Today is the 95th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. There are not too many survivors left to tell the harrowing tale of the massive 7.5-8.3M quake (no one really knows the actual size and theories vary). It lasted for 60 seconds and ruptured 430km of the San Andreas fault. In some places, fences were offset 20 feet.
Quirky note from SFGate:
In May 1906, Sunset magazine — then a publicity organ of Southern Pacific Railroad, published an “emergency edition” praising the city’s recovery and imminent rebuilding after the April earthquake and fire. Articles in the issue hewed to the advice that an SP executive had circulated to chambers of commerce throughout the state, emphasizing the fire and downplaying the quake in the belief that fire — a more familiar threat — would be less likely to scare off visitors and future residents.
Lion King last night was great. It took a bit to get used to some of the character’s stunning costumes, but by the end you didn’t even notice. The producers did a great job expanding the material for the musical. The new bits blended well with the original movie material, and I think only those who have seen it many times really would know the extra bits. Some of the set pieces were equally stunning. My favorite was the wildebeest stampede sequence – truly a show-stopper. Go see it if you are going to be in LA.
Josh’s theater tip: Whenever you see a musical or play in a tiered theater, get the second row in the first balcony (sometimes called mezzanine). You get the best view of the entire stage without being overpowered by the orchestra.