fabrisse

Last Saturday a friend of Sis had tickets to a local -- I think semi-professional -- production of Les Mis.

I haven't seen it since three weeks after the London production opened at the Palace Theatre. Yes, I'm old. I was a huge fan of Colm Wilkinson having heard the concept album of Evita and seen his Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, so as soon as I heard he was in it my housemate and I got tickets in the front row of the balcony. This is how we were able to get a Saturday night performance. Once the official opening had passed, Saturday nights were sold out nearly immediately.

I didn't remember, until I went to Wikipedia, that the original British reviews were decidedly mixed.

Anyway, it's been awhile.

This Savannah production was surprisingly good for a tiny theater (The Palace Theatre had been selected at least partially for the dimensions of its stage). There were very minimal set pieces that could be placed and exited easily, there was a riser in the middle with a small stairway up on either side and two diorama frames on short risers placed in front of the stairways to help hide the actors until they were ready to be seen. They were used as rooms in Thenardier's inn, as sections of the factory, and as space in the cafe for Enjolras and Marius to meet with the revolutionaries. Seriously, for a stage with very little depth, they managed to do a great deal.

The Jean Valjean (Michael Valentine) was excellent. His voice held up through everything including the difficult high note at the end of Bring Him Home. (https://savannahtheatre.com/shows/les-miserables/ has pictures of the entire cast in mufti.)

Javert (Matthew Meece)... I know that not every Javert has been a bass/baritone. It's a difficult range to cast for. This production put his songs in a higher register which might have worked had his voice been stronger.

Most of the women's voices were pretty, but not remarkable in any way. Marius was, sadly, frequently off key in his upper register. I'll assume he was just fatigued after a week of shows.

They took out the first act use of Little People which is a pity. The Gavroche that I saw (Gibson Evans) was, in my opinion, better than Ian Tucker on the original cast recording. His voice was supported, which you don't often hear in such a young singer.

The ensemble had to keep circulating. At least some of them were in most scenes, so quickly changing a jacket or scarf was the primary way of getting them into the scenes on time. The harmonies were good, and they gave a much bigger effect than the actual size of the group.

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables had a lovely effect. As the women start singing a verse of it, the men we'd seen as revolutionaries appear on the right hand stairs and mid-riser behind them. I wish I knew more about lighting, but the lighting had an ethereal cast just on the men which made them seem like phantoms. It was perfect for the song, and genuinely moved me.

***
On the political side of my life, I've signed up for postcards to send to get out the vote. This may just be the first group. It depends on how much money I have for postage.

Also, I saw a sign on my street which read "Vote Your Bottoms and Ossoff" which is a good way of grouping Keisha Lance Bottoms for Governor with Jon Ossoff who has a similar shirt (Vote your Ossoff) with a Georgia peach cheekily beside the phrase.

The details are here.
https://thisfinecrew.dreamwidth.org/327667.html

The original article is in The Guardian here:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/uss-abraham-lincoln-overboard-extended-deployment

The length of the deployment bothers me less than the fact that the Navy is not providing necessary supplies and repairs. Leaves or putting into a port for liberty would be great, but I genuinely think the ship could weather through if the toilets flushed, food wasn't rationed, and clean clothes were available.

Sis and I are currently watching the Spiderman movies to prepare to see Brand New Day tomorrow.

However, woman does not live by Marvel Studios alone. We have also been watching old movies. Some Sis hasn't seen before. One I thought I'd seen but I hadn't. What's been getting to us is how politically appropriate some of them are for our era.

So, please allow me to recommend:

Keeper of the Flame with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The widow of an important man is very cagey after his death. Sis, who is not the most politically savvy person, went "this is too much like now."

Storm Center with Bette Davis. It's not a great movie; it's more than a little preachy. However, I like what it's preaching and some of the scenes near the end devastate me.

Talk of the Town with Ronald Colman, Cary Grant, and Jean Arthur. Cary Grant escapes from prison and flees to the Air BnB that Jean Arthur is preparing for Ronald Colman's judge. It's funny. It's an interesting take on the politics of the time. And I want the cottage.

State of the Union with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. It's a late Frank Capra movie with a good supporting cast. It also give a good idea why we went to a fully primary system, and it looks cronyism in the eye. Angela Lansbury is excellent. You can see today's politics beginning to emerge. Plus, Katharine Hepburn drunk on Sazeracs is both funny and poignant.

