"Ceilidh" at the M&T Bank Exchange

When I first saw "Ceilidh" on the list as one of the shows for the Hippodrome, I perked up. Having been to Scotland, I have ceilidhed, though it's been a while. I tried to find more info, like it was called Ceilidh: A New Musical, which implied a musical, but I couldn't find much information beyond an interview with two of the creators where they explained that ceilidh was traditional Scottish dancing, and one recording of one song. Usually you can find a trailer that hints at a plot, a review something. So I reached out to a friend and was like I have no idea what this is, but wanna come see it with me. She agreed. The seating was all general admission. (While the Bank Exchange is part of the Hippodrome, it is an auditorium set up, so designed for different events than in the larger theater.)

The seating, as we discovered was set up along three sides of the main room, with a large dancing area in the middle. There were bars that were open for much of the performance, and water stations. The musicians were on stage. And I noticed a few people with microphones on seating themselves in the seating. 

The story is reminiscent of a jukebox musical. The songs are original (with one exception). But the plot is an excuse to get to each dance. (Did it still make me tear up? Yes.) The plot introduces us to a ceilidh caller, who is from a long line of callers. He guides the audience through ceilidh 101, and various characters show up, encouraging audience members to join in the ceilidhs if they wish. 

The audience was also given a chance to try haggis (including a vegetarian option) and given whisky or apple juice to toast with, and shortbread as we left. 

If like me, you haven't ceilidhed in a while, there was plenty of instruction. If you've never ceilidhed, same. If audience participation is not your jam, you could sit in the back row. A few people brought kids, and they seemed to enjoy it. Plus kids are much better at jumping in to dance and going with the flow. 

Why the Tonys is both the best and Worst Way to Catch up on a Year of Theater

I grew up in DC which has a pretty robust regional theater scene, and a few theaters that are large enough to attract touring casts.  I love theater.  We went to the children's theater so many times growing up it felt like I saw everything, though that's likely not true.  I went to see "Peter Pan" with a cousin. I went to see "Comedy of Errors" as an eight year old, which both seems to young and is also the perfect age to be introduced to a Shakespeare comedy.   (The thing we sometimes forget about kids, is they are very used to about half the references flying over their heads, they don't care if they don't catch every word, they often just need the gist.  Obviously, your child may vary.)  

But I did not grow up in New York, where the robust amount of theater DC offers is about one non-dark night of theater in New York.  So, once I figured out what the Tonys were, I watched.  And I haunted discount bins at the places that sold music and started picking up cast albums that sounded interesting.  I still remember listening stations and finding one set up with the cast album of "Rent" and making the friend who was with me come listen.  (She was not a musical theater nerd, so she was less enthused than I was.)  

These days it is somewhat easier to be a non-New York or London living musical theater nerd.  And yes, I am aware that musical theater exists in the rest of the world also.  And that "Maybe Happy Ending" was performed in Korea first. But now, between Tiktoks and YouTube and the other plethora of social media, it is so much easier.  

Also, I'm picking on the Tonys here, but this also applies to the Oliviers and the Big Night of Musicals, and sometimes various appearances on morning or late night shows.  

In an actor's life it's an absolute crapshoot as to whether anything you're in will get nominated for a Tony (or Olivier, etc). So if it does, you obviously want to pick a number that does ideally two things: includes all of the cast, and is easy for the audience who may be doesn't know the show to follow. This is why you see a lot of opening numbers. But of course, to pick "Oklahoma" as a random example, the opening number is just Curly. So, okay, that doesn't work for that show. The next most obvious choice is often the song that closes Act 1, because it usually brings everyone of stage to remind you where everyone is and what they are all worried about in case you would otherwise forget during the intermission. 

But what if you're show really only has one ensemble number and it's at the end? Well, usually the finale is super long. After all, it has to wrap up all the remaining loose threads. But the Tony's, unlike, ahem, other awards shows, tries to keep on schedule, so gives each show a time limit. So you have say an eight minute finale and a four minute slot, they will often either chop the song, or do it double time. 

And some shows, I am sure after some conversations with the cast, give up and just pick a number from early in the show, and tell the cast members not in it, hey, you get to rest tonight. 

What all of this means, is that sometimes the number performed is very weird, or seems weird because it lacks the appropriate context. (One of my favorite YouTube comments on a performance of "Dear Bill" from "Operation Mincemeat" is: This song means so much more in context." Because, yes, of course it does.) 

In rare moments the opposite is true. They pull out their very best song, and much like seeing a movie where everything funny was in the trailer, you discover that one eleven o'clock powerhouse of a song was the best bit.

So these days, when possible, I try to research. I go find a many cast albums as have already been released and read up on the shows, so that whatever performance they do I have as much context as someone who hasn't actually watched the show can have. 

And so when, "Maybe Happy Ending" performs "Firefly" because it's the only number that uses all three cast members, I know enough to understand. 

Don't get me wrong. I still adore the Tony's. But I think trying to understand the choices shows are trying to make helps appreciate when a particular performance choice doesn't work as well without context. 

Yeast

I had been avoiding making things with yeast or sourdough. Not entirely. And I have made soda bread. But I had some yeast when some folks starting talking focaccia, and I suddenly thought yes. And I made some. And then I made sandwich bread. And then Oatmeal bread. And then pizza dough. 

It turns out, when you have food sensitivities, making your own pizza dough makes whipping up a pizza or flatbread with only things you can easily eat is pretty fun. Sure it takes longer, but not that much longer. And less headaches and hives later. 

There is something about learning how to make something that feels powerful. Even if I also have a store bought frozen pizza in my freezer too.

