Thursday evening, I missed "Survivor." For the first time, I'm not sure watching "Survivor" would have been the greater evil. I braved fog and rain to make the 60-minute drive to Bloomington to see "Show Boat." During the Chicago run several years ago, I attended no less than five performances. The show became one of my all-time favorites. Nothing but fond memories of "Show Boat." \n Until Thursday.\nIf you are familiar with the show, you know the song "Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun.'" Mis'ry arrived during the overture and stayed for the entire show. The actor playing Captain Andy -- renamed "Captain Blandy" by me at intermission -- was so awful I wanted to form a Tribal Council so we could vote him off the stage. Having arrived just as the overture began, I was not entirely uncertain I had missed an audience raffle of some sort. Winner gets to put on a Captain's costume and join the cast for the night. No experience necessary, as evidenced by the performance. The most entertaining moments Captain Blandy provided came during intermission and after the show. Moments spent brainstorming with theater companions compiling a list of captains we would have preferred to see on stage. \nThe list included Captain Kirk, Cap'n Crunch, Captain Caveman, The Captain with or without Tennille and Captain America. \nThe cast and crew came to Bloomington from Muncie. Apparently because the cast arrived too late for a sound check, the music consistently overwhelmed the vocals all evening. I have created a fantasy that a capable and entertaining Captain Andy and other talented cast members were somehow left behind at Ball State University. In a misguided effort to find their way to the next gig they found themselves in Bloomington, Ill. \nI was thankful the performers playing the roles of Joe and Magnolia did not miss the bus. Possibly the only enjoyable voices in the ensemble powerful and controlled enough to rise above that consistently loud music.\nThis was one night when I would have liked to see the Cotton Blossom take a page from the Titanic. Hit an iceberg, sink and put me out of my mis'ry. Maybe now I know why Ol' Man River keeps on rollin' along… to get as far away from this production as possible.
Mark Kaser\nFranklin, Ind.
