tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80743500697803287532024-03-05T19:08:42.660-08:00The Mad SopranoThe Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.comBlogger320125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-44122115053195649632023-03-14T18:11:00.005-07:002023-03-14T18:11:57.507-07:00Something for Worship Leaders <p> <span style="font-family: helvetica;">Considering how often the choruses and bridges of Christian Contemporary Worship music get repeated, I suggest that worship leaders have a Rosary to count those repetitions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I'm only half-joking here. How can we Evangelicals criticize the Rosary for being repetitive when we do the same thing with our praise choruses?</span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-91065573551784348362022-11-18T17:40:00.002-08:002022-11-18T17:40:13.325-08:00The BRADLEY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="354" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TZ51R7NoIIY" width="481" youtube-src-id="TZ51R7NoIIY"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A sad song, yes, but one of my personal favorites to play around this time of year. And Lee Murdock has become one of my favorite singers.</span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-88839259391176571372022-10-28T19:55:00.001-07:002022-10-28T19:55:08.291-07:00A Bit of Advice for Casual Conversations<p> <span style="font-family: helvetica;">Never pick an argument with someone you barely know, especially when your intuition is telling you they won't like the thing you enjoy. This can only result in you feeling like an idiot and being tempted to try and win the argument even after it's over. I made that mistake yesterday evening, and am not all that pleased with myself.</span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-63815205373594946442022-06-28T17:56:00.004-07:002022-06-28T17:56:58.870-07:00When You Drop a Logic Bomb on Yourself<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Earlier this month I was in the waiting room at the music school waiting for my turn with the accompanist. One of the other singers was a mezzo-soprano who singing <i>None But the Lonely Heart</i> in Russian. I instantly knew that she had to be a fan of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and this was confirmed the following Sunday after the recital.</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">How did I mage to come to this conclusion? Well, as far as I know there is only one such recording of <i>None But the Lonely Heart </i>in Russian*, at least this side of the Bering Strait. Said recording is done by Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Since that is AFAIK the only recording of the song in Russian, anyone who sings the song in Russian must have knowledge of Russian opera, and as such would also know about Russian opera singers, including Dima. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Its rare that I make such successful guesses, but one must savor them when they happen.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*The sheet music I got was in German with English translation, I had to write in the Russian lyrics myself.</span></div>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-78210094723706309742022-06-28T17:31:00.000-07:002022-06-28T17:31:00.108-07:00THE CHOSEN<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Who'd have thunk anyone would come up a dramatization of the life of Jesus that was actually great? </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I ranted before about the movie <i><a href=" Friday, March 21, 2014">Son of God</a>, </i>which at the time I gave it a five out of ten; in retrospect I probably should have given it a <i>one</i> out of ten. But I'm not here to rant about a nigh-unholy half-baked piece of junk that insults our LORD by making Him so chill there's no anger in Him at all. No, I'm here to talk about the magnificence that is <i>The Chosen</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The show centers around the life of Jesus, however, instead of a straight-up Gospel retelling, the makers of <i>The Chosen </i>opted for a seven-season TV-show told mainly from the point of view of the disciples. There is plenty of speculation to be sure, but it's done in such a way as to develop the characters of the disciples. Some bits have been telescoped and some original characters were added. The story is supremely realistic, showing how Jesus was seen through people's eyes at that time. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>What can I say? This show is superb. I can't really find anything seriously wrong with it. </span>Really, my only quibble with the show is that it skipped over the forty days in the desert where Jesus was tempted by the devil, and there being a few anachronistic jokes thrown in. But the writing and characterization is top-notch. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> </span><span> For example, Matthew is portrayed as autistic. Whether this is true or not we don't know, but Matthew had been a tax-collector before Jesus called him. Tax-collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans and were infamous for charging more than was necessary and skimming off the top, and thus considered the lowest of the lowlife despite being rich. Rather than risk Matthew being an unlikable jerk, the writers made him autistic and very good with numbers. He has a tough time understanding other people's feelings and struggles to get along with people. