I was thinking of skipping writing today but got saved by a stupid idea. What? You thought all my ideas were brilliant? Stupid ideas are more popular, ever watch TV or look at election results?
Yesterday’s adventure was walking to Aldi. According to my fitness app I somehow managed to walk 6.1 miles; Google maps says 4.4. Some of the difference is walking in the store, some is not walking in straight lines. Thanks to the rain I might not walk today, good thing I walked enough to maintain my average above 3 miles per day for two days. I wish the app measured vertical distance, this is far from a flat route. These walks are preventing me from getting an unlimited MetroCard. I now go out often enough to make one worth my while, but only if I take the bus to and from the Aldi and Stop & Shop. I’m 64 but I suspect that I’m in the second best shape of my life. The best was when I would swim a mile every other day. That even led to a difference in my appearance, my neck and shoulders grew, and my stomach shrank. More importantly that was aerobic exercise which built up my lungs.
The big news at home just happened; I haven’t gotten any flea bites or even seen a flea in the living room today. Are they really gone? My roommate still has them in her bedroom, and I had them in mine last night. I will remain cautiously optimistic. That’s my default attitude. Oh, one other big piece of news, someone can’t use her tickets to see Hadestown and gave them to me. Yes, this will be my third time seeing it on Broadway. Yes, I also saw it off-Broadway. Yes, I also so may concert productions of it. No matter, I can’t wait to see it again. It’s on the shortest list of my favorite musicals along with Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd, Hedwig & the Angry Inch, and Hamilton. I’m only including ones that I’ve seen live on Broadway or in the original off-Broadway production. In light of my love of classic Broadway I’m surprised that I saw three of them this century. No, that’s wrong, I saw Hedwig in 2000, not 2001. Come From Away just misses the cut but I’m becoming more obsessed with it this week; the album Covers from Away, recordings of the songs by artists from Newfoundland just came out. After listening to that I listened again to the Broadway cast. Sweeney Todd, Hedwig, Hamilton, and Come From Away tell so much of the story through song that just listening counts as experiencing the show. I wasn’t planning on this but here’s a list, not exhaustive, of my favorite shows including ones that I’ve only seen the movie.
- Fiddler on the Roof
- Sweeney Todd
- Hedwig & The Angry Inch
- Hamilton
- Come from Away
- Little Shop of Horrors
- My Fair Lady
- West Side Story
- Man of La Mancha
There are too many tied at #10 to list them all. One that surprises me isn’t there is The Producers. I loved it but never had any desire to get the cast album. The original movie is better, and the best song is Springtime for Hitler from the film. I wish I still had the playbills from every play I ever saw. That’s one of my possessions that I most miss.
Now for the stupid idea that just came to me; a list of the things I must enjoy making fun of. I shouldn’t have numbered the musicals as they were in the order, I thought of them. I won’t order these.
- The Yankees
- Dawes
- Dan
- Making fun of Dawes to Dan
- New Jersey
- Brian
- Making fun of New Jersey to Brian
- Jackson Brown
- The Act (my code name for a musical act I don’t want to name)
- Homeopathy
- Conspiracy Theories
- Myself!
I often make fun of people’s whose politics are ridiculous, and I enjoy doing so, but I hate that I enjoy doing it. It’s counter-productive. I’m trying to change their minds, not make them feel bad.
Wise Madness 