The Friday Informer: Where Are They Now?

Bush unexpectedly borrows the orchestra from JoAnn Falletta during a performance of “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Photo by Pierre Courtois, The Library of Virginia.

With eyes and ears glued to that car crash the news outlets are calling the Republican presidential debates, you might have missed this baton steal by the current Potus. George is apparently exploring his post-presidency options. While we’re no stranger to the man’s unflappable instinct to take charge in situations he knows absolutely nothing about, he apparently did okay. Maybe that actually qualifies him to take the helm of one of the Big 5 currently short a music director. No conservatory training, sure, but plenty of experience working in high stress areas where your policies inspire “great anger” in 80 percent of your staff.

But who knows. Maybe he can take a page from Reagan, hone whatever “movie star looks” he can manage, and make a play to take over the South Carolina Phil, an organization apparently into that sort of thing. (Though we’d recommend that he stay away from political hot spots, like the Buffalo Phil.) Or, he could go the Nixon route and try his hand at composition, where “hot or not” is, well, not so important, apparently.

Though folks in our industry have been known to jump the gun when it comes to the death notices, Dead Symphony No. 6 is not a pop reference to this common refrain but rather to this one. Opera ticket holders across the pond are staging some theatrics of their own. I’m headed over to Italy myself next week. If you’re needing distraction while I’m gone, look to our friends on the West Coast who have new toys on display.