Sunday open chat for April 23: spring has sprung
a Sunday read, a Sunday listen, a Sunday watch
after an unusually chilly March and early April, spring has finally sprung here in the Hudson Valley.
Sunday read: Elon Musk Figured Out the Media’s Biggest Weakness
how our media, which learned nothing from uncritically reporting on all the bullshit that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth, is now making the same mistakes all over again with Elon Musk.
Sunday listen: Music of the Night after Night after Night
“act one” from the April 14th This American Life podcast. the musicians in the orchestra for Phantom of the Opera talk about what it’s like to play the exact same music every single night and watch the exact same actors recite the exact same lines — for decades. how one’s dream job can sometimes become a nightmare.
Sunday watch: Flash Mob Ode to Joy
five minutes and forty seconds of pure pleasure. I dare you not to smile.
that’s it for today. time to relax. back to angy ranting and cussing up a storm tomorrow.
what are you folks all up to?
Carol Channing, whom I saw in the original cast of Hello, Dolly (Yes, I'm that old), was once asked how she could play the same role night after night, year after year, and she said, "Because I know that, for someone in the audience, it's opening night." There's another story about a performance of Hello, Dolly on tour (which I hope is true). On the night of the performance, there was a terrible snow storm. But somehow one farmer battled his way to the theater. When the stage manager told Channing, they were cancelling, she said, "That's our audience," and they put on the show for a single person.
Ode to Joy made me cry. Beautiful. Thank you, Jeff.