Divamensch

I heard the Akropolis Reed Quintet at Music Mondays on Feb 16, 2026. I'd never heard of a reed quintet and thought maybe they had invented it but I found two other ensembles with the same instrumentation so isn't it nice to learn new things. The instruments are clarinet, oboe (doubling English horn), alto saxophone, bassoon, and bass clarinet. It's a tasty combo with a surprisingly broad range of colors. They opened with a piece written for them, a Mass by Harriet Steinke. Ea

The Best Actress in a Musical Tony for 1958 was...a tie! Both women in the same show, New Girl in Town, a musicalization of O'Neill's Anna Christie. Diva: Gwen Verdon Mensch: Thelma Ritter Here's Verdon in the center in a white dress and Ritter on the side in a goofy hat.