From the tearful pleading song of the daughter to her father as she tells him to let go and cry, knowing he needed to be brought out of his mental darkness, to the evil hatred of the surviving child whose family was destroyed at the hands of the ruling power, the musical wrenched at our heartstrings in every way. As all great art tends to do, we were changed by the experience and grew from the anguish of the events on stage. The gripping ending with its tragic courage and sacrifice left the audience members shaken by the pain and ultimate redemption of the people.
Having spent a few hours in the Charles Dickens display at the Museum of London, I felt a connection to the story not previously experienced. Dickens' desire to make social change through greater compassion for the underprivileged while pointing out the abuses of the wealthy and the power structures, make for stories and books that are both entertaining and filled with great wisdom and perception. At times wildly humorous (I still laugh when I think about David Copperfield pointing out how awful the flute player sounded!), at other times emotional shattering, Charles Dickens is an author whose books are far-reaching and still have impact on us today.
In contrast to the rich emotional experience of Tale of Two Cities, I thoroughly enjoyed the West End musical Singing in the Rain. Lavish costumes, wonderful dancing, colorful usage of lights, comical energy, electrifying scenery added to the enjoyment of this great musical. Make'em Laugh was as entertaining as always and the highlight of the show was of course the title song Singing in the Rain. During this song, a large amount of water came down on the stage, resulting in a few wet people on the front rows and a fun dance routine on stage. Okay, not quite Gene Kelley, it was still amazing and very fun to see the dancer swing around with an umbrella while singing. And who cannot be moved by the moment when Don Lockwood reveals that it was Kathy Selden who sang for Lena Lamont. Non-stop fun and also educational as we see the transition from silent film to talking movies, Singing in the Rain is family entertainment at its best.
Today I visited Kensington Park for the first time to see the monuments. Across from Royal Albert Hall is a fantastic structure to Albert and Victoria. Is is inlaid with gold trim and emanates wealth and grandeur. Setting the stage for the beautiful park, I continued past the tribute, found another monument, kept walking, and eventually settled in at the Princess Diana fountain. Unlike other fountains, this one was simple and designed for tranquility and reflection. Not wanting to disappoint the intention, I paused for a few moments to allow for peaceful contemplation of the brief but poignant life of Princess Diana. Over to the side was a massive bronze called Isis of a strong but peaceful bird.
This idea of peace continued to be a part of my day when I went to a different part of London. Walking around a corner, I saw a nice sculpture of Nelson Mandela and read about his life in prison as his stood for his principles. A bus trip and walk then brought me to the Garden of Peace which was filled with blooming flowers, colorful trees, and several memorials. In the middle of the garden we see Ghandi in a sitting position as he insisted on non-violence regardless of the events around him. No crazy dogs with sweaters interfered with my time, and I sat on a bench wondering when the world would embrace love over power and war. Wondering if my study of Rock music were making me a hippie (did I sound like Yoko Ono? Scary!), I left the garden to get ready to attend another concert.
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