The Theodore Newsletter

February 1, 2024

Valentine’s Day. February 14. It is a day that has come to mean different things to different people.

How about history? The holiday probably derives from an ancient Roman feast where men and maidens drew partners for the coming year by lottery. The festival later became associated with the feast’s day of two Roman martyrs both named St. Valentine; over the years, St. Valentine has, been regarded as the patron saint of lovers. How about history? There are a host of other tales that have appeared in the literature and media. The most plausible tale? Enter Chaucer. At one time in his career, Chaucer claimed it was the first day of Spring with the mating of birds. Other writings followed that began to tie Valentine’s Day with love and affection. Enter Shakespeare. In Hamlet, Ophelia sang a tune that included the lyrics “…and I a maid at your window, to be your Valentine.”

For most, it is a day to exchange notes and / or cards, hopefully written by you… and not Hallmark. For me, it is simply a day to express one’s feeling of care and love for special people.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the day has become commercialized. It is more than just Hallmark cards. It’s gifts that can vary from candy, to jewelry, to flowers etc. (While courting the Queen during the mid-1960s, I remember sending flowers with the note: “just a reminder that the little guy cares. It scored a touchdown.”). In recent years, sweets – particularly chocolates – have come to replace flowers, with the accompanying rip-offs. Sad, but what the hell, it’s only one day a year.

Many, including your favorite author, have extended the premise of this special day to include love of our country. I often give thanks for having been born, raised, and educated in the US of A. Unfortunately, it seems as if more and more people don’t quite have the same feeling I do — but we can only hope I’m wrong.

I need to end on a positive note. I hope everyone in the reading audience has experienced the thrill of falling in love. It is hard to describe. It really is an indescribable feeling, and I will never forget that special period of my life.

Happy Valentine’s Day to All

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www.theodorenewsletter.com

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NEXT POSTINGS

MARCH 1:                 On the Biden Chronicles

APRIL 1:                    On Zzzabuu VI

MAY 1;                      On Technical Writing

JUNE 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXXVII

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August 1, 2023

I was always in love with the music of the 1950s and 1960s. And suddenly, it came to me 5 years ago while watching an advertisement on the great love songs of the past. I thought: How about a musical play on the great music of the 1950s and 1960s era? After some thought, I decided to put together an outline for a Broadway play concerned with the musical hits of that period, focusing on (but not limited to) country plus rock and roll music. And, that was what an article at that time was all about…a Broadway musical play titled: The Music of the 1950s and 1960s.

That was 5 years ago. Five years have elapsed and I’ve decided to revisit that article. And, here is my edited and revised version of my earlier work.

On to the musical itself. Keep in mind that I am not a producer or director, and have attended only 15 (my best guess) Broadway plays and 5 (my best guess again) off-Broadway plays. Most have been of a musical variety. My first play was Grease and remember becoming mesmerized on entering the theatre and hearing the piped-in music prior to the play. I also remember Dream Girls and Jersey Boys. Interestingly for me, the plot never came into “play;” it was strictly the music. Based on all of this, here is what I’ve come up with for a Broadway play on the music of the 1950s and 1960s.

Three things come into mind regarding the proposed play: the music/score, the singers/musicians, and the presentation/production. Each are detailed below.

The Music/Score: As noted earlier, the music would be primarily based on the hit songs of the 1950s and 1960s. Here are some of my favorites:

Be My Baby

Beyond the Sea

Blueberry Hill

California Girls

Georgia on My Mind

Crazy

I Want to Hold Your Hand

Johnny B. Good

ShBoom

Someday Soon

Sweet Caroline

Whole Lotta Lovin’ Going On

All My Lovin’

You Belong to Me

Begin the Beguine

Some, but not all, of the above would be part of the play for a given night, details of which are provided in the Presentation/Production section.