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Outside of <i>The Miracle Maker</i>, this has to be the best portrayal of Jesus I've ever seen. Not very many films based on His life are able to capture His humanity along with His divinity in a way that makes Him relatable. Then again, this <i>is </i>a series so there more time to explore the characters. <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> </span><span> Highly reccomended. </span><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> </span><span> </span><br /></span></div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> </span><br /></span></div>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-40097911556258493822021-11-08T08:36:00.000-08:002021-11-08T08:36:02.281-08:00LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR at Madison Opera 2021<p> <span style="font-family: helvetica;">I stopped doing full reviews of operas as I found them quite exhausting. But, I've let this blog lie fallow for months, and I felt like I did have a few things to say about the performance yesterday afternoon at Madison Opera. I won't do a big review, though, just point out a few things I liked or disliked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Lucia di Lammermoor </i>hs long been a favorite of mine. The story is based off Sir Walter Scott's gothic romance <i>The Bride of the Lammermoor, </i>which was in turn based on a real-like incident from the Seventeenth Century: Janet, daughter of James Dalrymple, Viscount of Stair, was bullied by her overbearing mother into breaking off her engagement to Lord Rutherford and marrying Lord Dunbar. Disaster struck on the wedding night, and while no one's quite sure what happened, the most well-known theory is that Janet stabbed her husband and died insane two weeks later.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> </span>This was my second time seeing it live. Unlike the one in 2008, only one guy was wearing a kilt (Normanno), and the setting was updated to the 1880s. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> I </span>had not seen Ms. Jeni Hauser in fifteen years. Last time I saw her was Spring of 2007 when she was student teacher for my Sophomore Year choir class at Sun Prairie High School. I'd heard her over the radio in a recorded performance as the doll in <i>Le Contes d'Hoffmann</i> back in 2017, but it's not the same thing. So it was lovely seeing her again, if only from the nosebleed section. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Mad Scene is the big reason I love this opera, and Ms. Hauser did not disappoint. She came into the room in a bloody nightgown and a knife in her hand (which the understandably freaked-out Normanno had to wrench out of her grip). The director must have been reading or watching <i>Hamlet</i> recently because Lucia did an Ophelia in and started playing with flowers and throwing them around. Ms. Hauser made the singing seem effortless; I still have a beast of a time trying to work the coloratura in some of the pieces I work on. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's not everyday you hear someone praise a single member of the chorus, but I would like to give a shout-out to my voice instructor, Katie Anderson. Granted, I couldn't tell which one she was until Act 3 (I think she wore a purple dress in Act 2, but I can't swear to it), but it was fun seeing her antics in that Act 3 chorus.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If there is one quibble I have, it's that Normanno started off kind of weak at the very beginning. I could barely hear his high note in the opening chorus. He got better after that, but it was still annoying. I'm used to hearing Normanno loud and clear when he and some guards are searching the premises for Edgardo. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thankfully, my boyfriend wasn't shaken by this one as he was by <i>Carmen </i>and <i>Rusalka</i>. </span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-37582183456391685862021-10-31T09:58:00.002-07:002021-10-31T10:01:06.618-07:00Song to the Moon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="341" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JwTx4sItYg8" width="472" youtube-src-id="JwTx4sItYg8"></iframe></div><br /> <span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another Halloween performance video (done on the 26th but schedules happen). Am strongly considering doing more performance videos even outside Halloween. Also, have been trying to figure out how to give the opera <i>Rusalka</i> a happy ending without going the Disney route. (I'd seen it before, so I knew what would happen, but it upset my boyfriend, hence why we're trying to rewrite the ending.)<br /><br /></span><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-family: helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Translation:
Moon, high up in the sky,
Your light sees afar.
You travel over the world
Seeing into people's homes.
Oh moon, stay a while,
Tell me where my love is.
