Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, mixes music and a messy history of success with personal failures. Under the canny direction of Des McAnuff, along with sensational choreography by Sergio Trujillo, this musical captures the rise and fall of a Motown supergroup. There have been 24 Temptations over the life of the group. As the group’s leader and show’s narrator, Otis Williams–played with gravitas by Derrick Baskin–says, “Sometimes Temp stood for “temporary.”

As The Temptations find success, members start to fall away because of alcohol, drug, physical and mental problems. The core lineup of original The Temptations slowly get whittled down to its founder: Otis Williams–still alive. But to me, Ephraim Sykes (as David Ruffin) steals every scene he’s in. David Ruffin, talented but volatile, sings some of The Temptation’s greatest hits–“My Girl” (1964), “It’s Growing” (1965), “Since I Lost My Baby” (1965), “My Baby” (1965), “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” (1966), “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” (1966), “(I Know) I’m Losing You” (1966), “All I Need” (1967), “(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It’s You That I Need” (1967), “I Wish It Would Rain” (1967), and “I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)” (1968). But Ruffin’s abusive relationship with the singer Tammi Terrell (Nasia Thomas) accelerates his departure from the group.

I also loved the presence of The Supremes, led by the amazing Candice Marie Woods in a pitch-perfect version of Diana Ross. Rashidra Scott impressed me as Otis’s long-suffering and neglected wife, Josephine. If you’re looking for an entertaining and moving musical, Ain’t Too Proud hits all the right notes. Are you a fan of The Temptations? Do you have a favorite song? GRADE: A
SONG LIST:
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”
“All I Need”
“Baby Love”
“Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today)”
“Cloud Nine”
“Come See About Me”
“Don’t Look Back”
“For Once in My Life”
“Get Ready”
“Gloria”
“I Can’t Get Next to You”
“I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)”
“(I Know) I’m Losing You”
“I Want a Love I Can See”
“I Wish It Would Rain”
“If You Don’t Know Me by Now”
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”
“In the Still of the Night”
“Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)”
“My Girl”
“Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”
“Runaway Child, Running Wild”
“Shout”
“Since I Lost My Baby”
“Speedo”
“Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)”
“The Way You Do the Things You Do”
“War”
“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”
“You Can’t Hurry Love”
“You’re My Everything”

Here’s another bargain ($1.00!) from that Library Book Sale I attended over the weekend: a Double Feature of social collapse (perhaps anticipating what will happen if Trump wins a Second Term). The Road Warrior is an Australian film directed by George Miller that is set in a Post-Apocalypse world where everyone is fighting for scarce resources like gasoline…and food. A small community of survivors is attacked by a thuggish gang. Mad Max (aka, Mel Gibson) uses his fighting skills and strategy to help them defend their outpost. I liked this movie back in 1981 and I like it today. GRADE: A

I’m less enthusiastic about Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome which showed up in the U.S. in 1985. Despite the astonishing performance of Tina Turner in this film, I thought the gladiatorial battle sequences became tiresome. GRADE: B

Are you a fan of the Mad Max movies? Do you have a favorite?

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who looks a high-school student, is actually a young woman with superhuman strength. Buffy is the “Chosen One,” and her mission is to rid the world of Evil, mostly by killing demons and vampires. Pretty heady stuff for a teenager!

I bought this DVD set for a dollar at a recent Library Book Sale. Obviously they were selling more than books (I picked up a bag of CDs, too!).

The First Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, set mostly in Sunnydale High School. Buffy and her mother moved to Sunnydale after Buffy unfortunately torched her previous High School’s gym. We’re introduced to the other characters that assist Buffy in her fight against the Undead. The “Watcher” Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) provides essential information for Buffy’s battles. There’s a friendly geek called Xander (Nicholas Brendon), a computer nerd called Willow (Alyson Hannigan) who would blossom in upcoming Seasons, and snarky socialite called Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter). They all aid Buffy in her quest in various unusual ways.