There are two that I haven't watched recently that I think people should see:

Advise and Consent made in the early 1960s and dealing with a pre-Stonewall world.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is another with Jean Arthur and another with Frank Capra directing. It's pre-WWII. But we can see U.S. politics clearly, and we can see how we got here.

I just spent time with family in Alexandria. While there, we did a night time drive around the National Mall for the west coasters who don't think of it as the backyard they don't have to mow. And we went to the National Gallery of Art on the hottest day of the year.

Before we go any further, I want to remind everyone that I spent large chunks of time in Berlin before the wall came down while my parents were living there. I know what an occupied city looks and feels like.

Washington, DC is an occupied city. It was worse than Berlin in some ways because the barricades were so raw and there was no way to get through them, unlike Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. (True story, I didn't recognize Alexanderplatz in a movie even though the setting felt familiar because I'd never seen it with people in it before.)

There is a tension. I wish I could say that was the worst part. There were National Guard everywhere, armed, and that's a form of intimidation I didn't expect, at least not so flagrantly.

We found a legitimate way to walk on the Capitol Grounds after dark, and look back toward the Potomac, but so much of what I think of as the "natural" view was blocked. It's always fun when west coasters see lightning bugs for the first time. That was a lovely moment with them.

We drove around some more, trying to find a place to stop and let them see the Lincoln Memorial from the front -- bless the cousin who volunteered to drive and was willing to let us off and pick us up -- but it proved to be impossible.

Passing the White House meant the missing East Wing felt like a broken tooth in a familiar smile.

And dear heavens, the projections on the Washington Monument which didn't look as good as the light show at Disney World and the Ferris wheel plonked in the center of the Mall were tacky beyond belief.

Inside the National Gallery, it felt like home. I was thrilled to show off my favorite works and find the George de la Tour painting for my sister (he's her favorite artist). There was a small Mary Cassatt exhibition in a room off of the impressionists which made me very happy.

Outside, I expected the Gestapo to ask me for my papers.

From 1978 to 1989, I spent a decade in Europe. Toward the end of that time, I realized that I was fed up with having to worry that I'd be stopped and not have my ID and proof of support on me. I was careful, but after so many years, it felt heavy for some reason. I visited my folks in Boston and forgot my wallet when I went for a walk and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that I didn't have to delay everyone and scramble back. If you're not driving, you're not required to have ID on you. (That doesn't mean that it's not a good idea to carry ID, but it's nice that it's not required.) And for the record, I have had the police ask for my papers while living in Europe. Three times in 10 years isn't bad, but, technically, it's not required in the U.S.

On the news, I've seen masked people carrying Confederate Battle flags intimidating the Metro. This is wrong, deeply, deeply wrong.

https://thisfinecrew.dreamwidth.org/325821.html


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/pete-hegseth-navy-promotion-list

Hegseth is too petty to be allowed to continue as Secretary of Defense.

neotoma came for a visit. She's good at growing things, and she helped me get started with some basic gardening. I have enough dirt for my raised bed, for instance. I also understand that putting things in the ground will not often be an option as the soil is crappy (I believe that's the technical term.). Essentially, it's sand and ash. So, for the fruit trees we got fruit spikes to keep them from starving. For some vanilla plants that I want to put in the front we got orchid food, and I've been told how to used the soil that we got to give them a better start.

It's been mostly wet and humid, so we got less done than we'd hoped predominantly because I kept turning tomato red in the heat. I had to lie down with and ice pack more than once. We did get lavender planted by the back door to help keep mosquitos away. She brought me a couple of green cotton plants and a cucumber and those were also planted.

We spent the night on Jekyll Island one evening. We toured a millionaire's cottage and went to the Sea Turtle Rescue Center. Dinner was down on the dock, but we ate too early to watch the sunset. We saw one bird -- tiny, v-shaped tail feathers in flight, skimming near the reeds and brackish waters -- that we can't identify because it was so fast. It wasn't hummingbird fast, but that thing could dart. It might be a tiny swallow or a swift or a kite. They were very cool little birds.

neotoma was also terrific with the dogs. We managed to walk them most days; one day was too rainy for a walk. But it still didn't prevent them both from peeing all over the living room and entryway. I wish I knew why they hated rain so much. The breed is Welsh, for heaven's sake. Most dogs we've had would run out, do what they needed to, and run back, but these two are not so cooperative.

I hope the time was restful for neotoma. I know I enjoyed having her here.

