All hail Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis!
Maybe the recent clock change to Daylight Saving Time has me especially discombobulated regarding time, but my body clock is off. It's not really new, but more noticeable.
I know there’s a whole generation of people, especially women, who are suffering major insomnia. You can identify them all from their posts in the middle of the night on Facebook. They are either looking to put in time until daylight or looking for others to commiserate with in the wee hours.
So, the suggestion made recently by the scream actress really caught my attention.
In case you missed it, Jamie Lee came out in support of matinees. In an interview with the Today show, she talked about declining an Oscar nominees dinner because she values an early bed time. The dinner wasn’t starting until 7:30 p.m. and she wants to be home in bed by 9 p.m. She went on to challenge musicians to do concerts during the day.
“Why are there no matinees?” Curtis asked.
“For instance, I love Coldplay. I would love to go see Coldplay. The problem is I’m not going to go see Coldplay if they start their concert if they start their show at 9 o’clock and there’s an opening act. I want to hear Coldplay at 1 p.m. I think if we filled a stadium with people who want to see a matinee, I think we would start a trend," she added.
It did cross my mind that the reason Jamie Lee doesn’t want to go out late at night is a) because she’s the daughter of Janet Leigh of Psycho fame and is still haunted, or b) she was known as the Scream Queen for her roles in Halloween (six of them) and is still freaked out.
More likely, though, is that she is getting older and nighttime doesn’t hold the same magic as it used to.
But before you dismiss her idea as just something senior citizens would enjoy, think about people on shift work, too. What about parents with young children or students who have early classes?
I think the idea of early performances makes a lot of sense.
It might not be bad for the economy, either. I can see a scenario where a group goes to a matinee performance and then goes out for dinner, drinks or some shopping post-event.
Afternoon performances have often been the case for movies, Broadway plays, cruise ships, casinos, and festivals.
I wonder if the performers might appreciate it, too. It's not like they are getting any younger. Surely, some of the classic rock bands might welcome a time shift. I’m thinking of The Rolling Stones and the like.
All my personal favourite entertainers are now all in their 70s or older. They all still seem vital and energetic, but maybe, just maybe, they would like their evenings off.
We could even rename some hits:
Michael Bolton, 70 — How Can We Be Lovers if We Can’t Stay Awake?
Lionel Richie, 74 — All Afternoon Long
Dolly Parton, 77— Nine to Five (would still work)
Barry Manilow, 79 — I Write the Songs Before Noon
Maybe even Coldplay was thinking along these lines when they recorded Clocks?
It's not like evening shows would have to go — just add the matinee. Two shows in one day in not that unheard of.
Think about it. The whole day is not frittered away waiting for the big event. You enjoy a couple of hours of entertainment, go hit happy hour, take advantage of the early bird specials, and you're home in pyjamas in time for the nightly news.
It's a win-win!
