Cultural Corner
Foresight
…And no, I haven’t seen Hamilton yet!
By
Lori Hope Baumel
“Can you spell gessellschaft?”
– Final word of the Scripps National Spelling Bee 2016
Since this is my summer article, I will express my thoughts in two segments.
Part 1:
On the evening of May 7, 2016, I was privileged to cover the Scripps National Spelling Bee at National Harbor, MD for Around Wellington Magazine.
The children that participated in the National Spelling Bee all had one thing in common: they read insatiably. From an early age, their parents strongly encouraged them to read books for pleasure. As a result, they were exposed to the English language extensively. Reading was an important part of their journey.
When interviewed by ESPN, one bright young girl said, “My competition is not with the other contestants, it is with the English dictionary.” Contrary to popular belief, the final round of contestants were diverse in many ways and equally divided by gender. The last four “spellers” were down to two girls and two boys. They shared camaraderie unlike anything I’ve seen in a competition. Apparently, they had spent a great deal of time getting to know one another. I’m very pleased that Scripps sponsors this educational event. They have offices right here in Palm Beach County.
Fortunately, my son, Evan, lives in the metro DC area and he came along to watch the competition. Afterward there was much discussion about the children and their families. The subject of parenting came up and Evan mentioned that one of the most important lessons my husband and I taught him was “foresight.” During his childhood years, he did not fully comprehend why we requested he complete various tasks. As an adult, he has a clearer understanding of our parenting techniques – especially when it came to reading and writing (he is now a public policy writer and editor).
The children at the spelling bee did not learn to master their skills overnight. I am sure their summers were filled with enjoyable books (commonly referred to as “mind movies”). I urge you, as your cultural arts columnist, to exercise foresight. Make some time for pleasurable reading. Encourage young children and your friends to take some time this summer and read books for enjoyment.
Part 2:
Now, a word of advice…
For those of you who’ve heard all the hype about how wonderful the Broadway show Hamilton is – yes, it is true. As the NY Times stated, “It really is that good!” Hamilton will probably vie for the longest running show on Broadway. This has yet to be seen. This is where foresight, yet again, comes into play. Three years ago, I ended up paying three hundred bucks a seat to see The Book of Mormon, labeled “the show of the century.” Prior to that, I shelled out a small fortune to see The Producers at the Kravis Center. Twenty-eight years ago, when my husband was in school in NYC, we couldn’t afford seats to Phantom of the Opera (thankfully, we were given tickets as an anniversary gift).
Well, Phantom of the Opera is STILL running. Eventually, all of these shows went on tour and ended up on “TKTS” in NYC for half-price per seat.
Unfortunately, due to price gouging on Ticketmaster and similar sites, tickets for Hamilton are going for ridiculous amounts of money. We’re talking thousands of dollars for a seat not far from the nosebleed section. I think that’s insane! For me, it’s a matter of principle; a fraction of that money goes to the production itself. The rest goes in the pocket of Ticketmaster. Therefore, I’m very content to “wait it out.” I purchased the extraordinary cast album and the two books recommended below. In addition, I am listening to their respective audiobooks on Audible.com.
Access to scenes of Hamilton can be viewed on YouTube and hundreds of review and Broadway-related sites. There’s even a rumor that the original cast will be filmed prior to disbanding. Here’s where foresight and experience come into play. I have a hunch that if I give it some time I’ll be able to see the show with my entire family for what would have been the price of one ticket. Sharing the experience will be so much sweeter!
LIVE… GO… DO!
Here’s my Top 5 for the summer:
1) Everything Hamilton – Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
You can order or wirelessly download the following books/music, pick up the CD at Barnes and Noble or order it all on Amazon.com.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
A New York Times Bestseller, and the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Hamilton! Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow presents a landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father who galvanized, inspired, scandalized, and shaped the newborn nation.
(As described by amazon.com)
Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country’s origins for a diverse new generation.
HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages–“since before this was even a show,” according to Miranda–traces its development from an improbable performance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here.
Their account features photos by the renowned Frank Ockenfels and veteran Broadway photographer, Joan Marcus; exclusive looks at notebooks and emails; interviews with Questlove, Stephen Sondheim, leading political commentators, and more than 50 people involved with the production; and multiple appearances by President Obama himself. The book does more than tell the surprising story of how a Broadway musical became a national phenomenon: It demonstrates that America has always been renewed by the brash upstarts and brilliant outsiders, the men and women who don’t throw away their shot.” (As described by amazon.com)
Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording – 2 versions, edited or explicit)
Personally, I listened to the cast album and followed the lyrics in one sitting. I was mesmerized and could not put down the album libretto. Yes, it’s that good! LHB
Links to scenes from Hamilton:
Don’t miss the revolutionary musical’s performance at the 2016 Tony Awards, which combined “History Has Its Eyes on You” with “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)”
See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtLKdQW40Xo
Hamilton feature on PBS News Hour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAiEVjW-GNA
Hamilton performed at the 2016 Grammy’s:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hamilton-2016-grammys-performance-video-865880hamil
2) This Summer’s 14 Must-Read Books (recommended by the editors of Wired magazine):
“The only thing breezy about your summer reading should be the cool wind on your sun-baked faces. That said, nobody wants to be puzzling through dense academic tomes either. There’s a way to have fun and be smart about it too. To that end, we have assembled this list of upcoming summer releases with one goal in mind: pick worthwhile-looking books that also promise to be wildly entertaining.” – Wired Magazine
To see the list go to:
http://www.wired.com/2016/06/summer-reading-list-3/
3) 5 Books Bill Gates wants you to read this summer:
“This summer, my recommended reading list has a good dose of books with science and math at their core. But there’s no science or math to my selection process. The following five books are simply ones that I loved, made me think in new ways, and kept me up reading long past when I should have gone to sleep.” – Bill Gates
https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Summer-Books-2016
4) Get out of the heat. Visit the Wellington Public Library:
For more information see:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/branches/wellington
5) Check out the Best Sellers on the NY Times book list
Authoritatively ranked lists of books sold in the United States, sorted by format and genre.
See: