Book of Mormon

Yesterday, I saw the touring show of The Book of Mormon in Des Moines.  It pushed the edge of the envelope in just about every way imaginable.  I laughed, I was touched, I was offended, I was giddy, I was grossed out, I was breathless, and I was very glad I saw it.

There was a lady two rows down from us who walked out.  To some extent, I can understand why.  The show is offensive in so many ways.  I can't even begin to count how many.  But... one thing I never understand (something similar happened when I saw Rent on Broadway) is if someone is going to spend that much money going to the theater, why don't they do a little research first?  Maybe they have a lot of money... so much money that an $80 ticket (or way more if you're actually in New York) for two hours on a Saturday night isn't a big deal.  Maybe they don't watch TV or read the paper, but The Des Moines Register has printed at least two different articles on the show and what people can expect.  I just don't get it.  Do your homework, people!

Anyway, here's the message I took away from the show:  When it comes to faith, we don't have to believe every single little thing we're told, without question, for our faith to be uplifting and to make a difference.  Our faith can change our lives and the lives of others.  Some of it might sound ridiculous or impossible, but to me, that doesn't matter.  Elder Price sings "I Believe" in the show before he has learned that lesson, but it's such a great number.  And, the little Sound of Music spoof at the beginning made me grin.

 

Weekly Update

Random Thoughts for a Friday Night...

* I just saw a cat circus. I'm still processing it.

* We found out this morning our school district will be cutting the budget by $800,000 next school year. That means cuts everywhere, including teaching jobs. That thought alone is enough to make my ulcer flare up. No details yet. Instead, we get to fret about it for a few months. Sigh...

* I'm singing in a Broadway benefit concert at the Sondheim next weekend. What turned out as a small commitment has grown into something rather large, but it's for a great cause. The money will be split 1/3 to the Crisis Center which is a shelter for women and children in southeast Iowa, 1/3 to a local Jefferson County organization that helps needy people pay their electric bills in winter and also helps families during the holidays, and 1/3 to an organization helping children in Haiti. I'm sorry I don't know the specific names of these organizations, but the organizer of this benefit, Jonas Magram, has been doing this for many years. I feel lucky to be helping out this year.

* Andrew is narrating a very interesting Stravinsky piece at the Sondheim tomorrow night. It's called A Soldier's Tale, and it combines narration, acting, and a chamber ensemble of 7 instruments. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

* We had a lovely Thanksgiving with Dad, Alice, Matt, & Omara. Andrew survived his first holiday w/ my family. He lived to tell about it!

* My baby brother turned 36! Crazy!

* I was again reminded today why I love teaching middle school talented & gifted. After school, one of my students was telling me all about his research for his independent project. He chose to research viruses, and he was telling me all kinds of stuff that was way over my head about nucleotides, horizontal evolution, and experimental gene therapy. He has a very good grasp of all of these things. Pretty amazing. I proceeded to ask him what he wanted to be when he grows up, and he emphatically stated, "a geneticist." I smiled and nodded. He then added, "I want to grow new things with octopus tentacles on them." I love it.