Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Now I’ve Heard Everything

I’m in Seattle for a few days, partly to do this (in case any Seattle NLT readers would like to turn up), and the local alternative paper, Seattle Weekly, has a review of an opera based on Ted Kennedy’s infamous Chappaquiddick mishap called Black Water.

An opera. About Chappaquiddick.

It is based on a book the same title by Joyce Carol Oates--somehow this book missed my reading list when it came out--and this operatic adaptation was first performed in Philadelphia almost a decade ago, proviong that the Left Coast doesn’t have a monopoly on loopiness. The review says little about Kennedy’s snakelike morals, and is instead portrayed as "a pointed skewering of the very class that’s traditionally supported opera." Yeah--that’s what we all think of when Chappaquiddick comes up.

You can read the entire strange review here, if you want. Up next: An operatic adaption of the murder saga of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel?

Discussions - 3 Comments

How about this:


"RFK
Monday, November 13, 2006
10:30 a.m., Drury Theatre, 8500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, 44106
Written by and starring Jack Holmes
Directed by Larry Moss
P>
Still shocked over the loss of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy is told
by President Johnson that he is not going to be the next Vice
President. Undeterred by disappointment, this young politician with
one of the most powerful names in America becomes a champion of peace,
justice, equality and responsibility - a path that leads him to the
brink of greatness. This critically acclaimed solo performance,
straight from one of the hottest off-Broadway theatres in New York,
reveals Robert F. Kennedy, the man, as you’ve never seen him before."

Not a musical, but I got this in a selection of student matinee options from our local homeschool group. This might just go to show that just anybody might be homeschooling these days, whereas it once just conservative fanatics. The options were this and My Fair Lady. Okay, that’s based on Shaw’s play, but it surely lost its polemics when it went musical.


The literalness of the staging courts risibility, especially when the soprano is asked to belt out "Help me! Help me!" in full Brünnhilde mode from inside the overturned, submerged car from the review brought me to tears - ok, of laughter.

Did anyone see the opera "Nixon in China" 10-15 years ago? I certainly didn’t, but wondered how in God’s name it could have worked as an opera. Would that William F. Buckley Jr. had reviewed it -- or did he?

Welcome to the Northwest. At first I was pissed when I heard about the "Discovery Inst." (I think the name should really be the Discovered Institute since they are not really trying to discover anything...its really quite the opposite). I was mad because I thought they would be much more at home in a place like Kansas where people actually care about their ridiculous attempts at science.

Then I realized, hey well if they are here that means that they are going to get outvoted for the next 100 years -- maybe it helps water down the crazyies. You know, keep them close at hand, out voted and irrelevant. Who knows maybe some sanity might even rub off on them.

Enjoy the huge audience, I’ll come if you have diagrams of what those giant space mirrors look like.

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