Curtains + Big Screen

Like all good art, these two productions opened my eyes to vivid worlds--in this case, lifting my heart with the magic of movie-making and music. And leaving me with stories so riveting that I cannot forget them.

THE BROADWAY MUSICAL "CAROUSEL"
First opened on Broadway in 1945, this show has been reborn many times. 
   Oh, so much to love about "Carousel." How did I not know it was set on the coast of Maine, a place I visit at least twice a year? The timing is the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So many seaside treasures, let me list them:

• The set!!!!! Sailboats bobbing on horizon, Victorian bathing beach, clambake on an island, the twinkling night sky. Beautiful stars polished by those who have left life as we know it. [Scenic design by Santo Loquasto.]
• The story arc and the songs!!!! Fishing caps off to you, brilliant, brilliant Rodgers & Hammerstein. I'm listening to the soundtrack right now on Spotify. I adore it. I wish my Mom and Dad were here because I'm sure they knew the songs and likely saw the show. Gifts: "A Real Nice Clambake," "The Carousel Waltz," "Mister Snow," "June Is Bustin' Out All Over," "When the Children Are Asleep," "Blow High, Blow Low," "You'll Never Walk Alone," "Soliliquy," and "What's the Use of Wond'rin?" So inspiring.
• The cast!!!! All enchanting, especially Joshua Henry as strapping, handsome carousel barker Billy Bigelow; Jessie Mueller as his love, Julie Jordan; opera soprano Renée Fleming as Nettie Fowler; Lindsay Mendez as Carrie Pipperidge; Alexander Gemignani as Enoch Snow [that's Mister Snow]; talented Margaret Colin as evil Mrs. Mullin, the widow who owns the carousel; John Douglas Thompson, the starkeeper; Amar Ramasar [amazing dancer] as troublemaker Jigger; and Brittany Pollack as young Louise. Well, that's everybody...the rest is the ensemble. They all captured my heart.
• The word starkeeper. Did you see that? The word starkeeper. The idea that there are starkeepers in the heavens.
• The Maine history. I liked hearing about the cotton mill where the young girls lived and worked [with tight night curfews] and how a fisherman like Mister Snow could start with one boat and end up with a fleet, catching sardines. The clambake song refers to lobsters and melted butter, and chowder ingredients. Much of the music is a pure old-fashioned treat, like unwrapping a piece of saltwater taffy in summer while an ancient carousel spins. The whaling song transports us to the ship deck with the boys. The story line offers a chance to return to earth for a day and make things right after you pass to the heavens [or purgatory]. And: A reference to Bangor, where my mother-in-law has lived for decades.
• The costumes. Long dresses, aprons, knitted shawls. It can get chilly in Maine at night. I like Mister Snow's fishing boots, too.
• The emotions. The joy of falling in love, the abandon, the willingness to give up other things in its honor. The jealousy of an older woman. The heartbreak of losing a father before you knew him and living with his tarnished history in a small town. [I thought of Punchy.] The way marriage can turn ugly--or lead to a boatload of kids. 

Here is a link to "The Carousel Waltz" music. [Skip the ad.]

Oh, I am so grateful Sis got me a ticket to join her and her friends the other night. She scored a discount at $70 each, counting handling; I paid for part, will pay back rest.

Charlize Theron as postpartum Marlo in "Tully."

THE MOVIE "TULLY" 
Figgy and I went to see this on the Saturday night before Mother's Day. Dan was working in D.C.; Punch was visiting her birth mom for a one-night sleepover. This film is magical and mystical and I hadn't even noticed something very important, which Figgy brought up as soon as the credits rolled. I don't want to spoil it for you, so I can't say what it was. Brilliant script by Diablo Cody, who wrote the wonderfully textured, witty and unforgettable "Juno."

Excellent portrayal of exhausted motherhood by Charlize Theron as Marlo, a mom with a career outside the home [she's not back to work yet] who just gave birth to her third baby. The plot involves a night nurse, Tully, who works like a busy bee while Marlo gets some rest. Tully cleans the messy house, like a bustling Cinderella, and even bakes cupcakes that make weary Marlo look like a superhero at school drop-off. Theron is beautiful, never mind engorged boobs and stained tee shirts--and so real when she loses her cool with the school principal, who finds Marlo's middle child "not a good fit" for the school. Oh, this is a delicious story that delves into who we are before and after kids, and how motherhood changes us. Also: What we left behind, often along with a flatter belly.

Enjoy your day.