Without introduction, the lights dimmed, and "Spark and Light" played: A young woman's car breaks down.
He's humorless and ungainly, and odd-looking in his high-and-tight military haircut; she's elfin and flawlessly pretty, and unconvincing as an ex-cheerleader turned mother of two, and they don't set off the dimmest of sparks in each other.
For the uninitiated, the names might spark dim recognition or vague curiosity, but for music lovers of a certain vintage, they are like talismans, instantly evoking a golden age of interpretive authority and musical grandeur.
The creative spark dims, and then death puts it out.
Simon's dark energy affects Victoria and it's no coincidence that her spark dims as he becomes more assertive.
But in recent years has found himself under increasing criticism for his managerial style, one that critics say has driven some talented executives away, dimming its creative spark and threatening its primacy in animation and children's programming.
While this kiddie pic never reaches the self-aware levels of cheeseball entertainment found in Raja Gosnell's first Smurfs movie, The Road Chip shares a similar worship of 70s/80s Muppets, meaning what drives it is that spark to dim the lights and put on a show".
Dim the lights and spark up some candles, preferably the kind you can buy at a bodega for a dollar that feature tortured saints on the front.
But these two cases, and others lingering in the shadows, help explain why that spark has dimmed.
We can adjust so that our testosterone levels make us more suitable for co-parenting or for simply sticking around our mates when the sexual spark has dimmed.
