I remember a New Year's Eve, before we were married, when Walt and I drove to Los Angeles for a party, stayed up late, slept a few hours, got back in the car first thing in the morning, and drove back home again. (For those fuzzy on California geography, that's an 8 hour trip each way.) We did that sort of crazy stuff then.
When Lawsuit was going hot and heavy, we frequently drove all over the state for shows, staying up late, and driving home again from wherever it was.
Last night we did two shows in San Francisco and got home at 2:30 a.m. First of all, it took us three hours to get there. Traffic was horrendous, and even taking the short cut that Walt knows, which cuts off at least half an hour of traffic, we didn't have time to have dinner. We picked up a yogurt smoothie at a stand while we were walking from the parking lot through the Metreon on our way to the theatre.
The first show was The Lamplighters Mikado. Mikado is one of my very favorite Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. It was the one which first enamored me to Gilbert & Sullivan, The Lamplighters, and Gilbert. It was generally recognized that Gilbert's KoKo was one of his best (the other being Jack Point in the less well known Yeomen of the Guard). The Lamplighters once ran Mikado for six months back in the 1960s because it was always a big seller and they needed money.
This current production is opulent and there is lots of good about it, but I have to admit I hated it. Well, maybe "hate" is too strong a word, but I did not like at all a lot of the things the director did with it. Lots of "business" that just distracted from what should have been the focus on stage to elicit cheap laughs, when the real laughs weren't there. And while I may not have hated the show (great performers, great costumes, fabulous set, great orchesetra), I did hate what the director did with KoKo, who minced onto the stage like a drag queen (and the actor himself is not gay, I was told) and had none of the charm that I associate with KoKo. Much of the best about him was gone. I didn't even applaud for most of his numbers because I just hated what the director had done to the character.
(this photo of YumYum and Koko was taken by Rhys Chung, of The Lamplighters
You can see all of her excellent photos of the show on Flickr)
So it was a disappointment. For me. The audience loved it and I was very glad I didn't have to review it because my personal prejudices would have gotten in the way, I fear.
The show ended at about 10 minutes to 11 and Preoccupied Pipers was due to perform across town at 11. This is the group of Lawsuit alumni who get together once a year to perform music that they've been writing, often in e-mail collaboration, all year. Jeri and Phil had flown in, arriving (thanks to Jet Blue canceling their original flight) that morning for the evening's show!. We raced through the streets of San Francisco and, thanks to the fact that IPO shows never run on time, we actually did get there on time.
I hadn't seen the guys up on stage in a long time and it was fun, of course, to watch them.
Ned in costume on the drum
Jeri on flute
Marta
Jeri on sax, Marta on trombone
They played until about 12:30 or so. I forget what time it was, but all I know was that it was after 2 a.m. when Walt and I finally rolled in here. The dogs couldn't believe it. I think it will be awhile before we try that little stunt again! (But it sure was a fun night!)
Today's video contains snippets from the concert.
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