Days 248-249: Audacity at its best

The Eugene O'Neill Theater

In its review, The New York Times describes The Book of Mormon as "blasphemous, scurrilous and amore foul-mouthed than David Mamet on a blue streak." And well it was. And very, very funny. I'm always skeptical of a show (or movie or book or art or, well, anything) that is praised beyond the moon and back. This time, I was not disappointed.

I'm fascinated by how it occurs to someone, or a group of collaborators, to pick some topics for a musical. The two most recent ones I've seen...this one and Assassins...certainly focus on odd subject matter. Whatever their motivation...or inspiration...I'm delighted to have been so thoroughly entertained.

As a bonus, I stopped hurriedly by Boston Market on my way to the theater and was able to purchase a bowl of chicken noodle soup to go. Just the thing to fight off  the (yet another) cold I'm developing. That's New York people...chicken soup and Broadway shows. Gotta love it!

Day 247: Culinary heaven

Over lunch today, one of my friends asked me to name the best and worst things about living in Sweden. Best was easy. Worst was tougher so I settled for what I missed a lot. Very high on the list is culinary adventures. Or even novelty. I find the food in Scandinavia devoid of imagination.

Naturally, this is relative and depends on what you compare it to. I'd venture to say that most places in the world would pale in comparison to the rich variety of eating pleasures you can have in New York. It isn't simply the variety of ethnic restaurants to be found. It is also the variety of dishes that you can find within any one ethnicity. Point in case, we ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant today. On the menu were three different types of guacamole, one (the one I ordered) with pomegranate, cilantro and pineapple. I've never seen that on the menu at any other Mexican restaurant I've ever visited. And this was not the only unique dish. And this restaurant was not an exception to the rule, and not particularly pricey either.

Perhaps the Nordic climate causes the imagination to freeze? Some would argue that Swedes in general are not particularly adventurous eaters and offering unusual combinations of flavors would not attract customers. I'm not convinced. I've yet to meet a Swede who did not appreciate good cooking. So, loosen up those imaginations folks and get cooking! In the meanwhile, I'm off to my next food adventure...happy as a clam!

Day 246: Count on it

Spent a couple of hours at the Museum of Mathematics in NYC today. Very hands on. And judging from the noise level in the place I would say a big success with the youngsters. Fun that someone thought to create such a museum and that parents take their kids there. The adults were equally fascinated by the variety of puzzles and experiments around.

Two details that made me smile were the door knob shaped like pi and the pizza pi slicer (complete with directions on how to calculate the pie's circumference and area). Now that's what I call having your pi and eating it too ;-))

Day 245: Variety

Shopping in a high-end supermarket in Manhattan is truly a joyous ordeal. Just one more reason why I cannot move back to New York. I would become a blimp within a year. The choices, the quality, the smells. I'm pleased with my level of discipline today as I only left with three items that I did not specifically go in to buy.

So lunch today was potato and spinach perogies sauteed with onions and served with a side of chili pepper and goat cheese spread. Heaven. Bagels for breakfast tomorrow, with the same spread. Just one more reason to wake up in the morning.

YUMMO!

Days 243-44: Family

Two days of basking in the love and craziness of family...such joy!

I make it a point to try and attend all happy occasions and celebrations, especially when it comes to family events. We are a largish clan and somewhat spread throughout the world, yet we manage to stay in touch and make an effort to gather for important milestones. One such was the wedding of Julie and Ron which took place in Philadelphia last night. And what a joyous occasion it was!

It pleases me no end to observe the passage of time through the maturation and growth of the children in the family, many of whom are at an age to be having children of their own. I particularly like the fact that they, too, stay in touch and involved in each other's lives despite the distances involved.

As we are fond of saying, let us continue to meet under joyous circumstances!

Day 242: Progress

Uneventful flight through which I slept almost continuously. Just the way I like it! Then to my surprise and delight, free WiFi on the NJ Transit train from Newark Airport to Trenton (where my cousin picked me up). Free WiFi. On the commuter train. Now that made me happy. And seeing family. For an entire weekend.

Miss my Stockholm Assassins family though...break a leg you guys on your final performances.

