Mom and the King

I grew up to the sound of music (and, yes, The Sound of Music) on the TV/Stereo Console in the living room, right under the picture window that looked out on Bradley Street. That is, I grew up to music when Dad wasn’t home.  Dad liked it quiet and I can remember Mom lovingly lifting the needle for one of her favorite LPs at the sound of Dad pulling into the driveway.   I get it.   I would have music playing all the time (it actually is, in my head) … my wife Muri sees it as background at best, off even better.  Like so many things that define me, I got my love of music from Mom.   What did she listen to?  Yes, there was some obligatory Montovani, 101 Strings and Ferrante and Teicher but mostly she played big bands (especially Glenn Miller), classical music (she favored symphonies) and Broadway musicals.   I still remember the lyrics from South Pacific (Some enchanted evening …), Oklahoma (where the wind comes sweeping down the plains ...) and My Fair Lady (I’ve grown accustomed to her face …).   Then there’s The King and I.  My Mom’s favorite.   She saw it in New York and immediately had a crush on Yul Brynner.   It was the only time I remember my Mom owning up to a crush.   I think my Dad was OK with it because he had more than a little bit of the King in him.  Then I went away to college and became educated (technically) and sophisticated (supposedly), too cool to listen to Broadway musicals.  Once I was married, my wife and I became fans of live theater, but I resisted seeing those uncool musicals.   It would be years before I admitted my love of musicals and began to add them to our theater repertoire.   Sophistication be damned, right?   At 73, I’m nostalgic.

Monday (Musical) Smiles

I grew up listening to Broadway musicals.   It was not entirely my choice, however.  My Mom, who loved music almost as much as I do, loved Broadway shows and her record collection (remember those) included most original cast recordings of her favorites.  My Fair Lady.  South Pacific.  Oklahoma.  I’d say her favorite was The King and I, at least in part because she had a crush on Yul Brynner.   She would play her music during the day until Dad came home from work, then turn it off.  Dad was a fan of quiet.  Me?  Being the lyric-sponge that I am, I still know virtually every word to every song that she played.

Friday Favorites 11/2/2012

If you read Older Eyes – Bud’s Blog with any regularity, you know: I like to start a post down one road, then veer off onto a completely different subject.  I suppose it’s a habit that has cost me some readers but I also have readers who’ve commented that they like it.  Either way … it’s organic, the way my brain works.  That’s why I like it when a reader takes an unexpected turn in their comments.  It’s not only interesting, it’s stimulating and, perhaps, post material.  Yesterday, in The Music in My Head, I talked about a tune from Phantom of the Opera that was running in my head and the nature catchy tunes.  As an aside, I noted that I left the theater after Les Miserables humming I Dreamed a Dream even though I wasn’t overly fond of the production.  Comment: OMG, Bud! You didn’t like Les Miserables the 1st time you saw it? It’s my VERY FAVORITE play in the WHOLE wide world!!   Which got me to thinking – what is MY very favorite play in the entire world?   I began shuffling through the hundreds of productions