7 April 1971 / Broadway Plays, Resignation

Once more, PSACOT turns its grime coated physiognomy away from the bright lights of Broadway. Although deafened by the roar of the greasepaint and repelled by the smell of the crowd (and a good part of the city), I managed to take in Fiddler on the Roof and Neil Simon's newest number, a boffo little item entitled Last of the Red Hot Lovers. (I use the term latest advisedly. After my Heinlein fiasco, I am not going to try and guess chronology anymore) The play will really tug at your heartstrings if you have ever opened a few oysters before a heavy date.

But in all seriousness, the play is not (in all seriousness); it is indeed typical Simon, with the same old kind of set, but the usual refreshing spates of one-liners which fairly crackle off the actors’ lips. I liked it.

The reports of The City's death seem to be premature: most of Manhattan is still there, the subways keep going somehow, the taxi's are still taxing, and David Frost and Dick Cavett draw tourists like flies.

All of which should, I would hope be re-assuring to you many NYC natives who passed up a chance to go home for Spring Vacation so you could spend more time at MIT, visiting with your books.

My second favorite topics next to NYC have always been WTBS and singers and performers from the Potluck Coffeehouse. This week, there was no PLCH, so we had the rare combination of folk (make that blues) singer and WTBS performer at the same time. Leo Jarvis (see picture) performed in the WTBS studio for 2 ½ hours, playing all sorts of blues himself, and bringing in several seldom known facets of the blues.

I am sure he will be back, hopefully soon.

WTBS, as you know, broadcasts the music of the PL Coffeehouse live every Friday night starting at 9:30, right after the news, at 88.1 MHz.

By the way, Leo is a grad student in Linguistics, and he casually mentioned the word ostensive in defining the Blues. For those few of you not already using the world daily, it means (roughly) a concept which needs to be pointed at, for it can be described (basically) in no other way. Like colors. Or the Blues...

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, SO FAR. A CAST OF THOUSANDS. FILMED IN SPECTROVISION (reg. U.S. Pat. Off.).

Or so they say. WTBS is presenting its spectacular of the year (possibly of the decade), a 90-minute original "Musical-tragedy" entitled Sam Patch, The Greatest Story ever told, so far...

I am producer of this star-struck spectacular, which is being presented this Saturday on the occasion of WTBS' tenth anniversary (pure coincidence. It just happens to be the first Saturday after spring vacation.); believe me, it will be worth your time to listen to it. It will be great, in all modesty.

It seems there’s something I left out. Oh yes.... the restaurants. More about that next time.

It is with deep personal regret that I announce my resignation from ERGO, effective with this issue.