Friday, March 15, 2013

A very special, but kind of bitter sweet show

We're down to our last 2 days in Branson.  My wonderful hubby, Mr. C has packed this week full of surprises and fun, but I had kind of planned to just sit back and relax a bit.  I appreciate the effort he went to to provide us a fun filled week.  He knows how much I love music and shows.

This next show was held at the Baldknobbers Theatre and they were all dressed up for Christmas, too:


November 4th we went to the Baldnobbers Theatre to see a very special performance.  How many people reading this know who Roy Clark is?  We went to a special show Celebrating 60 years of Picking and Grinning with Roy Clark.
This was a very special show, as I don't think we'll be seeing him perform much longer.  He had to sit through most of his show and when he did want to get up for a special song, it took most of his entire band to help him get to his feet and stay there.  Roy Clark was born in 1933, so he was 79 years old at this performance.

His band members were so incredibly solicitous of him though, they watched over him like a precious child; making sure he had water or throat lozenges when he needed them, helping him remember which songs were supposed to be played when etc.  He is aware of his failing memory and made many jokes about it, like who changed the order of the songs, and referring to the list apparently taped to the floor at his feet that he couldn't even see it.  He still performed his heart out and it was lovely.

His band members or family as he called them:  







Some of his songs had to be a bit bitter sweet for him though, such as:

Yesterday when I was young


The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue.
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game,
The way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame.
The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned
I'd always built to last on weak and shifting sand.
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of the day
And only now I see how the years ran away.

Yesterday when I was young
So many happy songs were waiting to be sung,
So many wild pleasures lay in store for me
And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see.
I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out,
I never stopped to think what life was all about
And every conversation I can now recall
Concerned itself with me and nothing else at all.

--- Instrumental ---
Yesterday the moon was blue
And every crazy day brought something new to do.
I used my magic age as if it were a wand
And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond.
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died.
The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away
And only I am left on stage to end the play.

There are so many songs in me that won't be sung,
I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue.
The time has come for me to pay for
Yesterday when I was young...

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/r/roy_clark/

He saved the best for last, though.  His band members got him to his feet and he played the Orange Blossom Special against his fiddle player and he sure can still fiddle with the best.  His fingers just flew.

We came away feeling a bit melancholy at how age can slip up on all of us and yet feeling blessed to have seen this concert and enjoyed the fun and music of Roy Clark, in person.




I'd almost like to end this blog post here, as I feel it's a good place to end, but the next and final act don't really need a full blog post of their own.


So I'll continue with Monday, November 5, when we went to a Four Seasons and Beach Boys Tribute.  Apparently they don't want anyone doing any advertising or reviewing for them, as they do not allow you to take pictures at all at that theatre.  Or, perhaps they don't want people to see pictures that might lead them to understand that the 12 Tenors are also the Beach Boys and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  I managed to find a couple very poor pictures by freezing frames of a You Tube video of this show.












How did we feel about this show?  The music was good, the singing was good, but we didn't really expect a variety show with a title like:  The Greatest Hits of the Four Seasons and Beach Boys.  We expected a tribute show as we usually see with the appropriate number of performers doing the appropriate songs and music.  The variety show type of performance is very distracting to us, too much busyness and confusion.  So instead of coming away with a relaxed attitude and mind of "that was great, sounded just like them", we came away feeling frazzled and not relaxed at all.  I would imagine the 12 Tenors have great voices, as they're the same guys, but expect their show to be totally distracted by the dancing around and costume changes also.  To say the least, we were disappointed.  For someone expecting this type of show, it would probably be considered a great show.

So, I am now caught up, at least as regards our last trip.  There may be a couple more posts  hidden in my memory from the past 4 months, but other than having extra family living with us, it was just normal family stuff, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Lots of love and hugs and happiness, but not much claying or anything else as the energy went to the family's needs and wants.   I can tell you though, I sure am starting to feel my age.  I may not be quite a senior citizen yet, but it's not far off and I just don't have the energy or patience I had when I was 30.  I understand why "children are given to young people", LOL.

All's well that ends well, though.  Our Daughter, B, and her family got transferred to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana in February, so they are all moved and settled in.  Our Son, N, and his family are still happily in Madison, Wisconsin (at least happy for the most part, they're awfully tired of winter and are having trouble adjusting to the long term cold, LOL).  So Mr. C and I have back our quiet, calm almost retired schedule.  I'm back to doing some clay work and have a very special Polymer Clay Caning workshop/retreat the second week of April, which I'm really looking forward to.

We'll also be heading out for a month long adventure to the Gulf Coast of Texas in April.  We've never visited the Gulf Coast of Texas and we're really looking forward to it.  Texas is such a big state, perhaps the next year we'll take in Big Bend and Hill Country.

So, so long for now, I'll be back when I have some news.  Thanks for joining me.  Smiles, Sue C

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