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Post by rallycairn on Jan 21, 2013 2:47:49 GMT 1
DH and I went to the most wonderful production of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot today at Richmond's Landmark Theater -- it was a Virginia Opera production. Contemporary (but not in an offputting way) staging, elegant costuming, great acting, and top-drawer voices -- it was really stunning. The last musical I saw was the debut season of Memphis on Broadway back in 2010 (another great show), and this one was easily its equal in terms of talent and production values. Just really wowed.
It's so nice to feel engaged in that way; it happens a lot less now than it did when I was younger, which is I think a factor of greater age and experience -- so now I really cherish that feeling of being engaged/challenged by a creative endeavor.
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Post by susanb on Jan 21, 2013 3:15:52 GMT 1
How wonderful, it sounds fantastic! I love live performances, and made it a New Year's Resolution to see more this year....like you, I saw many more when I was younger, and have fallen out of the habit....more work, less time and my theater going buddies have young kids now and rarely get out. Trying to make a dedicated effort to turn it around.....I've bought tickets to Boston Lyric Opera's Cosi Fan Tutti, Boston Ballet's Coppelia and Monty Python's Spamalot, which will be at the National Theatre in DC this spring.....nothing like a little variety ;D When I was in NYC at Christmas I was hoping that someone would be doing a great musical revival, like Camelot, but nobody was You're so lucky to have a company doing it locally! It's been sooo long since anything like that was on in Boston. Speaking of Richmond, the fabulous Faberge collection from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is touring, and will visit the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA beginning this spring, totally determined to see it, it looks spectacular.
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 21, 2013 4:49:16 GMT 1
Oh, thank you, susan, I love our Faberge, though that is one gallery DH avoids! It is a nice collection that we have. The VMFA is really a good museum, the big Picasso travelling exhibition from year before last was a feather in its cap, I think.
Not sure it compares to Boston's offerings, of course! I remember fondly my one trip to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston when I was in grad school. Got wet somehow (it was raining, but I can't remember if we travelled by subway over or what, I was attending the American Psychological Ass'n conference and staying at the Hotel Lafayette, which is now the Hyatt Regency Boston, I believe) on the trip over to the museum and was freezing from the A/C inside, but really enjoyed the Impressionist collection there, and was (and still am) quite taken with Frank Benson's Eleanor (1907).
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Camelot
Jan 21, 2013 12:50:15 GMT 1
Post by Claire on Jan 21, 2013 12:50:15 GMT 1
Sounds like you had a wonderful time rallycairn. I have never seen Camelot live but I did enjoy the film. Would have liked a time capsule to travel back and see the orginal show with Richard Burton and Julie Andrews!!! I havent been to a musical show like that for years and years. I do go to the theatre. We have a restored Georgian theatre in my town, one of the oldest theatres in the country and I go there quite a lot, but its tiny and doesn't really lend itself to huge musical extravanganzas! Here is the wikipedia entry for it if anyone history-minded is interested, there are links there to more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_Theatre_Royal
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Camelot
Jan 21, 2013 17:19:35 GMT 1
Post by susanb on Jan 21, 2013 17:19:35 GMT 1
Erm....there is a possibility that you're my long lost twin rally.....I have a print of Frank Benson's Eleanor...it's the only museum print I've got, and it came from the MFA!
The MFA is terrific, but (aside from the magnificent English silver colllection), I'd say it was a little weak on the decorative arts side, and I LOVE the decorative arts. The Metropolitan in NYC was total catnip for me, I could have moved into the European decorative art section and just lived there for a week.
I think I read somewhere that the VMFA collection of Faberge is the finest outside Russia, so I'm really excited to see it. I believe a few bits of the collection (the basket of Lily of the Valley) were on display at the Met when I was there (it was just a small case), but nothing like the full collection that will be visiting the Peabody Essex.
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 22, 2013 1:16:10 GMT 1
Claire, I tend to enjoy straight plays over musicals most of the time, so I would enjoy your local theater I'm sure. Plus I hope you are closer than I am as we are an hour from Richmond, so we have to make a real effort to go.