Tell him, oh moon, that my arms embrace him,
That he, at least for a moment, should see
Me in his dreams.
Shine your beams on him,
Let him know I wait for him.
If this Human soul dreams of me,
Let the vision awaken.
Oh moon, do not fade.</span><p></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-27954341382539042021-07-10T18:59:00.009-07:002021-07-10T19:04:58.441-07:00Busted!<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Night guard Lance Lewis </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">paced slowly</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> through the halls of the museum, shining his flashlight in the darkness. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyone who </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">asked him what he thought of his job, he’d say it was dull but paid well. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he only real excitement he’d seen during his time as a night guard</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> meant</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> either spotting exposed wires or pieces that needed serious repair. Tonight, however, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">would</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> be different.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The museum’s crowning attraction was the world’s largest confirmed emerald</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It was a three by five </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">inch</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> rectangle, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kept in the Hall of Gems in the geology wing of the museum</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> inside a glass display case </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in the center of the room</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. T</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he emerald</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rest</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ed</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">up</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on a white velvet cushion on top of a marble pedestal. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Valued at nearly four million</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, it was</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> bound to</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> attract unwanted attention. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At around 1:30 am, Lance thought he heard the sound of breaking glass as he entered the geology wing. He quickened his step a little</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, shining his light ahead</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as he passed by prehistoric skeletons and various dioramas. He heard a voice muttering as he</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> neared </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the Hall of Gems. A soft thud, and then a yelp </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">betrayed the presence of an intruder</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Lance rushed inside the exhibit, his flashlight revealing everything that had transpired.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Broken glass from the center case was scattered across the floor</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, the vacant cushion lay askew on the pedestal. A man of roughly thirty-six </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hopped</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> up and down grabbing his foot, the emerald on the carpeted floor in front of him. He froze when he saw Lance.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After talking to the police, showing them the crime scene, and seeing the thief arrested, Lance surveyed the damage from behind the yellow tape barrier. He’d have to report this to the administration and the curator, and the case would cost a lot of money to replace. The emerald itself was surprisingly unharmed, for a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">notoriously </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">brittle </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">gem</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Lance sighed in relief, at least it was safe. It would be a nightmare to replace it if it had broken</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, let alone the bad press</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-1730763735956113712021-07-08T04:41:00.008-07:002021-07-10T19:33:06.517-07:00Mordecai on His Parade<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: helvetica;">Well, that was interesting. I’d been in mourning clothes since that decree went out, and what happens to me? The king’s eunuchs dress me in royal robes and put a crown on my head. Then the same man who ordered our destruction, puts me on the king’s horse and parades me through the entire city shouting, “Thus shall it be done for the man in whom the king delights!”. This is both a great honor and utterly confusing. Though it was satisfying seeing the enemy so nonplussed. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: helvetica;">Ah well, it’s back to business then. Hopefully some good news will come my way. </span></span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-84735695342933396322021-03-23T18:13:00.001-07:002021-03-23T18:13:40.433-07:00Palace Gossip<p> <span style="font-family: helvetica; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I ran into Tobias, the kitchen boy, earlier this evening. He looked nervous.”</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bb60bac1-7fff-d63d-f1a7-6d6f0417fa05"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Tobias is always nervous, Nathaniel. His first day, he shook so hard he nearly dropped the roast pheasant.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Well, then he’s more nervous than usual. It’s his turn to take food up to the king.