April 26, 2007
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The Daily News
1 Don't it always seem to go?2 The night before last, the San Jose City Council approved a plan that would basically get rid of the San Jose Flea Market.
3 Mayor Chuck Reed had this to say: "Rules is rules. Plow it under."
4 Something like that. I translated.
5 In keeping with San Jose's history of erasing its history, I see the whole thing as a sad day for our dumb little town. Besides throwing hundreds of people out of jobs, this decision has also paved Paradise and put up a parking lot.
6 And beyond the human toll this is going to take, it's also taking something that I've been enjoying since my high school days completely away: going to the Flea Market.
7 Going to the Flea Market as a kid meant to me a 45-minute drive to an exotic land where prices were not only cheap, but the atmosphere was of an outside market- place, rich with the heritage of many different cultures, and with vegetables, bootleg albums, electric guitars, garden statuary, hats, sunglasses, and old books, all of which you could barter for on a breezy Sunday afternoon.
8 I loved that you could wander around outside looking for virtually anything. They had a pet shop that was later closed down, but one of the highlights of the day was going in and goofing on the puppies, never knowing when that one little guy would come home with you.
9 My trips would include a stop at any food stand for a corn dog and the immortal Flea Market fries, which I would salt freely and pop in my mouth while they were still sizzling.
10 They're talking of moving all of it to the Fairgrounds, but we'll just have to wait and see.
11 Meanwhile, another piece of San Jose's history is going to fall to bulldozers.
12 Sad.
13 Moving on: Did I hear that suddenly, and without warning, bees are disappearing from the planet?
14 Global souring.
15 In all honesty, our buzzy little friends are disappearing from the Earth, and for the life of them, scientists have no clue as to why.
16 I haven't been able to keep up on the news lately because I've been busy as a bee working on Blues Brothers for tonight's Warrior Idol at YB.
17 Oops. I guess the cat's outta the bag on THAT one.
18 Yep. Looks like Russell-Bob and I will be performing tonight.
19 Well, hopefully. He has recently hurt his hand and is having his stitches removed this afternoon. But meanwhile, we have music and we have the stuff. I just hope it will all happen. I think it starts at 6 p.m. tonight in YB's Theatre.
20 Moving on, part 2: The update on the Drama Workshop is that the students have been busily working on a GREAT production of Bullshot Crummond, one of the most complex full-scale plays on the books. I visited YB in the past two days and was able to sit in on a few rehearsals, and let me tellya, these guys have chops.
21 That's Performing Artspeak for "talent". They can act, and have a terrific sense of timing. For the record, I wanted to do Bullshot for years, and just never seemed to have the exact right cast.22 I've seen it twice in my lifetime, both times at West Valley College, only 20 years apart. Both times directed by the inimitable Ginger Drake. The older production was on a student night, which Ginger still does to this day. Back then, they would invite us to an actual production for free, and then would have a Q and A at the end.
23 Bullshot has so many hilarious scenes it's virtually impossible to list them here. It's an over-the-top spoof of old movie serials where the hero might be tied up with a lit dynamite stick in his mouth, and a voice over would ask, "Will our hero make it? Will the world be saved from abolute doom?" etc.
24 Well, Bullshot also has a scene in which the leading character runs off stage to put on a "disguise". He returns in a 1920's bathing suit, poses arms akimbo, and it becomes instantly obvious that he has a banana down his pants.
25 At the time I had no idea that scene would be in the play, and had parents at the performance. Naturally, the entire five-minute bit had everybody in stitches, but I was pretty embarrassed for the parents, and figured we'd get a few cards and letters.
26 The cast later came out and engaged in an intimate Q and A session in which our students would ask them questions about the production. The would ask normal questions: How long did it take to learn your lines? How much time did you spend on blocking? How did you do all that amazing tech?
27 One student raised his hand and asked the actor who played Bullshot, "What's it like acting with a banana down your pants?"
28 Without missing a beat, the actor answered casually, "What banana?"
29 A great moment among many great moments.
30 With that, I'll simply say go on down to the Theatre tonight. I THINK the starting time is 6 p.m.
31 Warrior Idol. The good ol' Theatre. We are doing two songs if my voice can reach the higher pitches required of the second one. Famous songs, of course!
32 That's it.
33 Have a fun day!
34 Peace.
~H~
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