haines his way

02/27/2003:
"NOTES WITHOUT CHEESE, LETTUCE AND TOMATOES"

Well, dear readers, the rains have returned, so I slept very well as I always do when it is raining. Yesterday was a Meltz and Ernest day – spent collating their wonderful songs, and going through the archives which, as you might imagine, are yielding many surprises, oh, yes, they are yielding many surprises. Isn’t “yielding” a Jerry Lewis word? Let’s all put on our best Jerry Lewis voice right this very minute and, on the count of three, say “yielding”. One, two, three – “Yielding.” Excellent. We were so Jerry, weren’t we?
Last night I dreamed I was at Manderley. In my dream, I’d gone to Taco Bell and gotten four count them four regular crunchy tacos. When I got them home to eat I discovered, to my dismay that they’d left out the cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. There was only the meet (someone pointed out that I made this interesting typo - meet for meat - I wonder what it means, meat/meet-wise?) sitting in a lump within the shell. First I called them to tell them I was bringing them back, but the woman said I had to take a phone survey first, and then switched me to an automated survey. I hung up, and drove over to the Taco Bell place. I gave them back their incomplete tacos and the woman asked me if I was sure I hadn’t inadvertently removed the cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. I said to her, “And did what with them?” After much arguing they gave me the new complete tacos. Then I woke up.
Wasn’t that a lovely dream? So filled with portent and meaning, even though I haven’t a clue as to what the portent and meaning was/is. As I mentioned the other day, I received Miss Melissa Errico’s CD. I have now listened to it a few times and here is my full report as promised. First, let’s just say that it’s a wonderfully produced (by Arif Mardin) CD, the sound is clean and clear and Miss Errico’s voice comes through beautifully on every track. If theater people are expecting an album filled with Miss Errico’s favorite theater tunes they will not be happy and will probably stay away from the CD. That would be a shame however, and their loss. There is only one count them one popular song on the album, the exquisite Rodgers and Hart gem, He Was Too Good To Me. All the rest of the songs fall into a sort of pop/folk vein and, in one way or another, they are all ballads. Now, the thing is, I haven’t liked any of these CDs by theater people who fancy themselves rock stars, because I think they are not to the manner born – I find that they are rock poseurs and I only hear the effort. Miss Errico’s album is not exactly rock, but it’s definitely in a pop mode. But she is to the manner born, there is nothing “poseur” about it – she fits into these songs like a glove, doesn’t overact them, doesn’t underact them (so that they are a bland pudding), she just does them. For me, it’s a bit like it was hearing Maria Muldaur and Ricky Lee Jones for the first time (or Joni Mitchell), only better sung. It’s not a show-off album, it’s just Melissa Errico doing songs she believes in and doing them lovingly and well. I especially like her lower and mid-range, which is warm and smooth, and the way she caresses words is everything I love in singing. The album, entitled Blue Like That is a mood piece, and it was perfect listening as I drove around in the rain the other day. Her musicians are all top-notch New York players. My favorite songs on the album were the aforementioned He Was Too Good To Me, Love Junkyard, And So it Goes and Randy Newman’s When He Loved Me. I commend Miss Errico for doing the album she wanted to do, and I commend Angel/Manhattan for letting her do it and do it so well. I recommend this without reservation, and I think if theater lovers come to this with an open mind that they will really enjoy it.
What am I, Ken Mandelbaum all of a sudden? Don’t I have excellent questions to answer? Let’s all click on the Unseemly Button to find out if I answered them, shall we?

