On the tail of a disappointing Johnny Depp/Sweeney Toddy, ST and I are revisiting the original source material, the 1982 Showtime production featuring Angela Lansbury and the amazing George Hearn as Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd. By way of Sweeney, we’re now moving on to a full blown George Hearn fan spree (though I love Lansbury, her work does not inspire/require repeat screenings). After going through the Showtime production several times, I dug up an old VHS recording of the San Fran concert version featuring Hearn and Patty Lupone (OK… but why must concert versions of musicals make ANY attempt at costuming or dramatic staging???). Now, we’ve abandoned Sweeney for Hearn in the La Cage Aux Folles broadway cast recording. Perhaps, because I’m surviving winter by high coffee dosages and rousing musical anthems, I cannot get the La Cage, Hearn/All cast finale out of my head:

The best of times is now.
What’s left of Summer
But a faded rose?
The best of times is now.
As for tomorrow,
Well, who knows? Who knows? Who knows?
So hold this moment fast,
And live and love
As hard as you know how.

I like this part best:

La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la

Another entry in the pictographic archive of gents: Aspen man. Not certain of this gent’s printed identity (pullled from the pages of an old Vanity Fair magazine, now lapsed), but he’s been a standing sartorial role model for me for several years. To him, I attribute my ability to wear Troentorp wooden clogs.