Sunday, December 03, 2006

We Return to Nutcracker on Saturday night

Alex and I had invited Shih-Huai to dinner after Friday night's Nutcracker. There was a cast party so he had to refuse our invitation. We asked if he'd like to go the next night. He seemed thrilled. Alex decided that he'd simply see the entire show again.

I had gone to me studio after our return from Charleston and wasn't willing to give up that much of my creative time. I had my meeting with Janet Kozachek in my studio at 5:30 PM. We discussed our collaborations, digital images, and exchanged a few more found objects. It had been fun. The Midland Clay Arts Society was just wrapping up their weekend holiday sale in the gallery. I even won a door prize (third year in a row that I won something!) It was a nice vessel again. Thus, I have all handmade pottery for my paint brushes.

Alex walked from home to the studio. He tried to tempt me to go to the theater early. Finally, I gave in--half way. I would come for the second act. He would silently send me a telephone call at the beginning of the Snow Scene. I would not answer it but know this was my signal to come. Alex walked the rest of the way to the Koger Center. I gave him $5 for the cheapest ticket but Jack Sloan, one of the company's board members, gave him a much, much better ticket for free. Alex was elated.

I estimated the time for me to go home to change, got the call, and met Alex in the theater just as intermission was ending. We sat with Willie Moore and Jose Serrano and one of the soloists from City Ballet as well as some of Alex's friends from CMFA. We all clapped for Shih-Huai because he really was the best part of the production. The cast was different. Again, I wished the program had been more informative. The costume was completely different for the girl dancing Arabian. It had to have been someone else but there was only one name. Who was this? She did a good job, whoever she was. The Sugar Plum Fairy was Reka Gyulai, who was quite good too though I preferred Talin Kenar.

Leonid Flegmatov was the Cavalier. It wasn't good. He acted as if he'd forgotten his variation. Much of the time he seemed in preparation for a movement. He started his grand pirouttes after the music and ended them before it completed. His menage was laughable. On a diagonal sequence across the large stage, he performed a series of small inconsequential steps and then did one jete that wasn't even parallel to the floor. It was all very odd. I didn't like his dancing at all. Yet, the second act, overall was even more enjoyable with the second viewing.

Alex and I took Shih-Huai to dinner for steak at Longhorns. We learned that UCLA upset USC and laughed about football, ballet, life in Columbia, etc.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey Sue! I just got caught up with your blog. I didn't even know Steve was going to Birmhingham. My friend (former boss) is there as well. She, of course, is a big Mathias fan. Maybe she even got to go to the Nutcracker. Will ask her when she comes back. She goes to visit her very rich friends...I don't even know if they were going to be in England or somewhere else in the world. We'll see.

I think it is wonderful that you need the whole family. Isn't that what it is all about? What you need, someone gives and the same goes all the way around. Sure, at the moment, it could be frustrating. But on the whole, it is beautiful.

I'm doing okay I guess. Working alot...for who knows what. Thank goodness I have lots of that "Lenz Girl Workoholic" in me. That's really the only thing that keeps me going. I was off yesterday and today and refused to go to work. But I ended up just thinking too much and being pretty depressed all day today. And have a headache. I would like to think it is sinuses. It's probably the chain smoking.

It looks like I'll be getting divorced for Christmas. All the paperwork should be to the lawyer's by Wednesday. He'll then turn it in for the Judge to review. Barring any problems, the Judge just signs a piece of paper and 18 and a half years of my life are over. Just like that. I AM taking the Lenz name back. It will be a long-ish process but, hey, people do it every day when they get married so why not for a divorce. Little known factoid...this will be my 5th name change in my life. Not to many girls can claim that. What an achievement.

Well, it's late and I have to work tomorrow. Yes, the store is closed but I still have to work for 8 hours. I can't possibly work on Sundays when we are open...that would mean "sunday pay". So I go in and spend 8 hours alone. It's not that bad. I get lots of manual labor done. Then I go home and soak in a hot bath because I can hardly move. Funny...I always thought of myself as an office person. I used to wear heals and panty hose and stuff. Now, I have cuts and bruises all over my body and can lift 50 pound boxes all day long. Well...I might move them all day long but I feel it. Boy, do I feel it! Oh well. I know I always have the apartment above Dad's garage if things get too bleak ha ha
Love
Wanda