Back in the saddle

[Larry Liebscher]

The planets and stars aligned. The weather was actually nice. I had a vacation day and several free hours in between meetings. The annual was completed. I could go flying!

Got out my stuff and checked my logbook. Last flight was 11/15/04. Medical was current. Headed out to the airport and found my favorite CFI. Talked him into going along for an hour. Flew a nice trip up to Mason City and back.

Two landings at Mason City and one at Waterloo. First one was pretty good. Second slight balloon, but good recovery. Third was flat. However, no damage to the plane and the ego is pretty much intact.

He had me put on the foggles for the last 15 minutes and shoot the ILS. Actually did pretty well.

It all came back, and felt really good to be back in the air.

 

[Lawreston]

It does feel good, getting back into the cockpit. And Mason City: it brings back great memories. Oh, I've never been there, but it's the basis for some of my fondest memories as an actor/singer in four different companies' productions of one of the great musicals. Loosely, "Now, I know all you folks are the right kind of people; I want to be perfectly square. River City's going to have a boy's band - yes, I said a boy's band - and it's going to have it, today. Magnificent picture of Americana, thank you, Meredith Willson.

Oh, congratulations on getting back in the saddle. I'm in the same boat, but different plane.

HR

 

[Larry Liebscher]

Harley,

We used to have a summer home in Clear Lake, which is next door to Mason City. The airport is actually on the edge of Clear Lake. My avitar is a photo my wife took off of our dock one evening. Just to the right of the edge of the photo would be where the Surf Ballroom is. The Buddy Holly crash would have been pretty much in line with the direction of the photo, just several miles away.

As for The Music Man, we made our children sit through the movie one evening while we were up there in order to generate some appreciation for the local significance. They didn't get it. Too bad. It is one of my favorites.

A sampling:
Song: Iowa Stubborn Lyrics
Music: Meredith Willson
Lyrics: Meredith Willson
Book: Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
Premiere: Thursday, December 19, 1957

Townspeople:
Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all.
There's an Iowa kind of special
Chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.
We've never been without.
That we recall.
We can be cold
As our falling thermometers in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We could stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But what the heck, you're welcome,
Join us at the picnic.
You can eat your fill
Of all the food you bring yourself.
You really ought to give Iowa a try.
Provided you are contrary,
We can be cold
As our falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We can stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But we'll give you our shirt
And a back to go with it
If your crops should happen to die.

Farmer:
So, what the heck, you're welcome,
Glad to have you with us.

Farmer and Wife:
Even though we may not ever mention it again.

Townspeople:
You really ought to give Iowa
Hawkeye Iowa
Dubuque, Des
Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown,
Mason City, Keokuk, Ames,
Clear Lake
Ought to give Iowa a try!

 

[Lawreston]

Harley,

We used to have a summer home in Clear Lake, which is next door to Mason City. The airport is actually on the edge of Clear Lake. My avitar is a photo my wife took off of our dock one evening. Just to the right of the edge of the photo would be where the Surf Ballroom is. The Buddy Holly crash would have been pretty much in line with the direction of the photo, just several miles away.

As for The Music Man, we made our children sit through the movie one evening while we were up there in order to generate some appreciation for the local significance. They didn't get it. Too bad. It is one of my favorites.

A sampling:
Song: Iowa Stubborn Lyrics
Music: Meredith Willson
Lyrics: Meredith Willson
Book: Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
Premiere: Thursday, December 19, 1957

Townspeople:
Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all.
There's an Iowa kind of special
Chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.
We've never been without.
That we recall.
We can be cold
As our falling thermometers in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We could stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But what the heck, you're welcome,
Join us at the picnic.
You can eat your fill
Of all the food you bring yourself.
You really ought to give Iowa a try.
Provided you are contrary,
We can be cold
As our falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We can stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But we'll give you our shirt
And a back to go with it
If your crops should happen to die.

Farmer:
So, what the heck, you're welcome,
Glad to have you with us.

Farmer and Wife:
Even though we may not ever mention it again.

Townspeople:
You really ought to give Iowa
Hawkeye Iowa
Dubuque, Des
Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown,
Mason City, Keokuk, Ames,
Clear Lake
Ought to give Iowa a try!

Wonderful memories. My first production, I was Prof. Harold Hill. The next three companies with whom I worked I was Ewart Dunlop (storekeeper), who's the lead voice in the barbershop quartet. In those three productions I was, also, the fast-talking salesman #4 in the opening Pullman scene. What I did was wear the salesman's costume on top of Ewart's costume. As soon as the blackout came after the Pullman scene I raced to stage right wing while pulling off my necktie and unbuttoning my jacket. As soon as I was at the wing I was kicking off my shoes. Harold Hill then was unbuttoning and pulling off my (outer)shirt while some actress was pulling off my (outer) trousers. After putting on my boots and new necktie I "cheated" on-stage while tieing my storekeeper's apron; only having missed about the first eight bars of the opening full-company production number which you posted, above. Worked like a charm.
If that Scene #2 had only had 3 or 4 characters on stage my "late" entrance wouldn't have worked, but with 45 or 50 on stage it was just a "cheat".
Incidentally, in that fourth company I joined the show's cast five days before opening night, two players having become ill. Luckily, I had done the production one year prior, so it was a quick study.

It's yoooooooo in the sunrise, it's yoooo-oooo in my cup; it's yoooooooo all the wayyyyyyyyy into town.

Thanks for the memories.

HR

 

[Larry Liebscher]

I heard Beethoven's Minuete in G on the radio Monday. It is impossible to hear it without also singing along (ie. thinking):

La-de-da-de-da-de-da-de-daa.
La-de-da.
La-de-da.