I did, I did, I did answer them. Who am I, Tweety all of a sudden?
William E. Lurie asks when I hear a cast album for a show I’ve not seen, do I imagine how the numbers were staged? Not so much now, but definitely when I was a wee sprig of a twig of a lad of a youth I did – I would look at the photos on the album jacket and I would picture in my head what I imagined they were doing. Sometimes I’d even dance around the room imagining what they were doing. If I later saw the show did the actual staging exceed what I’d pictured or was I disappointed. Oh, no, they always exceeded what even I had pictured. What numbers from shows that I’ve never seen would I most like to see? Be a Santa, for sure.
Jrand52 asks if a movie has a credit for Costumes and an additional credit for Wardrobe Supervisor what does that mean. Normally the Costume credit is for the designer, and the Wardrobe Supervisor credit is for the on-set wardrobe person (they may also choose the non-designed costumes from stock).
Laura asks for me to explain why the following people are in the Show Business: Charo – well, she’s obviously a unique personality and she is fun for a certain type of talk show or game show. I had lunch with her once and found her to be captivating and charming. She’s also an excellent guitar player. Roseanne – this I do not know. I find her totally unfunny and totally unappealing, but obviously others take to her in some way. Fabio – Fabio, it has been said by some, is an alien – a Nordic alien from another planet. That is the only explanation I have for his existence.
William F. Orr asks if I have plans to see Anyone Can Whistle and if so, when? I’m told tickets are scarce because of all the Sondheim freaks in Los Angeles, but yes, I will try to see it. Normally, our friend Misty Cotton e-mails me about these things and when she does I’ll see if there’s something she can do.
Arnold M. Brockman asks what popular song best represents the following decades: The 20s – before I start, these types of questions boggle my already boggled mind, so rather than just throw out any old songs, I’m going to make this today’s topic of discussion. So, I’ll get back to this one at the end of today’s notes.
JMK asks when a Broadway show hires a well-known team to ghost write songs for a show in trouble, how do the royalty and licensing fees get worked out, as in the case of Hello, Dolly. JMK find it hard to believe that the writers would not want credit or that they would forego monies due to them. Some people have already sort of answered the specifics of your question in terms of Dolly – it is pretty well known that Elegance and Motherhood were both ghosted in part by Bob Merrill. Strouse and Adams were called in to help with Before the Parade Passes By, but as far as I know that song belongs to Jerry (I seem to remember, however, that the title may have been theirs – can’t remember). In terms of Bob Merrill (or anyone who ghosts), they forego any credit but do get royalties. I know this because I saw the royalty agreements for Dolly. So, Mr. Merrill probably did quite well for himself on that show.
Pam asks if I’m planning to come to Chicago to see Bounce, the new Sondheim show. It depends on what I’m doing, but I would like to see it and if I’m there, yes, we will have a Hainsies/Kimlets Chicago and environs gathering.
Dennis Clancy asks where I feel the music industry is heading – whether brick and mortar stores will all close or go bankrupt and the only way a consumer will be able to purchase a CD will be to pay a fee and download it onto a disc or onto their computer. Well, I must say, when I created my label I’d hoped that the bulk of sales would come from the Internet, that we could get people to buy right from the site. Well, it didn’t really happen as I’d hoped it would. People still like to go to a store, to hold the CD in their hands, to browse, so I would hope that brick and mortar stores will be with us for some time to come. I think it’s the mom-and-pop stores that are dying and will be extinct soon, and that is a shame. As to the downloading stuff – I’m simply not interested, and I hope we never ever come to that. Holding an LP or CD in your hand is a tactile thing, and it’s special – the purchase is yours, you get packaging and you feel like you’re getting something for your dough. Downloading is work and I don’t care about it. I also think there are sound issues (and I don’t care what they say) and so I’ll stick to merchandise I can go to a store (either real or online) and purchase and receive in a conventional manner.
Tom from Oz’s personal favorite of my CDs is the Stephen Schwartz Album. Were there any songs which I did not have room for on the CD or that were eventually discarded before recording? If so, what were they, and do I have any favorites that I did not record. Oh, sure, there are lots of his songs that I really love. However, we both made lists, then I called him, he read me his list, I read him mine, and they were almost exactly the same. The only one I insisted on was Gifts of Love (he wanted to do With You) – I ended up figuring out a way the two could go together, but it required him writing a new lyric to the end of Gifts of Love, so that it would dovetail better with With You. He did this, rather generously I thought, and did a beautiful new lyric that was not so show specific as the original. Have I ever seen a satisfying and successful version of The Baker’s Wife? I’ve only seen it once, in its tryout engagement, with Topol and Patti Lupone. It didn’t really work, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It’s a hard show, difficult to pull off. The most difficult thing is finding a way not to hate its leading lady for cuckolding her husband. I don’t know that they’ve ever been able to fix that problem.
Sandra asks exactly what is a sieve tube member? Oh, there are so many ways I could answer the question. I believe that a sieve tube member is a member of the sieve tubes, a popular Ska band from the eighties.
Jay asks how the book signings I’ve done work? Do I get a fee for signing or just the proceeds from the sales of books. Do I chat with the people getting my autograph? Do I enjoy these events? What’s my favorite memory of a book signing and least favorite memory? There is no fee for a signing – I mean, maybe there is for a J.K. Rowling, but certainly not for most authors. They do signings to publicize the book and get the word out. I really enjoy doing them a lot – normally, I read from the book as well. I do chat with people quite a bit. My favorite signing so far has been the Ray Courts memorabilia show, because it was the first, and because there were interesting people all around me (including our very own Susan Gordon). But I also really had fun at my first store signing in Glendale, at Bookfellows. In fact, that is where I’ll be doing the first signing of Kritzerland. My least favorite memory of a signing is, of course, the last-minute aborted Barnes and Noble signing. Feh on them, say I.
KT asks if I want to view her copy of Tell Me You Love Me, Junie Moon. Yes, that would be lovely. By the way (BTW, in Internet lingo) I may be in Las Vegas in the next few weeks, so perhaps we’ll have a Hainsie/Kimlet get-together while I’m there. What was it about the Exodus DVD that I considered “shoddy treatment”? Well, to start, they used the old laserdisc transfer, which is very old and simply doesn’t look good. This film was shot in 70mm and 6 track Stereo Sound, and it should be given the class A treatment, like Warners did with The Cardinal and King of Kings. Unfortunately, Exodus, for whatever reason, didn’t go to Warners, it stayed with MGM/UA, and they have proven time and again that they just won’t go the extra mile for what they perceive are lesser titles. Well, Exodus isn’t a lesser title – it’s Preminger, it’s Paul Newman, it’s Leon Uris, and it was a huge roadshow event.
Hapgood asks if there are any names, male or female, that I particularly love. Not male, but I do love certain female names – Rebecca, Gillian, Sophie, those spring to mind. What is my opinion of Miss Barbra Streisand? Well, I loved her when I first discovered her, and I have enjoyed certain things over the years. But she’s just become too much – it’s very hard to even look at her anymore, it’s all so put on and not real, at least in appearance. But she was something else at the beginning, a force to be reckoned with. Where did I go to college? LACC.
Craig asks what if I could team any composer and lyricist together – who would they be? Well, I certainly think Mr. Hamlisch and Dorothy Fields would have been an interesting combination on Sweet Smell of Success. I’ve always thought it might have been interesting for Harvey Schmidt to write with another lyricist occasionally, say a Bob Merrill or even Stephen Sondheim. What shows do I think would have been served by a different composer/lyricist. Oh, maybe The Red Shoes. Definitely Martin Guerre (although I don’t really know if anyone could have made that work). What style of song is my favorite? The overture? The patter song? The eleven o’clock number? The I Want song? And who do I think writes best for those categories. I don’t know that I’d play the who writes best game for the latter question because everyone is writing for a specific show. I’m partial to great opening numbers like It’s A Typical Day, Magic to Do, or Comedy Tonight, or even character opening numbers such as It’s a Perfect Relationship. And, of course, I love ballads. Stephen Schwartz knows how to write an I Want song (Corner of the Sky) as well as anyone, and so did Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Jule Styne and whatever lyricist certainly knew how to write memorable ballads and also memorable eleven o’clock numbers.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must go out in the rain because I love driving in the rain, I must sup with Cissy Wechter and I must do lots and lots of stuff. Today’s topic of discussion: I’m opening Arnold M. Brockman’s question to the assembled Hainsies/Kimlets (even the errant and truant) – What popular song best represents the following decades:
The 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s? I shall be checking in often to see your excellent choices.