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh, I see.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Joash, I don’t know what’s come over the king, but…”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He disobeyed God during the Amalekite campaign, you know that.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Well, yes, but still, this is getting out of hand. Tobias said that last night, one of the other kitchen boys—I think his name’s Caleb—let slip some remark about David and got a facefull of lamb stew.” </span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Is he alright?”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I think so, though Tobias said the guy won’t come out of his quarters. There may be two holed up in there by tomorrow.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I don’t blame him. Normally I’d say he’s just shirking, but with the king going mad lately, I’m inclined to be generous.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Rebekah said two more servants quit yesterday.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“That makes, what, five this week?” </span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Six, if you count that one missing guard.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He’s dead, remember? He got drunk and fell from a window.” </span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh, right.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Joash, Nathaniel, are you in?”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes, Reuben. What is it?”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Do you have the totals for this storeroom?”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“They’re right here.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Thank you, Joash. Hey, uh, did either of you see Leah, the washerwoman?”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No, why?”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I heard the king tried to strangle her.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Who told you that?”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Abigail, one of the serving maids.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I wouldn’t trust her if I were you. I know the king’s off his head, but Abigail’s known to twist words around.”</span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So, she lied about Tobias getting a black eye?”</span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-29057571292799565012021-03-20T05:09:00.003-07:002021-03-20T05:09:35.640-07:00Haiku Inspired By Recent Muppet Binge<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTZ2DnF2R30teU6LqdwBV-nT922Qt_v1foneCz-7SnCqnNb280g8iy3GH6kgRT9B5_vs6h43UPyq1iHVjHn65vjTY6K7tj7Nb3RGus8E6xmYl-XcnaxVn51YCbzMeNizycFmrT8t-fOyU/s566/R72a84d963067a3db322c5467b1045300.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="566" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTZ2DnF2R30teU6LqdwBV-nT922Qt_v1foneCz-7SnCqnNb280g8iy3GH6kgRT9B5_vs6h43UPyq1iHVjHn65vjTY6K7tj7Nb3RGus8E6xmYl-XcnaxVn51YCbzMeNizycFmrT8t-fOyU/w491-h368/R72a84d963067a3db322c5467b1045300.jpeg" width="491" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Drink Wilkins Coffee.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Except I don't drink Wilkins!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So then, you chose death!</span></div>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-28463676797304342742021-02-16T09:22:00.006-08:002021-02-16T09:24:18.165-08:00Sennacherib Survivor<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We were unstoppable, we’d beaten the other nations like it was nothing. Oh, how we’d taunt them and their gods. That was our best weapon, making them feel like their gods had abandoned them. And we proved it too, we left nothing behind that wasn’t nailed down.</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e20b2ea-7fff-393b-c6d1-f48104d67dfe"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But then we got to Jerusalem. As usual King Sennacherib sent his best officers to taunt the Israelites and their God. It was a good taunt too, and it was effective before, so surely it would work now, right? You’d think. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Apparently someone didn’t tell us that we were dealing with a very different God. He did not take too kindly to all the insults we threw at Him. I still don’t know what the @#$% happened, but I woke up the next morning to find my whole squad dead, along with at least several thousand other guys who just sort of died for no good reason. There was no c<span>hoice but to bust out of there with what remained of our army. </span></span></span></p><br /></span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-14646726586542977042021-01-31T18:04:00.004-08:002021-01-31T18:04:38.718-08:00The Frog<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There once was an angry young frog,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Whose rival had taken his log.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So he took a large stick</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">That was five inches thick,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And whacked his foe into the bog.</span></div>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-46272433478891783402021-01-16T03:47:00.009-08:002023-02-04T03:10:15.859-08:00Drunken Dieties<p><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">A little something inspired by the story of the Ten Plagues.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">UPDATE: Edited on 4/18.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Scene: A bar. The Barkeep, an old man, stands behind the bar center left, the Bouncer stands stage right at the entrance. Several strange patrons sit at the tables. Ra, the Egyptian sun god, sits sullenly at the bar, his burnt-out sun and cobra hat half-off his head.)</span></span></span></p><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3b5aae30-7fff-656a-b54d-36bbfdd047d3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: BARKEEP! ANOTHER ROUND!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Mr. Ra, that’s your eighth one tonight!