Once a Year Day

 

When time permits on some of the bus rides to the next city we will often have a chance to stop off and do some touring along the way.  In between the drive from Minden to Genk, Belgium we took a two hour detour in Cologne, Germany.

The Cathedral in Cologne is the most visited site in all of Germany and before the completion of the Washington Monument was the tallest building in the world.  Check out wikipedia’s entry here for more information.

   

Exterior (with construction!) and interior shots

 

The REAL reason I was thrilled to go to Cologne, however, was that I knew my friend Jamison was living there and we could have our yearly get together in some random city.  The last time we met might you might remember we were ghost hunting in Watseka, Illinois.  I’m hoping for somewhere in South America in 2012… ‘cause if the Mayans are right we might as well be where all the hubbub is.

I took the opportunity to catch up over lunch and walk around the city a bit.  Apparently Mark Twain was in town doing a book signing for the latest release of his autobiography. 

 

Get it little Mark!

 

Two hours isn’t exactly a lot of time to explore anywhere so after lunch we mosied on back to the station where the bus was located.  Along the way we did have a chance to explore “Lover’s Bridge,” where couples will inscribe their names on a lock and put it on the chain link fence that runs the length of the bridge.

Jamison making the only pose he knows how to

 

It was certainly sad to have to say goodbye so quickly but seeing him was certainly a boost to my spirits.  Until next year!!!!

Oh how I wish I had on real clothes in this picture (as opposed to the fake Blue Lake ones)

 

Artist: Richard Adler and Jerry Ross/ Album: The Pajama Game

Put Your Records On

 

This last Saturday across our great land was “Record Store Day,” celebrated by hipsters and audiophiles alike in musty smelling shoebox sized buildings masquerading as retail establishments. 

Cactus Music even got into the spirit with live music!

 

One of my prized possessions is a record player I got several Christmases ago.  When I informed my parents it was what I wanted they seemed perplexed.  “You mean… … … like vinyl?”

It’s like the iPod version of a record player

 

One of the best things about this one is that it is completely portable and can work off batteries if needed.  It has it’s own speaker so in a pinch you don’t have to plug into anything else to listen.  I have many great memories on the screened-in porch at the Broadway house in Ann Arbor with this lil’ biscuit providing the entertainment. PLUS, I can hook it up to my computer and digitally transfer the record into mp3’s which is buh-mazing because a lot of the records I have aren’t available on CD at all.

Very appropriate, I might add, seeing as how all my friend’s Facebook wall’s in Michigan have been lighting up because of the recent snowfall there this week!

 

I’ve amassed a nice little collection since then and take any opportunity to at least peruse stores when in another city. Ann Arbor had a really great store, Encore Records, and when visiting Jeremy, Clinton, Nate or Jamison I always reserved at least three hours for Cheapo Records.   Luckily, Houston has a handful of them and I spent several hours just hopping across the city and looking at their choices. 

There are some albums that I will ALWAYS buy, and on the top of that list is anything that Martin Katz has played on.  For those of you not in the know—Martin Professor Maestro Katz, called “the gold standard of accompanists” by the New York Times, is the professor of collaborative piano at the University of Michigan.  Oh, and he’s played with basically every great opera singer of the last thirty years, written a book, and is basically a musical genius (and I’m not just throwing that word around willy-nilly). In the four years I was a student at Michigan I had the privilege of taking every one of his song classes and being conducted by him in two operas (Puccini’s La boheme and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin).  Needless to say, any chance I see one of his records I snnnnnnatch it up, and on this most recent trip I got TWO!

  

                  It’s the return of Flicka!!!!!                             Martin Katz + Stephen Sondheim= BUH-LISS!!

 

One of the other reasons I really wanted to get out on this day was that Adele was releasing a special edition remix of some songs from her album just for “Record Store Day.”  I’ve extolled my love for her before (here and here) so it should be no surprise that I was on the hunt for the disc! The first three places I visited had sold out and it was at the last stop that I was able find one—and it was their last copy!!! 

