Tuesday in the Park with Dogs
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010My buddy Mike set me up with a couple of handsome young guys this week. I’m filling in for him as a professional dog-walker this week while he’s out of town on Spring Break. There are worse ways to spend the afternoon than hanging out with Charlie and Oliver. And they’re totally hottie-magnets and they were helping me meet other charming dog walkers on this sunny Spring day.
When I wasn’t trying to flirt with doggie-daddies at the park, I spent much of today listening to the soundtrack for Love Never Dies (the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera) and reading Soulless by Gail Carringer. It feels utterly indulgent to be reading for pleasure when I have, literally, hundreds of pages of case law waiting for my attention, but after all Rob’s praise of Carriger, I couldn’t resist when I saw it in the bookstore window after taking the dogs home. I’m about 80 pages in and I’m enjoying it so far.
As for Love Never Dies, it’s not entirely terrible. Completely unnecessary, poorly plotted, lacking in dramatic tension, and forgetting that the original Phantom was at least part Gothic suspense, the score is nevertheless lovely. Sadly, the most memorable song (“Till I Hear You Sing” — below) comes early in the first act and the build-up to the climactic aria and title tune ends in disappointment. I barely recognize these characters, either. Raoul is unlikeable and unrecognizable, Christine is vapid and one-dimensional, Madame Giry is greedy and indignant, Meg is jealous and jaded. The Phantom is the most audience-accessible character now and his obsession seems less terrifying and more like the faithfulness of a good man. Still, as much as I love to mock Andrew Lloyd Webber (and I do love it), I’ll always have a soft spot for Phantom and this sequel isn’t completely hateful (unlike Starlight Express).
Anyway, I think I’m dropping the “see a show” from my list of goals this week, because I’d rather spend the time reading a book (which is also less expensive).
Andrew Lloyd Webber always gets a pass in my book since he is the one that caused Syesha Mercado’s brillz performance of “One Rock ‘n’ Roll Too Many” to happen! Yay!
Jere Keys Reply:
March 17th, 2010 at 12:07 am
To this day I still have no idea who that is.
josh Reply:
March 17th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Enrico & I have posted this video a million timez already! Watch! SO GOOD!
Awww. Definitely hottie magnets those two cuties.
You might find this interesting. It’s a video that shows a timelapse of making the cover for Blameless by that author. When I saw the woman with the umbrella I thought of it right away. It’s pretty cool anyway, the process of making a cover. Never read the books.
Enjoy your week off.