People, I was BACK for this year’s Sound of Music Sing-A-Long at the Hollywood Bowl, unlike last year when I got scheduled for training in Dallas. Let it be said that was all actually for the best, as I got to see my Dad and explore a little bit of Dallas. I was totally ready for seeing 11/22/63 and finally understood the geography of that crazy area. But I digress, as this is all about starting off our Hollywood Bowl season!
It’s weird that the SOM Sing-a-Long is on a Friday in June, when for so long it was a Saturday night in September, which made it much easier to get to. It’s kind of a bitch to get to the Hollywood Bowl on a Friday night, justsayin. Happily, we still just take the shuttle from the LA Zoo parking lot and it makes things much simpler.
Mila and Sveta were there this year, as were some of Mila’s friends and coworkers, Sonny, Ellen and Robin. It was kind of jaw-dropping to see that we were headed right to the very front of the auditorium – like literally the front of the crowd. It was awesome. We got to see the costume contest in all its glory, and being that close felt like watching The Sound of Music in IMAX. Loved it.
The costume contest winner ended up being this ridiculously adorable little girl dressed up as the Baroness – I think the cuteness was a good start, but the girl hit us all with a one-two punch with the “two” being when she dropped the line, “Haven’t you ever heard of this wonderful thing called boarding school?” The Baroness’ most villainous line coming from this super cute little moppet won over not only those seek cuteness but also icy gays like myself who worship at the Baroness’ feet.
As for the movie, it was of course wonderful. I had had a pretty stressful week and was in desperate need of something like this, which meant my weekend was not bad. And I even avoided getting completely plastered like I did two years ago. OOF. I can still remember that. Or I can still kinda remember that.
2016 Sound of Music Sing-A-Long @ The Hollywood Bowl – June 24, 2016
I mean, seriously, the front
Melissa Peterson hosts this every year and she’s a national treasure
I mean, seriously, the front
Mila and me
Larry & Sveta
All the peons behind us
The organ player
She brought up a Broadway friend
This hot guy starred in the Broadway version of Once
Up front like we belong
Loved these guys, although the upcoming Baroness just rocked it
There she is – the eventual winner
She was fantastic – but stole the show
when she uttered, “Haven’t you heard of this wonderful thing called boarding school?”
A long line of costume contest participants
First drink of champagne
The movie’s Marta, Debbie Turner
Looks great still
Some of the honorable mentions
It came down to the sweet Maria who has confidence vs the Baroness
I think we know how this one was gonna go
Melissa explained that she just won two tickets to a Viking Cruise
…and I’m in Dallas for some anti-money laundering training for the WEEKEND never thinking how huge a day June 26, 2015 was going to be. Â Fuck. Â What I wouldn’t give to be back home today and celebrate this amazing day with Larry, my family, my friends….
Of course, first, we had the sensational news that the Supreme Court had effectively stricken down the laws against gay marriage in states that had them, and thus gay marriage was legal throughout the country. Â About fucking time. Â I’m going to quote here, for posterity, the wonderful statement made in Justice Kennedy’s remarks:
No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. Â In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. Â As some of the petitioners in this case demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. Â It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Â Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Â Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. Â They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. Â The Constitution grants them that right.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.
It is so ordered.
SO ordered, indeed. Â I can’t wait to get home and start really getting ready for my completely nationwide-legal wedding to Larry!
Later in the day, as President Obama was speaking his eulogy for the slain pastor from last week’s slaughter in Charleston, he sang “Amazing Grace” and reduced anyone watching to tears:
Incredible.
I will miss this President when his term is finished.
And so now I sit here and wish I was back home. Â Tonight is the Sound of Music Sing-a-long at the Hollywood Bowl, which is way earlier than it has ever been before. Â My mom is using my ticket though so at least something good is coming of it as she’s not had the experience. Â It is the 50th anniversary of the movie, so maybe some awesome surprises are on their way? Â For my part, I’m listening to the soundtrack (“My Favorite Things” is currently playing). Â GOD DAMN, why didn’t I look at my fucking personal calendar before signing up for this fucking training????? Â I am actually physically angry at how this turned out.
The one good thing that I really am going to focus on is that things are going to work out and I’ll get to see my dad tomorrow after the session is done! Â It’s quite a schlep he’ll be making so I’m super appreciative. Â Can’t believe how long it’s been, yet again.
