Happy Birthday to my daughter Renee and my grandson Elijah!
Saturday 9: Don't Rain on My Parade (1968)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Is rain expected where you are today? No, sunny and 81.
2) In this song, Barbra Streisand warns everyone to not spoil her optimistic mood. What is something you're feeling really good about today? Time with my grandkids in between "cruise" classes.
3) She sings that life is candy and the sun is a ball of butter. Which have you consumed more recently, candy or butter? Butter, I have it with my toast.
4) This song is from the musical Funny Girl. It's based on the true story of Fanny Brice, who starred on Broadway, in movies and on the radio between 1910 and 1951. At the beginning of her career, no one thought she would succeed because of her unconventional looks, but she forged ahead, saying, "I make things happen for me." Are you focused, like Fanny? I can be but I also deal with ADD. Now that I have tinnitus, I try to stay busy so I don't hear the ringing in my ears. It is really weird. For days I have heard it in my right ear but it switched to the left. But actually it is coming from my brain.
5) When the stage version of Funny Girl was in pre-production, the part of Fanny was offered to actress Anne Bancroft, but she felt the songs were too difficult for her. Singer Eydie Gorme dropped out when told her husband, Steve Lawrence, could not play the male lead. Carol Burnett said she'd love to do it, but also admitted she thought she was wrong for the role. Running out of time and options, producer Ray Stark decided to give lesser-known Barbra Streisand a try ... and the rest, as they say, is history. Has there ever been a time in your life when you were glad things didn't work out as you'd originally planned? I would say yes, but I can't think of anything right now.
6) Funny Girl was the top grossing movie of 1968. #2 was 2001: A Space Odyssey. Given the choice, would you rather watch a musical or a sci-fi flick? A musical! I love musicals. They remind me of my parents. I got to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway with them. I have seen all the Star Wars and Star Trek movies.
7) Streisand's favorite color is burgundy because it reminds her of when, as a little girl, she received a hand-knitted sweater as a gift and wearing it made her feel special. What color is your favorite sweater?
I have several black sweaters that I like to wear. black goes with many things. I have one that is cashmere and it was my moms.
8) In 1960, she began performing in New York clubs but she had a hard time getting work because she was only 18 and most nightclubs wouldn't hire a girl not yet old enough to drink. Do you remember your first legal alcoholic beverage? What did you have? I was with my parents and it was wine.
9) Random question: How many people know the real you? Really know me??? Two. My cousin and my sister. Funny thing is it took me years for me to accept the real me. There was freedom when I finally could be the real me instead of the girl I was expected to be. Everyone thought I was the studious perfect person. But though I enjoyed learning, I had a creative side to me that wanted to come out and play. So now I am playing. I have been away at a virtual craft cruise. It ends on Sunday. I plan to do a page on what I did and share some of my projects. I will leave you with this page.
