So, moving on from the batters, we come to survey the pitchers who have made the opening day roster and those who were around in Spring Training but didn’t quite make it. No real surprises here and once the team had decided to re-sign CC Sabathia, everything was settled except the last couple of relief appointments.
(Normally I would have far more coverage of Spring Training than I have this year but with Easter coming early, my other preoccupations have prevented that. My apologies to my regular readers).
If you would have asked me at the end of the 2017 which position the Yankees would sign someone new for in the off-season, my prediction would not have been rightfield. Rookie of the year, Aaron Judge, it seemed had that all stitched up.
Also, if you’d asked me who after Judge was the least likely player to leave, one of my first choices would have been 2b Starlin Castro who impressed so much at the plate and defensively and proved a fearsome double play combination with Didi Gregorius.
What: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Who: Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
When: 20th March 2018
When a familiar play opens and you see characters normally associated with adults being played by pre-teen girls, it is difficult to stifle an inward groan. But, in actuality, this production of Macbeth is very strong indeed and is one which you should hunt for tickets for. It really does have an awful lot to commend it. This is a taut, energetic production with some exceptional acting.
What: Kabaret at Karamel
Where: Wood Green, London
When: 2nd March 2018
Who: Society of Imaginary Friends, Darren Hirst – Monologues & Soliloquies, Outre Dan Steele, Stepan Honc + others.
Well, for some reason, wise or foolish, the good people at the Karamel Klub invited me back for a second visit to perform another branch of my occasional show: Darren Hirst – Monologue and Soliloquies.
Who: Mud
Where: The Half Moon, Putney, London
When: December 24th 2017
Mud. Now there’s a name to conjure with. It’s only a few days since I was writing about another band from the Chinn / Chapman stable of the Seventies and now surprisingly I get to turn my attention to a second. I say surprisingly because Mud (in this format) have only played a handful gigs since their heyday. For the band this evening are led by original members, Rob Davis on lead guitar and Ray Stiles on bass and vocals.
Who: Sweet
Where: Nell’s Jazz and Blues, Kensington, London
When: 15th December 2017
As we left the venue, some guy stopped us and asked us if the “Sweet – Sold Out” sign outside referred to that band from the seventies. Indeed, it did. But who exactly are Sweet or The Sweet (if you prefer). That would be a question that fans, critics and even the band themselves might have been asking for over 40 years.
What: A Christmas Carol, adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens
Who: The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
When: December 2017
How can you go wrong with “A Christmas Carol” at Christmastime? The most famous of Charles Dickens’ five major Christmas novellas, well-loved by the nation and the Western world at large. Well, somehow the RSC have managed to make a mess of it all.
What: The Nutcracker
Who: Saltmine Trust
Where: Ravenscourt Arts, Hammersmith, London
When: 14th December 2017
This Christmas was Ravenscourt Arts’ 4th annual Christmas production and its most difficult to organise – simply because it was put into the theatre’s calendar very late and, because of that late organisation, then trying fill up the house for a free show for children when schools had so much already organised proved rather difficult, meaning a half full house. This for a show that deserved so much more but fortunately a heart-full of humour made this production a huge success.
What: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Who: Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
When: 9th November 2017
Who is the central character in William Shakespeare‘s Twelfth Night? In modern times it is very evident that Malvolio is regarded in this way. I’m not so sure that this should be seen as the case. The Malvolio story is one of a number of sub-plots in the story. In truth, I don’t think there is a central character. More than any other Shakespeare play it is an ensemble piece and it is at its best when three or four of the cast are on the stage together and playing off each other.
Who: Steely Dan
What: The Bluesfest 2017
Where: o2, London
When: 29th October 2017
There is no way of not making mention of the absence in the line-up this week of what Donald Fagen referred to as the Steely Dan Organisation. Steely Dan from their very beginnings have been essentially a duo surrounded by other musicians. One half of that pair, the peerless Walter Becker passed away on the 3rd of September this year. Donald Fagen immediately announced his intention to continue to celebrate the songs he had composed with Mr Becker by continuing to perform with the current group of musicians who have become the Steely Dan band.
After having to cancel a series of solo dates with his own band, The Nightflyers, Mr Fagen has not been slow to keep that promise, meeting all of the Dan gigs that were already booked and if tonight was anything to judge by there is great, great potential for the future.
twilightdawning 