Transported to Baby

Last night, we went to a fundraiser for a theatre company called The Transport Group.  They did a concert version of the Broadway musical BABY.  In 1983, I saw the original Broadway production of Baby .  It stayed with me for all these years. It touched me and moved me on so many levels.  It is the story of three couples: a young twenty something couple finishing college, a thirty something couple, and a forty something couple.  All of them in different places in their lives.  The young couple gets pregnant accidentally, a woops baby.  The second couple are married and are thrilled to be expecting.  The older couple are thoroughly surprised and have serious mixed emotions about having another baby when they already have been through it. The music and lyrics are so deep and for anyone that ever went through infertility goes right to the core.  If you haven't heard the music and listened to the lyrics, it is well worth it.  I am not doing Baby justice in my brief telling.  I cried like a baby when I first saw it and hearing it last night after being on the other side of motherhood, I cried again.  That two men, David Shire and Richard Maltby, could write a score that is incredibly empathetic makes it even more surprising.  They must have had many near experiences that ran the gamut.  It ran a mere nine months.  Struggled to find an audience and in hindsight, makes sense.  It ran in a season with Sunday in the Park With George, The Tap Dance Kid, and La Cage Aux Folles!!!  Can you imagine such a season?  When we just ended a Tony season which had to scrape together 4 nominations for Best Musical, and I mean scrape! The 1984 Tonys could boast Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Maltby and Shire!  Some of the greatest of the greats of musical composers.  Theatre has changed so much and I don't think for the better.  In the 80's, the landscape was filled with creativity and workshops (to tryout and work on a show) and backer's auditions (fundraising methods of yesteryear).  All shows were produced by independent producers and now they are produced by corporations.  I think the proof is in the pudding.

Sidebars: Roger Clemens was found not guilty in his trial. The prosecution couldn't prove its case that Roger Clemens lied about taking steroids.  He got off.  His name sullied forever.  Now, it will be up to the bitter and hypocritical baseball writers to determine if Roger Clemens gets into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  This is America and he was found not guilty, I'd let him in, but I'd let in Pete Rose too.  The entire holier than thou stance is ridiculous.  Tonight is game 4 between the Heat and the Thunder! Go Thunder!!!!!  Don't know anyone rooting for the Heat outside of Miami.  Yankees have won ten in a row. The Bachelorette was quite satisfying last night.  Still have to watch Bunheads second episode. Rielle Hunter's book should sink into the Everglades. Enjoy 

your Tuesday!

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