A new blog game: What’s the connection?
OK, so there’s this little conversation going on over at Vrouw Jonker’s (that’s pronounced Yonker, for those who don’t know them) about her current avatar. You can follow the conversations here if you wish. But here’s a run down so far:
- conversation ’bout post and pics -
then Mr. Brad asks: “So what movie is that picture from? I should’ve known Mrs. Bourgeois [wife] would know”
Vrouw Jonker: “Rindercella! (she slopped her dripper)”
SmockDaddy (singed in my ‘puter so it looks like me): “Although, from the black-and-whiteness of the picture there, I’d guess that shot is from the Julie Andrews incarnation rather than the Lesley Anne Warren one. (I never could watch the one with Lesley Anne Warren because I could not get past the fact that Prince Charming was being played by Alan Quartermaine from General Hospital.)”
Vrouw Jonker: “Nope, that’s the Lesley Anne Warren one. It was a “teleplay” on B&W tv in the 60’s.
The stepmother was Jo Van Fleet; the creeeeeeeeeaking stepsister was Pat Carroll, & the eye-batter was Barbara Ruick (*snicker, guffaw*).”
SmockDaddy: “Yes, Cinderella was the only musical R&H wrote for television. Julie was the first one to play Cinderella; unfortunately, her turn in this musical was before the advent of videotape, so the DVD available of her performance is a kinescope (and the picture quality on those is usually pretty awful). Lesley Anne’s turn was videotaped, so the picture and sound quality is much better.
For the Lounge Suite and the case of Turtle Wax, what was the first opera written especially for television? Title and composer, please. I’ll throw in a case of Rice-a-Roni if you can also tell us the connection (however tenuous) between that composer and
SmockDaddy and the SmockLady. (No cheating, people, which means no asking the SmockLady. Me? I ain’t talkin’.)
Oh, and have you seen the more recent version of R&H’s Cinderella with Brandy Norwood in the title role? Whitney Houston’s performance as the Fairy Godmother gives a new shade of meaning to the term “fairy dust.”"
So with all this I pose the quiz to any readers who may want to have a guess:
Question number one: What was the first opera written especially for television? Title and composer, please.
Question number two: What is the connection (however tenuous) between that composer and RevJATB and the SmockLady? (Hint #1a - No, the composer is not a long, lost relative, but there is a connection and it’s much less than six degrees. Hint #1b - Remember that SmockDaddy and the SmockLady met during Masters classes in music - one of us was getting a Conducting degree while the other was getting a Music History degree.)
Update: HINT # 2 - As part of both of our degrees, it was a requirement to take some music composition classes at the University where we sought these degrees. This also gives the SmockLady a great many stories to share should she ever decide to do so. Hint #4 - I guess to be totally fair I should let all those that don’t know that we were in Mississippi at the time we met. If I give you more than that it’s a total giveaway and you will have no searching to do yourself. You have to connect a few dots, People. And with all the hints, anyone who does not know us can make this connection. You just have to think a little.
Amal & the Night Visitors - Gian Carlo Menotti. As for the other…I don’t know.
Very good, Miss Jessie. Now while I was chosen to play the role of Amahl (which took place before we had met), this is NOT the connection. There is a hint in the post though.
Well, of course, the Rev conducted you as the aforesaid Amahl!
No, no, no. See, I said I was Amahl before he and I met. And the connection is a person not the opera or a character. It will take some researching, but the hint is in the last parenthetical comment.
Oh, your Masters class teacher was Gian-Carlo!
No, again, but you are closer to the answer. I guess I could explain, my wording of the class was a bad one. We were in master/phd (500, 600, 700, 800) level classes toghether, not a Masters Class. Although I did attend quite a few Master Classes. At a university they are different.
Oh, Vrouw, you are getting warmer. If only there were some hint I could give you.
It’s as if you are standing right on the edge of the answer, and yet the water is wide; you cannot get o’er.
The guy that sat in between you in class was Mississippi’s winner of the Gian-Carlo music award!
Never heard of the Gian-Carlo music award. And the connection is NOT a student. A small amount of research (Googling) will give you tha answer. You just have to google the right words (word combinations). Hint #5 - What University did we attend? That’s a givaway - I’m not giving you anymore. It seems that you are the only one playing. There’s a follow up trivia question when you (or anyone) get this one answered.
Well I have got the correct answer, but I cheated, so I will recuse myself.
Well,
Mr. SmartyPantsMr. Ferguson, how do I know you have figured it out? And just exactly how did you figure it out?If I told you that, then it would give it away for Vrouw Jonker and the others who may be attempting to divine the answer.
Mr. Ferguson, while one can easily contact me in private through the Contact me link at the top of the page you could tell me without spoiling it. But, seriously, I think they’ve all given up and all it would take are these three words:
Menotti
Mississippi
composer
Does it have anything to do with Don Bailey? That’s whose web site I got when I googled Menotti, Mississippi, and composer. Sorry, I’m still clueless.
Is that the only link you got? I got lots more and Don Bailey has nothing to do with the Reverend and the SmockLady (other than attending the same university years before our time) or Hint #3.
Does Mr. Zanellini enter into the answer?
Well, of course, as does Lou Hayward. Now go connect the dots.
Dang. I was googling “Samford”…
Vrouw, which hint ever said anything about Samford (or Alabama)?
“Mr. Know Tea and the SmockLady met during Masters classes in music” and “music composition classes at the University where we sought these degrees”. I think that must’ve been before hint #4. Didn’t someone go to Samford?
the Reverend, who grew up in Alabama, went to Samford for his undergrad. And Samford does not offer a master’s degree in conducting nor do they offer a Music History Degree.
Luigi Zaninelli - composer-in-residence at the University of Southern Mississippi
Menotti’s proteg?…Menotti taught him most of what he knew, and he brought this to both of y’all in the Magnolia State as your Music Comp teacher???
I’ve been googling combinations for a few days now…is this partly right? I really like Rice-a-Roni.
CORRECT! - and Happy Birthday!