Thursday, June 30, 2005
Meet ensemble member Dee Baily, no 'e' please!
Being someone whose name is bastardized often...Eliza, Alicia, Alyssa, I could go on...I can appreciate that poor Dee Baily goes through life wearily explaining, "no, there is no 'e' in Baily."
But that's not really the important part of Dee's Brigadoon story. The important thing is that Brigadoon was the first musical that Dee ever saw live and on stage.
"Being in this production is nostalgic for me, because Brigadoon was the first LIVE Broadway musical I ever saw. I'd seen plenty of movie musicals:they were still making those when I grew up (I was amused at the younger set's reaction to the movie musical Chicago, as if movie musicals were a whole new thing!). I'd also seen live opera and ballet, but for some reason, we did not get or go to as many live musicals (I grew up in Detroit).
So when a local community group performed Brigadoon en plein aire (outdoors) at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, when I was home during the summer from college, I went. I was absolutely entranced by it! It was quite a good
production by community theatre standards. I especially loved 'Come to me, bend to me,' and all the dancing.
And...I particularly appreciated the fact that it didn't rain (it does rain in other parts of the world in the summertime!). A while after that experience, I saw the movie; and while I love Gene Kelley and Cyd Charisse, it just isn't the same production (a lot
of music is omitted, and major characters get short shrift in the movie version.)
When I was playing the Brigadoon CD in preparation for this production, my husband was surprised to learn that Brigadoon is where 'My mother's wedding day' came from! Turns out that this was a favorite family song in his house
when he was growing up (along with Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado, which he can sing from memory). His father was a great pianist and organist, and they'd sing this song around the organ, as well as play it on the stereo!"
What a cultured pair Dee and her hubby are...do you think there are still families that sit around the piano and play and sing together?
Anybody out there do that, or know a family that does?
But that's not really the important part of Dee's Brigadoon story. The important thing is that Brigadoon was the first musical that Dee ever saw live and on stage.
"Being in this production is nostalgic for me, because Brigadoon was the first LIVE Broadway musical I ever saw. I'd seen plenty of movie musicals:they were still making those when I grew up (I was amused at the younger set's reaction to the movie musical Chicago, as if movie musicals were a whole new thing!). I'd also seen live opera and ballet, but for some reason, we did not get or go to as many live musicals (I grew up in Detroit).
So when a local community group performed Brigadoon en plein aire (outdoors) at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, when I was home during the summer from college, I went. I was absolutely entranced by it! It was quite a good
production by community theatre standards. I especially loved 'Come to me, bend to me,' and all the dancing.
And...I particularly appreciated the fact that it didn't rain (it does rain in other parts of the world in the summertime!). A while after that experience, I saw the movie; and while I love Gene Kelley and Cyd Charisse, it just isn't the same production (a lot
of music is omitted, and major characters get short shrift in the movie version.)
When I was playing the Brigadoon CD in preparation for this production, my husband was surprised to learn that Brigadoon is where 'My mother's wedding day' came from! Turns out that this was a favorite family song in his house
when he was growing up (along with Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado, which he can sing from memory). His father was a great pianist and organist, and they'd sing this song around the organ, as well as play it on the stereo!"
What a cultured pair Dee and her hubby are...do you think there are still families that sit around the piano and play and sing together?
Anybody out there do that, or know a family that does?
// posted by ElisaC @ 10:33 AM 
Comments:
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I got a comment on this from Michele Johnston aka Fiona:
Yup...I can identify with the name thing...
Michele (with one "L") Johnston (with a "T")...although my maiden name was Johnson....
Heh. No monogram change for Michele I guess :)
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Yup...I can identify with the name thing...
Michele (with one "L") Johnston (with a "T")...although my maiden name was Johnson....
Heh. No monogram change for Michele I guess :)
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