'Hands on a Hardbody' in Bloomfield, NJ

If anything good came of the very short Broadway life of 'Hands on a Hardbody', it is that community theaters across the country are quickly picking up on its charm. Last year, I saw the show in Albany, so this was my third go-round. That put this production in the unenviable position of being compared to the others, but on the other hand, it allowed me to focus on the details rather than the show on a whole.

That worked well for this production by 4th Wall Theatre at Westminster Arts Center in Bloomfield, N.J., because the details are exactly where its strengths were, so much so that there was no actual truck on stage, just a frame of red pipe in the vague shape of a truck. That was a bold move for the prop that is the centerpiece of the show.

The daring choice worked. Removing the focus from the shiny red beauty was a reminder that the show is not about the truck at all, but about the people keeping their hands on it, trying so hard to realize their dreams to sell it to pay for schooling (Jesus, played to perfection by Adrian Rifat), use it for work (Ronald, played by Marcus Turnage with all right amounts of humor, bravado and naïveté, and who has one of my favorite lines, taken directly from the original documentary film - "car don't make money, truck make money"), or get the hell out of Longview, Texas, for good (Kelli, played by the excellent Erin Long, and Greg, played by David Manglione with a softer touch). 

Now that the audience could see through the truck, there was never a moment when the actors were not visible, even if they stood in the back doing nothing but waiting as the others sang and acted out their scenes. It was a reminder that as the hours dragged on, and whatever mini-dramas were playing out, these determined contestants were all standing there, waiting patiently for their ship to come in. James Lopez as Don Curtis was great at this background stuff. I kept finding myself looking to the back of the stage to see what he was up to as the 24-7 cheerleader for his wife, Janis. 

Jodi Freeman Maloy brought a whole new spark to Janis. I dare say, I found her more relatable than even the great Dale Soules in the Broadway production. For the first time, I was happy to hear "It's a Fix" and I enjoyed every snappy comeback and eye-roll. Plus, in the charming duet with Don ("If She Don't Sleep"), she nailed those low notes that I thought for sure only Ms. Soules could ever hit. Mrs. Maloy played Janis less hillbilly and more sassy which, I admit, puts her farther away from the true Janis of the film, but still works much better here.

Many of the up-close highlights in this production came from the non-contestant characters, like Virginia Drew, portrayed by Christine Orzepowski who beautifully brought out the character's heartache underneath the steadfast loyalty to her longtime husband, J.D. (Howard Fischer bringing on the stubbornness that pays off in the end). As she sang "Alone With Me" just a few feet in front of me - I was in the front row, natch - the gentle grace of her quiet but strong moment was genuinely moving.

Madison Washer's take on dealership employee Cindy Barnes was a treat, too. Like the Cindys of the previous productions, she provided comic relief in her wonderfully tacky outfits and interactions with the contestants. But when she got serious for her in-your-face confrontation with boss Mike Ferris (Todd Schumpert capturing that character's unraveling from being in way over his head), you knew she meant business. Making that quick switch from funny to fearsome is no small feat.

Also extremely impressive was the band. This was the only production in which I could see the musicians and it was a delight to watch the multi-instrumental talents of Sam Schuman as he switched between guitar, mandolin and violin. And Colleen Clark kept things light but solid on the drums.

It is extremely difficult to be succinct when reviewing a show like this that has no particular protagonist and antangonist. One could argue that Benny Perkins (played here with all the right competitive hubris, humor, and in the end, vulnerability, by Danny Arnold) is the main character, but if you watch the original documentary film, it is only because he has the biggest mouth.

"A Note from the Dramaturge" in the booklet for this production makes a comparison to 'A Chorus Line'. But 'Hardbody' resonates where 'Chorus' does not because its stories are universal. These people are not looking for a part in a play - they are looking to get their lives going. They are stuck in the rut of Longview and are longing to move up, move out, or move on. This play will be timeless for that reason, and the members of 4th Wall can stand proud for having done it justice. Each cast member in this production dug deep and brought out the heart and soul of his or her character. 

This must be progress

After several weeks of physical therapy, it made sense to continue on my own. I am good like that. Diligent.

