RIP U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and the three other Americans slain by radical Islamists, and condolences to their families. If anyone needed to be reminded that the war on terror is ongoing, there’s the proof. No amount of apologizing will appease the monsters who perpetrated the attack. They would find any excuse, however flimsy, to perpetrate their evil. Scapegoating the makers of an unctuous film is ludicrous. The goal of jihadists is to kill all those they believe to be infidels, including Muslims who do not conform to specific doctrines. They should be hunted down and brought to justice, killed during capture or executed after trial.
Now for something infinitely more pleasant. I’ve had the good fortune to view two PBS musical specials this week, one on videotape, the other on Long Island’s Channel 21. There was nothing interesting to watch on broadcast TV two nights ago, so I popped Oklahoma, which I’d recorded several years ago, into the VCR. I was curious about its enduring popularity. I was won over immediately. The music of Richard Rodgers is beautiful and rousing and the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein are wonderful and insightful. Hugh Jackman, who I’d known only as Wolverine in the X-Men films, was the star. When I'd first heard this I was skeptical. I remember thinking: “Okay, pretty boy, let’s see what you can do.” My jaw dropped as he sang Oh, What a Beautiful Morning. This guy is a major talent, not just the centerpiece of simplistic Hollywood blockbusters. Here’s the clip, courtesy of you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZbAKYQkP_Q
The other show was Judy Collins Live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Now into her 70’s and completely gray, her voice seems to have lost nothing. She did Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now and Joan Baez’s Diamonds and Rust and, of course, Steven Sondheim’s Send in the Clowns, on which she captures the wistful longing of the subconscious better than anyone, including Sinatra. It was as if the song were written specifically for her. It has always made me misty. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any clips from that performance on the web. If the program is listed in the TV schedule, check it out. The liberal philosophy of some songs aside, it’s great. Tape it to avoid pledge breaks.
It looked like it was going to be a disappointing session at the floating book shop, then buyers swooped in the last hour. Thanks, folks, and also to Simon, who donated about 20 hardcover best sellers.
Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic’s Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic’s Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic’s 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic’s 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic’s Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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