The Final Frontier
There are a lot of not-so-good things going on as I write this, but one of the few exceptions is the launch of NASA’s Artemis II. As of Day 7 of its mission, it had taken its four crew members around Earth’s moon to a point further than humans have traveled to date. They have generated lots of pictures, but my favorite is this one. As one poster commented, I’m pictured there on Earth, you just can’t see me.
Trip Prep
My preparations for the train trip and extended drive to California and Oregon are progressing. As much as I am aware that I can’t take a lot of stuff, even if I expect the trip to take a couple of weeks to complete, I know I will have to do at least one weeding before departure time arrives.
One significant change in plans. My eldest sister will accompany me on the train ride to Los Angeles. She has wanted to experience the cross-country trip for years, and this seemed a perfect chance to go. I’m looking forward to the company, and I hope she enjoys the excursion.
I’ve purchased a few things that I hope will come in handy. First, I’d noticed that sometimes light reflecting off the windows in SB or other transportation created unwanted reflections in my photos. I found a filter that attaches to the phone that can be adjusted to eliminate much of that. Speaking of phones, I also found a telephoto lens that can be mounted on the phone to extend its range. Third, I just received a telescope that was constructed to be a size and weight to make it easy to transport–a big deal for this trip. The last item is a pair of night vision binoculars capable of recording both still and video images. I’m hoping that its capability to capture using infrared will enhance my ability to take pictures outdoors.
I’m also checking several digital and print resources for information I can use to flesh out my trip. The map I generated includes almost exclusively national parks, which was fine initially. However, there are scenic routes and other activities I would like to consider. One thing I checked into but had to drop was trying to see the Los Angeles Dodgers either while I’m in town or while they are visiting other California teams like the San Francisco Giants. Understand, I’m an Atlanta Braves fan, but I would have liked to see the Dodgers’ designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani play live. Unfortunately, the team will not be playing when and where I can make that work. (And getting a ticket to see the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James contend in this year’s NBA playoffs was a fantasy that I couldn’t afford to even fantasize about.) There are plenty of other options to choose from, though.
As for researching the national parks, two print books provide an interesting contrast. The first was a gift from my colleagues when I retired over two years ago (hard to believe it’s already been that long). Entitled Subpar Parks: America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors, by Amber Share, the book offers some interesting perspectives about the parks, first a less-than-overwhelmed visitor comment, followed by the author’s one-page recommendations to enhance a visit to the park. The second book is National Parks Bucket List Adventure Guide & Journal: Your Way to Explore America’s National Parks & Document Your Adventures for a Lifetime, published by Wanderstate. It’s too big and heavy for me to want to use it as a journal on the road, even in SB, but I have other options for taking notes while on the road. It does, however, seem packed with information about the parks that I’m finding useful for planning.
My travel NP guide is National Geographic’s Guide to National Parks of the United States, 9th edition. They pack a lot of information into a lightweight volume. I’ve had my copy a couple of years, and living in SB has added wear and tear that it probably wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.
The countdown continues….
Two DC Productions
In the meantime, I’ve managed to attend a few programs in the DMV, two of which I’ll mention here. Yeah, I know I don’t normally write reviews, but I wanted to do so this time.
The first was the Washington National Opera’s production of Scott Joplin’s second (and only extant) opera, Treemonisha. I first became familiar with Treemonisha while a grad student. Over the years, I wrote a paper referencing the premiere recording of the opera by the Houston Opera in 1972. So I attended with a pretty solid, though aged, understanding of the original and was wondering what changes I would notice about the new production.
Since Joplin was unable to publish an orchestrated version of Treemonisha, and the Gunther Schuller orchestration Houston Opera used was likely unavailable, the new orchestration by Damien Sneed was an obvious change I would listen for. This was the first time I saw the entire opera live, so I arrived early enough to hear the pre-performance talk by playwright Kyle Bass, who discussed the different approaches taken to enlarge the perspective given to the title character.
There were stark differences in the works, most of which I thought helped drive the production. They significantly shortened the aria “The Sacred Tree,” sung by Monisha, Treemonisha’s mother, and added or changed dialogue throughout the opera. The staging and use of characters were unexpectedly professional in nature–I especially loved the transition of Treemonisha from child to adult played out during the overture; I suspect this reflected the hand of director Denyce Graves.
Overall, I really enjoyed the March 8, 2026, production, including the seemingly seamless transition the WNO made, leaving its years-long home at the Kennedy Center for its current residence at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium. (And it gave me a chance to visit the campus where I worked more than twenty years ago. Pictures included below.) There was one exception to my impressions of the production.
Treemonisha closes with a dance, “A Real Slow Drag.” The WNO production changed the duet sung by Treemonisha and her friend, Lucy, to a duet with Treemonisha’s romantic interest, Remus. The simple dance sequences from the original were replaced with a marriage proposal and a wedding. Why? Could she not be a leader without immediately getting married? It was a disappointingly 19th-century point of view, which would have been understandable had Joplin originally written it in his score. That some 21st-century mind conceived and implemented it was unfortunate.
The second production I attended exactly a month later was the Broadway at The National production of William F. Brown/Charlie Smalls’ The Wiz. I didn’t see the 1975 Tony-winning original Broadway musical but saw the motion picture numerous times in the years since its 1978 release. It did take me a while to warm to the updated musical settings and singing style, but I did finally “get it.” Overall, I was glad to see the April 8th live performance and would recommend it highly.
This was my first visit to the National Theater. It’s not difficult to tell that it’s an older facility that they’ve tried to make accessible. And I really appreciated getting a call from their staff asking my preference regarding my seat.
Below are a few pictures from both productions; they are all available at https://singin1.click/piwigo/index.php?/category/Seein-the-DMV-Two-Productions-March-April-2026.
BTW, the houses for both productions were packed. This despite–or maybe because–of the strife going on nationally and internationally at present. The Arts can be an escape, and they can be a reinforcement of the very things we value most.
This was brought most forcefully to me as I drove SB to the National Theater. As I approached the United States Department of Justice, I saw a gigantic banner with a picture of our current president hanging from the building. That his ego is so small that he needs such images to be on display is bad enough. That it’s on display in front of what is supposed to be our country’s symbol of justice–sorry, but my knowledge of Black history won’t let me say “for all”– saddens me greatly.