 

And, if anyone out there is making a list—though to be fair, I am still waiting on that watch—if you ever run across Astor Piazzolla records puh-lease get it for me and I’ll pay you back.  The guy who owned Encore in Ann Arbor was a big fan and would always hoard them away for himself whenever someone brought one in!

 

Artist: Corinne Bailey Rae/ Album: Corinne Bailey Rae

Knock On Wood

 

So… I normally don’t do birthday “shout-out” posts on here—I  can only remember a scant few in the past year and most of those were for random already dead folk (see: Edison, Bach).  The reason? It sets an awful precedent to do one for aaaaaaallllllllllllllll you biscuits!!

That being said, though, as I was driving home from works tonight Amii (two i’s!!!) Stewart’s “Knock on Wood” came on the radio and I knew I had to make a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMISON!!!! post.  We were out one night in Chicago and this music video came on at the bar and neither of us had ever seen it before.  As you will see, it’s unsurprising that we were simultaneously in awe and bewildered.  Behold the crazy:

 

Artist: Amii Stewart

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

 

Now, if you frequent the blog with any sense of regularity you probably know that I am a pretty big TV/Film fan, so when I saw Netflix was offering one free month (as opposed to the week that I was used to seeing) I immediately pounced on the offer.  I had perused their archives before when at Matt and Joanie’s and was overwhelmed with the number of documentaries they offered, with one in particular catching my eye.

Were I to see this in Toledo, OH they probably would have just called it Europa.  My friend Jamison played for Toledo Opera when they did a production of Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucrecia and fearing low ticket sales due to, you know, the word “rape” in the title they decided to change it to simply Lucrecia.  I’m pretty sure I also remember hearing that the Britten society got (rightfully so) really upset about it. 

 

I vaguely remember seeing a preview for The Rape of Europa before it came out years ago and then kinda forgot about it, but with instant view I was able to watch it immediately! I’d love to blather on about how fascinating it is, but just watch the trailer instead:

 

The film begins with a discussion of Hitler’s original desire to become a painter and how his rejection from art school was utterly devastating to him.  Interestingly enough, I have actually seen a Hitler painting; while living in Waco I went to see one of his still life’s on display at the Red Men Museum.  Looks like Jack Donaghy was wrong in this week’s episode of 30 Rock!

 

Artist: Elton John/ Album: Honky Chateau

I Always Say Hello to a Flower

 

One of the places I wanted to make sure to get to was the United States Botanic Garden, located at the foot of the Capitol building.  Now, the laaaaaast time I went to a botanic garden was a couple of New Years ago when visiting my friends Nate and Jamison and Kyle in Minneapolis.  They have quite a lovely one there, except I find myself in a bit of horticultural trouble at one point.  One of the rooms is dedicated entirely to ferns of all shapes and sizes, and when I was standing next to one of the larger specimens I heard an awful cracking noise and a giant branch fell basically two inches away from me.  Naturally, everyone there immediately looked to me as the culprit.

I’m innocent I tells ya, INNOCENT!! (also, this was taken about two phones ago, so excuse the quality)

 

Needless to say, I did my best to stay away from any fern I came in contact with.

Look, Joseph, but don’t touch

 

The orchid room

 

Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers! I refer to them as the harbingers of Spring because when I lived in Ann Arbor they were always the first to push through the snow.  Campus was littered with them, as was Plymouth road, and they always made me excited for the change of seasons

 

This is what I look like when NOT toppling over mother nature like a hyperactive lumberjack

 

Artist: Faith Prince/ Album: A Leap of Faith

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

 

I’m not sure if you’re all aware, but apparently it’s a bit cold out there.  I mean, it’s supposed to snow in Houston tonight, so, you know, I hope everyone’s alive in the north.  I’ve often been heard saying how much I enjoy the cold weather and miss the snow in Ann Arbor, and I do… but most of that is for nostalgia’s sake.  There’s something to be said for how quiet the world seams to get with a fresh dusting of snow all around, but I don’t miss trying to decide where exactly the lanes were on Plymouth road.

