Did you see KC, formerly of KC and the Sunshine Band, perform in last night’s “American Idol” disco wrap-up show?
OK. Am I the only one who thinks that KC looked like Tony Soprano working on a cruise ship? Just wondering.
As for David Archuleta, I still feel that kid should go on tour in a revival of “Annie.” A wide-eyed, spunky youngster trying to survive the economic depression of the 1930s — hell, he’d be perfect casting in a perfectly-timed revival. Don’t you think?
It’s been a while since I’ve been here. How are you?
I bet we’re all familiar with the famous quote from the opening of “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”
Man, does that not accurately describe last year and this year? Doesn’t it seem like, just yesterday, President Bush was telling the nation that “the economy is strong”? Now look at us. I got laid off last year. This year, like many of you probably, I’ve been stressed about bills. I’d been pretty good about paying my bills on time until our national economic nightmare appeared last year. The problem had been present for a long time but we didn’t see it. Then the horror became evident, like that monster in the 50s sci-fi movie “Forbidden Planet.” Doesn’t it seem like there are more Americans out of work than actually at work? How many more homes will be foreclosed? And what about folks like yours truly who rent? Don’t think these times are easier for us because we don’t have mortgages.
Last week, I needed an Easter rejuvenation of some kind. I watched a DVD of the restored Hollywood classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” I know that today’s generation is all about “Wicked.” I’ve never seen that Broadway musical that puts a new spin on the story we babyboomers anxiously awaited in our youth. I’m of that generation that remembers the annual network special presentation of the 1939 MGM classic. THAT was must-see TV, a special night for kids all across the country. Even though most of us were watching it on black and white television, it was still magical.
When I watched it again a few nights ago, I was so slack-jawed, you could’ve put a pineapple in my mouth. It was even better than I’d remembered. Not only did I find fresh nuance in Judy Garland’s perfectly modulated performance as Dorothy, a role she was technically too old for, I was absolutely marveled at the brilliance, the genius of the production. All the music — songs and lyrics and 99% of the background score — was written for that film. That’s a lost art today. “Over the Rainbow” has become a standard in American pop music. I laughed more last week at the sublime cleverness in the lyrics to “If I Was King of the Forest” than I did back in the 1960s. The movie is rich with heart and wit and hope at a time when the country needed it. America was still feeling the slap of the Depression. Viewers could connect to Dorothy, a simple girl on a struggling farm in a barren, flat Kansas. What happened to her parents? Did she have ever have siblings? We only know that she has Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. And Toto too. Dorothy has known unhappiness at a young age. We sense that. Garland’s sweetly somber performance is just right.
As for the Technicolor — oh…my…gawd! Dazzling! If you’ve never seen the restored version, you’ve never really seen the ruby slippers. I wanted to wear them. Recently, I got some bad news about a new job. The show is out of production until September. When Dorothy is close to getting what she wants, she’s disappointed. She says to the kindly but incompetent wizard, “I don’t think there’s anything in that black bag for me.” How many of us feel like that right now? Can I see a show of hands? But the movie gives hope at the end. That’s what I needed. Hope. And fun. And Technicolor. And the voice of Judy Garland. My spirit was restored. That’s what one should feel at the Easter season.
Wish me luck job hunting and rent paying. The same to you. Leave a comment to let me know how you’re dealing with things.