This and That: Elite Eight, Broadway and more
This and That: Elite Eight, Broadway and more
It’s Purdue and Tennessee this afternoon for a berth in the Final Four. A Lafayette resident’s tale that is part of ‘Come From Away,’ a musical coming to Purdue this week. And more
This edition is sponsored by the Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement (CCSE), which will host its spring Conversation with Brian Lamb April 2. Brian Lamb, C-SPAN founder, will interview Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and essayist. Schiff will share from her New York Times bestselling book, “The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams,” exploring thought-provoking insights on early American history, the Revolutionary War and this forgotten revolutionary hero. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/BLConversations
Once again, let’s start here first …
HEADING INTO THE ELITE EIGHT
Purdue’s march/March in the NCAA Tournament continues Sunday against Tennessee in the Elite Eight. Tipoff is 2:20 p.m. on CBS.
Is this the one that puts coach Matt Painter and the Boilers in the Final Four? Here were some good looks at that question and the scene Friday night in Detroit, when Purdue took care of Gonzaga, 80-68.
From J&C reporter Sam King, who chronicled the all-business locker room after the Sweet 16 win: “'This is what has been on our mind.' Purdue basketball remains focused on road ahead.”
Gold and Black’s Brian Neubert and Tom Dienhart has this on3.com coverage with this collection of notes and video: “Takeaways and Wrap Video: Purdue's NCAA Tournament win over Gonzaga.” Mike Carmin added this game story, too: “Top-seeded Purdue rolls over Gonzaga to reach Elite Eight.”
Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel led his Friday night column this way: “The game’s over and Gonzaga coach Mark Few is shrugging, because what can you do?.” Here’s the rest of it: “Mark Few wanted Braden Smith. Now, Gonzaga coach wants Purdue point guard to 'go win the f***ing thing.'”
I particularly liked this one from Brendan Quinn of The Athletic, who circled the moment below in the Gonzaga game, one guard Braden Smith said of after the game: “If you want to poke the bear, go ahead. … And good luck with that.” Quinn’s upshot was in his lede: “There are ways to beat Purdue. This just isn’t one of them.” The full read: “Gonzaga made Zach Edey angry. He got even by leading Purdue to the Elite Eight.”
Gonzaga coach Mark Few didn’t drop that f-bomb here when he had this to say about Purdue after Friday’s game.
The J&C’s Sam King also had this, breaking what promises to be a rugged game against Tennessee: “Scouting report: Purdue basketball vs Tennessee, March Madness: Prediction in NCAA Elite 8.”
And the Boiler fan base already was gearing up for some of smack present in past meet-ups between Purdue and Tennessee, including this cross-sport moment from the Music City Bowl in 2021. The Boilers beat the Vols on a day that the real moment belonged to a mellophone player in the All-American Marching Band. The story behind the guy who took the taunts as the Boilers got the last word: “Hey, man, I’m just here to play music.”
In other bracket news … The Purdue women’s basketball team will get another home game in the WNIT, this one Monday in the Great 8 against Vermont. Mike Carmin has the details on the 7 p.m. tip and keys to the game for the Boilers in the Greater Lafayette Sports Report: “WNIT: Purdue women's basketball hosts Vermont on Monday at Mackey Arena.”
A LAFAYETTE STORY FROM BROADWAY’S ‘COME FROM AWAY’
Chances are good you can recite where you were, what you were doing and how you found out on Sept. 11, 2001, about the hijacked airlines that flew into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and field in western Pennsylvania.
Lafayette resident Judi Hawkin’s story from that day, and nearly a week the followed, among those that fed the narrative of a Broadway musical, “Come From Away,” coming this week to Purdue’s Elliott Hall of Music.
Hawkins, who was traveling back from a trip to London with her husband, Colin, were over the Atlantic when flights were grounded across the U.S. and their United Airlines flight was diverted from Chicago O’Hare to a regional airport in Gander, Newfoundland.
For the next six days, Hawkins and 6,700 other diverted passengers – “plane people,” as they came to be known – were taken in by Canadian hosts in Gander and in makeshift shelters in schools, community centers and homes in nearby towns in Newfoundland.
“It’s terrible to say, but we were the blessing of the day – the only good part that came out of that,” Hawkins said during an hourlong discussion hosted March 3 by Purdue Convocations in a packed Wilmeth Active Learning Center lecture hall at Purdue.
“Part of what is astonishing is the fact that it was just a little town on an island, and they did everything you could possibly do to take care of us,” Hawkins said. “I mean, they really stepped up and continued to do so through the whole time.”
Hawkins wound up in a Salvation Army in nearby Gambo, a town of 1,978, sorting through the aftermath of the terrorist attack with other stranded passengers who formed bonds she says continue two decades later and in a musical she’s seen 16 times.
“It’s just a part of me now,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins’ retelling of that week in September 2001 was captured in this interview with Purdue senior Julia Prickett by the students of Purdue’s Lamb School of Communication. Watch it here:
If you go: “Come From Away” will be at Elliott Hall of Music at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. For tickets and more information, here’s your link.
SPEAKING OF BROADWAY …
This was a great segment via Thirteen, a PBS outlet in New York City, about the work Ted Arthur – a 2004 Harrison High School grad – is doing as musical director on Broadway’s “Back to the Future.” The three-minute piece is part of the station’s “We Are Broadway” series. So cool.
Thanks, again, to this edition’s sponsor, the Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement, presenting its spring Conversation with Brian Lamb April 2.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Super congrats to TED WHO HAS FINALLY MADE IT ON BROADWAY! I met Ted 15 years ago when I attended a Glee Club concert in the Purdue University Union. I thought he was a little kid playing for the boys and maybe I should go up on the stage and turn the music sheets for him. I am extremely delighted to read that Ted has finally been recognized for his genius. I wish him the best as he rises to fame, as this is just the beginning for him. Always adored you, Ted
And sometimes you have to bear the poke.