Did you watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer on The WB back in 1997? Were you a fan? GRADE: A

EPISODES:
S01 E12 · Prophecy Girl
Jun 2, 1997
S01 E11 · Out of Mind, Out of Sight
May 19, 1997
S01 E10 · Nightmares
May 12, 1997
S01 E09 · The Puppet Show
May 5, 1997
S01 E08 · I, Robot… You, Jane
Apr 28, 1997
S01 E07 · Angel
Apr 14, 1997
S01 E06 · The Pack
Apr 7, 1997
S01 E05 · Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
Mar 31, 1997
S01 E04 · Teacher’s Pet
Mar 25, 1997
S01 E03 · The Witch
Mar 17, 1997
S01 E02 · The Harvest (2)
Mar 10, 1997
S01 E01 · Welcome to the Hellmouth (1)
Mar 10, 1997

Radicalized is a new collection of four Cory Doctorow stories. Doctorow has been compared to Frederik Pohl because of the social commentary in many of his works. The first story, “Unauthorized Bread,” projects a near future when appliances are all “smart” which in this case mean that users are charged each time they make a slice of toast, or open their fridge, or run their dishwasher. In a “mixed” facility–rich people live on the first 30 floors, poor people live on the upper floors–a refugee named Salima learns how to “jailbreak” her appliances so she doesn’t have to pay the onerous costs. But, that freedom leads to more problems. GRADE: A-

“Model Minority” features a superhero named America Eagle who bears a strong resemblance to Superman. America Eagle finds that police beat up innocent people, hide evidence, and prevaricate. His good intentions make matters worse. GRADE: C+

“Radicalized” explores situations where politicians and medical insurance companies deny services to sick citizens…and the citizens die. An online group of radicalized people decide to assassinate the politicians and attack the companies who essentially killed their loved ones for profit by withholding live-saving therapies. GRADE: B

“The Masque of the Red Death” telegraphs its message. Based on the famous Edgar Allen Poe story, Doctorow poses a near future where a wealthy investor named Martin projects a complete collapse of the United States. Martin builds a hidden desert retreat he calls The Fort and stocks it with guns, ammo, food, and antibiotics. He invites thirty friends to join him when the catastrophe hits. And just as Martin predicted, the riots begin and the Government falls. Martin and his friends think they’re safe inside The Fort, but even smart people make mistakes…and each mistake means death. GRADE: B

Back in 1952, this massive (585 pages!) anthology set the bar for SF anthologies. John W. Campbell, Jr.’s “Introduction” explains why he didn’t include stories from the 1930s–he wanted to focus on the development of Science Fiction from 1941 to 1951. Campbell also stresses the importance of robots…in 1951! Clearly, the man was a visionary. In defending his choices for The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology, Campbell explains that he picked stories about “ideas” and not necessary “the best” stories written by these authors. The stories are presented in chronological order. This is another aspect of Campbell’s strategy to demonstrate the development of the SF genre over a decade.

I’m also pleased that like Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg’s THE GREAT SF STORIES anthology series, Campbell includes multiple stories by the great writers of this time period. All the great writers are here: Heinlein, Williamson, van Vogt, de Camp, Asimov, Kuttner & Moore, Leinster, Russell, Sturgeon, Simak, and del Rey. Later SF anthologies would include better stories and explore bolder themes, but The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology set the standard in the early 1950s. Have you read these great stories? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
“Introduction”, John W. Campbell Jr (1951) ix
“Blowups Happen”, Robert A. Heinlein, (1940) 1
“Hindsight”, Jack Williamson (1940) 43
“Vault of the Beast”, A. E. van Vogt (1940) 60
“The Exalted”, L. Sprague de Camp (1940) 84
“Nightfall”, Isaac Asimov (1941) 105
“When the Bough Breaks,” Henry Kuttner & C. L. Moore (1944) 137
“Clash by Night”, Henry Kuttner & C. L. Moore, (1943) 160
“Invariant”, John R. Pierce (1944) 213
“First Contact”, Murray Leinster (1945) 218
“Meihem in ce Klasrum” (essay), W. K. Lessing (1946) 247
“Hobbyist”, Eric Frank Russell (1947) 250
“E for Effort”, T. L. Sherred (1947) 280
“Child’s Play”, William Tenn (1947) 326
“Thunder and Roses”, Theodore Sturgeon (1947) 351
“Late Night Final”, Eric Frank Russell (1948) 371
“Cold War”, Kris Neville (1949) 404
“Eternity Lost”, Clifford D. Simak (1949) 415
“The Witches of Karres”, James H. Schmitz (1949) 440
“Over the Top,” Lester del Rey (1949) 480
“Meteor”, William T. Powers (1950) 492
“Last Enemy”, H. Beam Piper (1950) 506
“Historical Note”, Murray Leinster (1951) 561
“Protected Species” H. B. Fyfe (1951) 573
A Note About the Editor 585
“When The Bow Breaks” was published under the “Lewis Padgett” byline. “Clash By Night” was originally published under the “Lawrence O’Donnell” byline. “Meihem in ce Klasrum”, a satirical piece, originally appeared under the “Dolton Edwards” pseudonym.