Whenever it gets unbearably cold I outside I usually take the opportunity to put in one of my favorite movies: Fargo.  It’s sort of a reminder to myself: “You may think it’s cold here, but at least you’re not in Fargo or Minneapolis… and being murdered in a wood chipper!”  I’ve actually felt the utter bleakness of having to chip away at a windshield encrusted with 20 carats worth of ice in a snowstorm. IT SUUUUUCKS!  Actually, the first time I ever watched this was with my friend Nate and Jamison IN Minneapolis.

 

I could wax on and on about the different things I love about this movie, but above all other things it is because of Frances McDormond’s faaaantastic performance.

“Oh… I just think I’m gonna barf!”

 

So tonight you will most likely find me snuggled up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate watching my favorite Coen bro’s film thinking to myself: “Well, I guess it’s not that bad out there…”

 

Artist: James Taylor, Natalie Cole/ Album: At Christmas

Cabaret

 

And now for something entirely non-holiday related… I watched Blazing Saddles for the first time the other day (well, the first time in my “adult life” where I could actually get the humor), and for some reason I had no idea that Madeline Kahn had a cabaret number in the movie.  Some of you may remember my love for her in a previous post about Clue: The Movie.  For her performance as Lili von Shtupp she was nominated for an Academy Award.  (And to be clear Oscar nominations for comedies, especially Mel Brooks comedies, are basically non-existent). Unfortunately none of the videos of her cabaret performance, “I’m So Tired” are available for embedding but you can follow this link to see it on youtube!

 

Since we’re on the subject of cabaret music, and since it is dreadfully grey and rainy outside, I thought I would put up a couple of my other cabaret favorites.  Given my love for the genre I could fill several blog posts with clips but I figure most of you didn’t even follow the first link so I won’t clutter you’re browser up with too many other ones.

Last year when I was doing auditions in New York I was staying with my friend Jamison, and as a thank you for housing me I took him to see German-born (aren’t they all) cabaret singer Ute Lemper at Joe’s Pub.  Basically it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.

(Not from Joe’s Pub, btw)

 

As long as we are talking about Jamison, here is his favorite Kurt Weill song as sung by the immeasurably talented Teresa Stratas.

Biscuit be CRAY CRAY!

The lyrics are too good and too depressing not to put up as well:

It was almost to the end of the world
That my wandering boat
Straying at the will of the waves
Led me one day
The isle is very small
But the kind fairy that lives there
Invites us
To take a look around

Youkali
Is the land of our desires
Youkali
Is happiness, pleasure
Youkali
Is the land where we forget all our worries
It is in our night, like a bright rift
The star we follow
It is Youkali

Youkali
Is the respect of all vows exchanged
Youkali
Is the land of love returned
It is the hope
That is in every human heart
The deliverance
We await for tomorrow

Youkali
Is the land of our desires
Youkali
Is happiness, pleasure
But it is a dream, a folly
There is no Youkali

And life carries us along
Tediously, day by day
But the poor human soul
Seeking forgetfulness everywhere
Has, in order to escape the world
Managed to find the mystery
In which our dreams burrow themselves
In some Youkali

Youkali
Is the land of our desires
Youkali
Is happiness, pleasure
Youkali
Is the land where we forget all our worries
It is in our night, like a bright rift
The star we follow
It is Youkali

Youkali
Is the respect of all vows exchanged
Youkali
Is the land of love returned
It is the hope
That is in every human heart
The deliverance
We await for tomorrow

Youkali
Is the land of our desires
Youkali
Is happiness, pleasure
But it is a dream, a folly
There is no Youkali

But it is a dream, a folly
There is no Youkali

 

Finally, so as not to leave you too utterly despondent, here is a charming parody of cabaret music by the British comedy troupe, Fascinating Aida, that my friend Jeremy introduced me to.  It’s basically a road map on how to sing this style of music absolutely correctly.

Artist: John Kander, Fred Ebb/ Album: Cabaret

I'm Going to Haunt You

I've been a bit lagging in the blog department lately, but bare with me... I am currently couch-surfing my way throughout Ann Arbor and working at the Pottery Barn before I move back to Texas in about a week and a half!

