Friday, October 17, 2008

The Nutcracker

Lately here in Seattle they have been running a lot of commercials for the upcoming performances of "The Nutcracker."

Back in grade school (that's middle school for all you weird people who don't call it grade school), we would go see it every holiday season as a field trip. Now, I have memories of the bus rides and of the Drury Lane theater itself, but no memories of the actual production. I thought this was odd. Usually people remember the performance and not the mundane things around it.

Last year in LA, the opportunity to go see it again arose. My friend, Cat, organized a few of us to go check it out. I got settled into my seat and it began. After about ten minutes into it, I realized why I had no memory of it -- because I would always use that time to sleep. Suddenly memories of naps came flooding back and how incredibly boring the ballet is was refreshed into my brain. I thought maybe as an adult I might have a higher tolerance and would be able to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Pretty much out like a light.

I have this great almost narcoleptic superpower to fall asleep anywhere if I am bored. No matter how much sleep I have previously gotten. Places I have fallen asleep despite noise level: pretty much every kind of Chicago mass transit, a Rollins band concert at the Whiskey on Sunset, every dance club someone has dragged me to, every History of Cinema class with the exception of classes where John Ford films were shown (his films are never boring), and apparently, performances of "The Nutcracker." Like with all super powers there is one overriding factor, heat. I cannot sleep when I'm hot. It doesn't matter how tired or bored I am, I just can't do it.

In conclusion, I am not a fan of "The Nutcracker." However, that is the music I select while playing original Tetris.




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