Finally, after today’s session, I quickly hightailed it over to the Book Depository here in Dallas, TX. Â After reading 11/22/63 and of course just the morbid fascination that such a place in history holds, I knew that if I was going to do anything touristy, that would be it. Â It ends up being quite an experience, as they’ve put up a very intense and immersive experience on the 6th floor of the depository, which is where Oswald carried out Kennedy’s assassination. Â The corner of the building he was situated in has been recreated to look like it was, and it’s decidedly creepy. Â A very good exhibit nonetheless – I’ve taken pictures but I don’t have an easy way that I can think of at the moment to get them here…but I may update this post shortly as I’m thinking of something.…Yay, Google Photos – thanks for making this work out after all…Pictures!
June 26, 2015 – Visiting the Book Depository in Dallas, TX
These pics are great - if you get close, you'll see they're composed of thousands of tiny pics...26-Jun-2015 17:58, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 200
Okay, so Funnyordie.com is the best. You probably already know that. But here’s some more proof, coming on the heels of the already-known amazing Lady Gaga/Sound of Music performance from yesterday’s Oscars. The Sound of Music, itself, wants you to know it fucking owns Hollywood (click the image below to read the full thing for yourself on the site):
It’s absolutely hilarious and I had no idea The Sound of Music was such a cokefiend.
As for previous epic and wonderful things that Funnyordie.com has made, here are some of my other favorite things:
I mean, this is just awesome….and we all know it’s not too far off from the truth! But I’m not biased.
And of course, Funnyordie.com hosts the best Game of Thrones recap, Gay of Thrones. Here’s the last one which I’ve already posted here but fuck it, let’s post it again, as it’s fucking awesome:
This year’s Oscars were just okay – Neil Patrick Harris was a decent host but definitely not firing on all cylinders. Â Go back to the Tonys, buddy. Â 🙂 Â I kid, I kid. Â But his jokes definitely fell on the bad side more than the good. Â Yet there were quite a few redeeming parts of the show:
Patricia Arquette’s acceptance speech was awesome, as were the reactions from Meryl Streep and JLo.
The Adapted Screenplay winner for Birdman and his emotional plea to “stay yourself, stay weird” after admitting he attempted suicide.  That was devastating.
The good spread of awards to quite a few different winners – I absolutely loved that both Whiplash and The Grand Budapest Hotel walked away with a few high-profile wins.  Those movies deserved it.
I’m a little surprised Michael Keaton didn’t win but I have to give Eddie Redmayne proper credit:  he disappeared into the role of Stephen Hawking. He WAS Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.
The performance of “Glory” was exhilarating.
But let’s be real….for me, once it was clear that the Oscars were about to honor The Sound of Music and that Lady fucking Gaga was going to be the one doing the tribute performance?  I nearly lost my mind.
I’ve linked to the official Oscars performance if you click on the screenshot below…..please, if you haven’t watched it, get blown away by how talented Lady Gaga is. Â I’ve always been a fan and always appreciated she was more than the “pop star” that so many are nowadays. Â The girl has got major talent, and it’s not only singing, as she can play the hell out of a piano too. Â But even after enjoying her duet album with Tony Bennett, I never would have guessed she could put on a show as Julie Andrews and FUCKING NAIL IT. Â God damn, it was amazing.
And then to have JULIE ANDREWS come out herself and hug Lady Gaga and thank her for the wonderful tribute….tears, I tell ya, tears! Â It was thrilling and I can’t get over how much I still love that movie, even after seeing it billions of times. Â And to have Lady Gaga be a forever part of those memories is quite a new thing to marvel over.
Alright, I’ll fanboy my way out of this post now.  I’ll say one more thing about the Oscars – I admit I’m surprised Birdman won the Best Picture award over Boyhood.  I’ll write up about seeing both Boyhood and The Kingsman in a post coming shortly (I do recognize they’re not in the same league) as we have recently seen them but I’ve been preoccupied with other things.  Boyhood was quite a feat of moviemaking and the human story it told, over an actual 12 years, was quite amazing.  Those few scenes with his mother, father, and then that scene at the high school graduation and then when he goes to college?  YEESH – way too close to my reality.  Anyway, I still salute Birdman.  All of it up to that very last moment – then I have to leave the praises behind.
….ooof.  I took “last show of the season” a bit too liberally as an excuse to drink everygoddamnthing I could find.  A bit hungover today.  I’ve got pictures, and they’re below, and from what I remember “clearly” – which was up until the part of the movie after the Intermission ended – it was a LOT of fun, of course.  Lots of singing, eating, drinking….this 4th time at the Sound of Music Sing-a-Long was wonderful.  Can’t really illuminate more about it that I haven’t typed three times before, except that I can’t wait to go again next year!
September 20, 2014 – 4th Time at the Sound of Music Sing-a-Long
