I spent entirely too much time last week watching the Olympics, which were on almost all waking hours here. It was fun, but too distracting. Now I can get focused on all of the stuff I need to do.

One of my immediate projects involves coming up with a sermon/message to give at the New Unity congregation next Sunday. Andy, our minister there, is in need of a break and the Unitarian movement is too small to have a system of guest ministers giving sermons, as is done in the U.S. So he asked for volunteers and three of us agreed to take a Sunday. The theme for this quarter has been culture, so I have decided to speak about “When Culture Changes”, thinking about the impact of the cultural shifts that have caused things like Brexit and Trump. I only have the vaguest of outlines at this point.

“Groundhog Day: The Musical”: Last week, we went to see “Groundhog Day” at The Old Vic, a musical version of the classic Bill Murray movie. You could imagine how this could turn out very bad, but this adaptation was a wonderful, fast-paced, sometimes hysterical, sometimes poignant celebration. It kept the basic plot of the movie and even a few of the jokes, without trying to duplicate it. The result was something that was new, but equal to the original in its own way. The book was written by Danny Rubin, who wrote the screenplay for the original movie, and the rest of the creative team was the one behind “Matilda, The Musical” (Tim Minchin-music and lyrics, Director Matthew Warchus, Choreographer Peter Darling, designer Rob Howell and others). It was just incredibly clever in so many ways, from the sets to the choreography to use of illusions. Andy Karl, an American actor, played Phil Connors. He’s been in a lot of productions, both on and off Broadway, most recently playing the lead in “Rocky, the Musical”. He didn’t try to ape Bill Murray’s portrayal and instead played Phil as more of a smarmy, sexist, egomaniacal jerk going through a bit of mid-life crisis. He was great and watching him turn from the initial Phil Connors of the opening scene, through various levels of lunacy, desperation and despair, until his final transformation into his best self, was great theater. It was particularly enjoyable watching him repeatedly staggering back through the same opening production number with bands and townspeople singing and meeting Ned Ryerson and then meeting up with Rita and Larry to cover Punxsutawney Phil’s act, with his Phil Connors changing each time it happened and everything else was the same. One of the things that the production was able to do since it wasn’t a Bill Murray vehicle was to spend a little more time fleshing out some of the other characters, which I thought was mostly successful. (Brantley’s review in the NY Times didn’t like the humanizing of Ned Ryerson, but I though that by the time that happened, they had squeezed all the humor out of the insurance agent running gag.) The character of Rita got a little more depth and Carlyss Peer was very good in the part, although it was impossible for her to recreate the radiance of Andie McDowell from the movie. Finally, I though the sections of the production dealing with the redemption of Phil Connors was truly touching and actually better than that part of the movie. I am quite certain that I just saw the Tony Award winner for best musical in whatever year it arrives in New York (which I think may be late fall, when I am sure it will also have moved to the West End here). It is going to run forever and win lots of awards. I’ve bought a ticket to see it again (something I never do) when Judie has her next Women’s Group meeting in our flat.

Connections: One of the central parts of my life over the past fifteen years has been the community at the UU congregation in Montclair. And it is not just our close friends. It is knowing that this person is going through a major illness or has lost parent or that that person is getting a divorce or has a child who just did something special. One of the most difficult things about living in London is missing out on all of these little things that create that feeling of community. (Although we get a different version of that in New Unity, it is one that lacks the depth, although it would be just as meaningful given enough time). Oddly, my best link to my old community turns out to be Facebook, where I have able to follow some of the comings and goings and trial and triumphs of my community. I honestly never thought I’d appreciate Facebook, but I do.

Political Update: The Labour Party debacle continues to slog along. Sadiq Khan, the new Mayor of London, as well as the head of the Party in Scotland have both recently endorsed Owen Smith, but I find it hard to believe that it will make much difference given the way the leadership election will be run. The debates between the two candidates (which are called “hustings” here) have been pretty unremarkable since both Corbyn and Smith are almost identical on most policy issues. Thus, the debates are reduced to moment like Smith being asked to identify Justin Bieber in a photo (he could) and Corbyn being asked if he preferred Trotskyites or Blairites (he refused to pick one!). I think that latter one was my favorite moment of the campaign so far.

Remember Brexit? I think most people though that Britain would be on the path out of the EU by now. But it’s summer time and everyone is on vacation and not paying that much attention, so not much has happened. The biggest problem facing the government is the realization that they do not have anyone who is experienced or qualified to negotiate the zillion new trade agreements that will be required as Britain leaves. The British government has not had to do that for over a generation, as all such agreements had been negotiated by the EU. So the Tories are scrambling around trying to find hundreds of lawyers, accountants, advisors, etc. to do the job. It is going to be a windfall for private firms and their employees, who appear to be the only logical candidates. It is going to cost a fortune. Partly because of this, there is said to be some thought with in the government that the withdrawal process should not even begin until next year sometime. It is safe to say that this will cause big problems for Theresa May, when the eurosceptics that are in the majority of her party return from vacation. Neil Farage (shudder) may even come out of his announced retirement. The fall will also see a number of legal challenges to the process being heard, including the one that argues (persuasively in my view) that Britain cannot withdraw from the EU without an act of Parliament and another in Norther Ireland arguing that Brexit violates the Sunday Accords somehow. Meanwhile, there is a power struggle going on between Boris Johnson and the other two Ministers May appointed to oversee Brexit in a specially created department. It has been a slow period lately, but it may only be the quiet before the storm.