The Devil's Playground

You know, musicals are so wonderous. Even as opera, or perhaps I should say, especially as opera. But the thing is, I don't know squat diddly doo about opera. I read Mozart's biography, or probably one of many. But from that I learned that he was pretty good at creating. Of course most of us saw Amadeus. Aha--back to the musical I'm talking about. The modern musical--a movie, or a stage play with a story, incorporating music.

But Amadeus isn't technically the kind of musical I'm talking about. (begins the sounds from Fiddler on the Rood) "If I was a rich man (dada daduda, dadadadada...finishes the sounds)"--"Maria. I once met a girl named Maria--(careful guys, this one can get me in heeps of trouble, because I married HER)"--"These are a few of my favorite things (was tinker toys one of them?--seems like it)"--"There is nothing like a dame"--Rogers and Hammerstein, Ira and George Gershwin, Lerner and Loew (another one I'll mention in a minute...)

Surely just as it was necessary that the Beatles sang Black Bird for us to be where we are today, the musical was also one of God's perfect poker hands. Speaking of the Beatles, their version of "Till there was You" was pretty doggon amazing. I wasn't 10 years old yet when my folks took me to the Kansas City downtown theater--what was it the Empire? to see Robert Preston and Shirley Jones sing that song to each other across the skyline of River City.

My mom was determined to get me culture. She had season passes to Starlight, the outside theater in Swope Park for just me and her and I saw everything there. Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, West Side Story, Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Music Man (which got me in to all this and to this day I can still give you most of Harold Hill's lines...((in fact, it is probably what made me be the romantic con man that I am today!!)) hmm, I think you're still suppose to close the first parenthesis, so here).

Anyway, to play off of Rick's words, I don't think except for the musical (yep the other guy who I bogarted his name before) by Meredith Wilson, I would have known the expression, Idle Mind's the Devil's Playground except for Harold Hill's convincing the people of River City that the pool hall was going to be TROUBLE!

I got the part of Winthrop when the play finally came to Ruskin. I was too small and couldn't sing so I didn't get to play my hero. Even though I was fantastic (still am) at the whole Trouble with a capital T schtick! Didn't get to do "Oho the Welth Fargo wagon ith a comin down the thweet" though because instead of making it to practice I was out conning 16 and 17 year old chicks to dig me. That is the first time I got fired, come to think of it...

Google just edumacated me. The words in the lyrics are "An idle brain is the devil's playgound," so Rick either has to rename his essay or I have to think of something quick, because the double entendre won't be as effective if I screw up the punch line.

I've got it. Remember Lilly Tomlin? Never Mind.