The morning started out dark… as most mornings do. Pitch black seemed a little darker than normal. But worth it for the wonderful reflections in the harbor.

Meanwhile, as the sky was turning orange over the Lake, a slight pivot over the shoulder revealed a beautiful pink hue over the Chicago Skyline.

Back over the Lake, the sunrise was getting better and better. Layers of incredible colors.
The perfect birthday gift for me!!!

A fantastic sunrise to kick-off my special day!

Last Tuesday was my class demo on how to make a basic bowl on purpose. Followed by showing my students some quick tricks & techniques to make each bowl unique. And that not every bowl needs to be precious. That they should play with their clay and try some new things. If it messes up, you just cut it off, re-wedge it and throw it again. It’s just clay!

For the demo I used a full bag of clay and made seventeen bowls. The bowls all came up to my studio where today I did a little more “detailing” with some stamping. I would have loved to save this part for my students too, but I was afraid they would all be too dry in a week’s time. So here the the photos of some of the bowls, freshly detailed… AND the stamps that did all of the hard work making a good impression.

Purple orchid blossoms in a small soda-fired vase.

Windy. Cold. Dark.
Yet still splashin’ good fun along the lakefront… until you get wet.

Yes, I love “Les Miserables.”
There I said it. By now you’ve probably already figured it out.
And yes, Eponine is my favorite when she sings “On My Own.”

So to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the musical “Les Miserables”
I’ve decided to share a couple video clips of Frances Ruffelle as Eponine.
Back in 1985 when she originated the role of Eponine, two years later when she was
on “The Tonight Show” and now, thirty years later with her newly updated rendition.

It may have been thirty years… and Eponine is STILL “on her own.”
And we’re still loving it.

Click here for the original version of Eponine – the role she originated on the London stage. Unfortunately, the audio quality is pretty bad, so turn the volume all the way up.

Or click here for her first performance on American TV with Johnny Carson
on the “The Tonight Show.”

Click here for Frances Ruffelle’s new updated version 2015 of “On My Own.”.

My favorite musical is celebrating the big Three-Oh!!!

Hard to believe that “Les Miserables” has been entrancing theater audiences for thirty years now! That darn barricade continues to fall, Eponine is STILL on her own, people are dying every single night on stages all around the world. And yet I can’t get enough of it. I’ve already seen it “too many times” live on stage, the recent Hugh Jackman movie version more than a few times, as well as DVD versions of the 20th & 25th Anniversary Concert Events. So image how excited I am to see that there was a 20th Anniversary Concert Event… hopefully coming to DVD really soon!!!

Last night I went to see “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder.” The kick-off for the Broadway touring company. Taking last year’s Tony Award winning BEST MUSICAL on the road. So pleased that they chose Chicago for their first stop. Gotta love some good Broadway fun in Chicago!!!

So the basic premise is that Monty is pining for his lady love who says he’ll never amount to anything. But then he finds out that he’s eighth in line to become the Earl of the Dysquith Family. And that the only way he can become Ealr is to kill off the seven people in front of him. So he sets out with a plan to clear the way to his own Earldom.

Each member of the Dysquith Family meets an untimely demise. All set up by Monty who doesn’t “quite” kill them, but sets up the opportunity. Like cutting a hole in the ice when one of the Dysquith heirs is ice skating with his lady. Not “directly” murdering him… but kind of “helping it along.”

One of the best parts of the show is the incredible actor who plays ALL of the roles of the Dysquith family. Quick costume & makeup changes, and he transforms from a formal aristocrat, to a priest, to a suffragette and many more.

Click here for the Tony Awards cast performance of “I’ve Decide To Marry You.”
The show-stopping musical number where our dear murdering Monty is trapped between the two women in his life vying for his affection. The video clip also shows how the actor who plays all of the Dysquith family members “transforms” right before your eyes. A little bit of Broadway magic!!!

It was a great night of theater fun. And a great way to kick-off my own special Birthday Week! Thanks to my friend Pam for dinner and for kicking it off with some great chocolate cake!!! A sweet start to “my” week!!!

Who says a panoramic shot has to be horizontal?!

A big sky of clouds deserves a big picture to capture as many as possible.

A morning full of clouds. Sweeping across the sky.
Puffy like a blanket covering the sky.