Susan, how neat about the Eleanor painting! Well, ok, I will admit VMFA really does have an outstanding decorative arts collection, and I believe you are right about the Faberge. Hope it lives up to your expectations when you see it.
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Camelot
Jan 22, 2013 12:28:04 GMT 1
Post by Claire on Jan 22, 2013 12:28:04 GMT 1
Rally I live on the outskirts of the town, so its only a few mins walk away! I reckon my Richmond is just a tad smaller than yours, tho its actually the original one of all Richmonds in the world! Do you and susan live near each other to meet - I think you'd have a lot to talk about!
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Camelot
Jan 22, 2013 13:54:35 GMT 1
Post by rallycairn on Jan 22, 2013 13:54:35 GMT 1
Meeting susan (or any of the Pumbles!) Would be lovely, but I think we are probably a ten to eleven hour drive apart, sadly. - Sorry about the weird caps, I'm on mobile.
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Post by susanb on Jan 23, 2013 4:18:55 GMT 1
Oh yes, easily that long....I've been to VA only once on vacation (Colonial Williamsburg, loved it) and it took longer to get there than it did to get to London!
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Camelot
Jan 23, 2013 15:49:22 GMT 1
Post by rallycairn on Jan 23, 2013 15:49:22 GMT 1
Which is a bit counterintuitive, since we are both in the eastern US and pretty near the east coast! Oh, here we go again with the twin thing, Susan -- DH and I just renewed our annual ColW'burg passes. We love it, too!
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Camelot
Jan 23, 2013 18:07:37 GMT 1
Post by susanb on Jan 23, 2013 18:07:37 GMT 1
I think when I did it it was a matter of the flights.....nothing direct, had to connect through Philadelphia and fly into Richmond, then taxi to Williamsburg. Sigh. I think there are direct flights to Herndon now, which would be soooo much more convenient. I keep telling myself I should treat myself to a Williamsburg Christmas some year.
My visit was in the spring, and it was just fabulous....didn't want to leave! And the museum gift shop(s)....The Best Ever. EVER. I actually had to have them ship stuff home for me that I couldn't get into my luggage.
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Camelot
Jan 26, 2013 17:08:53 GMT 1
Post by Claire on Jan 26, 2013 17:08:53 GMT 1
Oh well just have to wait until I win a large amount of money on the horses and can ship everyone over here to meet.... ;D ;D ;D
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 27, 2013 0:15:49 GMT 1
Just like in our Christmas story! We must do it as a pony trek!
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Camelot
Sept 16, 2013 21:27:28 GMT 1
Post by susanb on Sept 16, 2013 21:27:28 GMT 1
rally, had to post and tell you that I made it to the Faberge exhibit: it was fabulous! And so well curated...I had no idea that there were two Faberge workshops, one in St. Petersburg and one in Moscow, and that the difference in their work was so marked. Of course I had to splurge on the book, and realized that with all that was in the traveling exhibition, that the museum has even MORE....must make it down there someday!
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Camelot
Sept 18, 2013 3:13:24 GMT 1
Post by rallycairn on Sept 18, 2013 3:13:24 GMT 1
Susan, I am so glad it lived up to your expectations! Do try to come down here soon!
I know what you mean about the exhibition books; I TRY to wait and get them a year or so later at a reduced price in the museum shop, but it's always a risk that they might not have them.
They just aired an Antiques Roadshow ep where a woman brought in Imperial Russian earrings that were converted from what were originally cufflinks, and the evaluator surmised they were probably Faberge. They were the double-headed eagle inside a square frame. Simple but beautiful.
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Camelot
Sept 18, 2013 17:51:00 GMT 1
Post by susanb on Sept 18, 2013 17:51:00 GMT 1
I don't think I've ever bought a "coffee table" book retail before, I don't have many and those I do have I've bought used, but I could not resist this one!
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