Met Live presents "Tosca"

1900 Tosca poster

The Travelling Toe and 2 Dear Friends attended the Saturday noon performance of "Tosca", which was beamed live from The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, to movie theaters around the world.  We saw the opera at a local Cine-mark Theater in Fort Worth.

"Tosca", was written by Giacomo Puccini.  The opera, a tragedy, is 3 acts and is sung in Italian. It premiered on January 14,1900, at Teatro Costanzi in Rome. In 1901, "Tosca" premiered at the Met.

The Metropolitan Opera web site provided this short overview of the opera:

Puccini’s melodrama about a volatile diva, a sadistic police chief, and an idealistic artist has offended and thrilled audiences for more than a century. Critics, for their part, have often had problems with Tosca’s rather grungy subject matter, the directness and intensity of its score, and the crowd-pleasing dramatic opportunities it provides for its lead roles. But these same aspects have also made Toscaone of a handful of iconic works that seem to represent opera in the public imagination.

Additionally, there is a more expanded overview of each of the opera's three acts on The Met's web site.

Metropolitan Opera

What a wonderful performance!  All the performers were excellent in their roles as well as the support cast.  What makes seeing an opera beamed live from The Met, is that audience members are treated to interviews with the cast, the conductor, and the chorus master.  Plus one gets to see all the intrigue with the back stage crew as sets are being changed and 

set-up.

"Call Me By Your Name" (movie critique)

Another movie that has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, is "Call Me By Your Name".  A Dear Friend and The Travelling Toe went to an afternoon showing of this movie.  Must admit there were a couple of times we were tempted to leave but we persevered so we could see how this unusual movie ended. Was it worth our time to stay?  Well Dear Readers you will just have to find that out for yourself!

A synopsis of the story line from the internet is as follows:

It's the summer of 1983, and precocious 17-year-old Elio Perlman is spending the days with his family at their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, a handsome doctoral student who's working as an intern for Elio's father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of their surroundings, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.

CAST:

Timothee Chalamet
Elio Perlman

Armie Hammer
Oliver

The Travelling Toe awards this movie 1 second toe up with a peach...and if you see the movie then you will know why!

"Phantom Thread" (movie critique)

PHANTOM THREAD
movie poster

In pursuit of seeing as many of the Oscar nominated movies as possible, The Travelling Toe and the Movie Mavens went to the local multiplex to see "Phantom Thread". The star of this movie, Daniel Day-Lewis, has announced he is retiring from making movies. That is sad to hear as he is such an excellent actor and also somewhat sad that this quirky movie would be his swan song.  

The internet provided this plot overview:

Set in the glamour of 1950’s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutantes and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love. With his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson paints an illuminating portrait both of an artist on a creative journey, and the women who keep his world running. Phantom Thread is Paul Thomas Anderson’s eighth movie, and his second collaboration with Daniel Day-Lewis.

Must admit we found this movie to be a tad of a let down. Some of the best things about the movie was a look at the 1950's fashion styles, the vintage cars, and music. After the movie, when the group was sitting around the lunch table, the plot line was heavily discussed in trying to figure how it all comes together - or if in fact it did!!!

  
CAST:

Daniel Day-Lewis
Reynolds Woodcock

Vicky Krieps
Alma

Lesley Manville
Cyril

Should this movie be nominated for Best Picture?  Only you Dear Readers can answer that question!!

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 second toe up and 1 pinky toe up with your very own sewing kit so you too can be a couturier to socialites and movie stars!t!

"Star Wars:The Last Jedi" (movie critique)

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
movie poster

In between bouts of bronchitis, The Travelling Toe was able to see "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" before it left the movie theaters.  So Dear Readers, if you are a Star Wars fan you have seen it and if you are not a Star Wars fan you won't be seeing it!!!  

So here is an overview of the plot from the internet:

Luke Skywalker's peaceful and solitary existence gets upended when he encounters Rey, a young woman who shows strong signs of the Force. Her desire to learn the ways of the Jedi forces Luke to make a decision that changes their lives forever. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren and General Hux lead the First Order in an all-out assault against Leia and the Resistance for supremacy of the galaxy.

The Travelling Toe and Dear Friend enjoyed the movie as we have seen almost all the Star Wars flicks.  We were delighted to see after the end of the movie with the credits,  a special acknowledgement for Carrie Fisher.  Very well done!

Will there be more Star Wars movies?  You betcha!!


The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up with your very own Death Star!!

January 2018 FWSO Symphony Program FWSO

JAN 2018 FWSO
program

The January Symphony program was titled "Nights In The Gardens Of Spain".  

Conductor, Miguel Harth-Bedoya

Miguel Harth-Bedoya was at the podium to conduct the FWSO. The first selection of the program was, "Nights In The Gardens Of Spain".  The composition was written by
Manuel de Falla. Program notes written by Ken Meltzer, provide an insight to this musical selection:

As with many of Falla's greatest compositions, "Night In The Gardens Of Spain" is a masterful, captivating synthesis of classical music and Spanish Folk culture.

