View From the Shore

The story of the last seven days of Jesus was turned into a musical by the team Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

The soundtrack, sometimes called a Rock Opera, appeared on an album originally, in part because the producers were afraid to take a chance on producing in on stage due to the subject matter. The album had a rock influence with Ian Gillan, the lead singer of Deep Purple, singing the role of Jesus with Murray Head as Judus.

The album reach the Number 1 spot of the Billboard Album Charts for a total of three weeks. One week in late February with its return more than two months later for two weeks in May.

Later in 1971 on October 12th Jesus Christ Superstar premiered at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York with Ben Vereen (Judas), Jeff Fenholt (Jesus), Yvonne Elliman (Mary), Barry Dennen (Pilate), and Paul Ainsley (Herod).

Two years later Director Norman Norman Jewison brought it to the screen, The film had Yvonne Elliman revising her role as Mary along with Barry Dennen as Pilate. Ted Neely took on the role of Jesus with Carl Anderson as Judas. Both Neely and the Anderson had been in the Broadway cast. Neely as the understudy to play Jesus and Anderson took over the role when Vereen fell ill.

Tomorrow, April 1st, NBC will present “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” starring John Legend, Alice Cooper and Sara Bareilles.

Another baseball season is about to begin. One hundred and the years ago that the song Take Me Out to The Ball Game was written.

Jack Norworth was a vaudeville performer and a Tin Pan Alley songwriter when he saw the sign “Baseball Today — Polo Grounds” promoting a ball game at the home stadium of the New York Giants. This gave him the idea and he began writing the words to the song.

Harry Von Tilzer was a popular music composer of Tin Pan Alley working with a number of lyricist, including Norworth. Von Tilzer put a tune to Norworth’s two verses and chorus. By the end of 1908 the song was a hit and has been ever since.

It’s the chorus of the song that is commonly sung and that everyone seems to know. Few people have heard or even know that the song has two verses. In fact there are two versions of the lyrics one that was written in 1908 and a revised version that Norworth wrote in 1927.

The song is about Katie Casey, a young girl who had baseball fever and wants to go to all of the home ball games. She was so familiar with the team she knew all the players by their first name and would tell the umpire when they were wrong.

Neither Jack Norworth or Harry Von Tilzer were baseball fans. In fact it”s reported that Norworth didn”t actually attend his first baseball game until 32 years later on June 27, 1940 and Von Tilzer saw his first 20 years after composing the music.

Below are the lyrics of the 1908 version:

Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev’ry sou1
Katie blew.
On a Saturday her young beau
Called to see if she’d like to go
To see a show, but Miss Kate said “No,
I’ll tell you what you can do:”

Chorus

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don’t care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win, it’s a shame.
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,
At the old ball game.

Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names.
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along,
Good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:

Chorus

Accomack County, as it is today, was last formally established in 1671. In 1634 the Eastern Shore of Virginia was one of the original eight shires of Virginia and was name Accomac Shire after the Native American word Accawacke, which means “across the water”. The British decided to eliminate ‘heathen’ names in the New World and the Shire was renamed Northampton.

In 1663 the shire was split into two counties with the northern county assuming the original Accomac name. The county was abolished in 1670 only to be reestablished in 1671. It wasn’t until 1940 that the “k” was officially added to the spelling of the county’s name.

The very first Sheriff in what is now called the United States was William Stone, who was appointed to serve Accomack County in 1634.

Accomac is the county seat of Accomack County. In 1693 the Accomack County courthouse was moved from Onancock to a site at Matomkin. The town was established in 1786 with the name Drummond. In 1893 the town was renamed Accomac. Even today some locals will still refer to the town as Drummond.

Many of the incorporated towns of the Virginia Eastern Shore had their origins because of the railroad. Bloxom, Belle Haven, Hallwood, Keller, Melfa, Painter and Parksley are a few of those towns. Parksley is the home of the Eastern Shore Railroad Museum and in many ways the town still has the character of an 1880’s railroad town.

With as much shore line as Virginia’s Eastern Shore has, there is also a history of life on the water for Accomack County. Chincoteague is a family resort island town that is famous for the Chincoteague ponies. Each year the Volunteer Fire Company auction Wild Ponies from Assateague Island as part of their annual fundraising as well as holding an annual carnival.

