The Friday Link for 8/26/22

I hope you've had a great week.  I was going to try to do a Friday Link about the State Fair, but considering there are not too many good clips about it (Trust me, I've done that search before) I'm off to other (quite literally) greener pastures! 

Since I went and saw Wicked a week plus ago, I started asking if there are other Broadway shows I've been overlooking.  I'm not a fan of the adaption genre of musicals, the ones like the Disney musicals which take one of their cartoon movies and convert it to musical theater form.  Don't get me wrong, those adaptions rake in the money, but it seems so contrived.

That's why when I stumbled onto a few of the songs from the Broadway adaption of Beetlejuice I was stunned.  The songs seem to be catchy and the lead character from the musical, Alex Brightman, seems born to play Beetlejuice. See for yourself.

Here is the opening number from the day the show opened back up on Broadway after being closed for COVID.  It's got some salty language, so you've been warned.  I might have to catch this one when it comes through. 

Also, I need a laugh this Friday so I turn to the ever-reliable RiffTrax crew for their well-deserved takedown of the movie 'Retro PuppetMaster.'  

The COVID pandemic is not over! Please get vaccinated and if you are in a crowded area, please wear a mask. 

Thanks.  Have a great weekend.

The Friday Link for 8/19/22

This week we start with another classic bit from Randy Rainbow.  He takes on Trump's increasing guilt after the FBI raid but then focuses on the question everyone is asking, "how much longer until Trump goes to jail?"

Warning some adult language, but it is funny. 

Also tonight, I want to play a clip from the original Broadway run of 'Wicked.'  The touring show has been performing in Minneapolis and I got to go see it for the first time on Tuesday.  That is a musical that rests heavily on the two lead female characters.  

The original Broadway cast featured as powerful a lineup as Broadway can put out, as Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel were the original leads.  It's also been described as one of the toughest musicals to sing, and the show has earned adoring fans. 

Here is a fairly clean Broadway promotional video from 'Wicked' of the song 'Popular' with the original cast. 

And with me returning from the parks of the American west, let me finish out this week with a clip from 'Parks & Rec' which features a line every one of my kids wanted to say when they got to the rim of the Grand Canyon. 

Have a safe weekend.  If you haven't gotten vaccinated against COVID yet, please do.  It's still out there and 1200 Minnesotans are getting sick every day. 

Thanks!

The Friday Link for 8/12/22

Back when the pandemic began to really shut things down, in late March/early April 2020, along with the fear and concern we all had, I remember noticing little things which we had not experienced too much.  One of the things was how weird it felt to not have something which is a mainstay in America, nightly sports. 

Everything shut down, and although they did eventually start playing a more condensed version of sports for a year, it was still a bit odd.  That's when I stumbled upon Jelle's Marble Runs.

I featured them on a few different Friday Links back then, but they are still going strong.  They just finished up their latest Marbula One Grand Prix.  

It's just marbles, but I'll be damned if you don't start rooting for a certain one after a little bit.

Enjoy the final two races of this year's Grand Prix.  

Stay safe.  If you are not, please get vaccinated, and wear a mask in large crowded indoor settings.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

The Friday Link for 8/5/22

This week we head back to The History Guy.   

I really enjoy his YouTube page as he does something a lot of historians will not do, tell stories that are not as glamorous or exciting, when compared to more celebrated historical moments.  But what The History Guys gets is that not every major historical change started with a major event.

Take for example the Great Olive Poisoning of 1919.  Now, I know 99.999% of the readers will have no idea there was a Great Olive Poisoning of 1919. There indeed was one!  

It's amazing how dangerous preserving food was until recently.  Back then in 1919, there were no set standards for plant sanitation and preservation.  That all changed after the poisoning, as new regulations, new methods of preservation and new packaging all came about from the sad tale of the Great Olive Poisoning. 

You see, even though a small event (forgotten to history) the impact of what happened was felt by many people.

I'll Let The History Guy take it from there, plus two more videos from him on your Friday.

Have a great weekend everyone.  Wear a mask in crowded places and make sure you're vaccinated.