Day 241: Travel eve

My flight leaves at 06:50 AM tomorrow so tonight is travel eve. That time when it becomes essential to get everything done you've put off for weeks. So the place is now clean, the fridge is emptied, trash disposed of, recycling recycled, bills paid, e-mails written and dishes washed.

All that's left is laundry...doubtful as the laundry room was booked all day and evening...and packing. Fortunately, I am staying with relatives the first few days so, worst case scenario, I can pack dirty clothes and do a load of wash there :-)

Will stay up late, late, late tonight so I can sleep, sleep, sleep on the plane. Great feeling, climbing on board; whatever could not get done by then is simply left behind. Until I return home.

"Leaving on a jet plane..."

Day 240: Crossing t's and dotting i's

A calm, luxurious day of bookkeeping, packing, laundry, food and planning details of my upcoming trip to the U.S. A little TV. A little Rummikub. A little FB.

And grateful for a) the e-mail reminder from the travel site and b) myself for actually reading it! Otherwise I would have traveled to the wrong airport on Friday. THAT would not have been fun. Now for a book and a nap.

Until tomorrow then...be well one and all.

Day 239: Dishwashing

Have I mentioned how much I love my dishwasher. OK, perhaps love is a bit strong...but only a bit. The pleasure I get from running the thing is palpable. People have left and in just a few minutes the place is more or less back to normal. Not only are the dishes "out of sight, out of mind," they are also getting clean in the process.

And I get to sleep in tomorrow and wake up to a clean kitchen.

:-)

Day 238: Separation Anxiety

Stephen Sondheim as I first remember him

Every good production requires a dress rehearsal. Tomorrow will be mine. Tomorrow I revert to Jane Q. Public, just a regular theater goer with a passion for musicals in general, and Sondheim in particular. No longer production manager for Assassins, I will be an audience member tomorrow night along with a group of former colleagues. Then, although the show plays through Saturday night, I will retain my civilian status and head toward the U.S. for a wedding followed by a nice visit in NY to reconnect with friends and family.

What an adventure it's been. What excellent work we've done. And how much I've learned. About the production process. About the creative process. About the business end of show business. And, not least, about myself. Moments of intense pleasure and joy, pride in the work and my contributions, a long hard look in the mirror, blemishes and all. An opportunity to forgive myself. And to appreciate the lessons the journey has taught me.

More Sondheim to the people. Mr. Sondheim, to whom I'm ever so grateful for the many ways in which he has enriched my life over the many decades that our paths have overlapped.

Day 237: Flow

One of those days where things just fell into place one after the other. When I woke up this morning, I thought that I'd planned way too many things for this one day. Instead of panicking though, I just started putting one foot in front of the other. Soon, the place was neat and tidy and off I went to the theater where we were to rebuild the set and move costumes and props back into the actors' dressing rooms. On my way, I stopped to recycle the (many) cans and bottles that had accumulated over the past week of performances and pick up fruit and milk.

Once at the theater, everything went smoothly and we were done in less than two hours. Back home then to await the gathering of fellow board game enthusiasts who were also coming to see this evening's performance of Assassins. We played two games I got as Chanukkah presents from my Sweeties, both of which turned out to be quite fun.

Then off to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant that turns out to have a eat two for the price of one special on Sundays. And the food was yummy. Icing on the cake? Everyone loved the show.

What more can a person ask? :-)

Day 236: Perfect timing

There is nothing on earth I enjoy more than a massage. Nothing. It's the ultimate pleasure in my opinion...lying in a warm room, face down and having someone knead my sore or tense muscles. The firmer, the better.

Today's massage, a gift from one of my Swedish brothers (thank you JR!) was all the sweeter having come the day after we had to strike the entire Assassins set, costumes, make-up and props, only to build it all up again tomorrow. Afterwards, lunch at JR's by the fire and a nice chat about musicals and my fondest Sondheim memory. Then home and an afternoon nap.

