Thank you my friends

I want to dedicate this post to thank my friends at Stratford

Not for just inviting me to a Rock Band party where I sucked, but to bring back good memories and experience friendships that seemed to be sucked out of my life recently with bitterness and frustration.

I liked chatting with everyone, catching up and realize how fast time passed by. No politics, no masks
I think my life is too dark from the way I described it

Anyway, the best part for the last - I got to blow ONE belated birthday candle, on a chocolate brownie.
It's no fancy cake, it's no 28 candles, but I was truly touched with joy. That one candle meant so much ...

THANK YOU

Jerry

And thanks to Maggie for the cool experience of Penn and Teller performance at Centre in the Square

Rest In Peace, Richard. You will always be remembered

Yesterday I learned the shocking news of the passing away of my former colleague (Artistic Director for 14 years) at Stratford Festival - Richard Monette, at age 64. Story



I was speechless, trying to figure out what happened as he was only 64, and usually there is a warning, but not this time. Embolism and he is gone, like the wind, like in my profound Stratford memories. I remembered Richard being a funny, sometimes swearing, but truely visionary and great leader at the Festival. I was honoured to have met him, and enjoyed plays he directed.

My thoughts to his friends and family, and all of Festival's individuals. It is a sad day, losing an icon and a star fallen.

Rest in peace, Richard.

This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would go near to make a man look sad. - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act V, Sc. I

Christopher Plummer rules the stage in Caesar and Cleopatra at Stratford

Hail Caesar, would be the words to sum up the Caesar and Cleopatra opening last night in Stratford

• Christopher Plummer really played Julis Caesar as well as I've seen anyone played anyone
• I loved the beautiful costumes and set - ancient Egyptian style, Rome dresses and soldiers
• The characters were portraited beautiful - Rufio, Cleopatra (much much better than her Juliet role in Romeo and Juliet), Ftatateeta, British man, and all the supporting actors
• I am still unsure about this, but it was definitely a comedy with laughters all the way through. However, beneath all the humors and satires, lies the deep minds of Caesar and Rome the empire.
• Thank you Stratford, for my first row tickets to be part of the opening

You can see all the news feed covering the play. Toronto Start rated it 4 out of 4, I wholeheartedly agree, and would recommend EVERYONE to see it if you can. Here are the excerpts that tells the whole story

It's a big, bold, beautiful, bounteous piece of crowd-pleasing theatre, filled with laughter and excitement, but also capable of provoking some serious thought as well.

If you've been waiting for a perfect combination of high art and high entertainment this summer, then wait no longer.


On the other hand, I also saw Cabaret Saturday night, and will add my comments soon

More Olympics, more Sports news, and last season of ER

Olympics

• 3rd night in a row, sleeping at 1 am, only to watch more Live Olympics on NBC

• Michael Phelps won his 6th GOLD Olympic medal last night (he is 6-for-6 so far)

• USA women gymnastics tool home the GOLD and the SILVER medal, down to the last rotation. It was a game of deductions, game of perfection, game of decimals of scores. What a night, to watch Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson put it all out on the floor (literally) with no regrets.

In other Sports news

• There were around 5000 empty seats at the Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL game last night in Toronto, and that scalpers couldn't sell the tickets. I actually feel bad for them
• Toronto Blue Jays puts Vernon Wells and John McDonald on Waivers. This was a surprise to me, not that it's unusual for a team to put players on the waiver at this time of the season, but I would not watch Blue Jays if there was no Johnny Mac (and Roy Halladay)

Last shocking news from the NBC commercial - Next season of ER will be their last season (15th season), after 14 years (first episode aired in 1994). I wouldn't know what to do on Thursday night anymore, I have watched ER since Taiwan - Dr. Green, George Clooney, Carter, and now .... it'll all become just memories

I was fortunate enough to get some Stratford Festival tickets for this coming weekend (Saturday for Cabaret the musical, and Caesar and Cleopatra on Sunday). Looking forward to it