The Soundtrack to your Life...

Have you heard that before? I love the idea of having a life soundtrack. People really do. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Utah Symphony & James Taylor are all part of the soundtrack in our family which made Saturday, September 7th a night to remember when all three were together for a once-in-a-lifetime performance. They played so many favorites. The evening was magical and unforgettable.

He is Risen...

He is Risen! Happy Easter.

Don't Carry It All

Cover of Don't Carry It All by Lindsey Stirling and Shaun Barrowes

Marta Gomez: Cielito Lindo

Tonight I was visiting with my brother who was trying to calm his sweet baby girl. He played her Cielito Lindo, a very old Spanish song often performed by Mexican Mariachi bands, but never sung more beautifully than by Marta Gomez HERE.. Her entire cd is lovely. This song will be part of the music and other fun ideas posted on Where Lilacs Bloom later this week for our Sweet Senorita Party... I can't wait, but had to give my good friends a preview since you need to rock your babies to sleep to this tonight.

Jennie D. can you teach me how to make a video.. I finally found a song. :)

Jacquelyn M. Voice Studio..

My beautiful sister Jackie is in the middle of a Master's Degree at the Cleveland Institute. But, she is home for the summer and teaching voice lessons for a very reasonable price. If you are local and interested.. let me know.

This is her Facebook Page... which has prices and other info.

Pass it on...

A Tale of Two Cities International Studio Cast Recording...

I can't get over this music. It has completely taken over my heart. My favorite book in music that I love... a gift from heaven!

Available HERE...

A Tale of Two Cities... Hale Centre Theater

So, we finally went last night to:

A Tale of Two Cities at Hale Centre Theater

A Tale of Two Cities is one of my favorite books. It's my favorite if you count the fact that I don't even know how many times I've read it. Since the director's (John Sweeney) wife Ally is my very dear friend, I wanted it to be amazing. I had no worries. It was a great evening of theater. The actors who play the central characters are incredible. I will put Utah voices up against any I've heard in New York or elsewhere. Ally and I were able to speak with the writer of the Book, Music and Lyrics Jill Santoriello during intermission and she agreed. (She was gracious and lovely. It was a treat to meet her. Her story in incredible.)

Angela Jeffries can raise the roof with her powerful voice but, the feeling she puts into the character and the depth of the script makes this Madame Defarge the first one I've seen that is at all three dimensional and true to the story. Madame Defarge is one of literary fiction's most evil villains, but Dickens is careful to point out how she became so hateful. Madame Defarge is truly the product of brutality. This is the first production to show that.

An introduction to the French people has cast members literally seen crawling from under ground like rats symbolic of how they are treated. Then, when caskets of wine are spilled in the streets, the starving people are seen licking it up the foreshadowing how the streets will run with blood and the people will become blood thirsty. I was stunned at how these crucial elements of the book were included seamlessly in the production.

The staging of the little funeral for Gaspard's son is so tender and touching that I was weeping by that point.

Sydney Carton is sensitively played by Kyle Olsen who has the voice of an archangel, which is fantastic in this production because it is one of the most musical, musicals I've seen. The show doesn't have musical numbers that put a point on the action, rather the music in Tale of Two Cities moves the story line along. In this way, it has an operatic quality.

The show is chocked full of fantastic talent. Charles and Lucie are brilliant. I thought Jeffrey Whitlock gave a stand out performance as Mr. Cruncher.

The costumes are amazing and made in house according to my friend Ally.

I could go one about it, but at the essence, A Tale of Two Cities is one of the most beautiful stories in our literary canon. Tales of redemption are poignant to all people who yearn to be better. The writer Jill Santoriello and this amazing company have created a glorious piece of art. The kind that inspires the best in us... that part that hopes to be more.

The Little Seamstress: A Tale of Two Cities...

