Super Bowl of Arts and Sports!

Muffin outdid himself this week and purchased tickets to not just one, but two fabulous fine arts events. I drove to the Metroplex to meet him after work and we then drove to the new opera hall in the AT&T performing arts complex in Big D. The event--

South Pacific, the Lincoln Center tour of the Broadway revival that won seven Tony awards.

The house was full. The hall was beautiful. The people obviously anticipated a great performance and no one was disappointed. All vocalists were supremely professional and wonderful to hear. The baritone, Emile de Beque, was to swoon for! (Swoon). Except Muffin was grinning like a schoolboy with a crush at Nellie Forbush, from Little Rock, A-R-K. In reality, Nellie was actually from Houston. And, go figure, as I read the program I discovered that a home town boy, son of our daughters' first ballet teacher, was in the company as well. He was great. All the dancing, acting, sets, backdrops, vocals, and special effects were perfect. I mean, I really looked for flaws and glitches and there just weren't any to find. It was

PERFECT.

From the beginning of the backdrop looking as if it were typed on an old typewriter describing the South Pacific islands, to the retracting of this fabulous chandelier for the first curtain, to the curtain calls and the finale played by a fabulous orchestra (I knew two people in the string section too!) It was really Some Enchanted Evening.

I have no photos, because flash photography is verboten, but Muffin also bought tickets to the Moscow Ballet tour of The Nutcracker, performed at 3:30 pm today in our home town in our Civic Center. Now, that seems like a sharp contrast to the Big D evening, but actually our hall is world class. We have a new state-of-the art stage system with lighting, sound, and curtains, and the acoustics were masterminded by the same consulting firm founded by Dr. Boner, who developed the equalizer, so important to sound systems today. And, once again, it was a fabulous performance, sadly without live orchestra though. You can see some very nice photography here. At the same site you can check to see if the tour is coming to your city and purchase tickets. Every city also incorporates students from one of its ballet studios/companies. Those little snowflakes, mice and angels are tough to beat with their super cuteness factor, believe me. The principal dancers were magnificent, light as feathers on the stage, and the company was also wonderful. Loved the innovative choreography and beautiful costumes and sets too.

And to put the cherry on top of the best "sundae" week in years, Abilene High School won the State Championship football game tonight in the Alamo Dome, 28-17 over the Katy Tigers!!!!!!

Go EAGLES!!!!! I'm so proud of you!