I find that knitting doesn't mean I never buy sweaters, but I am pickier about the ones I buy, about the fabric, the drape, the fiber content. Because I know what goes into it. 

Also it turns out being able to customize your bread mixins it pretty fun. I'm still in the early fun phase of this. I may go back to never making pizza dough again. Or bread. But knowing that I could if I wanted to, is also something. And I'll scan ingredients in store bought things with a more discerning eye. 

"Play On" At Signature Theatre

I'm a big fan of Shakespeare's comedies, and of musicals. So offering to combine them, by setting "Twelfth Night" in the 1930's in Harlem's Cotton Club, with Duke Orsino now more a Duke Ellington like figure, all with Duke Ellington songs, and I was sold. 

First, I have to wildly compliment the set designers. They pulled out some of the theater seats, and placed round tables, with lamps, and wooden seats. I ended up seated close enough to the edge of the stage to see individual freckles on the performers faces. It did a lot to set the mood, and I can't imagine the work to make the chairs and lamps match up was small. 

Next the show. 

Aspiring songwriter Vy comes to New York City to meet with her Uncle who she hears knows famous composer Duke.  Upon arrival she is told only men can be songwriters, so Vy says, cool, I'll just be a man then, and she disguises herself as Vy-man.  Duke is bereft and unable to finish a song since songstress Lady Liv left him.  So he beseeches Vy-man to go to Lady Liv and plead his case. Lady Liv is uninterested in Duke, but quite interested in Vy-man.  

Meanwhile Lady Liv's staff manager Rev has been annoying the rest of the staff with his strictures, so they decide to help him re-invent himself to declare his love for Lady Liv and maybe leave them alone.  Or entertain them.  Or both.  

While I had recently reached one  the 1990's movie version, I do not have "Twelfth Night" memorized, so was not able to spot lines lifted. But the characterizations, were all there. One of the things that is true to the original is that the Duke, in his sad sack low period having been refuted by Lady Liv is, well, kind of not very interesting. We mostly only want him for Vy because Vy wants him. His sadness means the bouncier (see what I did there?) songs go to everyone else. 

Some versions of Twelfth Night treat it as a messy love triangle, with a few side interests. This version gave equal standing to all four people, two of them - Duke and Rev - directing their interest at Lady Liv, Vy at the Duke, and Lady Liv at Vy. (Shakespeare loved a love square.) 

It's also worth noting that Vy, rather than being shipwrecked and fearing her family lost, has, in this version, left her family back home for the big city. so she can be a 

Now I've talked a lot about differences. This version was quite amazing. The performers move into the audience, at one point sitting at a table with a few, sing about the mysteries of women. One of the audience members in particular was cackling having them point at her and sing about women making little sense. 

The play ends with four happy couples. The cast is stacked with folks regular DC theatergoers will recognize, including folks from Senior Class, Gun and Powder, In the Heights en Español, Aida, and Jubilee, to name a few. 

Two Notes: In the performance I saw, Sean Walton played the Duke, and Ciara Hargrove played Lady Liv. 

I saw a masks required version of the show, though they did let audience members bring in drinks that had been purchased at the bar.

National Book Festival

This past weekend was the 25th National Book Festival which was fascinating because it feels a little like we've always had one. But I am older than 25. So apparently we have not. 

The romance panel was set for evening, so despite some fabulous looking panels in the morning, I knew I was going to need to pace myself. I arrived closer to lunch time, wandered through the exhibit hall area, where I collected some bookmarks. 

Then I got in line for the panel with Tiffany D. Jackson and Paul Tremblay who were in conversation with Jummy Olabamji. Their recent books were both middle grade debuts for them. Jackson said she had seen some younger kids reader some of her YAs and wanted to write something for them. And Tremblay said he had a story idea for a 12 year old so it just happened that way. Both of them talked about having consumed a lot of TV and movies and thinking a little cinematically. Jackson was also a film major. And they both said reading widely is great if you want to become an author. 

Then I went to see Shannon Chakraborty and Joe Abercrombie in conversation with Regina G. Barber. Chakraborty talked about research and how some of the tenth and eleventh century sources are super gossipy and fun, and how she takes seriously that some people encounter parts of history primarily through fantasy fiction and she wants those parts to represent the breadth of it. Abercrombie said after his first series he had realized he hadn't included many women and he started making sure to change that and found the stories are much more interesting when they have more types of people in them. 

And then I took a little break from panelling and found a pre-line for the romance panel - romance readers often wear romance themed shirts, so you can always tell when you are in the right line. Also, shout out in general to the amazing shirts, dresses, and tote bags, both bookish themed, and DC pride themed. I, full disclosure, wore my What's more punk than a library shirt (hat tip to friends of the Mt. Pleasant Library) and spotted several others in the same shirt and we of course all complimented each other. I saw I read Smut shirts, Free DC shirts, Black romance reader shirts, I could go on. Book people are great. 

And then I went to see Kennedy Ryan and Alexis Daria in conversation with Jenn White. Jenn White mentioned that often when she gets a call to talk to an author it is about something very serious. And that getting the call for this panel was a delight. She described going full armadillo as she read through these two books in two days, just reading. I am, by the way, totally stealing that full armadillo phrase. 

Daria talked about how her first cousins had been her first friends, and that friends who are also family are such an interesting dynamic that she really wanted to explore. And that it was important to her that the love interests for each of these cousins respect and honor those cousin relationships. 

Kennedy Ryan also talked about how finding your besties is just as important as finding your true love. And that coming from a journalism background, she does a lot of research, and even background interviews, before she gets going on her stories. 

It was an absolutely delightful day. Thank you to everyone at the Library of Congress, and all the volunteers, who work almost year round to pull this event off.