On January, 15 2018, lead singer of The Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan, was found dead of drowning in a London hotel room bathtub due to sedation by alcohol poisoning. O’Riordan struggled with substance abuse and depression for years. She was 46.

The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was replaced as lead singer by Dolores O’Riordan in 1990. The Cranberries gained international fame in the 1990s with their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, which became a commercial hit. The single, “Linger,” hit #3 in the Republic of Ireland, #8 in the United States, and #14 in the United Kingdom. The Cranberries had a decade of success and touring, but the 21st Century was not kind to them. Internal strife between Quinn and O’Riodan led to a lawsuit. When O’Riodan died, the surviving band members decided to record this album and disband forever. The music is melancholy and bittersweet…like cranberries. GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
“All Over Now” – 4:16
“Lost” – 4:00
“Wake Me When It’s Over” – 4:12
“A Place I Know” – 4:26
“Catch Me If You Can” – 4:38
“Got It” – 4:02
“Illusion” – 4:07
“Crazy Heart” – 3:25
“Summer Song” – 3:34
“The Pressure” – 3:22
“In the End” – 2:57

For all of 2019, I’ve been on a waiting list at my local Rite-Aid pharmacy for the new Shingles shot. Diane and I got the old shingles shot years ago. But the commercials for this new Shingles shot on TV have been horrific enough to motivate us to sign up. Plus, one of Diane’s friends just called to say she’s stricken with Shingles for the THIRD TIME!

A guy at the pool where I frolic every day told me he had Shingles a couple months ago. Shingles spread to his face and his doctor was concerned that he might lose sight in his right eye. The pool guy also reported Shingles hurts like hell. Neither Diane or I have had Shingles, but we’ve heard nothing but Bad News about every case our friends and relatives reported to us.

Finally, when I was picking up some prescriptions at Rite-Aid over the weekend, the clerk said, “Dr. Kelley, the Shingles vaccine arrived this week. Would you like your shot today?” I, of course, answered an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Diane managed to get her first Shingles shot a few weeks ago at a Walgreens. This new Shingles shot is a 2-step process. We’ll have to get the second shot in two to six months. Have you gotten this new Shingles shot? Are you planning to get one? Have you suffered with Shingles?

Diane and I like to support local theater companies so we bought tickets to this O’Connell and Company musical that featured an all female cast. The founding fathers, who declared that all men were created equal–but didn’t give the slightest thought to women’s suffrage–are all played by women. The result is ironic and fun. I appreciated the energy and singing of the women who played John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. The musical shows how difficult it was to reach unimity on the Declaration of Independence. Each of the 13 colonies protected their own agenda. It’s amazing this country ever got established!

Sherman Edwards provided the lyrics and music to 1776 and Peter Stone provided the book. 1776 premiered on Broadway in 1969 and ran for 1,217 performances. The production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won three, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1972, a movie version of 1776, starring William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Donald Madden, John Cullum, Ken Howard and Blythe Danner, hit the big screens around the country. 1776 was revived on Broadway in 1997. Have you seen 1776? Did you like it? GRADE: B+
SONG LIST:
Act I
Overture
“Sit Down, John” – Adams and Congress
“Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve” – Adams
“Till Then” – Adams and Abigail
“The Lees of Old Virginia” – Lee, Franklin and Adams
“But, Mr. Adams” – Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Sherman and Livingston
“Yours, Yours, Yours” – Adams and Abigail
“He Plays the Violin” – Martha, Franklin, and Adams
“Cool, Cool, Considerate Men” – Dickinson and The Conservatives
“Mama Look Sharp” – Courier, McNair and Leather Apron
Act II
“The Egg” – Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, and Congress
“Molasses to Rum” – Rutledge
“Compliments” – Abigail Adams
“Is Anybody There?” – Adams and Thomson
“Finale”

Tim Major’s new science fiction conspiracy novel, Snakeskins, is set in a Britain that has a lot more problems than Brexit. A freak meteorite storm hit Britain and caused some people to become Charmers (aka, Snakeskins) who have the power to regenerate themselves, heal quickly, and not age. In the process, a clone is created. Some clones only exist briefly and turn to dust, but as young Caitlin Next learns, some clones survive. Caitlin investigates what happens to the clones.

Caitlin isn’t the only one searching for answers. Journalist Gerry Chafik and government aide Russell Handler probe the secrets of the Great British Prosperity Party. There are enough loose ends to suggest a sequel. If you’re in the mood for a SF novel with plenty of twists and turns, Snakeskins delivers. GRADE: B+