I won, of all things, free tickets to see 33 Variations on Broadway.
.
It's funny because I didn't really want to see 33 Variations. At least not enough to pay any money to see it. But for free and a chance to see Jane Fonda back on Broadway after 30 some years - okay.
.
First, she looks amazing for 71. In the picture here she is suppose to be suffering from advanced Lou Gerhig's disease, so she is suppose to look a little crappy. But she looked good, was of a good voice and is an excellent actress. Here political days are long behind her.
.
I have to tell what the show is about so you will understand my trepidation. Jane plays a "Musicologist" who is publishing a monograph on why Beethoven wrote 33 different variations on 1 waltz - thought to be a minor throwaway waltz by a hack, at that. Oh by the way, Beethoven and his fights with the publisher and his assistant are also shown.
.
S O U N D S ..... B O R I N G
.
It wasn't really all that boring. I mean the actual theme of the story was great. The "moral" is there was one is that our lives are made up of these wonderful fleeting moments that we need to recognize. We, as people, have the endless ability to shape our lives into wonderful things. Get it? Beethoven used a throw away piece to shape great beauty. Get it? Get it! Yes - we got it, you can stop hitting over the head now. FYI, I think we got it about 15 minutes into the evening.
.
See, not a bad moral.
.
How was the play? Jane Fonda was great. How was the play? The concert pianist that played snippets of the 33 Variations during the show, great! How was the play?
.
Long. It REALLY could have used an editor. It would have been a nice little 90 minute 1 act. It was stretched too long for me, and had an intermission that tempted me with the quick walk home.
.
Also, when 1 lead has Lou Gerhig's disease and the other lead's last work before he died was to finish 33 Variations - you kind of know where it is going. Get there already.