Replies: 51 Unseemly Comments

I have just come from another Career Exploration session in which we got sidetracked and had a rather drawn out conversation about whale blubber, sushi, and why you should never jump out of a moving vehicle. Seriously.
Once again, I am getting the evil eye from the librarian, this time for saying "yielding" like Jerry Lewis.
Posted by Sandra @ 02/27/2003 09:35 AM PST

20s - Yes, We Have No Bananas
30s - Brother Can You Spare A Dime
40s - Don't Sit Under the Appletree
50s - Rock Around the Clock
60s - Blowin' in the Wind
70s - Another Hundred People
80s and 90s - Not familiar with that much
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/27/2003 09:36 AM PST

First post? Hurray!
Posted by Sandra @ 02/27/2003 09:36 AM PST

Continued from yesterday...
Old Man Time - if that is indeed his real name - has confused the point of my original post. I suggested that Rachel York "looked" too young for the part, not that she "was" too young for the part. Rachel York may be 32, but she looks about 25, which seems a tad young for the role.
And in my second post, I suggested that it is easier to accept the story if Lili appears to be nearing forty. That doesn't mean that she is too young at 32 to have been through that much life experience; only that it seems more likely if she has a few more years on her.
On another topic, every Fred has his admirers - whether it is Howard Keel or Alfred Drake or Robert Goulet or Brian Stokes Mitchell or Burke Moses or even Brent Barrett - I have heard them all hailed as the "best ever" by someone or other. I just personally feel that Fred is best suited to true baritone, with rich lower tones that Barrett doesn't seem to possess.
NOTE: This is not an insult to his voice, only an opinion about the role. If I were insulting his voice, we'd be talking about his vibrato, but that's another story...
Posted by Dave @ 02/27/2003 09:46 AM PST

The two latest Percy Faith two-fers are out. Joy/Day by Day is exquisite, with knockout arrangements of Conquistador and one of my all time favorite Faith originals, Bach's Lunch. Chinatown/Summer Place '76 is, sadly, more of a mixed bag. Chinatown is largely wonderful, thanks mostly to Faith's stunning arrangement of the Goldsmith theme (his last charted single). Summer Place '76 is a disco affair, and while it has its moments (amazingly, the disco-fied Summer Place is pretty good, as is the reworking of Maybe September), it has one of the most G-d-awful moments in the Faith canon--a tune called Ding Dong, with an appallingly bad female chorus boogieing to the classic lyric "Ding, ding, ding, ding, dong a dee-dee-dee-dee-dee ding dong." You have been forewarned.
Posted by JMK @ 02/27/2003 09:49 AM PST

