Best of Broadway

Inclined as I am to whine, seeing posts from friends who have traveled or are traveling to New York and planning their show schedules, I got to thinking about my show history.  I'm a pretty lucky duck to have seen so many, enjoyed so many ... and best of all, still remember them.  So I made a list and probably forgot a lot.

During radio years in Houston we were all fortunate to get free tickets to the Alley Theatre, one of the best in the US.  We went off to see "Steel Magnolias" in one of its very first performances and laughed heartily during the first act, only to be stunned by the serious story that evolved.  I can still remember seeing "Carnival" at the old location of the Alley, on Travis, I think,   Starring in it were Scott Holtzman and Chesley Ann Santoro, both spectacular.

An aside, about forty years later I sat with her mother as she performed at the Unity Theatre in Brenham.  We later enjoyed rehashing early theatre days in Houston.

My mom and I enjoyed theatre and opera performances, rare occasions, at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee when I was growing up.  Seeing Lucia di Lammermoor set me on an opera lover course early,  Highlights have included seeing Placido Domingo in Don Carlo and Beverly Sills in the Merry Widow both at Houston Grand Opera.

As a National Sales Manager for a group of radio stations, a couple of trips per year to make calls on Madison Avenue, Broadway became a special added attraction.  Occasionally Kathy and I would head up on a weekend to tourist about and see a show before she headed back to school and I forced myself to take media buyers out for outrageously expensive lunches in Manhattan.

Two special events during that time would be seeing La Cage aux Folles while much of the original cast was still intact (I cried and cried) and going with our dear friend, Jim Sharp, to see Chorus Line.  We got spoiled early on and every "show" trip since has been a joy.  The oddest would have to be coercing my friends Marilyn and Venessa to dare the big city so that V could see one of those Carter boys in Seussical the Musical.  Kathy Rigby starred as well.  It was fun.

Years later I had the joy of taking both my daughters for a weekend in the city.  Highlights included the Statue of Liberty Boat ride, a subway trip to Yankee Stadium on Old Timers Day and cheesecake at Lindy's.  For Broadway events we just hit a couple of oldies, Phantom of the Opera and Cats.

The next big trip was for granddaughter Katelyn's thirteenth birthday, which happened to be my birthday as well.  She was accompanied by both of her grandmothers, both of her godmothers (one of whom is her Aunt Laura) and her own mother.  We had a blast.  We saw the revival of Oklahoma, and scored fabulous down front seats for Mamma Mia which was still quite new.  Watching all of us dancing to Abba music was a hoot.  We finished off the big event by spending midnight as it became our birthday at the top of the Empire State Building.  Note:  we ate well too, especially in Little Italy.

Now, time and tide and lack of funds means my "Broadway" experiences are at road show performances.  History has taught me not to pay for seats in "big halls" ... Bass on the UT Campus being our worst experience.  Fortunately there are still smaller venues where you can actually see the shows.  We loved Wicked at the theatre at Fair Park in Dallas.  The Cowen Center on the UT-Tyler campus offers a threesome of musicals each year.  Prices are reasonable and it is not cavernous.  Kathy and I have enjoyed; West Side Story, Dreamgirls, Spamalot and, recently, Mamma Mia.

I'm holding out to see something at the Majestic in San Antonio as that branch of the family attends fairly often and with sterling reviews.

There's no business like show business.

Cancer

I hate it, every kind; breast, colon, multiple myeloma, cervical, and the unusual ones you never heard of until someone you cared about was diagnosed with it.

My maternal grandparents died of "stomach cancer" in the 1940's.  Research has continued since then and, frankly, without a lot of success.  

Every year, sometimes every month, and especially this year, I hear of another friend, colleague or loved one who is "battling" cancer.  One must battle to get a proper diagnosis, and battle to find the "right" doctors, hospitals, treatments and prognoses.

There are rare and occasional steps forward in all that research.  As of often as not the really big steps come from outside the "cancer community" and often from outside of medicine altogether.

Today millions of people in the US participated in a "fun" run to aid cancer research, they bought t-shirts with their organization's name, probably new running shoes and paid for the participation.

None of them asked where the money they give, the free advertising they provide to the cause, the results of any research, actually go.

Sadly, and I guess it matters little to most, about twenty cents of every dollar collected goes to cancer research, actually breast cancer research.  That twenty cents is funneled into big pharmaceutical companies "research" that is not famous for any major breakthroughs.  If you look into effective and efficient non-profit organizations, who must all report their expenditures to remain "tax free" you will find few who pay more in salaries to the people at the top.  The top two at the Komen foundation each receives over $500,000.00 per year.  One of those two is actually the namesake's sister.

I am sure she loved her sister very much and found breast cancer to be a horrible horrible disease. 

Cancer is a horrible disease.  I have attended two cancer-related memorial services within the past two weeks.  It is horrible.

But is that a great use of a million dollars a year to fight a horrible disease?  Apparently a lot of people think so.  There is enormous participation by medical establishments, pharmaceutical companies and other interested parties.

I'm just saying, couldn't all that money be better directed to actually wiping out some kind of cancer.  

Or do too many people benefit by it continuing to murder our family and friends?