autographedcat

I don't normally bother to watch the Oscars, but with a good chance to see Lord of the Rings actually win in important categories, I figured it'd be worth while. kitanzi and I snuggled up on the daybed so we could pass the time constructively during the boring bits and the commercials (TiVo has really spoiled us with regards to commercials.

Billy Crystal was very amusing as host, and I enjoyed the song and dance number at the beginning. kitanzi was particularly amused at the Lord of the Rings/My Favourite Things parody (anyone have a sound recording or transcript of the opening number? I'd love to transcribe bits of it for my filkbook). We had fun critiquing the various outfits and otherwise kibbitzing over the entire affair.

The best song presentations were all well done, and I really enjoyed seeing "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" performed in character, which is somewhat unusual, but it was an unusual movie. :)

Of course, the story of the evening was Lord of the Rings and it's unprecedented sweep of all eleven categories it was nominated in. I've been amused by the reaction afterwards, with plaintive cries of "Well, did it *really* deserve to win all those awards"...and fully half of those cries coming from the same people who were furious at Fellowship and Two Towers being passed over for any important awards the last couple of years. For those of you who don't follow the Academy Awards on a regular basis: they're always capricious and arbitrary. Don't spend too much time on this, it's not worth the energy. :)

All in all, it was a fun way to spend a Sunday evening.

Jerome Lawrence, co-author of such wonderful plays as "The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail" and "Inherit the Wind", has died

In 1986, I got to meet Jerome Lawrence, while attending the International Thespian Society festival in Muncie, Indiana. He gave a wonderful speech about being an amateur theatre person, concluding with "Never forget that amateur means 'lover'. So even if you decide to make a career out of theatre, never give up your status as an 'amateur' -- never give up the love that brought you here."

Got to shake his hand afterwards, and exchanged a few words. Very pleasent guy, and one of my happier memories of that week.

The year following that, I had a bit part in Martin Community Players' production of "Inherit the Wind", playing the Mayor. (I had secretly wanted the Hornbeck role, since I was already at that time a big H.R. Mencken fan, but I had a lot of fun with it anyway.)

If you've never read "Inherit the Wind", do. Or, get the wonderful 1960 movie, starring Spencer Tracy, Gene Kelly, and Fredric March. You won't regret it.