Weekend Update

It appears I have some new readers. And some old readers. And some new-old readers. Apparently I need to step up the blogging in order to attract a constituency other than those Googling "organist on crack."

The past few weeks have been a blur of teaching-related crises with a bit of practicing thrown in, but there have been a several highlights. One was catching Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci at City Opera. I had never experienced the famous pairing live, and this production's design was inspired by Italian films. The outdoor festival "Cav" set evoked scenes from the Godfather (Pt. 2, likely), while the second work's action took place in a Fellini-esque circus ring. Some stellar singing was backed by a few questionable moments of orchestral intonation.

The following weekend's celebrations stretched over several evenings: dinner at my sushi restaurant of choice (Haru on the East Side, although I actually prefer the UWS location), dessert at Sant Ambroeus (celebrity sighting alert! a certain former figure skater famous for her wedding designs), another lovely dinner at Jane in the village...another year has passed, which unfortunately means I'm another year older, yet I'm always thankful for the excuse to spend time with my favorite people.

More recently, a stop by one of the city's best burger joints, Island Burgers and Shakes on 9th Ave. I'm partial to it because each of the bountiful burger varieties is also available as a chicken sandwich for those of us who don't do red meat. Also, I finally saw Julie Taymor's newest film Across the Universe. I've admired her work in the past but unfortunately was disappointed this time. A few of the ideas were clever, but the arrangements of Beatles tunes were generally lackluster, and the movie was practically devoid of plot except for superficial guises to aid the shuffle from one song to the next. I'm sure the Broadway version will be opening soon.

Just for you "organist on crack" enthusiasts, I'll provide a link to a similar train wreck posted over at Sequenza 21. This one may be even more entertaining because: 1. there's a video; 2. it involves Van Halen; and 3. it features Sammy Hagar riding a giant inflatable microphone.