33 VARIATIONS

This last Sunday was a most enjoyable day. Good friends (hi there, Russ and Sandy) invited us to  a play entitled 33 variations. This was a rather unusual production for several reasons. First, the play simultaneously examines the creative process behind Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and the journey of a musicologist, Katherine Brandt, to discover the meaning behind why Beethoven was compelled to write thirty-three distinct variations on a simple theme by a nobody music publisher.  Then there is the juxtaposition of the nonfictional Beethoven story with what I believe is the fictional account of Katherine Brandt in the present time. Finally, there was a live pianist on stage who through the entire production, plays at least parts of all the 33 variations.  Brandt suffers from ALS, and the progression of this disease, and her relationship with her daughter are themes that match Beethoven's growing deafness.

The action takes place both in Beethoven's time and the present, switching back and forth between the two. However, at certain key points, characters from both time periods appear on stage to deliver lines simultaneously, emphasizing the parallels of both sets of characters.

After the play we decided we were hungry so we made our way to our favorite Chinese restaurant, Chef Chu’s,  where we had a marvelous dinner mixed with delightful conversation. We managed to order most of our favorite dishes, and polished off the whole thing.

My apologies to the few people I promised more August photographs, but I wanted to get this in before it got too old. The next posting will be the promised photos.

Humor – –

BABIES

“My sister is going to have a baby,” said Gracie Allen, “and I don’t know if I’m going to be an aunt or an uncle.”

The baby is nothing more than a loud noise at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

Gracie Allen again: “When I was born I was so surprised that I didn’t talk for a year and a half.”

If the baby is beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on time – – you are the grandma.

The quickest way for a parent to get a child’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable.

An advantage of having only one child is that you only always know who did it.

There are three ways to get something done: do-it-yourself, hire someone, or forbid your kids to do it.