The run-offs will be held on June 16. Early voting is expected to take place June 8-12, but that isn't set in stone.

Joyce Griggs is in the lead for the Democratic run-off for District 1 Representative. The Republicans don't have a run-off for this office because the Trump endorsed candidate won.

Buddy Carter didn't make the Republican run-off for Senator. I'm thrilled, but Chatham County (my county) gave him 60% of the Republican vote. There's no Democratic run-off because Ossoff was unopposed.

The Republicans also have a run-off for Governor, and it's between the two loathsome candidates who have been sniping at each other since January, Rick Jackson and Burt Jones. My candidate for governor didn't win, but I'll happily vote for Keisha Bottoms come November.

There's a run-off for Lieutenant Governor on both sides. Nabilah Parkes, whom I support, is in the run-off. Fingers crossed.

My picks for the Labor and Insurance commissions didn't succeed, but my guy with the high school diploma is the Democratic candidate for the Farm commission. I'm very, very please with that, but mildly disappointed on the other two.

Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin both lost their shots against the sitting Supreme Court Justices. This may stem from the Ethics Investigation that was launched because they both stated on the record that they supported abortion rights. They got an injunction against it for violating their first amendment rights, but how many people just saw the initial investigation. Rankin came very close. There were less than two percentage points separating her from the incumbent, but the incumbent hit 51.1% of the vote to her 48.9%. Jen Jordan lost by 19%.

I'll vote again in June. I'll hope Joyce Griggs and Nabilah Parkes come through for the state. I think they're good candidates.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/may/11/michael-pennington-was-an-actor-of-astonishing-range-a-wise-writer-and-witty-company

I flunked out of college in May of 1980. My parents told me that they would continue paying for my degree, if I passed class through University of Maryland University College before the new semester started in Brussels.

I chose a one-week intensive Shakespeare class in Stratford Upon Avon. I love the instructor enough to take two more classes from her later. She was a remarkable teacher.

We saw several plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company's main stage, beginning with Michael Pennington's Hamlet. I saw it twice more that week. I loved it because it introduced me to Tom Wilkinson who played Horatio. While many critics liked the production -- and loved Pennington as Hamlet -- I found Hamlet and Ophelia weak, but I loved the supporting cast. (I want to say that I saw the play again during free time on that course and met a woman who had seen Gielgud play Hamlet. I also saw it twice more when it moved to London and I joined the UMUC there for a year. It was better in London.)

Later, Sis took a theater class in London from the same instructor. I was able to join her for the weekend and we saw Venice Preserved with Pennington, McKellan, and Jane Lapotaire (who died two months ago). This was where I really understood Pennington's appeal as an actor. McKellan was the more dynamic of the two, but the two of them had an intensity that leapt over the proscenium.

Most Americans might recognize him either from a PBS detective drama or from his tiny parts in the Star Wars franchise.

I have a recording of him reading all the lessons at a Lessons and Carols recorded with the King's College Choir, and his voice is beautifully textured.

I fell this evening. There's a gap between the cement driveway and the lawn; my foot got caught which rolled my ankle. I landed hard on both wrists, but the big issue is the plastic bin I was carrying back into the house.

It's the liner to a metal trashcan. The top is fairly flexible, but the bottom is rigid. I landed hard enough on the xiphoid process that I was worried that I had damaged internal organs. I hadn't.

Sis got me to the emergency room because so many parts of my body were either bruising or swelling But the longer I waited at the ER, the more my bottom left rib hurt. It's cracked. My wrists and ankle are fine, too. My neck was feeling like I'd whiplashed (again), but the CAT scan showed no injuries to the brain or spine. It just hurts.

So, I'm on hydrocodone for the next few days. I was prescribed heavy duty lidocaine patches for the rib. And as I know from having cracked this rib before, I need to sleep propped up. I do some anyway for the asthma, but I've added a little more height for the rib.

On a funnier note, we put Nora in her crate before we go out just to keep her from rough housing with Nicky and potentially hurting her spine before it's fully healed. When we got home tonight, Nora was out of her crate. Sis was pretty sure she'd put Nora in, but there was a chance that the front flap hadn't been fully zipped. Nope. Nora has figured out that the crate is soft sided and pulled the side down enough that she could get over it. She's so proud of herself.

Here's hoping that all of you are doing better than I am.

Elle's operation went well. She's having no pain, but she's also mentioned good drugs.

As suggested, we're communicating via text or via Kay.