs, race relations and violence) fifty years after its premiere.

The set was appropriately urban and industrial: a fenced in play yard, dusty concrete, metal fire escapes ('oh, wherefore art thou.... Tony?') Scenes were flooded with deep red, purple and green lights -- and oh, how I loved the fluorescent lights in the magazine shop! The singing and dancing was fantastic -- the tenor who played Tony had such a wonderfully warm voice. Needless to say, I enjoyed the show very much... but tell me, when am I going to learn that I must bring tissues when I go to the theater?!? I walked away with a tear splashed shirt and a mottled, red nose. If I had to guess I would say this was a four tissue show. I just couldn't play it cool, boy. :)

This is a quick note to my future self so I remember that June 5, 2007 was a milestone day. It started by digging deeper, trusting my instincts, and taking a leap of faith. I believe this will be a day worth celebrating in years to come.

I just hope I remember what the hell I was writing about...! ;)