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Just give me another one! And where is Horus?</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Barkeep pours a drink, Ra takes a sip and begins to yell.)</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Don’t ask me where Horus is, sir. I don’t know.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: I wasn’t asking you.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Either way, I don’t know.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Sekhmet, lion-headed goddess of destruction, walks in trying to look inconspicuous)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Lion Face, where’s Horus?</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Sekhmet ignores him and sits down at the far end, much to Ra’s annoyance, who takes a sip from his drink.)</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">SEKHMET: Barkeep, Scotch-on-the-Rocks, will you?</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Yes, ma’am.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Barkeep gives Sekhmet the drink, she takes a sip.)</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Lion Face, have you seen Horus?</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">SEKHMET: Screw off!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RA: You </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">dare </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">speak to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">me </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">like that?</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Mr. Ra, don’t bother.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Why not?</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: It’s not worth it.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Lion Face, I said, where is Horus? He’s not at his post.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">SEKHMET: Don’t call me Lion Face, Beaky Boy!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: What!?!?</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Ra’s sun disk hat falls off his head and crashes to the ground. The cobra freaks out and makes a fast exit. Barkeep is startled.)</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Somebody kill that thing! Quick!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BOUNCER: Yes sir!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: No! What are you doing? That snake is my protector!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Bouncer crushes the cobra under his boot.)</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BOUNCER: Some protector! Slithering off like the snake he is.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: You moron!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Mr. Ra, that’s enough.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Ra sits down and takes another swig of whiskey.)</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Lion Face, why won’t you tell me where Horus is? I need to talk to him, he’s not at his post.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">SEKHMET: I’ve been helping Imhotep treat Set’s injuries for months already, stupid hail.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Where is Horus? I need to know.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">SEKHMET: Go find him yourself!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RA: Don’t </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ever</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> speak to me like that!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SEKHMET: Don’t </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">you</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> call me Lion Face.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Ra gets up from his seat and walks over to Sekhmet.)</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: Listen, if you tell me where Horus is, I’ll let you off the hook for being out of control all year.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Sekhmet downs another swig of her drink.) </span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">SEKHMET: Alright, fine. He’s filling in for Osiris.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: He’s WHAAAAAT!?!?!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SEKHMET: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’d </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get a migraine too if you had to judge so many firstborn souls. Isis is spending all her time taking care of him. Anubis has his hands full dealing with natron shortages and embalmer strikes, and most of the other gods are tied up with their own problems at present. Hell, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nut </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">had to fill in for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hapi </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">yesterday because Hapi was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">still </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a bloody mess!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: OH, THOSE INCOMPETENT DOGS! WHAT THE HELL IS THE PANTHEON COMING TO?!!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">SEKHMET: Oh, and Ammut stopped eating.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: AAAAAUUGHH! YOU LAZY BUNCH OF….!!!!!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BARKEEP: Bouncer, get Mr. Ra out of here, please!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BOUNCER: Right!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Marches up to Ra and grabs him by the arm)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Come on, you! Let’s go!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">RA: What?! What are you doing? You can’t do this to me! I’m the king of the gods!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">BOUNCER: “King of the gods.” Yeah, right! Tell that to Him! Now get outta here!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica;">(Ra is dragged to the door where he is ejected by the swift application of a hard boot to the rear.)