Where the Music Comes From

 

Upon waking up this morning I was saddened to hear that composer Lee Hoiby passed away yesterday.  I have only sung one of his pieces (an aria from his operatic adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke) but have always enjoyed his writing.  After a bit of YouTube trolling, I came across some highlights from his operatic “monologue” Bon Appetit! based on, and including text by, Julia Child.

 

OMG I just had the best idea!  Someone should totally make a movie version of this opera!! If only I could think of someone who could pull of playing this role.  Hmmm… … …

 

In all seriousness, though, his contribution to the realm of music is undeniable and luckily for us his music will continue to live on for years and years to come.

“Singers, you can’t fool them,” he said. “When they hear a song, they can tell right away if it’s going to make them sound good. And mine do.”  Lee Hoiby [via The New York Times]

 

Artist: Peter Stewart/ Album: Continual Conversations with a Silent Man, Songs of Lee Hoiby

A Real Gourmet Kitchen

 

One of my must sees for this trip was an exhibit at the American History Museum:

 

 

I immediately texted a picture to my mother:

Me: Julia Childs had nothin’ on Joyce!!!

Mom: Isn’t the turquoise something! That exhibit is so fun to see.

Me: Well… it’s certainly no avocado or harvest gold.

Now, I couldn’t help but think while watching some of the clips from her cooking show that someone should make a movie about her life.  I mean… honestly, why hasn’t that happened yet.  OMG, you know who would be PERFECT to play that role, right?

That was for you, Jan.  (Well, mostly for me… but I knew you’d love it)

 

And, while we’re on a Jan kick.  I realize that I’m not exactly singing with them like you have requested in the past, but this is the best and the closest I could manage.

Get it little Muppets!!!

 

The museum is also home to a fabulous collection of presidential and first lady ephemera, including inaugural gowns.

  

Michelle Obama  And… for those of you foaming at the mouth, I’ve also included Nancy Reagan

 

Yeah, those are okay I guess.  However, the BEST gown they had on display was a couple of floors up.

This is for you, Jeremy!!!!

 

The other exhibit I would have been remiss to miss is Stephen Colbert’s portrait, once on display in the National Portrait Gallery (next to the restrooms) and now a part of the permanent collection of the American History Museum.  But seriously… I wasn’t going to get out of this town without seeing it. 

Point/Counterpoint

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Portrait Accepted - Brent Glass
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

And, finally, a picture of something many of you who read my blog with any consistency will feel I have lost:

“In 1884, the marble industry was born in Ohio when the first mass-produced marbles were made—creating a toy that many children could afford.”

Artist: Michael Giacchino/ Album: Ratatouille

A Little Brains, a Little Talent

There are a lot of performers careers that I really admire, not only for their acting ability alone, but for the breadth of genres that they cover as well (Audra McDonald anyone? And, as Cameron from Modern Family would vehemently agree with me, Meryl Streep…)

Don’t even get me STARTED on Sophie’s Choice!

Which brings me to another actor I would want even half the career of: Christopher Lloyd.  Some of you may be thinking, “what does that have to do with Modern Family?” Well:

*Update 1/23: So… apparently I’m an idiot (this may not surprise many of you), but my sister-in-law pointed out to me this morning that not all Christopher Lloyds are created equal and the creator of Modern Family is not the same, dear Professor Plum I know and love.  Lame! STOP WRECKING MY LIFE, FAKE CHRISTOPHER LLOYD!!!! [It’s okay, though, I’ll make up for it in my next post.]
And that’s not even the START of it.  He was in two of my absolute favorite movies:

        

   I’ve already waxed (not so) poetically about it here!!       You’ve no soul if you aren’t a bawling mess by the end 

However, what prompted this particular post is that last night he appeared on my current ub-session of a TV show, Fringe.  I’ll basically follow J.J. Abrams down any conspiratorial rabbit hole (Alias, Lost, Undercovers) so it’s no surprise I’m transfixed by this modern day X-Files.

I’ve yet to actually watch the episode, but based on this still from the episode alone I am hypothesizing he plays an Andy Warhol inspired, S&M loving shape shifter from the other universe.  That’s probable on that show, right?

Oh yeah, and he was also in some rarely seen trilogy from the ‘80s about a time traveling teen and his wacky mad scientist cohort.  You’ve probably never heard of them though so it’s not really worth discussing.

Artist: Richard Adler/ Album: Damn Yankees

Random nerd fact: Eric Stoltz was actually supposed to play Marty McFly because Michael J. Fox was busy filming Family Ties, but midway through shooting the film makers decided he wasn’t quite right for the role.  Blog full circle moment?: During an episode of Fringe in the alternate universe this can be seen in the background…

STOP BLOWING MY MIND, CHRISTOPHER LLOYD!

At the dark end of the street

Move over, Oprah, there's a new book club in town!!!! And by "book club" I of course mean "I-don't-actually-read-books-and-just-watch-a-lot-of-movies-and-television-,-some-of-which-might-happen-to-be-based-on-books." Whew... looks like I've used my hyphen allotment for the day week.  It's okay though, because I have a fellow non-reader whommm's intelligence I admire and can justify my not reading because she's smart.  That makes sense, right? 

