Way, way O/T

Did anyone see The Kennedy Center Honors on Wednesday this week? I’ve always enjoyed watching the show and all the artists who I likely will never see perform in person. This show was different in that they usually honor 8 artists, including singers, actors, composers, playwrights etc.

This year, they grouped the creators of “Hamilton” as 4 people and there were several performances by some of the original cast, including Lin Manual Miranda. They had some video of what the creative process was there.

Others honored were Wayne Shorter, jazz artist who looked like they should have got him a few years before now. There was Phillip Glass, composer of classical and all kind of music. The “stars” if you will were Cher and Reba and it’s the very first time that I’ve seen artists on here that I’ve actually seen perform live, in Las Vegas both of them.

As always the music performances were terrific, especially Adam Lambert and Cyndi Lauper doing one of Cher’s hits and for some reason, I can’t think which one.

There was a lengthy tribute to Phillip Glass and I’m not all that familiar with him, but there was a section where “S. Epatha Merkerson” (yes, she from Law and Order) performed a piece from one of his compositions in a monologue.

My favorite performance in all of the years I've watched this was the year that Led Zepellin were honored, and there was a live performance by some terrific performers, plus Kid Rock. This was already 6 years ago, the same year that David Letterman was honored.

Anyway, always interesting and not one sign that the Kardashians were there.

You can get a ticket to Hamilton on Broadway tomorrow (through Ticketmaster) for $533-$893. I know that's extreme, but ticket prices in general have been scaring me off for a very long time now. I used to be very supportive of the (live) performing arts, but I can't bring myself to care much anymore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2018 12:59AM by summer.

When it came to SLC last year, I tried to get tickets that were $180+-....

There's also a lottery thing that if your name is drawn you can get tickets for $1.00 or so but they never drew my name, dammit.

I saw an article on the lottery for the cheap seats for Hamilton (@ $10 per seat.) One man has entered more than 30 times without success. You can go on Wednesdays for the in-person lottery, but often the numbers of people vying for tickets have ranged in the thousands. You can pay someone to line-sit for you for rush tickets, but you will pay the same or more as Ticketmaster.

This is why I left NYC. It is a HCOL city that currently caters to the rich and the well-to-do. Everyone else has to scramble for the crumbs, and unless you are very cunning about it, you will go without. IMO ordinary people with ordinary jobs don't have much of a quality of life there. I didn't, unless I was dating some Wall Street guy.

I should aim for seeing one show yearly either in Washington or Baltimore. I've never been to the Kennedy Center. I'd love to see it.

I saw Hamilton in Houston and loved it so much. I payed way too much to see it, but it was so worth it. Took up most of my theater budget.

Live musical theater is my true love. I make room in my budget for it whenever I can. Its definitely not cheap though.

I would love to live in New York, but I'd have to live in the projects and would be too poor for any musicals then.

Never a week goes by that I haven't savored Heart performing Stairway to Heaven, done perfectly and filmed while showing the facial responses of Led Zeppelin.

What an historic treasure!

It has become a part of me now.

"The Oral History of the World's Greatest Rock Band," subtitled, "The Liner Notes of the Gods."

Here's a lengthy review:

https://pjmedia.com/eddriscoll/led-zeppelin-the-oral-history/

Yep!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFxOaDeJmXk



Here's my story about Stairway to Heaven:

I somehow got to the year 1977 without any conscious memory of having heard Stairway, despite it having been released in 1971, per Google. There are lots of reasons why it happened.

In 1977, dating my soon to be 2nd wife, we went with a group of insurance claims people to Magic Mountain. While in the process of having a very good time, we ended up in their little outdoor theatre, just in time to catch the opening of the band's show. They did a couple of numbers and then I watched the drummer get up and walk backstage, but the other band members remained on stage. I wondered what that was about since it was apparent the band was in the middle of a set.

The band then started Stairway, and a few seconds before he was to enter the fray, the drummer returned. It was very well done and I remarked to the others, "Wow, that was great! I'd buy it if they put out a record!!" The chatter in the group stopped and everyone stared at me... How does one explain such a lapse in cultural acuity?

About the video, at 6:28, Nancy does a patented Nancy Wilson guitar-playing kick!

I'm with you. Heart doing STH is a very moving piece and stirs up emotions every time I watch it. I'm a blues lover so the Kennedy Centre Honors BB King tribute some years earlier is also on my watch list.

I saw The Book of Mormon musical 2X in Las Vegas, both times in nosebleed seats because I waited too long.

I took my adult daughter to see it here in SLC last year. I paid $100+ for tickets, front row center in the balcony which are good seats.

I love it and love the music and have listened to it my car more than once.

Lin Manual is the narrator. Quite funny.