One of the nights I was in Watseka I was able to go to the after party for their production of The Barber of Seville.  Jamison came up to me at one point and goes:

Jamison: Hey, you wanna go to a haunted house?
Me: Ummmm... like with fake fog and cobwebs and people jumping out at you?
Jamison: No no, like, the Discovery channel has been there and done tests and all.
Me: Oh yeah, sure, I'm in!

Apparently one of the coordinators for the Sugar Creek festival owns a house that has quite an interesting past.  The actual tale of Mary Roff, including the possession of Lurancy Vennum (doesn't that sound like someone in Harry Potter who would be in the Slytherin house?), is quite a long one.  It would be better for you to visit the website here to get the whole scoop instead of trying to muddle through what would inevitably be the truncated and probably partially fabricated version I pull from my memory.  Or, if you are my mother, you can go here to learn about the architecture, renovation, and general non-ghosty history of the actual house.  For those of you that don't want to do either, here is the brief brief history in a nutshell from the website:

Called "America's first documented case of spiritual posession," the "Watseka Wonder" is the name given to the strange case of the possession of a young Lurancy Vennum by the spirit of Mary Roff, the daughter of a founder of the small town of Watseka.

As documented by an eyewitness account and later retold in the 1977 novel "Watseka," Mary died suddenly in 1865 at age 19, only to come back 12 years later to possess the body of 14-year-old Lurancy Vennum.

The tale, well known in Watseka and Iroquois County, has also been the subject of writings by philosopher William James, Troy Taylor ("Weird Illinois" and "The Possessed") and most recently the subject of the documentary "The Possessed" by the Booth Brothers.

The Roff Home, where Lurancy lived for 100 days when she believed herself to be possessed by the spirit of Mary Roff, still stands in Watseka today and is currently undergoing an extensive renovation to return it to its former glory.

*Photo disclaimer: I didn't really take a lot of pictures, and the ones I did were with my camera phone and tiny little flash, so sorry about the quality.*

 The house!

  Going up the stairs

 Story time in the basement!  It is also speculated that there were a lot of murders in this basement and that the bodies were all buried under the oak trees in the back yard.

GHOST!!!!! Oh... no, Jamison just needs a tan

So I have to say that I didn't really see anything or hear anything or feel anything while I was at the house, but some of the other people would say things like: "oh, something happened in that room, I can just tell" or "there is a darkness near the stair case."  Yeah, no shit there is darkness, we are walking in a basement with the lights off... so, darkness indeed. I had a fun time and got to hang out with Jamison, though,  so I guess it was worth being out until 3 in the morning in a haunted house.  A haunted house that's been on the Discovery channel!

A Place in the Country

This past weekend I had a couple of days off from work and decided to visit Watseka, Illinois, home of the Sugar Creek Symphony and Song summer festival.  My friend Jamison was the coach and continuo player for The Barber of Seville and my friend Jennifer from Baylor was covering Susannah in The Marriage of Figaro.  It was so nice to be able to go to one location to see two close friends from completely different parts of my life!

I was lucky enough to get to see the orchestra dress rehearsal for the Figaro performance, and it was definitely interesting to see a production that I had so recently done.  They made a lot of cuts (both with characters and musical passages) and their performance clocked in at about 2 hours and 15 minutes... which is about an hour shorter than the one that we did!!

The act 2 finale is soooo busy!

My tour guide, Jamison, also took me on a private tour around the countryside of good ole Watseka! 

Rockin' it in the company car

Soooooo many crops!

CORN!

And if you thought that the only cultural entertainment happening in this tiny town of about 5,000 inhabitants, then you would be WRONG!!!! 

Aw, poor Aaron Tippin havin' to rough it at the Super 8 :(

I also got to go to the nearby town of Kankakee (I think that's how you spell it, I didn't really care enough to look it up and make sure it was correct) with Jennifer because her mom had come up to see her and that is where her hotel was.  She treated us to a lovely dinner at the hotel restaurant, where I had the Italian Beef Wrap.

Me: So, what exactly in this makes it an "Italian" wrap?

Waiter: Well, let's see... let's look at the ingredients.  Roast beef.  Mushrooms.  And cheddar cheese.  So, that gonna be it for you?

Me: Uhhhhhh, sure, sounds great.

JENNIFER