Five days a week, I do my therapy exercises and some running. I prefer the discipline of being on a training program, so I put myself on Hal Higdon's intermediate 5K schedule. 

In the middle of the eight weeks, a six-mile run and a 35-minute tempo run left me in agony. Last Thursday, during a slow but excruciating three-miler, I sincerely considered hanging it up for good. I had a good decade as a runner; perhaps it was time to admit it was over.

Then I rested for two days and ran a test 5K - not a real race, but a 3.1 mile run on my own for which I wore my racing shoes and ran as fast as I could. 

The result was 19:31. Nowhere near my skills from six months ago, but a triumph considering all that has happened.

The training schedule will end on June 21, when I should run a real 5K, but for now I have no plans to do so. It is still too frustrating to think that it will be a half of a year since my injury and I am still struggling.

But there is progress. Slow, painful progress. But still, undeniable progress.

Good times, bad times

Six days a week, for the past two weeks, I have run three miles each day.  There are good days (21:45, feeling awesome) and bad days (23:50, lots of back pain), but I remain determined to consistently do the work.  

Physical therapy is going well.  I bought a new mattress and new running shoes.  I spend hours stretching even though I only spend minutes running.

When there is pain now, it is localized to one specific area and usually not the shooting pain I experienced a few months ago.

Will I recover fully?  I am not sure, but my doubt is diminishing and my confidence is increasing as the good days are starting to outnumber the bad days.

"It's getting better all the time..."*

("...it can't get no worse.")*

Four weeks of physical therapy, six weeks of nonstop stretching.

During that time, I had been sneaking in some walk/run sessions (10-minute walk, 15-minute run, five-minute walk).  Each day, ever so slightly, I found myself going farther in that half-hour.  The first day I tried it, in January, I could not even get to two miles.  Last week, five days in a row, I hit three miles each time, with the run at two-plus miles.  I even did a few sub-7:00 miles.  

Sometimes there was pain afterward, but only a dull ache.  Other times, not so much.

Today, I ran three miles for the first time in almost 15 weeks. 22:27.  7:29 pace.  No pain. 

Is it the physical therapy?  The time?  The extra rest?  All that stretching?

Probably yes.  To all.  And not skimping on any of it.  

Superman may not be back anytime soon.  But it has been way too long in the Fortress of Solitude.  Time to get out and try to fly.

*from the Beatles "Getting Better"

Fall tours: 1984, 1994, & 2014

There is not much to say about Fall 1984 since I can only judge it on the two shows available at phishows.com. However, it is clear that Phish was already working toward creating their sound, even if it involved two guitars, no keyboards, a bunch of covers, and a whole lot of goofiness.  Hey, they were college kids.

A decade later, Phish had honed its craft and become the quintessential "college band". It is easy to forget these days that colleges were its bread and butter. But as they tore their way across the country again, it was at college halls (and other auditoriums, for sure) that these four guys made some of their best music ever. How does one sum up Fall 1994? Lots of bluegrass, the most extensive jams to date, the evolution of two new songs, the "White Album", and the "Vibration of Life."

Bluegrass became a huge part of Phish's repertoire in '94, with their arrangement of Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time" as the centerpiece.  Trey learned to play fiddle, while Mike played banjo, Page played standup bass, and Fish played the washboard. They often did these songs without amplification; and some of these college crowds actually quieted down in order to hear it. Listen to Dec. 7 and be amazed by the audience's attentiveness. Better still, after the show on Nov. 19, the band played an entire bluegrass mini-set in the parking lot, which some intrepid fan managed to get on tape (not an easy task back then!).

When plugged in, the band members were stretching out. Though not the totally tuned-in jams of today, these noodle-fests definitely yielded great rewards if you stuck with them. Every single "Tweezer" was a musical journey (Nov. 23); every "Stash" killed (Nov. 12); every "Reba" soared (Oct. 26); every "Harry Hood" was supremely climactic (Oct. 23); every "David Bowie" was epic (Nov. 14); every "You Enjoy Myself" got funked out with big vocal jams (Dec. 4); every "Chalk Dust Torture" rocked out hard (Nov. 4). It is no wonder the first official live album was culled from these shows (and not even the examples listed here).

