Continuing my post from this morning. It's 11 pm
Work was again mostly a couple of test cases and some chatting with team lead, and checking to see if any bugs had been fixed. One had, I'll document it tomorrow.
Earlier I had shifted my savings into my checking at the CU**, and wrote a check for that amount which the ATM ate. It correctly recognized the amount, which impressed me. **had to leave $50 in to keep the account open.
On to
basfa Round Table, had a small (not personal size) garlic meat special, took home two pieces. The buffet was in the process of going away. There was a group in the front meeting room, they did some damage.More work at work. A lot of editing test cases which had not translated well from the previous tracking system, and also needed to have their Chinglish corrected.
Straight to MV, it only took half an hour, the lights were mostly kind to me, as well as the trains and the left turn backups. Waited outside the theater for 15 minutes, then went inside and found Janice.
The show was TheatreWorks sponsored, but not a typical TW show. One-man show where someone named Hershey Felder attempted to impersonate Irving Berlin. I was put off immediately by the stage being done up with Christmas lights, wreath bunting across the front, a big tree at the back of the stage and a snowfall effect behind the three windows at the back of the set. The stage was dressed as a minimalist livingroom, grand piano at the center.
Two good things: It gave a pretty detailed biography. The tech was very well done, with combinations of images and film clips projected onto the back of the set. Some were trimmed to fit a mirror-sized picture frame, some replaced the snowfall, some were sloppily splashed across the whole back of the set. There was a wheelchair similar to one I've seen photos of Berlin use, but Felder started the show talking to it, pretending to be two people, which eventually we figured out was supposed to be 100 year old Irving and young Israel.
Some bad things: Felder tried the accent, but was miles off base. After the play, he announced his next show, and his normal accent was closer to the right one. Irony. His singing style was developed by shoving sixteen voice teachers into a blender, and setting it for "chop". Then what was left was microwaved on high for 3 minutes. He has a beautiful voice, and he was aware Berlin did not, but instead of trying to duplicate Berlin's reedy tone, he was all over the place. He went up on his lines a couple of times. He plays piano with both fists. And he mumbled. Which brings up one more good thing: the sound system was perfect.
I was disappointed that he didn't include any movie clips of Berlin. When it came time to do Oh, How I Hate To Wake Up In The Morning", he would have been better served to show this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71smG5d29to
Felder also botched the charming intro.
I know Berlin gets slammed for his singing, but in my not so humble opinion, I think he's terrific. He's in tempo, he stays in key, he gets all the words right and he looks like someone who might go AWOL at any second.
Felder gave the audience several opportunities to sing, and the audience chimed in enthusiastically. I didn't, I wanted to listen. The woman in front of me had a beautiful soprano. A couple of the men behind me sounded good, but most of all I was surprised how well Janice sang. Clear soprano, not a bit like her speaking voice, which can be annoying. But I guess so can mine.
No intermission, we were out of there by 9:30.
Home, I ordered another batch of treats for Spook. VPNed to work and set up direct deposit to the BofA account. It probably won't make it for the next one on Friday, which is okay, since I already printed my rent check using the CU. As soon as I see that change take place I'll change all my other automatics to there.
Plans for tomorrow:
Work
1-on-1
Watch the rest of XFiles #1
