Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered

"I'm wild again
Beguiled again
A simpering whimpering child again
Bewitched bothered and bewildered am I"
Rogers&Hart, Pal Joey, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Not really, but it's a great tune.  Babs gives it a good go here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbLz2DcxZEQ
But her version holds no candle to Betty Buckley's on Saturday night at Yoshi's.  It's one of the great things about many of the songs in American musical theater, they get better with age, both of the song and the singer.  Babs at 21 sings it, her chops are spine-tingling, but she is still schoolgirlish at 21.  Betty at 63 sings it, and sells it, and it has a whole different impact.  Wise, comfortable, joyful anticipation and resignation; she just slayed us.
What a dame.  Picked her up late afternoon Thursday, with her uber-competent assistant Cathy.  Felt like a dolt.  Brought B to see her Saturday at eight and she just killed it; Barry in stunned rapture let his ice cream melt he was so taken in.  Buy the t-shirt, she autographs and chats and gives him a big hug.

I pick her up Sunday morning to take her to the airport.  She and Cathy start right in on what a doll B is.  Ok, that's easy to hear.  Then Betty gets into her process, meditation, teaching, how she tries to get young singers to make it not about them, but giving to the audience, and says how cool it was to watch Barry on Saturday listening to her.  I am floored.  She talks about Memories, and (I will not do her justice here) how to get her head in the right place she would bring up an image of someone with down syndrome, use that for sense memory.  She goes on for some time about how important meditation techniques are for her work and her teaching and how she uses images of people with down syndrome.  No, she has never done Inside the Actor's Studio, Lipton needs to get her on, not be cute, and just let her talk.  A real treat to hear a world class talent talk so generously about what she does, and tell me she digs my kid to boot.  Big hugs at the airport, she and Cathy are off; I'm still trying not to blubber.
 Oh yeah, and her piano player Christian Jacob ?  Monster.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HBISHfWaxQ.  Very interesting to hear his take on current jazz audiences.  He never really cut loose with Betty, but his playing and the inter-play was riveting.

Thursday, drop Betty off and its a half hour gut buster ego check with CT.  300 swings 28-20.  Wall push-ups.  Invert and its hello belly, ugh.
Friday, three miles in am, work all day the then weekend kicks off with 75 minutes with Pradeep starting at 5:30.  Smoking smoking energetic class.  Gonna take many many more of these.
Saturday.  Walk the dog and feel like shit.  Sleep most afternoon then into Betty.
Sunday.  After dropping Betty off hour long session on marina green.  CT has me sprinting for the first time in maybe 15 years, feels rock solid.  Thank you kettlebells.
Monday, three miles am.  Good day at work, then 5:30 Pradeep class, another smoker.  It is fast and hard but the tablas keep it going.
Tuesday.  Gonna work out at home late, but incoming from Peter leaves me in TJ's lot too late so nothing.  That's fine.
Today.  Three miles am.  Good billing day.  Into gym at 5:30 goes like:
5 slow pushups, Sgt. Ken style
20 tactical lunges, 16kg
Press work
7 double 16kg
3 double 24kg
1+1 32kg
shaky first circuit.  Three singles each side on the third though.
20 walking lunges, two 35lb dumbbells
3x
Swings
30 24kg
1+1 24kg tgu
10 32kg swings
1+1 24kg tgu
Alternate that for ten, so five each.  Felt very very good.

Beguiled again.