11/9/11

So Monday evening while having dinner, the phone rang. Mom answered it and asked me, “Would you like to go see ‘Shrek, the Musical’ at Bass Hall tomorrow night?” I said, “Nnnnnnot really.” She was taken aback. “Will you go anyway?” she countered. I agreed but do not look forward to it. All evening I'd remember that I'd agreed and it would piss me off all over again. All day yesterday I would be happily be-bopping along when I'd remember it and get pissed again. I didn’t even bother with a rant (that was Monday’s you saw yesterday by the way) because I knew I wouldn’t be on line until late last night because of the show. I got home and she was still excited about going. I was not. I sent John a text saying, “No rant. I have to go to the Bass for ‘Shrek, the Musical.’” He replied, “File that under ‘Words I never thought I'd read.’” I sent back, “Cross referenced to ‘Words I thought I'd never type.’” Mom and I ate at Applebee’s on the way to the Bass. Sure, scoff at the chain restaurant but they really do have a pretty bitchin’ Asiago Peppercorn Steak. I began to lighten up on my attitude as time got closer and by the time we were in the hall, I was pretty much normal. As soon as the first song began, I knew mom was doomed. I could barely understand the singers and make out the songs… and I knew the story! I pretty much new then and there we wouldn’t be staying after intermission. As for the show, it was pretty good. It was geared more for kids, but it wasn’t bad. I was wondering how they were going to do the dragon, and it was pretty much exactly as I expected. She was rather impressive even from the nose-bleed seats. Oh, and the way they did Lord Farquaad’s costume was hilarious! Think of Tim Conway’s “Dorf” character but mobile. Instead of standing in a pit like Dorf, Farquaad was on his knees with the costume’s feet attached… oh, you get it. It was very well done, quite funny looking. I didn’t like how the actor playing Shrek tried to affect Mike Meyers’ accent because all it did was make him hard to understand. Plus, it wasn’t really necessary to the story if you ask me. Donkey was well played but I could see it being potentially offensive in a “black-face/Amos and Andy” sort of way. I couldn’t tell the ethnicity of the actor for sure, but I do not think he was black. Yes, I understand he was “doing” Eddie Murphy’s act as Donkey, which is fine when played by Eddie Murphy, but if Juan were to come in cold, it could sound a little racist. That’s all I'm saying. Of course, I could be projecting my own “racism” onto the affectations of Donkey because I know the original was Eddie Murphy and therefore that character “sounds black” to me. I guess if Lewis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, and John Wiley Price don’t get up in arms about it, who am I to stir the racism pot? Fiona looked good… from the upper balcony. She might have been a total butter-face up close, like it matters. The singing and songs were good and I'm sure the kids liked the show. I didn’t hate it, and would have stayed for the second half had it not been for mom’s suffering. Although, since she forced me to go, I SHOULD have made her stay for the second half, out of spite. But no, I'm not that petty. Ok, I am EXACTLY that petty… for anyone else. Mom’s eighty-two years old and I knew it would be bad enough getting her back to the car with no crowd. We did leave at intermission. I explained the story, what she missed while there and what we skipped, and promised to watch the DVD with her some time. So there’s that. If you have kids, I recommend “Shrek, the Musical.” If you don’t have kids… well, it wasn’t a bad show for adults who have seen the first movie and know the story. Yeah, I say go ahead and see it, kids or no. Oh, one caveat, that recommendation is totally based on the first half of the show. I suppose it could become total crap after the intermission. Now, as for important stuff, John sent me a video of some show in New Zealand about the good old days of small-bore racing when Datsun dominated over there. It has me even more fired up to work on stuff this weekend. I even went in and looked at my “George to do list” elsewhere in this laptop. I'd been avoiding it like the plague ever since that project stalled. Having looked at it again, I really am close to being finished with that car. We gotta get it back on the road! Well, I've got to pee and I have a meeting in thirty minutes so I think I'm going to call it a rant for the day. Perhaps I'll have more tomorrow. We’ll see.