The history of the Maryland Colony began with a failed attempt by George Calvert, the First Lord Baltimore, in Newfoundland. Calvert had been the Secretary of State under King James the I and he had requested a chance to build a colony in the New World. The “Province of Avalon” began settlement in 1623 and by 1627 when Calvert first visited the colony 100 men and women were living at Ferryland, a plantation being built for him.

He stayed for a while before returning to England. In 1628 he returned with his household with the intention of remaining there for the rest of his days. The winter of 1628-29 was much worst than he expected and returned again to England. He continued to desire a colony in the New World and began the process that would become the Maryland Charter.

The colony was named in honor of King Charles’s Queen, Henrietta Maria. Even though Calvert was a Catholic, he viewed the colony as a place where Catholics and Puritans could live together without oppression because of their faith. The boundaries were the Potomac River to the South, the Atlantic to the East and the 40th Parallel to the North.

George Calvert died on April 15, 1632 and the Charter for the Maryland Colony was granted to his son Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore, two months later on June 20, 1632.

In November of 1633 two ships, the Ark and the Dove left England for the Chesapeake Bay and the Maryland Colony. They were led by Calvert’s brother Leonard.

After a stop at the Jamestown where they bought animals and other supplies they ventured further up the Chesapeake Bay. They landed on March 25th at a small island they called St Clement’s Island, called Blakistone Island in later years. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources controls the island as a state park.

America was just entering the 1st World War when 102nd Infantry, 26th Yankee Division was doing combat training at Yale University in 1917. A short tail dog of an unknown breed, possibly a mix Boston Terrier and Pit Bull or even a pure American Pit Bull terrier was found by Private John Robert Conroy. He named the dog Stubby.

Stubby soon became the unit’s mascot and learned the bugle calls and drills. He even learned to salute by placing his right paw on his right eyebrow. He shouldn’t have been allowed to stay at camp, but was because he increased morale.

When the division shipped out to France on the SS Minnesota he was smuggled on board. When discovered once in France he was allowed to stay with the unit after giving a salute to the Commanding Officer.

Due to an injury he suffered from gas exposure he became very sensitive to gas. One night as the company slept they were attacked by gas, but Stubby was able to alert the men saving many lives. He also was able to find wounded men who spoke English allowing rescuers to bring them back to the trenches.

He even once discovered a sleeping German soldier and bit the soldier attacking him until others arrived. For his Capture of a enemy soldier he was made a Sgt.

Even after the War ended he was a famous dog. While J. Robert Conroy was studying Law at Georgetown University Sgt Stubby became the mascot of the Hoyas. Sgt. Stubby died on March 16, 1926. His body can be seen on display at the Smithsonian, still wearing his special jacket which displays all of his medals.

In a 53 week period from July 30, 1977 to July 29, 1978 The Brothers Gibb (The Bee Gees, brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin, or their younger brother Andy) held the Number 1 spot for 31 weeks.

July 30 – August 13 and September 17, 1977 (4) “I Just Want to be Your Everything” – Andy Gibb
December 24, 1977 – January 7, 1978 (3) “How Deep is Your Love – Bee Gees
February 4 – February 25 ( 4) “Stayin” Alive” – Bee Gees
March 4 – March 11 (2) ” (Love is) Ticker than Water” – Andy Gibb
March 18 – May 6 (8) “Night Fever” – Bee Gees
May 13 – “If I Can’t Have You” – Yvonne Elliman (Written by the Bee Gees)
June 17 – July 29 (7) – “Shadow Dancing” – Andy Gibb

During this 53 week period the only artists to have a Number 1 song were:
August 20 – September 10 & September 24 (5) – “Best of my Love” The Emotions
October 1 & 8 (2) “Star Wars Theme” – Meco
October 15 – December 17 (10) – “You Light Up My Life” Debby Boone
January 14 – January 28 (3) – “Baby Come Back: – Player
May 20 & 27 (2) – “With a Little Luck” – Wings
June 3 – “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” – Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
June 10 – “You’re the One That I Want” – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

The movie “Grease” would have another Number 1 song in 1978, its theme song “Grease” by Frankie Valli and written by Barry Gibb. It would spend 2 weeks at Number 1, August 26 and September 2.