A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite book. I have other favorites, but I've read this book over and over. It is dear to my heart. The other day, a friend recommended a book to me and I asked her if it was good. "It's pretty good, It's not A Tale of Two Cities." That right there is one reason we are kindred spirits :)
A Tale of Two Cities was made into musical theater and played on Broadway for a very short while. The show had the misfortune of opening in August just three days before the stock market crashed. How I would have loved to see it in New York. But, like everyone else, I wasn't thinking of Broadway at the time. The show closed after only 60 performances. You can see highlights from the show HERE.

In Utah, A Tale of Two Cities is now playing at Hale Centre Theater
in West Valley City and I have been excited about it for months. We have some amazing talent in Utah and I know the show will be incredible.

If you have a minute... Take a listen...
HERE...
We will meet where the weary find peace...
little peg people. peggies, wedding cake toppers, cake toppers, cupcake toppers, birthday, decorations, painted, anniversary, available in love boxes shop...

Franz Ignaz Beck 1734-1809

Music for my Valentine:

I heard these beautiful Violins on the radio the other day. Beck's Sinfonia in D Major is brightly beautiful.

Beck lived during a crucial part of history and was right in the middle of things, dueling and hauled out at night in front of revolutionary courts... He wrote Opera and his life would have been a great one!

I don't know why, but I found his violins some of the prettiest ever and I wish I knew a lot more about when and why he wrote Sinfonia in D Major. Click over here...

and you can have a bit of a listen... 4-7

Christmas Cello...

Still playing in my car... My favorite new Christmas CD. Loved it! Especially O Come, O Come, Emmanuel with all the cellos and Jon Schmidt on the piano. Beautiful!

Louis and Danny... LOVE!

I don't think anyone on American Idol

can touch the talent of these two geniuses!

You can't be sad and listen to this at the same time... impossible...

Irving Berlin... You'd Be Surprised!

So funny! ;)

Johnny was bashful and shy
Nobody understood why Mary loved him
All the other girls passed him by
Ev'ryone wanted to know
How she could pick such a beau
With a twinkle in her eye
She made this reply

He's not so good in a crowd
but when you get him alone
You'd be surprised
He isn't much at a dance
but then when he takes you home
You'd be surprised
He doesn't look like much of a lover
But don't judge a book by it's cover
He's got the face of an Angel
But there's a Devil in his eye
He's such a delicate thing
but when he starts in to squeeze
You'd be surprised
He doesn't look very strong
but when you sit on his knee
You'd be surprised
At a party or at a ball
I've got to admit that he's nothing at all
But in a morris chair
You'd be surprised

Mary continued to praise
Johnny's remarkable ways
To the ladies
And you know advertising pays
Now Johnny's never alone
He has the busiest phone
Almost ev'ry other day
A new girl will say
He's not so good in the house
but on a bench in the park
You'd be surprised
He isn't much in the light
but when he gets in the dark
You'd be surprised
I know he looks as slow as the Erie
But you don't know the half of it, dearie
He looks as cold as an Eskimo
But there's fire in his eyes
He doesn't say very much
but when he starts in to speak
You'd be surprised
He's not so good at the start
but at the end of the week
You'd be surprised
On a streetcar or in a train
You'd think he was born without any brain
But in a taxicab...........
You'd be surprised!!!

See the fabulous Madeline Kahn sing... HERE..

Some Where That's Green...

I'm a fan of Mandy Patinkin since his performance in Princess Bride.. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die..." Anyway I love this album and the funny song from Little Shop of Horror, which I have never seen by the way and don't really want to because I have built my own little ideas about this funny song that has become kind of tender to me...

A matchbox of our own

A fence of real chain link,

A grill out on the patio

Disposal in the sink

A washer and a dryer and an ironing machine

In a tract house that we share

Somewhere that's green.

He rakes and trims the grass

He loves to mow and weed

I cook like Betty Crocker

And I look like Donna Reed

There's plastic on the furniture

To keep it neat and clean

In the Pine-Sol scented air

Somewhere that's green

Between our frozen dinner

And our bedtime, nine-fifteen

We snuggle watchin' Lucy

On our big, enormous twelve-inch screen

I'm his December Bride

He's Father, he Knows Best

Our kids watch Howdy Doody

As the sun sets in the west

A picture out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Far from Skid Row

I dream we'll go

somewhere that's green.

