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Just saw The Book of Mormon Musical…

My husband and I just saw the Book of Mormon Musical at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas…

The Book of Mormon Playbill…

My husband, Bill, is an ex Mormon and a lover of all things South Park, so it was especially fitting that we’d go see the controversial musical brought to us by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez. Back in late August, I noticed The Book of Mormon Musical would be playing locally for about two weeks. I got us tickets and we went to the last performance on Sunday, September 29th at 7:30pm.

I gotta say, The Book of Mormon Musical is not a show for the faint of heart. If you are offended by swear words or extreme sexual humor, you might do well to pick a different show. Frankly, it takes a lot to offend me, so I really enjoyed the show. The cast was led by Welshman Mark Evans, who played Elder Kevin Price, a gung ho missionary who wanted to serve a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Orlando, Florida. Instead, he and an annoying compulsive liar named Elder Arnold Cunningham (played by Christopher John O’Neill) were sent to Uganda. As soon as they arrive in the east African country, the two young men are confronted by the harsh realities of life in Uganda, where the locals are much more concerned about survival than joining a new church.

The two young men meet the rest of the missionaries assigned to Uganda and find out that they haven’t managed to convert a single soul. Then they meet a lovely villager named Nabulungi (played by Samantha Marie Ware) who may be receptive to learning what they want to teach her. Will Elder Price and Elder Cunningham be able to teach these Ugandans about Mormonism? You’ll have to see the show to find out. I don’t want to ruin the plot by giving too much of the story away. I laughed pretty much non stop from start to finish, though.

Let me just say that Bill and I had a wonderful time at this show. We found it very entertaining, though there were a few niggling details that weren’t totally accurate. We did overhear one guy say that he understood most of the references; he had never studied Mormonism. We heard another guy explaining to him some of the nuances that he didn’t get. Bill thought the guy was probably an ex Mormon, like he is. It does help to know a few things about the church before you see the show, but I think most people who can handle the language and humor will be entertained even if they don’t.

This is a shot of the stage at The Majestic Theatre…

The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio…

The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio is really beautiful and historic. It was a treat to see this show there, even though I ended up having to peek between the people sitting in front of us because they were tall and the woman had big hair. The Majestic Theatre has a full bar, though Bill and I didn’t partake. We had dinner at Biga On The Banks, where we enjoyed cocktails and wine.

The opening number “Hello”, which was featured on the Tony Awards in 2012.

This is from the 2012 Tony Awards. Here, Elder Price is played by Andrew Rannells, who sings “I Believe”.

Bottom line? We loved The Book of Mormon Musical and would see it again. In fact, we enjoyed our night out at the Majestic Theatre so much that I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for more shows and concerts. We’re really lucky to live so close to such a lovely venue.

October 1, 2013
SongPop slowdown…

This was an obsession for awhile…

About a year ago, I was hooked on Facebook’s SongPop game. But lately, I’ve experienced a SongPop slowdown…

You know how it is. You’re on Facebook and a new game comes out. Pretty soon, your friends are bugging you to play. I got hooked on a few Facebook games, but the one that really captured my attention was SongPop. I am a certified music nerd and I’m pretty good at guessing the names of songs and the people who sing them. When SongPop first came out, I was really into it. Some of my friends quit playing with me because I would often beat them pretty soundly. On the other hand, a few of my friends are every bit as music nerdy as I am and our matches would get pretty heated.

But, as with almost everything on Facebook, the fad seems to have faded somewhat. There was a time when I’d have a whole lot of people wanting to play SongPop with me to the point at which it was annoying. I could open the game and be assured that I’d have several games waiting. I’d even have a few folks who would bug me to play. One player in particular was even worried about how I would keep up with our SongPop challenges while I was visiting Europe last year. Now? I’m lucky if I play a couple of times a week. People seem to have lost interest, the same way they lost interest in Mafia Wars and Farmville.

SongPop video…

The game is pretty easy to play. You pick a category and then listen to ten second snippets of songs. You either guess the title or the artist. Some of the categories can be pretty obscure. I, for one, enjoy playing the Eurovision category, much to the annoyance of some of the people who play with me. It’s not that I know a lot of Eurovision songs. I just like trying to figure them out. I feel the same way about the National Anthems category, on which I seldom do particularly well. On the other hand, I get annoyed when people send me hairband or rap challenges. I suck at those categories.

Sadly, I don’t do that well on categories featuring 90s era music or today’s hits. I ought to listen to newer music more often if only so I can be a better SongPop player. But if you challenge me in 70s or 80s hits, prepare for a fierce battle. I also rock on the classic rock songs. Not long ago, it didn’t take me too long to save up “coins” so I could buy new song lists. But right now, things have kind of stagnated.

I guess I’m not too sad that SongPop isn’t as blazing hot popular as it was a year ago. I mean, there are certainly more productive ways I could be spending my time. But SongPop definitely has its place, especially when you blog about music. Sometimes when I play SongPop, I’m reminded of songs I had long forgotten about. Then I end up downloading them. Of course, that is ultimately the whole point of Facebook games… the developers hope you’ll spend some money.

Well, I just checked Facebook and no one has issued me a challenge. Maybe I should get on the stick and invite someone to play.

Have a good weekend, everybody!

September 27, 2013
Carole King honored as MusiCare’s Person of the Year!

Carole King to be honored as MusiCare’s Person of the Year 2014

Carole King’s music has been around for decades and she, along with her ex-husband Gerry Goffin, wrote some of the biggest hits of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin to Amy Winehouse have covered her music. Now, MusiCares, an organization that provides critical resources for musical people in need, is going to honor King as its 2014 Person of the Year.

King’s friend, James Taylor, who won the MusiCares Person of the Year award in 2006, had huge hits with King’s songs, “You’ve Got A Friend” and “Up On The Roof”. Taylor will be performing on Friday, January 24, 2014, when King receives her award. Other artists scheduled to perform in King’s honor include Lady Gaga, the Dixie Chicks, Bette Midler, Jason Mraz, and Steven Tyler.

Since my very youngest years, I have loved Carole King’s music. One of the first songs I remember hearing and loving by her was the song “One Fine Day”. “One Fine Day” has been done by a number of artists, from The Carpenters to The Chiffons to Natalie Merchant. But the rendition I remember best was the one Carole King did herself back in 1980. By the time she recorded it, it had already been covered by many people and I have to admit, when I listen to King’s version today, it sounds very 1980. But I still like her rendition the best because she wrote the song and it really was the first time I heard her name, even though I had heard her songs long before she performed “One Fine Day”.

I love watching Carole King play this.

Carole King’s hit “It’s Too Late” has such wise lyrics set to a melody that really captures the mood of a woman who has a “come to Jesus” talk with her lover, letting him know that it’s time for them to part ways.

Carole King performing “It’s Too Late” with Danny Kortchmar in 1971.

Carole King and James Taylor perform “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, her very first hit written when she was just 18 years old.

Carole King is being presented MusiCares Person of the Year award in recognition of her outstanding creative accomplishments and generous charity work. King has been involved with many philanthropies, particularly those supporting wilderness conservation. She has also supported a range of political causes. I know I’m not the only one who believes Carole King deserves this great honor. Carole King’s Facebook page has been alive with posts about the award, as well as all the amazing covers of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” that have been done by other artists over the years.

Here Carole King performs “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman” with Aretha Franklin, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Gloria Estefan in 1998. I have to admit it’s funny to watch Aretha and Celine try to outdo each other at 3:08. Carole, of course, stays very classy.

Congratulations to Carole King for winning MusiCares Person of the Year award in 2014!

September 24, 2013