20 Comments

May I humbly suggest another solo venture? Colin Meloy Sings Broadway! I love knowing you were also singing showtunes while projecting outwardly angsty too cool teen

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I’m so glad you got to see this production of Into the Woods. Being a devout Sondheim worshipper, I see almost all Sondheim productions I can get to (this Wednesday it’ll be ‘Merrily’). This production was by far my favorite staging of ItW. Did you see it while Sara Bareilles was still in the cast? Just perfection!

For a Q&A I once asked you who was the better songwriter, Dylan (my husband’s absolute favorite) or Sondheim. You answered correctly. 😉

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Colin, I'm sure you've stumbled upon it already but it you haven't seen Kate Bush's Christmas special from 1979, it's a must-view experience (youtube). I'd paste it in here but I'm sure this site wouldn't take kindly to my posting a potentially virus-laden link from the interwebs. Her special guest is Peter Gabriel, there's very little about it that says "Christmas", and that just makes it so very....Kate.

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I’m with Jen B: Colin sings Sondheim!

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I highly recommend Emily St John Mandel’s ‘Sea of Tranquility’ if you’re looking for something to add to your reading pile. My book of the year easily. I think you’d like it.

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I was thinking about favorite things last night and had an idea - I’ve got books around the house , backup bottles of things like body wash etc that were delightful this year, wine, noodles, whatever. We have to do a belated Christmas (because weather ) and I thought it could be fun to bring a little library of delights from the past year open to anyone at the party to take and try. Because sharing is just the best.

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Made my day to read that Sunday in the Park with George was a part of your youth. Sondheim’s and your music are all I ever need hear if it came down to it.

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We should be friends! The music of Colin/The Decemberists and Sondheim are all that I’d need bring with me to make me happy on a desert island.

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My parents managed to record the original Into The Woods on VHS oh, so many years ago, which I watched at least thirty times. I was pretty obsessed and sang all the songs constantly. When I went to see the play a few years ago, it was so nostalgic that I couldn’t stop crying throughout the performance. Had no idea it would hit so hard. Totally feel you on that.

Also, have you tried your hand at making your own sourdough during the pandemic? Seems like something you would do. 😊 It’s become solidly part of my weekend routine for the last two and a half years.

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Severance was brilliant. I have 2 words to say to you..... "defiant jazz"!

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> what kind of cultural cache it might have

As a true lover of words, my suspicion is you don't mind the occasional correction... I do believe you mean "cachet" here!

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You can’t have Kate! She’s mine.

Severance is brilliant.

I recommend ‘Shining Girls’. Just as brilliant. If not brillianter. (It’s in ‘my’ dictionary) 😎

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Thanks for all of these. I added Denial to my books for 2023.

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I was in New York for a long weekend earlier this month and managed to see 8 shows; for the final show, I went back to Into the Woods for a second time because I just needed to be destroyed by Brian D'Arcy James singing "No More" one more time. Such an incredible show.

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The shoutout to Pegasus Music filled me with nostalgic joy. The bin of promotional flats by the entry was my primary means of decorating my high school bedroom. Good times...

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Love a good curated and eclectic list. Thanks for the highlights! May I also suggest a YA book - something that moved me to happy tears for the first time in years: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. I’ve read lots of books that are smart, thrilling, challenging or just made me wonder about an alternate future/past but this just made me feel really good. Happy 2023!

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Yeh, new books to read, new music, new sourdough ! Thank you kind sir! Happy Happy New Year. 🎆

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