An Evening With John Denver...

If you ever need just some happy music ... this is a favorite recording of mine. I LOVE it. It's become a favorite of baby l.. It has all ..no.. most of my favorites.

Susan Boyle... I dreamed a dream...

A neighbor told a reporter that life has not been particularly kind to Susan Boyle. She lives alone after having cared for her dying mother. She is unemployed. But when she stepped out on the stage and after opening her mouth immediately turned an unkind audience into one that leaped to its feet cheering for her, she made the world a brighter and more hopeful place. If you haven't seen the video of her full performance... don't miss THIS

Thank you Susan! Your courage to achieve your dreams and the beauty of your amazing gift have inspired the world.

Barenaked for the Holidays...

I always get a few holiday recordings to add to our collection of Christmas stuff. I haven't heard this entire CD, but I love the song God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen that is performed with Sarah McLachlan. In fact, figuring out who was singing this song on the radio has been bugging me for days. I should have asked some of you music aficionados. Anyway, I hope the rest of the titles will be as much fun.

Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband...

This is some of my favorite Christmas music. Music is something that I'm the last to know about, but I love the cheerful style of this group. This is happy music... I love it!

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the King's Singers...

I was thrilled to see this in Deseret Book on Saturday. I've been waiting for it. I have become a huge fan of the choir since they started making their own recordings and the sound is sooo much better. This CD will be one of your Christmas favorites... Yes, if you hate the Christmas posts.. you'll just have to stay away from this blog for awhile. C and I have a philosophy about Thanksgiving and Christmas it goes like this... What are you most thankful for??? CHRISTMAS!!!

Carmina Burana & The Utah Symphony...

Did I mention and C & I took c to her first Symphony on Friday. I wanted to pick one that would keep her awake and when I heard the Utah symphony would be performing Carmina Burana I thought. Perfect!

Camina Burana is about wickedness. Dang it. Although critics may argue with me, I choose to believe that it has the wholesome message of "wickedness never was happiness" because it ends with O Fortuna (or maybe Orff just thought is sounded so amazing he'd put it in twice). I love, LOVE Stravinky's Rite of Spring.. same thing, so apparently I like music about springtime wickedness. However, I have always been able to make up my own stories about music.. which is fun and I usually make them a bit more G rated OK.. PG/PG13 a girl need a little romance in there. Rite of Spring just sounds like things growing and the violent parts could be like when it snows and has dark clouds in April that bug. Or, it could be like an East wind. I even like to make up my own lyrics to Broadway musicals.. but I have to kind of keep them to myself.. because it's a big pet peeve of C's (he always remembers the right lyrics and is never forced to make up his own).

My imagination has a tougher time when they flash super titles over the stage. When they got to the point of "untying the chains of virginity" or something like that.. there was actual sniggering in the audience. I did not snigger! But the soloist was so funny and fun to watch.. I did have to smile!

I like to watch the orchestra and what a sight it is when they perform Carmina Burana. I think there are like 300 people on the stage. Am I exaggerating? I counted and the choir had more than 150 members. Wow! They could really sing too! The soloists were amazing. There were two concert grand pianos and they seemed to have all the instruments.. even a celesta (is that what you call the tiny piano?) One thing about the symphony.. they don't always have all the instruments. Some pieces just don't call for a trumpet (almost always sad I think:) But Carmina Burana has all or almost all the instruments. Can you tell I'm not an expert on music? Little c likes the clarinets best.

Anyway, there must have been some musical experts in the audience.. and there was a standing ovation with 3 call backs... (However, if you don't get a standing ovation with at least one call back.. you're not in Utah!) But still! It was really, really great. C loved it and so did c.. so the evening was a success and now a great memory. .. I like that part too.

Les Miserables... The Dream Cast...

This musical is still and may ever remain my favorite. If you missed this particular production when it appeared on PBS... get this in your Netflix que or find some way to enjoy it. It's better every time I see it. Beautiful.