The Singers/Musicians: This should consist of a 5–10-person band with excellent singers and music playing abilities. A no-name group – that are true fans of the songs of the 1950s and 1960s – would be preferred. At a minimum, the band would consist of a drummer, guitarist, keyboard player, violinist, and horn. The band members would be male but a female singer/musician would be a plus. Other musicians could also be included in the band.

The Presentation/Production: Here is what I envision for a typical performance. The band opens up with a medley of 5 or more country music songs from the past. This would be followed by ACT I which would consist of 15 songs selected randomly by the Director from a list of 75 hits of the 1950s and 60s, almost all from a different artist. The 75 songs would initially be selected by the Director. Each song would be preceded by a short one-minute commentary on the songwriter(s) and/or original singer(s). ACT II would follow after a 15-minute break. This last act would consist of 10 songs that would be randomly selected by the audience. The play would conclude with another medley of songs of a rock-and-roll variety. The band would have to rehearse all songs early during the production stage of the play.

The aforementioned 15 songs in ACT I would be randomly selected from the “bank” of the aforementioned 75 songs for each performance. Songs would also be randomly selected from the 60 songs that were not selected that previous evening for the following (next) performance. The next performance would then be selected from the remaining 45 songs. Etc. Etc. The cycle would therefore be repeated after every five performances, being careful that the songs are randomly selected each night and each cycle.

The ACT II songs would be selected by the audience each night on entering the theatre from the 60 songs remaining in the pool of songs not included in ACT I for that evening. The selections from the audience would be computerized, with the results of the top 10 choices determined during ACT I and the break. These songs would then constitute the aforementioned 10 songs for ACT II that night.

The opening (prologue) and closing (epilogue) melodies would be the same each night.

A typical performance could consist of the following:

ACT I

INTRODUCTION: Lead member of band

OPENING MELODY (COUNTRY MUSIC; my selections)

            Country Road

            Someday Soon (my favorite)

            Don’t it Make My Brown Eyes Blue

            Lying Eyes

            Rocky Mountain High

15 SONGS

            These would be selected from the pool of 75 songs. For example, the 15 selected earlier could be chosen.

INTERLUDE/BREAK (15 minutes)

ACT II

10 SONGS

You (the audience) pick them.

CLOSING MELODY (ROCK-AND-ROLL; my selections)

            Earth Angel

            ShBoom

            Maybelline

            I Wanna Hold Your Hand

            Sweet Caroline (audience participation)

CLOSING REMARKS: Lead member of band

Finally, three points need to be made. First, I must inform the reader that I have never written a song, sung a song professionally, played a musical instrument, written a play, or understand the various ramifications associated with a play, let alone a musical play. Second, each performance would be different and thus could be attended numerous times by a theatergoer. (This is similar to Louie Prima’s shows of yesteryear in Las Vegas where – due to Prima’s insanity – the audience was treated to a different show every night.) Third, the above outline and details of the proposed musical play are dynamic in nature and could be “tweaked,” e.g., more or less selections, elimination of random selections, different musical categories, and any potential and/or special accommodations to the performers, audience, societal interests and problems, etc.

©Theodore Tutorials, 2018.

Any thoughts? Your comments would be appreciated.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

SEPTEMBER 1:         On Technical Writing

OCTOBER 1:             On Begin the Beguine

NOVEMBER 1:         On the Beginning, the Middle, and the End

DECEMBER 1:          On Purely Chaste, Pristine and Random Thoughts XXXII

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May 1, 2023

Many of the younger set in my reading audience are now fast approaching crunch time regarding employment. In effect, it’s job time.

Over the years, my students have often asked for advice on employment and careers. My response to them centers on four questions:

1. What are you looking for?
2. What is the company looking for?
3. What about the interview?
4. What is needed to succeed?

Each of these questions are briefly addressed below, with more extensive information provided for (3).

Regarding (1), only you can answer this question. The applicant / student should know something about what he/she wants for the job. Quite frankly, I find it difficult for anyone to really expect a youngster to know what they really want regarding a job or career.

