Monday, August 13, 2007

Conflagrations and Loin Cloths

So I’m off the soap box for a few days, because I’m just too freakin tired to think.

What a weekend.

We cleaned out our garage on Saturday. Now, this may be a trivial activity in the eyes of many, but you have you understand two things:

1) My husband is a pack rat extra-ordinaire
2) Said husband hates to clean.

The end result of these two things is that our garage had about 4 years of crap in it. His M.O. is to take whatever is in his car, put it in a cardboard box, and shove it in the garage. If it doesn't fit in a box, just shove it in there anyway. Do this once or twice a month for 4 years. You get the picture.

It was frightening beyond one’s wildest nightmares.

But we cleaned it out. Took 9 hours. Two bon fires in the back yard. Many sore muscles. And we have a pile of crap to be thrown out in the driveway now that is the size of my car.

Now here’s the kicker: My car still won’t fit in the garage, near as I can tell. I’m not sure how that happened.

Anyway, at least I can open it without being embarrassed that the neighbors will see. And I have a sense of accomplishment that is close to that which I feel after I spend 8 or 9 hours on my garden.

Sunday was a better day.

We went to see The Lion King onstage.

If you haven’t seen this, stop right now, call your local Ticketmaster, find out when it’s coming to town and book yourself tickets.

I’m serious. Go on. I’ll wait.

This was, bar none, the best touring show I’ve ever seen. Ever. And it comes damn close to the best stage production I’ve ever seen ANYwhere. And you have to realize I’ve seen Cats at the Wintergarden and Les Mis in London.

It was that good.


The costumes! The staging! The wonderful casting of an enormous South African woman as Rafiki. The performance of the Elton John/Tim Rice music (as well as an African-themed score by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer) by a live orchestra. Birds flying over the audience! Incredibly gorgeous men dancing in loin clothes. People who are dressed as GRASS, and who seem essential to the production. Depth of character that you just can’t get in a cartoon. Honestly, I was in tears more than once from sheer awe.

Go see it. Tell them I sent you. You won't regret it.

3 comments:

Mermaid Melanie said...

I am sorta jealous! I need a good cleansing of the closets... and a trip to see a good touring musical. The lion king is even something I could take the wee one to see!

glad to find you blogging dear. :hugz:

Mike Carter said...

We saw this on Broadway about three years ago - a fantastic production. I don't know if the travelling show has the huge rotating / rising rock in the center of the stage (I think that would be hard to take on tour) but I thought it was really cool.

I especially liked Zaszu - and the bit where they stole his birdie!

We'll probably have to plan another trip to see my sister in Jersey again next summer - and once more head over to catch a show.

winter said...

I almost got to see The Lion King on Broadway a few years ago. But the company sent someone else instead.