Carnival

Carnival (1961 Original Broadway Cast)
$11.98
When I was in high school, our drama department put on a musical every year, and tyhis was the first of them I remember. Rival schools would stage famous musicals--West Side Story, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, but the ones our teacher produced were musicals of--what?--the second rank--or third rank? Well, it strikes me only now that maybe he was paying less for shows like Carnival than his rivals were paying for West Side Story. But he told us he wanted to put on "fresh shows," shows that hadn't been spoiled by seeing them so many times. (In subsequent years we did Take Me Along, Where's Charley, etc)

But despite everything Carnival will always have a special place in my heart! It was the first time I was on stage, scared to death, playing some sort of circus freak way in the shadows, but I sang my heart out in the big opening number, "Direct from Vienna," swaying in quasi-gypsy costume and acting giddy and crazy with performing excitement. The show itself, of course, is quite dark, but when you're 14 that's just the sort of thing one likes. The love story between Paul and Lili, I thought, could scarcely be improved on. (Liner notes in the new CD tell us that the novel "Love of Three Dolls" is even darker, nearly Sadean in its weird, cruel enslavement plot.) I loved the puppets almost as much as Lili did. We had a leading lady without any of Anna Maria Alberghetti's charm and or ethnicness. But she was great, and our Psul had a thrilling voice half the time, and the puppets so cute! "Everywhere I look, I can see her face," was to me the most beautiful love song ever written. OMG what Mel Torme does to it on one of the extra bonus tracks included here--he "swings" it to death, you just want it to be over.

After our show closed--well, it was only for two performances--our drama teacher guy took us to New York to see the City Center revival with Victoria Mallory as Lili (and Karen Morrow aa the Incomparable Rosalie). We all agreed, our high school had done it better.

Carnival
$6.99
As can be expected with the output of a professional complying with many literary clich���s in a smooth way this book is a fairly entertaining read.

Smooth is the writing as well as (if only predictable) the plot twists; characterization is consistent even if some attempts at introspection had been better avoided as they just lead to confusion about feelings and motives.
This mistake is easily understood: Vincent and Angelo, the main characters, are in their sixties (even if it does not show on the outside) and have an extremely long relationship behind them: it is only too logical for Ms Bear to attempt to portray the complexity of feelings of such a long standing couple.

On the other hand these flaws do not get in the way and allow the readers to enjoy the trip if they do not set their expectations too high: Ms Bear avoids the excesses in world building and interaction so undigestible in much hard SF to prefer a simpler adventure driven approach.

Homosexuality is essential to the plot and sex is mentioned -clumsily- but the book can be safely read by older teens who will possibly appreciate the fine description of Amazonian society where women rule but are unable to avoid the same mistakes of their male counterparts in other planets.

Carnivale: The Complete Second Season
$39.98
I can't really add anything to what other reviewers have posted about Carnivale. It is a much watch story.

Playhut Carnival Ball Zone
$59.99
This Carnival Ball Zone was purchased for my 3 year old grandson. The ball pit set up easily, was great fun to play in, but unfortunately the air mattress which gives it the jump-factor was soon leaking. We have repaired it several times but the air keeps leaking out. I have tried to contact Playhut, the manufacturer, several times to see about a replacement, but they will not reply--after sending 6 e-mails and calling customer service 5 times with no reply. Overall the ball pit was wonderful for about 2 months, but has been patched and then put away for good.