</span></span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-34281459814237892982020-10-31T20:41:00.003-07:002020-10-31T20:41:39.983-07:00Der Holle Rache<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rARIGGwtQ1g" width="320" youtube-src-id="rARIGGwtQ1g"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, after nearly a decade of being online, here at last is a performance by Yours Truly. This video was taken by my boyfriend yesterday at his Halloween party. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Translation:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Hell's vengeance boils within my heart.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Death and despair flame around me.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> If through you, Sarastro does not feel the pain of death</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> You shall be my daughter no more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Disowned be forever,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Forsaken be forever,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Destroyed be forever,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> By all bonds of Nature,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> If through you Sarastro does not become pale.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Hear, gods of revenge! Hear a mother's oath!</span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-73709555285150231852020-10-31T04:09:00.007-07:002020-10-31T04:12:10.821-07:00Ba'al<h2 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">He’d heard them calling on him all day. He’d heard them lashing themselves and leaping on the stones of the altar. The sacrifice was attracting daring flies, and the people were getting bored.</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-72f3e659-7fff-0b61-ce3a-b647a4a9ecc6"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></span></h2><h2 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He turned over in bed. If that...woman had been more efficient, there wouldn’t be this problem. But she couldn’t get one measly prophet. The same prophet who’d called down a drought for three years. And was now taunting the priests for their inability to call down fire from Heaven.</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-72f3e659-7fff-0b61-ce3a-b647a4a9ecc6"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></h2><h2 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Let them yell all they want,” he said to himself, “I’ve had it with that bunch.” </span><span id="docs-internal-guid-72f3e659-7fff-0b61-ce3a-b647a4a9ecc6"><br /></span></span><br /></span></h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-72f3e659-7fff-0b61-ce3a-b647a4a9ecc6"><br /></span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-53959775769558238482020-08-24T12:19:00.002-07:002021-07-10T19:47:34.911-07:00TURANDOT Online Encore<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMcBg8SI2dzUhJMR9A1YOw_IMJLbeyekri667eiL1zg8QScWJSv6cTpHwPwycoXXmSzgejvgv3tBaTMGRgpCvY3dVPMtiEbTJuGWPd70f4clyCFzc4T6rohZHYTQ7TuCbtg_flcRvlJ51/s1600/1600x685_turandot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMcBg8SI2dzUhJMR9A1YOw_IMJLbeyekri667eiL1zg8QScWJSv6cTpHwPwycoXXmSzgejvgv3tBaTMGRgpCvY3dVPMtiEbTJuGWPd70f4clyCFzc4T6rohZHYTQ7TuCbtg_flcRvlJ51/s640/1600x685_turandot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This was the encore me and my boyfriend tried to go see back in 2016, but we couldn't make it. So we watched it on the night of Thursday the 13th.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Turandot </i>centers around a Chinese princess who will only marry the man who answers her three riddles; if he can't, he'll lose his noggin. An unkown prince, Calaf by name, comes along and solves the riddles and thus wins the right to marry Turandot, but she is still resistant. Well, then the prince gives <i>her </i>a riddle: see if she can guess his name before dawn. The whole populace is kept awake on pain of death, but the loyal slave girl Liu sacrifices herself to bring about Turandot's redemption.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This opera is one of my favorites, and it's not hard to see why. The music is some of Puccini's best and it has some of the best moments in opera ever. The ending feels a bit rushed, but that was due to Puccini dying before he finished the opera. Nonetheless, it has remained a mainstay of the operatic repertoire; the famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9S2cSeLtD8">Riddle Scene</a> and Calaf's aria "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZQvgXuu3eU">Nessun Dorma</a>" being the most popular moments in the whole opera. I myself have sung the slave girl Liu's final aria "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCIZ5-nwKMQ">Tu Che di Gel Sei Cinta</a>" in recital back in 2015 (too bad I didn't get a decent enough video). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And this production is awesome. Franco Zefarelli wanted a Chinese opera style for the production, and it works. The dancers, supernumeraries, the makeup for Turandot, it's all super awesome. My only beef is why is the Emperor not the one wearing the veil of stars while his attendants do? Small quibble of course, but still.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I think the Met will have a hard time finding a replacement production. This one is so iconic for the company that a new production will need to be especially notable.</span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-13269664925799990842020-08-08T04:24:00.004-07:002020-08-08T04:24:47.442-07:00Trying To Write<p> <span style="font-family: helvetica;">Well, I've gone and let this blog lie fallow for two months. This is not good. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've hit quite a snag as if I write about one opera, it feels repetitive to write about another production of it. It does not help that the Chinese Communist Flu has made going to the opera more difficult. The nightly streams got boring after a while. But I am still upset with myself for forgoing a favorite opera in favor of a favorite singer. So, I will watch <i>Turandot</i> on Thursday the 13th.