• Upcoming Trips and Events

  • NONE BOOKED AT THE MOMENT

  • plays and concerts

  • March 21 2024 - LLOYD Altman concert (See blog post)

  • January 27th - Saw a first-class revival of Tennessee William's "The Night of the Iguana" at the Pershing Square Signature Theater. The set, lighting and acting were all great! The cast, in particular, sustained three hours of dramatic dialogue without fault.

  • January 14, 2024. With the sincerest of thanks to Ally, close friend of Christine, who gave us tickets which she was unable to use herself, we were able to see the Met's latest production of Madama Butterfly. The production requires the high skills of about twenty puppeteers, three of whom are dedicated to manipulating Cio-Cio-San's toddler! This, they do with an amazing degree of reality, including gestures such as tugging at his mother's dress and jumping into her arms! There is a snag, however; puppeteers require near invisibility in order to make their work convincing. Dressed from head to toe in black, they need a very low light to hide in. The set designer's solution was to build a black-painted stage, sloping back and upwards. The producer had his characters enter the stage from the back of this hill in dramatic lighting, while the puppeteers moved at will in the gloom below. But, it was not the Puccini I knew so well and was moved by since I saw the Sadler's Wells production some seventy years ago! The arias were there and the pathos and emotions still evident, but my overall feeling was that the music was playing second fiddle to the visual fireworks!

  •                                            

  • November12, 2023. Saw the finest revival I have seen in New York for many a year! It was Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man" put on by the Gingold Theatrical Group at Theatre Row. It was directed by David Shaller (godson of Hermione Gingold) who had his cast come to the front of the stage at each scene to explain to the audience the action to follow. Shaw's humour never missed a beat--The audience was in stitches from beginning to end!

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Farewell Prague

This is the last of eight posts covering the River Elbe trip I made with Kim last November. The host of noteworthy experiences and the number of friends we made on the trip made this posting session such a long drawn-out one.  I hope it hasn’t been too boring.

This post is, largely, about the farewell dinner we enjoyed with our fellow travelers at one of Prague’s many great restaurants and the entertainment put on by the restaurant staff. Kim and I found it a fitting end to a thoroughly interesting trip; satisfying in all aspects. Grand Circle with Peter and Marina did us proud!

Click on the pictures for detail

Prague's crowded sights

Prague’s crowded sights

Me and Peter on Charles Bridge

Me and Peter on Charles Bridge

Crowded sights

More crowded sights

. . . . . . .

The view most photographed!

Ladies of Prague!

Ladies of Prague!

Ornate architecture

Ornate architecture

Hot wine goes down well . . .

Hot wine goes down well . . .

. . . . . also goes well with a nice slice of roast pork!

. . . . . also goes well with a nice slice of roast pork!

Peter and Martina have a serious 'Port  Talk'

Peter and Martina have a serious ‘Port Talk’

Fellow travelers . . . .

Fellow travelers . . . .

 . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

 . . . . . .

. . . . . .

Farewell dinner . . .

Farewell dinner . . .

Beware! The waiter is pouring the wine . . . .

Beware! The waiter is pouring the wine . . . .

Masque. Which one is the real dancer?

Masque. Which one is the real dancer?

Chanteuse . . .

Chanteuse . . .

Exuberant couple . . .

Exuberant couple . . .

 . . . . . .

. . . . . .

 . . . . . .

. . . . . .

Strange instrument!

Strange instrument!

 . . . even stranger . .

. . . even stranger . .

Old lady of Prague  . . . .

Old lady of Prague . . . .

 . . . . .  bids us all a toothy farewell!

. . . . . bids us all a toothy farewell!

THE END

Note. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that, in drawing out these posts over such a long time, my ageing memory has caused me to confuse faces and names of some of the many friends we met and whose company we enjoyed so much. Rather than embarrass myself further, I have left captions blank and hope that Kim and younger memories will come to my rescue. Ben

 

2 Responses

  1. Enjoyable to me…I don’t know them so I don’t need their names, Just Yours, Ben! Nereida

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