Pretty perfect Saturday :-)

Day 234: Affirmation

From the 2012 Legatum Prosperity Index (http://www.prosperity.com/Ranking.aspx) which incorporates traditional economic measures of prosperity with measurements of well-being and life satisfaction:

"Like Switzerland, Sweden has been placing significant emphasis on creating the conditions for innovation-led growth. The quality of its public institutions is first-rate, with a very high degree of efficiency, trust, and transparency. Private institutions also receive excellent marks (3rd), with firms that demonstrate the highest ethical behavior (3rd), supported by strong auditing and reporting standards (2nd) and well-functioning corporate boards (1st). Goods and financial markets are also very efficient, although the labor market could be more flexible (25th). Combined with a strong focus on education over the years (2nd for higher education and training) and a high level of technological adoption (2nd), Sweden has developed a very sophisticated business culture (2nd) and is one of the world’s leading innovators (2nd). Last but not least, the country boasts a stable macroeconomic environment (13th), with an almost balanced budget and manageable

public debt levels. These characteristics come together to make Sweden one of the most productive and competitive economies in the world."

PLUS Sweden currently boasts the Scandinavian premiere of Stephen Sondheim's award winning musical "Assassins"...I mean, what more can you ask for?!

www.assassins.se

Day 233: Out and about

Feels luxurious to be able to walk to work every day. I'd forgotten how great it is to start the work day with a brisk walk. As luck would have it, the theater is within walking distance of where I live, and not too close either. On my way, I discovered that one of my favorite restaurants in Stockholm, La Neta serving real Mexican food, has opened a branch on Söder. And I found a wedding present for Julie and Ron. On the way back, I did some grocery shopping.

The bonus? Exercise! :-)

Days 230-232: Post-Premiere High

We did it! After a mere 22 rehearsal days we put on a full-fledged production of Assassins. The first review came out this morning and I quote:

"Upbeat marches and tearful ballads. There are many spoken scenes and director Staffan Aspegren and his  team have really managed to get both text and music to fascinate. Ulricha Johnson, who has translated a number of Sondheim shows into Swedish, shows us that this rhythmically quite intricate syllable hunt can work dramatically."

I am proud, moved, happy. For me, this is a dream come true...to be part of a professional production of a Sondheim musical. My love affair with Sondheims works began many decades ago when I saw my first Sondheim musical on Broadway. Never did I expect to be part of bringing one of them to life on a professional stage. Humbled. Grateful.

Days 227-229: Lordy!

It's like this folks: so much happy right now that there is no time to write about it, time enough to live it. The crowning achievement? Full page (front page!) spread in today's Culture section of the third largest Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. Dress rehearsal tonight. Opening night tomorrow. A million details to attend to. Busy little bee. HAPPY!

http://www.svd.se/kultur/presidentmordare-tar-ton-i-musikal_7800552.svd
  

Day 226: Breathing again...

...through both nostrils. There is really nothing that beats feeling fine after having been sick. And being genuinely welcomed back to work, even after a relatively short absence.

I lead a charmed life. Not hard at all to find things to be happy about. Grateful.

Day 225: The heart grows fonder

Throughout the course of the many years I've been in the workforce, this is the first time I've ever received so many messages when I've been out sick. Facebook, text messages, phone calls, e-mails.

An example (via text message):

"Welllllll, where are you? Get well and come here now. Where is our time police? Our organizer? And where is the fruit? And the coffee is neeeevvvvvver ready nowadays. And all the Sondheim love that flows from you?"

Yup, the business world could learn a thing or two from theater people.

My heart runneth over...thank you wonderful colleagues! I'll be there tomorrow (and will leave my germs at home, promise)

Day 224: Teamwork

Off I went at 7:45 to the theater to meet up with the group of technicians and volunteers on this first day of building scenery, setting lights, adjusting the sound system and so on. By 10:00, it was clear to me that I would not last much longer, with my runny nose and watery eyes and feverish complexion. Although I had promised to be on hand and lead the project today, I was forced to exit early rather than risk this rather bad cold turning into something worse, like pneumonia or bronchitis.

Confident in the tight teamwork that grew as the morning progressed, I was relieved and happy to be able to leave the scene knowing that all would be well. And so it was, as I later found out in a conversation with our set designer.

As for my cold...not so much. So I can only imagine how much worse I'd be feeling if I stuck around. But tomorrow is another day, and I've got plenty of administrative stuff to do to keep me busy between naps :-)

Day 223: The best is yet to come

I thought it would be hard to find something to feel positive about today what with my runny nosy and sore throat. Then it occurred to me that this was actually a fabulous way to kick off the new year. After all, it can only get better!

With that pleasant thought in mind, it's back to the BBT marathon...and my tissues.