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Me and my boyfriend are currently working on a novel called <i>The Heart of a Monster.</i> It is a retelling of <i>Beauty and the Beast. </i>One thing we are trying is a Character Board, one where we make a visual guide as to the character's development and quirks. It is proving much more helpful than I ever thought possible. For example, if I put a picture of a garden next to the picture of Bella, then it helps me visualize her love of gardening. It is also an image of fertility.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We are also writing with my brother's help a skit series called <i>The Apartment</i>. These are short skits about roommates Randy and Paolo, and Randy's girlfriend Louise, and how they handle the crazy issues that come their way (losing jobs, crazy relatives, etc.). It's supposed to be something we can do even on a budget. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We'll see how these turn out.</span></p>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-20457889850442587502020-06-18T19:06:00.001-07:002020-06-18T19:07:19.533-07:00Song For An Old Fangirl Obsession <div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me ride with you, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZH4r3STcnM">Number 4</a>, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">on the Express!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take me away on the rails of dreams,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Far away from my fears and my distress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You're so sleek and strong, Number 4, more than the rest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who can they say would compare with you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You're the one whom I say is truly best.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Such a fast machine, Number 4, and such delight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blue, handsome, bold, from my childhood days,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come for me, let me ride, in dreams tonight. </span></div>
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The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-1993286675027118452020-04-27T03:43:00.001-07:002020-04-27T03:44:16.309-07:00I Dreamed Of Dima<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I dreamed you still lived</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I knew you as a friend,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That I embraced you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I still knew then</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That you had died three years back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How strange dreams can be. </span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-607670025951682962020-03-27T19:57:00.000-07:002020-03-27T19:57:31.321-07:00Writing Music<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's harder than I thought it would be. I'm having to go back and redo the entire thing. But so far it's also very satisfying to do.</span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-134904779862316362020-03-26T17:24:00.000-07:002020-03-26T17:24:00.492-07:00Trying Compostion for the First Time<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will now attempt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To write my very own songs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's see how this works.</span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-53349964108401339842020-03-25T19:31:00.002-07:002020-03-25T19:32:42.403-07:00Bronies Playing Prance<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bronies play at Prance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good Gravy! Mister Scorcher </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Has quite a fast hand!</span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-58778033710046329322020-03-25T07:01:00.001-07:002020-03-25T07:02:56.271-07:00MEGALODON<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtj6fB0NIugz3v6-O-vDW3sxXJrSYi7tjnVHuGWkWiNMNYoFDz75kCN_7oFsttAqNXYsFS-fsSHNCzQXewbH9jVMPriGCXgWBQSBrq8Hr1H8FlPB13WYG-aSHnH0rUkZlb9WbUiW6ivvzq/s1600/63c8d54e246366af77d1e86620ccf2bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1263" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtj6fB0NIugz3v6-O-vDW3sxXJrSYi7tjnVHuGWkWiNMNYoFDz75kCN_7oFsttAqNXYsFS-fsSHNCzQXewbH9jVMPriGCXgWBQSBrq8Hr1H8FlPB13WYG-aSHnH0rUkZlb9WbUiW6ivvzq/s400/63c8d54e246366af77d1e86620ccf2bb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His name is Big Tooth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He was bigger than a bus.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His senses were keen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His jaws were mighty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His sharp teeth were enormous.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Big whales were his prey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No creature was safe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From this powerful monster.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He ruled the old seas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But now he is gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And teeth are all that remain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of this mighty fish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The photo is a still from the BBC's <i>Chased By Sea Monsters</i> trilogy.</span><br />
<br />The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074350069780328753.post-88242994697404713572020-03-23T20:07:00.001-07:002020-03-23T20:07:59.396-07:00Remarks On The Lockdown<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Public places closed,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And boredom is setting in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How long will it last? </span>The Mad Sopranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310574598406502941noreply@blogger.com0