On Halloween 1994, a new tradition of covering another band's entire album was established with 'The Beatles': note perfect when necessary ("Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da"), jammed out when plausible ("While My Guitar Gently Weeps"); completely reworked when possible ("Don't Pass Me By"); and played for laughs when given the chance ("Helter Skelter").


Fall 1994 saw the band working out two new songs, evolving and polishing them in front of the audience - "Simple", which began life that summer as a mere song-sketch in the middle of "Mike's Song", became its own fleshed-out tune, and sometimes jam-vehicle; and "Guyute", which would undergo a few more changes, was mostly solidified by December.

Finally, there was the "Vibration of Life", an idea that a musical vibration cycle at just the right frequency can provide energy to a roomful of people. Even if the band was only messing with the audience, it was a recurring theme at several shows and one of those things that if you wanted to believe it, it became true. Phish's playing was so full of life and electricity during the autumn of 1994, if they were offering to give some of that energy back to the faithful fans, well, why not take it for what it was?


Twenty years later, the fall of 2014 picked up where the summer left off - every town still got a "Fuego" and what the jams lacked in crazy experimentation, they made up for in focus. The cover songs were still minimal and the shining moments came in the form of hooked-up funk (the Oct. 31 "Sand"), excellent segues ("Theme From the Bottom -> Steam" on Oct. 22), and blissful peaks ("Bathtub Gin" from Oct. 18, "Wolfman's Brother" on Oct. 25). The newer songs were still getting a huge workout, though a few more takes of "Wombat" (only two?) would have been nice, because there is so much that can be done with that groove.

Like the previous Halloween, a set of new music was presented - this time in the form of instrumental pieces to accompany some narratives and sound effects from a 1964 Disney record of scary stories and sound effects. As silly as that reads, it was strikingly entertaining, magnificent in its execution and endlessly re-listenable. (Try to get "They attack!" out of your head after hearing "The Birds".)

Those that say that the mid-1990s was the high point for Phish have a good argument with Fall 1994. The guys were certainly at their very best up to that point (though not without flubs). But I will still take 2014 for its variety (there are more than 200 songs in rotation now) and the maturity it takes to let the jams breathe instead of always being frenetic freakouts. The argument may be that they do not jam like they used to, but that may very well be the point no matter which side you are on.

Stretching like a great big stretchy thing

The doctor gave me a pamphlet of stretching exercises to do daily. I kid you not, it takes about an hour and a half to do them all.

The physical therapist, whom I started seeing this week, gave me another sheet full of stretches.  Sure, why not add on?

So all I do, for two hours every day, is stretch.  And stretch.  And stretch.

It is a colossal bore.

I. Just. Want. To. Run.

You know that scene in 'Superman II'...

...when our hero decides he wants to permanently be a human Clark Kent, and then nothing good comes of it?

I did not want to make that choice, but the feeling is still there - I am becoming human.

For 10 years, I was Superman.  I was healthy, strong, fast, fit, focused and alert.  I rarely got sick.  I could knock out a case the common cold in two days.  I could eat to my heart's content and never gain weight.  My small-sized clothes fit perfectly and my mediums fit comfortably.

But in the past two months, I have had two colds; I called out sick from work for the first time in six years. I feel achy and tired.  Things hurt, and not in that good way that exercise usually brings.  Sleep is irregular.  My appetite is on and off, and when it is on, I make a lot of bad choices.  My belly is flabby.  My legs feel like lead.  

So I finally saw a doctor today.  He brought up the "S" word - "sciatica".  Yet at the same time, he sounded hopeful, like it could be dealt with, treated, and ultimately healed.  Even better, he said that what I have been doing - trying to work through it despite the pain - probably is not making it any worse.  That is good news because I am willing to suffer through pain in order to get my daily exercise routine done.

Next week is the X-ray.  The following week, physical therapy should hopefully start.  Winter 2015 has been a bust.  Worst season ever.  But things may be looking up in the spring.  I dare say, there is a glimmer of hope again for Superman.