Your Sunday Clothes

Here are a few things that I don't care about at all: award shows,  American Idol, and Charlie Sheen.  I care so little and am so annoyed with the outpouring of "news" regarding this man that I am reluctant even to write his name here, but whatever, he's everywhere.

Some things I do currently care about: workers' rights in Wisconsin, the new season of Radiolab (coming a week from today), and old school musicals with songs that get stuck in your head.  In particular, I'm on a Hello, Dolly kick at the moment.  If your only exposure to to this great romantic comedy/musical extravaganza is that stupid Wall-e movie, then you're really missing out.   It is an over-the-top two and a half hours of dramatic song and dance, cheesy yet melt-your-heart romantic moments, and some of the prettiest costumes ever.  To top that, part of it was filmed in Garrison, my beloved home town.  

Many Garrisonites our age don't even know about it because they don't have parents who were around when it was shot, and they didn't have a grandmother who had Gene Kelly staying in her house during the summer of 1960-something.  I, however, do have those parents - my father is supposedly in a shot riding a bike or something - and that grandmother, who still plays the soundtrack at least once a day on her surround sound system.  She also frequently asks anyone who'll listen why the movie producers bothered to bring Barbara Streisand up from New York when "they could have had the original Dolly right here!"  

Watch the video below to be enthralled by one of my favorite songs from the film.  I also love "Before the Parade Passes By" because it's so over-the-top dramatic, but there's no Garrison in that scene.  The beginning of Sunday Clothes is boring and Michael Crawford is a little creepy, but just watch it (I fast-forward to Barbara's part, around 1:30).  If you're from Garrison, are fond of Garrison, or just love cheesy and overblown musicals, you won't feel your time wasted as you watch the train pull up to "Yonkers" and head towards the city along the glorious Hudson River.  So very nostalgic.

PS - I do a great Barbara impersonation, in case you were wondering.