I've always collected errors in diction, things people mis-hear, like "windshield factor" and "the next store neighbors." Years ago, one of my students wrote an essay in which she described the world as being harsh and cruel, "a doggy-dog world." I've since come to think she may have been more astute and accurate than those who describe it in the usual way. My Stories
- Mobridge Memories
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Most of what I've written has been published as e-books and is available at Amazon. Match Play is a golf/suspense novel. Dust of Autumn is a bloody one set in upstate New York. Prairie View is set in South Dakota, with a final scene atop Rattlesnake Butte. Life in the Arboris a children's book about Rollie Rabbit and his friends (on about a fourth grade level). The Black Widow involves an elaborate extortion scheme. Happy Valley is set in a retirement community. Doggy-Dog Worldis my memoir. And ES3is a description of my method for examining English sentence structure.
In case anyone is interested in any of my past posts, an archive list can be found at the bottom of this page. I'd appreciate any feedback you may have by sending me an e-mail note--jertrav33@aol.com. Thanks for your interest.
Monday, June 12
Tonys 2017
“Another opening, another show, another Tony’s the way to go!” I think I’ve seen every Tony Awards show since we’ve been married. That would make last night’s my 57th Tony. And it was as good as it’s ever been. Of all the awards shows (and there seem to be over a hundred), the Tonys are the classiest, most entertaining of them all. Kevin Spacey was an adequate host but he couldn’t come up to those hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and Hugh Jackman. And if last year was the year of Hamilton, 2017 would be the year of Dolly and Evan Hansen. Bette Midler, looking a few decades younger than she really is, won for her role as Dolly in the winner of the best musical revival, Hello, Dolly. I think she may have aged another year during her prolonged acceptance speech. I know I did. Then there was Ben Platt, who won for his role as Even Hansen in the winner of the best musical Dear Evan Hansen. Wow! Simply Wow! He won me over with his extended, oh so complicated version of “Waving through a Window.” I’ve always been fascinated by song lyrics. That doesn’t mean I think more highly of the lyricist than the one who puts those words to music. Richard Rogers was every bit as important as Oscar Hammerstein. But the lyrics, ah, the lyrics. I guess that’s why I’ve spent my entire life writing lyrics that will never be heard by anyone but me. I guess that’s why I’m such a fan of Stephen Sondheim, who learned the trade at the knee of Oscar Hammerstein. And now we have Justin Paul and Benj Pasek, who came up with these complicated, very clever lyrics for Dear Evan Hansen. I hope I live long enough to see this show performed at the Arizona Broadway Theatre. If you want to taste a few of the best songs from this show, here are the YouTube versions of “Waving Through a Window,” “Only Us,” and “You Will Be Found.” Again, Wow!
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