For the inaugural selection it may not surprise a lot of you that I have chosen Clue, my absolute favorite movie!  It is the one constant gauge I use to judge whether or not I should be friends with someone, and only one person has gotten away with not liking it; I excuse him only because he grew up on a farm and doesn't know any better.  It is also the only movie ever to be based upon a classic board game.  Well, until those bastard step-triplets Monopoly, Battleship, and (I'll admit it, this one sounds fabulous) Candy Land come out.  Unfortunately, those are in fact legitimate films now in production... but needless to say: Clue was the first, and from the looks of it, will still be the best.  That is, unless they hire Meryll Streep to play the old leather boot.  The Oscars just LOVE a rags to riches story. 

Side note- Did you know that Clue, originally called Cluedo in it's native United Kingdom, changed the character of Reverund Green to Mr. Green when translating for American audiences because there was an objection to even the chance that a man of the cloth would have something to do with a (hypothetical) murder?  Yeah, didn't think so.

Yet I digress.  The plot is basically what you would expect: people go to a ominously dark mansion, there's a bunch of murders, blah blah blah secret passage ways, candle sticks, etc.  What makes it such a great movie is the stellar ensemble cast: Madeline Kahn (Mrs. White), Christopher Lloyd (Professor Plumb), Tim Curry (the butler), Lesley Ann Warren (Miss Scarlet), Eileen Brennan (Mrs. Peacock), Michael McKean (Mr. Green), Martin Mull (Colonel Mustard), and Colleen Camp (the maid).

I have seen this movie more times than I can count, but I first watched it (and then rewatched and rewatched) with my brother when we were younger.  The part that always got me then was when the singing telegram girl gets shot:

(Hopefully this isn't where my career is headed)

Since then I have owned the movie in all its various incarnations... VHS, DVD, digital download from iTunes, and finally on my iPod.  At one point, my friends Will and Clinton and I would watch it over and over, just focusing on one character the whole movie through.  And yes, somehow I have managed to get three degrees in the process!  I have watched it so many times that it is among the few movies I can quote large sections of.  Sections like these:

(MMMMM... omlets)

(Just listen to those suspenders pop!)

Mr. Green: Who would wanna kill the cook?

Miss Scarlet: Dinner wasn't that bad.
Colonel Mustard: How can you make jokes at a time like this?
Miss Scarlet: It's my defense mechanism.
Colonel Mustard: Some defense, if I was the killer, I would kill you next.
Miss Scarlet: Oh?
[Everyone looks at Colonel Mustard]
Colonel Mustard: I said, "if," "IF!"

Wadsworth: The game's up, Scarlet. There are no more bullets left in that gun.
Miss Scarlet: Oh, come on, you don't think I'm gonna fall for that old trick?
Wadsworth: It's not a trick. There was one shot at Mr. Boddy in the Study; two for the chandelier; two at the Lounge door and one for the singing telegram.
Miss Scarlet: That's not six.
Wadsworth: One plus two plus two plus one.
Miss Scarlet: Uh-uh, there was only one shot that got the chandelier. That's one plus two plus *one* plus one.
Wadsworth: Even if you were right, that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not one plus *two* plus one plus one.
Miss Scarlet: Okay, fine. One plus two plus one... Shut up! The point is, there is one bullet left in this gun and guess who's gonna get it!

Mr. Green: [to Miss Scarlet] So, how did you know Colonel Mustard works in Washington? Is he one of your clients?
Colonel Mustard: Certainly not!
Mr. Green: I was asking Miss Scarlet.
Colonel Mustard: [to Miss Scarlet] Well, you tell him it's not true.
Miss Scarlet: It's not true.
Professor Plum: [to Miss Scarlet] Is that true?
Miss Scarlet: No, it's not true.
Mr. Green: Ah ha! So it is true!
Wadsworth: A double negative!
Colonel Mustard: A double negative?
[whispering]
Colonel Mustard: You mean you have photographs?
Wadsworth: That sounds like a confession to me. In fact the double negative has led to proof positive. I'm afraid you gave yourself away.
Colonel Mustard: [angry, to Wadsworth] Are you trying to make me look stupid in front of the other guests?
Wadsworth: You don't need any help from me, sir.
Colonel Mustard: That's right!


I could probably go on like this for a while but it might be easier-- and probably more entertaining-- for you to just rent the damn movie.  Plus, it has three different endings!!!  When the movie was first released theatrically, depending on which theater you went to, you would get a different ending, just as if you were playing the game. C'aint nobody say that about Fargo.  Like, what if it were Jerry Lundegaard, in the dealer lot, with a tire iron instead of Gaear Grimsrud, by the lake, with a woodchipper?  Doesn't exactly have the same ring as Miss Scarlet, in the study, with the revolver.  Apparently a fourth ending was scripted and filmed but never made it into the movie because it clashed with the comedic nature of the movie.  Must have been horrifying!

Oh... and I also recently read that Universal Studios is set to film a re-make of the movie, which will most likely be horrible and cast Jessica Simpson as the maid. Gore Verbinski, of Pirates of the Caribbean directorial fame, is said to helm.