Manuel de Falla
1876-1946

This was a wonderful and dramatic piece of music.  Manuel de Falla has written many exciting pieces of music and it is always delightful to hear them. With Joaquin Achucarro featured at the piano, he added that extra magical component.  As a side note,
Mr. Achucarro was celebrating his 85th birthday!  He has an astounding touch with those piano keys!

Joaquin Achucarro

After extended applause, the second piece of music began, once again featuring pianist Joaquin Achucarro.

This composition, "Raposdia Espanola" was written Issac Albeniz.  He was a gifted composer writing operas, as well as orchestra and chamber works. T he program notes describe this piece of music as follows:

The "Spanish Rhapsody" includes several Spanish dances concluding with the brilliant Esudiantina.

Issac Albeniz
1860-1909

After a standing ovation and extended applause, Mr. Achucarro, returned to the piano for an encore.  He chose a lovely piece of music, "Nocturne For The Left Hand:, written by Alexander Scriabin. This was such a lovely piece and he played it gloriously.

Alexander Scriabin
1871-1915
(he certainly sports a stylish mustache)

After the intermission the musicians and Maestro Harth-Bedoya returned to the stage for the closing numbers. It was "Intermezzo From Goyescas" and Iberia from "Images".

Due to left over issues with the bronchitis attack, The Travelling Toe had to leave at intermission and was unable to hear these lovely pieces of work.

Another awesome day with the FWSO! 

www.fwsymphony.org

"The Commuter" "Den Of Thieves" (movie critique)

Dear Readers, The Travelling Toe is so behind on posting about recent movies, this post will have 2...yes 2...movie critiques in it.  Both are action flicks so that works well together!!

THE COMMUTER
movie poster

The new action flick staring Liam Neeson was showing at the local multiplex and the Movie Mavens went to see it recently.

Liam Neeson

The internet provided the following synopsis of the movie:

Insurance salesman Michael is on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine. After being contacted by a mysterious stranger, Michael is forced to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, he realizes a deadly plan is unfolding, and he is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that carries life and death stakes for everyone on the train.

Once the premise was set up, the action was nonstop.  However, the plot was a tad like another of Liam's movies, "Nonstop".  That movie takes place on an airplane. If you take into account the movies of the "Taken" series, he has been facing bad guys on planes, trains and automobiles..oh my!!

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 second toe up due to Liam being in it, (sigh) and all the action scenes.  

The second action movie was "Den of Thieves".  This action packed movie stars Gerald Butler.  

Gerald Butler

Here is the overview of the movie from the internet:

Nick O'Brien is the hard-drinking leader of the Regulators, an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Ray Merrimen is the recently paroled leader of the Outlaws, a gang of ex-military men who use their expertise and tactical skills to evade the law. O'Brien, Merrimen and their crews soon find themselves on a direct collision course as the criminals hatch an elaborate plan for a seemingly impossible heist -- the city's Federal Reserve Bank.

Since Gerald has saved the President's life twice as a good guy in previous movies, he took on a different role as a not so nice detective.  Once again the action was well done with a few twists and turns along the way.  Language is pretty raw!

The Travelling Toe also awards this movie 1 second toe up due to Gerald being the main character and all the action scenes.


Dear Readers hope you enjoyed reading about these 2 movies...more on the way!

"Something Rotten" at Bass Hall

SOMETHING ROTTEN
play program

The Travelling Toe and Dear Friend attended the Sunday matinee performance of "Something Rotten" at Bass Hall. It is a touring show and Bass Hall was one of it's many stops along the way.

The original play opened at the St James Theater in April, 2015.  Then in January, 2017 the US national tour was launched.  It was nominated for several Tony awards and did manage to win a few.

Something Rotten
Playbill 

The play begins with a Minstrel welcoming the audience members to the European Renaissance, with the song "Welcome to the Renaissance".  

We then meet brothers Nick and Nigel Bottoms.  They run a small but struggling theater.  Nick is determined to be a success no matter what the cost. Nick vents his frustration about another famous playwright of the times in the song, "God How I Hate Shakespeare".

When The Baird does make his appearance, he is like a rock star of the late 1500's.

In a effort to best The Baird, Nick steals the money his wife has been saving so they can have a better life and takes off to consult a soothsayer.  This particular soothsayer is none other than Nostradamus.  He tells Nick that the next play Shakespeare is producing has something to do with ham (Hamlet) but Nostradamus gets it mixed up and tells Nick to write a play about Omelets.  He also tells Nick that he needs to make the play a musical but Nick does not know what a musical really is.  So Nostradamus explains it to him, along with the cast, singing "A Musical".  This song brought down the house with extended applause.  

It gets even funnier in the second half.  Dear Friend and I laughed a lot during this play.  If it ever comes you way it is worth seeing and we would certainly see it again!

Bass Hall