Here are a few tips on what might help you land the job (2&3)… perhaps of your dreams.

1. It is important to prepare an impressive and up-to-date resume that truly reflects you. Put your best foot forward, and don’t lie. Exaggerate? Be careful. Shield the truth? Perhaps, but definitely don’t lie.
2. Prepare for the interview by researching the company. Check them out on their website or review an annual report. This will enable you to ask informed questions during the interview.
3. Attire is important, so dress appropriately.
4. The interview does not begin when you meet the interviewer; it begins earlier at the front door.
5. Turn your cellphone off and avoid texting and phone conversations earlier while in a waiting room.
6. If you are shown into a room to meet the interviewer, wait for the interviewer to tell you where to sit. Remain standing until the interviewer sits. Don’t plop your feet on the interviewer’s desk and start picking your nose or ear(s).
7. Stand up to greet anyone you subsequently meet and shake hands confidently.
8. During the interview, sit on the edge of the chair and lean forward slightly to let the interviewer know you are attentive.
9. Thank the interviewer for his/her time and shake hands before leaving.
10. During the interview meal, generally follow the interviewer’s lead. Place your napkin in your lap and begin eating when the interviewer does.
11. Start with the utensils on the outside and work your way in toward the plate.
12. Order something familiar that is neat as opposed to messy.
13. Taste the food before seasoning.
14. Keep on the same eating pace with your interviewer.
15. Do not mix food on your plate into a pile of hash.
16. Do not order alcohol if your interviewer does not.
17. Be extra courteous to the waiter and busboy.

As the old saying goes, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” so make the most of it. Prepare and rehearse for the interview. I also believe it is appropriate to either send the recruiter a thank you letter or follow with a call or e-mail the following day.

Well, what about (4). Over the years, I had the privilege of maintaining close social and professional ties with many of my successful graduates in our profession. In thinking about what character traits likely contributed to their success, I found the following to be the most common.

1. Communication abilities.
2. Appearance.
3. Self-awareness.
4. Self-regulation.
5. Self-motivation.
6. Empathy.
7. Social Skills.
8. Creative leaders have an ability to innovate and “think outside the box.”
9. Self-depreciation.
10. Action-oriented is most important; leaders are doers and have an ability to make things happen, even when the odds are stacked against them.

Interestingly, I have found that technical ability (or the equivalent) and GPA (Grade Point Average) correlate weakly with successful leaders.

I close with a tale that appeared in a number of my earlier publications, one authored by a former student, Anthony J. Buonicore. The moral of the tale may register with a few of the readers concerned with their future.

One stormy night many years ago, an el­derly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get shelter for the night.

“Could you possibly give us a room here?” the man asked. The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, explained that there were three conventions in town.

“All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said. “But I can’t send a nice couple like you into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night.”

When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. “Don’t worry about me; I’ll make out just fine,” the clerk told them. So, the couple agreed.

As he paid the bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk; “You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the country.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost for­gotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled the stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.

The old man met him at a corner in New York City. He then pointed to a great new building, a palace of reddish stone, with tur­rets, and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky. “That,” said the old man, “is the hotel I have just built for you to manage.” “You must be joking,” the clerk said. “I can assure you I am not,” said the old man.

The old man’s name was William Waldorf-Astoria, and the magnificent structure he built was the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. The clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the man­ager of one of the world’s most glamorous ho­tels.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

JUNE 1:                      On the Delphi Method

JULY 1:                      On a Broadway Musical Play Revisited

AUGUST 1:                On Purely, Chaste, Random, Pristine Thoughts XXXII

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• Artificial Intelligence or AI
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• Artificial Intelligence or AI
• Barack Obama
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Basketball
• East Williston
• Economics
• Education
• Gambling
• Gambling
• Health
• Hofstra Men's Basketball
• Horseracing
• Politics
• School Board
• Sports
• Uncategorized
• Views from Others