I didn’t plan to write this post until after I got home, but since we are delayed for an hour and a half at Heathrow, I thought I would do it now.
Ann was coming to our hotel and we were going to spend the morning at the Victoria & Albert Museum, but I got funny tummy at 3:00 AM. I think the lobster was just too rich for me. We met Ann but I begged off the excursion. I had been there twice before on other trips, but Beatrice had never been, so they spent the morning there.
The big show was “The Songbook Trail of Taylor Swift,” with thirteen stops to show the costumes she wore. Many mothers and adoring daughters were there.
She also enjoyed watching the kids play in the pond outside the museum.
While they were gone, I slept in for an extra hour and checked in with British Airlines. There was a problem with her confirmation number, so I called the travel emergency hotine at Road Scholar to get it sorted out. I said good bye to Ann. We are considering a week in Nice the end of September.
We had to be dressed for the evening at 2:30, since we had two workshops and not much time in between activities. Our first speaker was Matt Wolf, the drama critic from the International New York Times. He is from New York and started writing for rhe Yale Daily News when he was an undergraduate, and just sort of slid into writing about plays for other publications as a freelancer. . He had been taken to plays since he was very young , since it was easier for his parents to pay for an extra ticket than it was to hire a babysitter. We discussed the pros and cons of the three plays we saw. My personal favorite at that point was “ People and Places and Things,” since the actress playing the main character was so powerful. Addiction and recovery are heady subjects for a play but there was even some black humor that added to the show. “Witness for the Prosecution “ was well done. It gets a heavy tourist crowd since it’s been ongoing for several years, like “ The Mousetrap,” and is performed in a courtroom. “The Grapes of Wrath” had a fine cast ( with Cherry Jones, for you fans of “ Succession”) but seemed long and too heavy.
After Matt’s presentation, we had a discussion about the tour with personal highlights covering Giles’ lectures, Kevin’s help as Tour Leader, the ship itself, and our time in London. We rated the tour five star.
We ate at a quiet lovely Italian restaurant in the neighborhood
We traveled to the Barbican to see our last play, “Kiss Me Kate.” When it was built, Londoners hated the architecture but I enjoyed the fact that it was easy to get around and that there were lots of bathrooms!
”Kiss Me Kate” was spectacular! It was fun and joyous, with a well- honed cast. The musical opened in June and rhe actors have grown into their roles. The lead was very strong and everyone else followed along. The choreography was fantastic.
A good time was had by all.
We can say the same thing about the tour.
It’s almost time to find our gate.
If you have any questions, please add them to the comments.
Dear Karen,
Thank you for including me.
Your summaries are interesting.
Gratefully,
Jan
Thanks for signing up to get the posts. My viewers are the reason I post.
A fun week to live through vicariously — ‘seemed to fly by. Thanks for the education, Karen & Bea
Can’t believe those oldies are still being performed! Loved them! “Grapes of Wrath” is most significant book in my life, .partly because I grew up in Santa Cruz, so close to Salinas Valley area. However, at this stage in life, it would be too sad for me. I would be disappointed to see a Taylor Swift display at a London museum!! Trip sounds fantastic! I was told this didn’t go thru! THEN was told I’d already said that!!! I’ll stick to E-M!
The V & A specializes in popular culture so it fits in with their mission. Kevin mentioned that they recently did an exhibition on cruising, which he enjoyed immensely. The museum wants to get the people in, and appeal to a broad audience. There was a retrospective of Mary Quant clothing a while back. There was also a beautiful two floor jewelry exhibit, which Beatrice enjoyed. We also saw an exhibit showcasing the wives of Henry VIII at the National Portrait Gallery. The building and architecture of the V & A museum is reason enough to go, and it’s free.
You’re welcome. Enjoyed having you along.
Can’t believe those oldies are still being performed! Loved them! “Grapes of Wrath” is most significant book in my life, .partly because I grew up in Santa Cruz, so close to Salinas Valley area. However, at this stage in life, it would be too sad for me. I would be disappointed to see a Taylor Swift display at a London museum!! Trip sounds fantastic!
We discussed this very issue on the bus ride after the “Kiss Me Kate” performance. It does stand up, after all these years. The acting, singing and dancing were unsurpassed. It was a not-to-be-missed performance. Giles pointed out that the main dancer in “ Too Darn Hot” must have torn something during the show, so the singer ad libbed at the end and the focus was on her, not the dancer. She was sufficiently skilled and “ fiesty” ( Giles’ word) to pull it off. No one knew, except the experts who know the show very very well. That’s why I loved this program. That’s what makes a superb performance.
Enjoyed all your snippets on your Theatre Trip, Karen. Job well done. Thanks for including me.
Tina (Tuscany trip)