Crispin looks to us with Iowa laid out behind him, in anticipation of Harold Hill's visit to River City. The boys and I (we invited Grandpop, who politely declined the invitation but did sing 76 Trombones as a way of refusing politely) watched The Music Man at a theater in Vero Beach. I found the production well wrought, sets and costumes lively, and appreciated the actor's ability to roll along Harold Hill's musical patter with a healthy mix of verve and nonchalance. Mayor Shinn reminded me of every grumpy relative I have ever encountered, not that I have encountered any grumpy relatives, but instead I am exploring various forms of the subjunctive and pluperfect and supernumerarial and sartorial and the like (this seems like an appropriate time to interject that I am auditing Mahler's 3rd Symphony, which apparently has 6 movements and is long enough to take up 2 CDs. I can see why Mahler--apart from the 1st symphony, of which I played a movement in a youth orchestra--has hovered far afield as an academic subject rather than a composer I actually hear. It would be hard for a classical radio station to program 2 hours for one symphony. I find it hard to imagine souls hardy enough to sit through a 2 hour symphony in a concert hall, including my own soul. It would be a leap of faith to shell out $40 or $50 on a 2 CD set of a symphony one has never heard or previewed. Now for a bit of computergeekopoetry: O Rhapsody, You Subscription Service Divine, Allowing us to sample Mahler, Without Breaking Our Spine!).
The boys have already seen a live production in the Northwest, and Crispin in particular approached today's experience with a bit of Byronic ennui. Liam has been so stimulated by the manifold possibilities Florida offers that he also was a bit of a flaneur when we reached the theater. Neither boy answered questions of well-meaning ushers ("Are you enjoying it?") as little cherubs, nor did the ushers seem to enjoy my 10 minute discussion of ennui and Romantic poetry and Big Issues, especially since I was stepping on their foot and they were too polite to mention it. That said, as the boys digest the production, I am very glad we went--there was a lively hum of musicals in the hotel room tonight. We talked about Mamma Mia and how it started from a challenge ("I bet you can't write a musical from Abba"), and we were challenging others. I got to the point of describing dance numbers I thought would work well in a musical of Narnia Liam and I plan to create; Mr. Tumnus and his umbrella would make for a great tap number as he greets Lucy.
We had a great dinner with Grandpop at Mulligan's, a restaurant on the river in Sebastian that seems to be thriving by serving good food with lots of staffing and efficiency and enthusiasm. Both boys ate their full meals despite claiming they weren't hungry (still thinking they were pre-Raphaelites or Baudelaire), and Liam was able to enjoy the key lime pie he has been craving.
Location:U.S. 1,Sebastian,United States
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