Random Thoughts Roundup: July 11th, 2019
Jul. 11th, 2019 08:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
between_time_and_421. I've been listening, as I sometimes do, to the original cast recording of the off-Broadway musical God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. As I might have mentioned before, this musical is notable for being the first collaboration between composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman, who later went on to write my favorite musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and then a couple of soundtracks for Disney movies- The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. (Honestly, when one thinks about it, this songwriting partnership didn't last for as long as other famous partnerships in the industry have- R.I.P. Mr. Ashman- but the works it produced are legendary. The Menken/Ashman partnership is honestly one of the major factors that makes me excited for the upcoming live-action Little Mermaid remake (besides the fact that it's pissing off racists, which pretty much always seals the deal for me- I highly recommend seeing films out of spite). I want to see those songs performed on a big screen. Not to mention, I heard Lin-Manuel Miranda will be working with Alan Menken to write new songs, which thrills me to the core, Lin-Manuel Miranda is one of those celebrities I inexplicably trust, despite knowing little about him. Also, as a child I was obsessed with mermaids, and I always wished that there was a live action movie with multiple mermaids in it that took place mainly in the ocean. It's like my childhood dream is coming true. BUT... I've certainly digressed!)
The other thing that makes God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater notable is that it was based on a book by Kurt Vonnegut, who I've admired for a long time. He used to be my favorite author, in fact. I read the book last year and honestly didn't care for it, though I loved the moral and the conclusions to be drawn from it. But listening to the beautiful, catchy music throughout the music soundtrack has made me fall absolutely in love with the story (and with the character Eliot Rosewater). I swear I'll travel miles just to see it if it ever gets revived. Such an underrated gem.
2. I've also been reading Kurt Vonnegut- I just started a re-read of one of my other least favorites of his books, Breakfast of Champions. Already it's speaking to me a little more now than it did in high school. However, I'm not as big a Vonnegut fan as I was, mainly because there's a vaguely misogynistic streak in his writing that rubs me the wrong way, and also because I keep getting the impression that he was a man of all thought and no action. However, the strength of his thoughts, and the humorous yet poignant way in which he presents them, is what appeals to me most about his writing. Also, the drawings in Breakfast of Champions have me cracking up completely.
3. I saw an announcement for an official Barbie doll made to look like David Bowie (as Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane), and I suddenly became a kid again in my head, with a strong desire to play with it. I was highly offended to read that it was for "adult collectors..." Lol. Honestly, if Mattel released an entire line of rock star Barbies, I would love to buy them all, and then recreate Live Aid with them. That video would surely go viral. Although, what I'd love more than a line of rock stars, is a line of concept album characters. Ziggy Stardust, Floyd Pinkerton, Tommy, Rael... Make it happen, Mattel. I'll be your only customer, but I'll pay well...
4. Speaking of toys, my family recently sold a few old spacemen toys on Ebay, and I just wished I could keep them to play with/display. Look at this good boi: http://www.16bit.com/fotd/110915-astro-nautilus-outer-space-men-alpha-sdcc.asp They are definitely A Friend.
5. On a more personal note... I'm spending a week dog-sitting another good boi, then it's off to Hershey Park for three days.... very excited!
The other thing that makes God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater notable is that it was based on a book by Kurt Vonnegut, who I've admired for a long time. He used to be my favorite author, in fact. I read the book last year and honestly didn't care for it, though I loved the moral and the conclusions to be drawn from it. But listening to the beautiful, catchy music throughout the music soundtrack has made me fall absolutely in love with the story (and with the character Eliot Rosewater). I swear I'll travel miles just to see it if it ever gets revived. Such an underrated gem.
2. I've also been reading Kurt Vonnegut- I just started a re-read of one of my other least favorites of his books, Breakfast of Champions. Already it's speaking to me a little more now than it did in high school. However, I'm not as big a Vonnegut fan as I was, mainly because there's a vaguely misogynistic streak in his writing that rubs me the wrong way, and also because I keep getting the impression that he was a man of all thought and no action. However, the strength of his thoughts, and the humorous yet poignant way in which he presents them, is what appeals to me most about his writing. Also, the drawings in Breakfast of Champions have me cracking up completely.
3. I saw an announcement for an official Barbie doll made to look like David Bowie (as Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane), and I suddenly became a kid again in my head, with a strong desire to play with it. I was highly offended to read that it was for "adult collectors..." Lol. Honestly, if Mattel released an entire line of rock star Barbies, I would love to buy them all, and then recreate Live Aid with them. That video would surely go viral. Although, what I'd love more than a line of rock stars, is a line of concept album characters. Ziggy Stardust, Floyd Pinkerton, Tommy, Rael... Make it happen, Mattel. I'll be your only customer, but I'll pay well...
4. Speaking of toys, my family recently sold a few old spacemen toys on Ebay, and I just wished I could keep them to play with/display. Look at this good boi: http://www.16bit.com/fotd/110915-astro-nautilus-outer-space-men-alpha-sdcc.asp They are definitely A Friend.
5. On a more personal note... I'm spending a week dog-sitting another good boi, then it's off to Hershey Park for three days.... very excited!
