writing the words "fall of Saigon" has left the song "Fall of Saigon" in my head, and so...

during my senior year of high school, i attended "Music On the Move," a showcase competition of some big-name (to those who know anything about it) DCI Drum and Bugle Corps. most of the performances were forgettable. in fact, other than the now-defunct host corp (whose name i cannot remember. sad, considering that they were based here), the only corp i remember being there was the Santa Clara Vanguard for their performance of selections from Miss Saigon. after hearing it on the field that day, i went out and bought the soundtrack that had inspired the SCV performance. it was my first Broadway soundtrack. turned out that one wasn't enough.

next came Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, followed by Jelly's Last Jam, Falsettos, Guys and Dolls (not Guys As Dolls), and Into the Woods, and an assortment of others leading up to my current playlist of Passion, Aida, Rent and Man of La Mancha.

so, dad, you can stop blaming mom, my high school teachers, my high school friends, my college professors, my college friends, books, television, radio, movies, the Democrats, plush animals, Thanksgiving Day parades, PETA, my cat Patches, and the English with their hot tea. blame it on Santa Clara.