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OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD 29 September 2014
The San Francisco Symphony was playing live music to the film of The Wizard of Oz. Naturally we had to be there. They did that a few years ago and Walt and I went then. The lobby was decorated in rainbow balloons, people in all of the characters from the film where there to greet the patrons. I think there were Oz-themed beverages. There were lots of little kids dressed in costume, and coming up shyly to meet Glinda or some of the other characters. But that was a matinee, and I wasn't sure it would be quite that elaborate for this 8 pm. show, which was obviously geared toward adults and not children. We drove down to the Walnut Creek BART station and met Char and Mike on the platform waiting for the train into San Francisco. Char had called ahead for dinner reservations at Max's Opera Cafe. She couldn't get 7 p.m. reservations, so we had to go at 5:15. But service was so slow, we only had about half an hour to kill by the time we finally got our check. We killed it in a book store. What else? Davies Symphony Hall was not tarted up like it was for the matinee those few years ago. Heck, even Glinda had to stand in line to buy a ticket.
Instead of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion waiting to greet audience, we got a tacky Wicked Witch of the East (I assume it was her, based on the socks)
There were no balloons, no rainbows and no special snacks, but there were a variety of Dorothys in various sizes, each with a dog-filled basket over her arm, coming into the symphony hall, many wearing ruby slippers.
But low key or not, it was definitely an event having a full symphony orchestra playing the music. I have to say they did not do a 100% fantastic job. In some spots they were ever so slightly off of the beat and in several spots they played too loud and covered up dialog (e.g., the Witch telling the monkeys that they can do what they want with the others, but to bring Dorothy and Toto back because she wants them alive and well. Totally inaudible.) When Dorothy opens the door to Munchkin land, I had to gasp. As well as I know that movie, I don't think I have ever seen it more crisp and clear. You sure can't beat technicolor. I was imagining what the 1939 audiences thought of all the special effects, and if the CGI generation still thought it as amazing as I did. The audience clapped and cheered in all the right spots. At intermission, the others went out to walk around and I stayed where I was (I never leave the theater at intermission). I decided to check my current Word with Friends games and when I called up the first game, the letters I had to play with were T-O-T-O-S. I figured it was inevitable! When it was all over, we got back on BART and headed back to Walnut Creek. I don't know who these old people are...
Char and Mike are leaving for Germany in a week. They are taking a cruise in Germany and then will meet us in Paris to continue our Southern France cruise. When we stood in the parking lot of the BART station and said "We'll see you in Paris," it sounded very cosmopolitan! I received some beautiful cards from someone named Donna, with a law office for a return address. The cards are gorgeous and I want to say thank you, but I don't know who Donna is. She thought I might want to use them for correspondence with Lacie and Brianna. Definitely! |
Photo of the Day
Day 90: How could this not make me happy?
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This is entry #5299
We went to a "happening" in
San Francisco yesterday.
