It rains AND it pours

It didn't rain today. It was actually quite delightful light sweater weather for the trick or treaters tonight. Snow and heavy outerwear with costumes was more the norm when I was of trick or treating age on these same streets. What was more surprising was getting to Playhouse Square twice this week. On Monday the witty and erudite JanC and I went to see the road show of Vinyl Cafe with Stewart McLean. I find myself enjoying this lovely import from the CBC on my NPR station on Sunday afternoon with considerably more pleasure than Prairie Home Companion on Saturday nights. McLean's gentle humor is delivered in a voice that reminds me very much of Jimmy Stewart. By comparison, he makes Garrison Keillor look jaded, cynical and somewhat edgy. I rather think that both of 'em would be happy with that assessment.

Last night, while at church music rehearsal, I'd not turned my phone off (bad girl, but I'm not going to hell for it...) and so took the call from Ruth's mother Madam (that IS what the family calls her) offering me two tickets to Ohio Opera's Hansel & Gretel . By this morning I was able to get a PERFECT companion to go with me: Peggy had been having a foul week dealing with plumbers working on her sewer lines, and like me, she hadn't been to an opera in a vastly long time. We had a grand time, zooming off just after my trick or treat candy gave out, and getting to our seats in enough time to take a deep breath before the music started. This was opera for those who are scared of opera - in English WITH the lyrics projected on a screen at the extreme top of the stage. I came to it cold, not even knowing it was to be in English, just ready to be entertained, and that we were. I was surprised at the overtly religiously centered morals in the tale - nothing the Brothers Grimm would have outlined - prayers, visions of angels, along with a supernatural sandman and a (how DID she manage to sing...?) Dew Drop fairy who hovered over the stage AND sang. Other elemements I don't recall are the witch's cooking turning people into gingerbread persons, and her death turning them back to living humans, with Hansel & Gretel being saviours of a couple dozen folks (made for a good grand finale chorus, that!) It was silly, charming, and had utterly gorgeous singing and sets that were a visual treat - especially the birch forrest.

While looking at the Playhouse Square website, I glanced through the up coming events and saw this one for this Sunday that'd have made three in a week, but it was just way, way WAYYYYYY too weird to contemplate, so I shan't go, though I may forever remain curious of what Eddie asked our Favorite Flaky Democrat:
Eddy Izzard interviews Dennis Kucinich
Srsly. I kid you not.