Thursday 3 November 2016

Three Enchanted Evenings. Sinister Owls.

I have spend hours, no, actual days, uploading my book as an ebook, blundering, confused, and head wrecked despite the kindly, idiot proof (I was promised) process set out by Smashwords for us luddite authors. The only thing I had going for me is stubbornness. I will not be defeated by...

There was an entire afternoon spend trying to establish (googling, pondering) what exactly a widget might be for instance (I know, I know you know...) and how to attach one. I haven't succeeded in that.  I imagine a sort of sinister Owl linking canny readers to the book.

Anyway it's done and you are most welcome to sample. The book, " I Am Detta O'Byrne," is available with sampling on Smashwords,  in iBooks store and on Kindle.


                                                     
     The Hills are alive....


Afterwards I take myself off to the opening night of the Sound of Music, where the Boss is Maria. The past weeks, quite apart from my sisyphean publishing torments, have been all yodelling, singing and choreographed dance moves from the second floor of the house where she rules.  (music, bed, and bathing rooms).
       
                                with the sounds of egos....

She brings me back tales from the front of temperamental spats, tearful meltdowns, artistic differences between the producers. Everyone seems to be having a fine old time of it as far as I can tell. There is an army of students making sets,  painting sets, sewing costumes, and a positive battalion of singing nuns.   Then there are the Von Trapps, her 'children' to whom she is bonded lovingly by showtime.

                                                     lonely goatherds....

Pity poor Captain Von Trap, tortured in the weeks of rehearsals with stern directions to clasp, hold, and look directly into the eyes of his Maria, before a sniggering audience of boys looking for cheap laughs.  He is a year younger that the boss, and more than that in being a boy. He finds it hard, it seems, to meet her eyes and play the lover. While singing (manfully). I feel for him.

I used to see him walking home from rehearsals, slight and brooding. Catching my eye one time, he jerked slightly, recoiled, a little haunted, interestingly hollowed eyed.


                                                                                   and the sound of Music.

Anyway it all comes right on the night, and the next night and the night after that.  There is some seriously fine piano playing. The Boss sings as though she was born to play Maria, never missing a note or going off key, expanding into each song with perfect timing and calm resonance, singing entirely without artifice. That is a healing thing to listen to. There is a lovely synergy between herself and her 'children' and it is all enchanted evenings.



                                                       
                                         Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



The mother superior is mistress of the high Cs, a fine soprano, her gang of nuns tuneful and fizzing with brio. Vibrantly painted sets are shifted from scene to scene by a silent energetic army, costumes magically change in seconds.  The actors declaim passionately about the Anschluss, the need to appease the German Swine, and salute 'heil hitler' from time to time with eye rolling exaggeration.

As to Captain Von Trapp, he is on top of his game, masterful, loverlike and absolutely in key.  He is  taking no hostages by the time they do it for the third night, and I'd like to know who's sniggering now.

An enchanted evening, (every one).

Afterwards you want to find the producer teachers and shake their hands. You want to tell them how the lines of the songs, the alchemy of the school musical stays with you forever.  You could belt out a verse or two from the Student Prince yourself if ever asked (never asked). 

Even though they only let you sing backstage to support the chorus, sacked as you were as second footman to the Prince for deviant and random giddiness. 






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