Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/02/21 in all areas

  1. The Folk Prophet

    Musicals

    Why wasn't Martin Guerre better? It was, by far, the most anticipated musical for me ever. I was SO excited by it. And then... I mean...it was okay. I still love things about it. But overall, it just wasn't as good as Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's previous two (Les Miz and Miss Saigon). Yes, they tweaked it and re-released it. But they didn't fix the actual problem. They added new songs that were great. Sure. But they ruined the wonderful orchestrations of the first version by cheaping out on the second version. Overall, I like the original version better, but the re-work included Live With Somebody You Love and Justice Will Be Done which were both wonderful. I can only imagine if they'd had better orchestrations. But.... Anyhow, the actual problem... the story. When I first looked up Martin Guerre when I heard that it was their next musical (because I'd never heard of Martin Guerre), I saw that the movie Sommersby was based on it. I loved that movie! So intense and emotional and powerful. Perfect musical material! For those of you who aren't in the know, Martin Guerre is the story of an imposter. It's based on a real individual. After the real Martin Guerre left his wife and son, someone showed up claiming to be him. He lived with Guerre's wife and son for three years, but then was eventually discovered. The real Martin Guerre retuned for the trial, etc. Here's the wikipedia on him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Guerre *SPOILERS: The movie, however, left people in the dark over whether the man was an imposter or not (though it implied he was), and he died in order to save all the good work he'd done, the honor of his wife, etc. And that sacrifice was what made it powerful. The musical followed the truth a bit more, I guess, and you knew the man was an imposter the entire time. And it just wasn't that powerful. Man I wish they'd just done Sommersby set to great music. I mean, sure, call it Martin Guerre. But...there you go. Anyhow, still a loved show of mine. Particularly the original. I mean I only know it from the cast recordings, and because it wasn't popular enough there was never a complete recording, which is unfortunate. My wife actually got to see it in London when it was on originally. She speaks fondly of it. I'd still call Martin Guerre a good show, overall. I'd still say it's one I like a lot. There are some really great numbers in it too. That's as comparted to their fourth effort, The Pirate Queen, which just stunk up the universe. I really wish they'd write another one. They, apparently, having had the mega-huge success with Les Miz and huge success with Miss Saigon, and then faltering with Martin Guerre and taken a huge old face plant with The Pirate Queen, decided they'd done enough and have no new ambition. That's too bad. Rogers and Hammerstein had some less successful shows. They just kept on writing. I sure wish Schönberg and Boublil had done 10 or so instead of 4. But it seems not meant to be. Maybe they secretly have one last triumph up their sleeves. I doubt it. I mean their last work was 2007. Seems clear they quit.
    1 point
  2. Traveler

    The Record of the Jews

    There have all ready been some very good comments. I thought to add some thought as an armature student of ancient middle eastern studies. The discovery of the vast array of Dead Sea Scrolls has drastically changed our view of the world of the Jews at the time of Jesus and before (from the second temple era on). These precious artifacts has demonstrated that what has been handed down as tradition over the last 2,000 years is extremely inaccurate. For example documents like the "Testaments of the Patriarchs" and the Book of Enoch that were left out of our modern Bible are historically more accurate than accepted1700 years ago. The reasons given anciently for rejecting these documents turns out to be completely untrue - leaving modern students to wonder if deliberate deception (lying) was involved in the early evolution of what is now Traditional Christianity . But there are other interesting facts about ancient scripture. Within the Dead Sea Scrolls there was a very distinct hierarchy of their scripture texts. Not just which books of scripture but which copy and version of each text. One of the primary reasons for the Dead Sea settlement was what was known as a scriptorium. Copies were made of sacred scripture text - most likely to be used at ancient synagogues. But some copies were obviously more sacred than others. Select breeds of sheep were used for certain copies of the scrolls. These were believed to be like standard copies kept at the scriptorium from which other copies were made for distribution. There was another purpose for the Settlement that is not often mentioned in modern religious circles. This purpose was to maintain a pure and clean cadre of priest for officiating in the ordinances at the temple in Jerusalem. One of the greatest mysteries of the Dead Sea Scriptures is what is known as "The Copper Scroll". This is a most unique scripture that relates directly to the Temple of Jerusalem. A number of prominent scholars (Catholic scholars dominate as the experts and currently control the Dead Sea Scriptures) believe that the most accurate scriptures were kept at the temple on mettle scrolls or plates in the Arch of the Covenant in the Holy of Holy of the temple. It is my personal theory that these very special copies of ancient scripture that were kept at the temple were what Nephi calls "The Record of the Jews". We know from records at the Dead Sea Settlement that any scriptures kept at the temple were to be watched over and kept at the temple by covenant. The fact that Laban had this sacred artifact in his residence was a gross breaking of a sacred covenant. Anciently the punishment for breaking such a sacred covenant with G-d was to be beheaded. We know from the Book of Mormon that the record of the Jews was what became known as the Brass plates of Laban. The Book of Mormon tells us that this record was very sacred and will be preserved. This all makes it very unlikely that Joseph Smith conjured up the Book of Mormon as a fantasy and in fact the more we learn about the times in question the more accurate we learn to Book of Mormon must be - even more accurate than the Bible as it is presented to us in our modern era. The Traveler
    1 point
  3. Vort

    I Have Arrived

    Seriously? "Days won"? Who knew this kind of information was kept and displayed, and to what end? I need to pay more attention, I guess.
    1 point
  4. So, when the daughters were like 11ish, we redid their bathroom, and I added an extra medicine cabinet thingy that lights up and whatnot. Cool place to keep makeup and skincare and stuff that girls seem to need. Those like those, right? Just doin' my daddy thing. Over the years, my wife has taken them to try out makeup, they've talked about spa days and facials and stuff. Daughters never gave two craps about any of that. Medicine cabinet is the most useless thing in our house, covered in dust, holding some nail polish and other crap mom got them over the years. Tonight we're doing our monthly family movie night thing, and this time our 17 yr old is bringing a friend. She mentions in passing he's a boy. His parents are dropping him off at our movie, and picking him up after. They're just friends, she says. This morning, I notice the door to the medicine cabinet is open.
    0 points
  5. probably met in the Church Administration Building
    0 points
  6. romans8

    The Record of the Jews

    I found some mention of the brass plates at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1988/01/the-plates-of-brass-a-witness-of-christ?lang=eng The Brass Plates may well have been the official scripture of the Ten Tribes. It is probable that some prophets wrote on these plates whose writings may not have been recorded on the records kept in Judah. Were Zenos, Zenock, Neum, and Ezias … among them?” (Answers to Book of Mormon Questions, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967, pp. 43–44.)
    0 points
  7. Pontificating about “love” by pretty much any modern entertainer, academic, and/or clinician. Given the endless procession of failed relationships most of those bozos have participated in, I can’t think of a group in the past three centuries that is less qualified to advise us on human relationships.
    0 points