Sandra: I'm intrigued. Is your career choice now down to whale fishing, sushi chef or stunt person?
Posted by Allan @ 02/27/2003 09:52 AM PST

Dave - I never disagree with you. Just playing Devil's Advocate.
And yes, it's my real name. My parents had a peculiar sense of humor. I have a brother named Justin and a sister name Lotta. ;-)
Posted by Old Man Time @ 02/27/2003 10:11 AM PST

Sure looks that way, Allan. I think that whole conversation started when our 350-pound psycho-therapist told us about a job he applied for whose only perk was all the whale blubber you could eat. Though what that had to do with jumping out of a moving vehicle I will never know.
And thanks for the info on the Sieve Tubes, BK. I'll remember that for the test.
Posted by Sandra @ 02/27/2003 10:16 AM PST

Old Man Time:
Aren't you related to Niko?
Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/27/2003 10:41 AM PST

I think I've got a pretty good idea who Old Man Time is related to... ;-)
Posted by Dave @ 02/27/2003 10:56 AM PST

I'm dazed and confused. BK typed a "typo" and didn't call attention to it to ponder its significance.
He said his tacos had only "meet" in them.
What do we suppose THAT means? Could it be that BK is having too many meetings and that his subconscious was complying with his hunger for tacos, but removing the cheese and lettuce and tomatoes so that the "meet" wouldn't be sullied?
I'm awash in a myriad of interpretations. Oh! Ominous Day!
Old Man Time -- didn't you used to have a wife named "Marsha"?
And didn't you have a son with her named "Step'n"?
If I recall correctly (IIRC in Internet Lingo...Oh! A BK reference!!!), she got remarried to a guy named Dimes.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 02/27/2003 11:33 AM PST

Well I ordered the MYSTERIOUS ISLAND dvd as well. Michael Callan who was so funny in CAT BALLOU and played the leader of a hip girl-crazy male dance troup in GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN, has a great part.
Good choices from Bill....so I will try to build on them.
1920's: Won't you Charleston With Me?
1930's: Happy Days are Here Again
1940's: The Hut Sut Song
1950's: Teddy Bear
1960's: Hard Day's Night
1970's: Tomorrow
1980's: Another Auld Lang Syne
1990's: ??????????
I need to see some other suggestions before I tackle the 1990's. 8-D
And to comment on something BK wrote in his notes. I have been online for about 4 years. After about a year, I started using Amazon.com and EBAY and other sources for DVD's and CD's. A few months ago, I walked into Sam Goody's for the first time in a long time and bought a CD. It was almost surreal. I had it in my hand, I paid for it, and I took it home all in the same day. No...I don't think the net can replace brick and mortar. And it won't unless the music companies can find a way to make more money doing it that way.
Record companies have been ripping off the customers forever....with rotten tunes on high priced LP's - and higher and higher retail prices even though production costs have gone down. So if their sales are down it is NOT because people get it for free on the internet. It is because we won't continue to pay premium prices for subpar product.
There are so few good new artists around. EVERYONE sounds the same. I am so tired of all this yowling, Mariah-Whitney crap and the white homeboys, and the message rappers. That is why I buy older music on CD and concentrate on Broadway - even though some of those former categories are showing up there.
Now someone help me down from the soapbox.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/27/2003 11:52 AM PST

JRand--- "Won't You Charleston With Me" was written in the early 50s by Sandy Wilson for THE BOY FRIEND, a spoof of 20s musicals. I think you meant "The Charleston" which was a big hit in the 20s (and no I don't remember it personally... I'm not that old). Otherwise your list is very good too.
Question for anyone who might know: Was the Michael Callan mentioned above the same as Mickey Callan, WEST SIDE STORY's original Riff? Was he (or either of them if they weren't the same person) the AIDS activist/cabaret singer of the same name?
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/27/2003 12:13 PM PST

While I agree that there is precious little to enjoy on contemporary radio, there continues to be good music released, if one is willing to look for it.
I wouldn't mourn the loss of the 'brick and mortar' store. The overwhelming majority of the CDs that I purchase come from the online chains. I grew tired of arriving at the store, only to find that the store had combined their "shows" with their "soundtracks", making it unnecessarily difficult to browse for the CDs that I was looking for. To make matters worse, the teenagers who work the chains seem to have no idea how to categorize vocalists by genre, so not only are they hard to find, there is no assistance from the employees.
On the other hand, I can log on to Amazon.com, or any number of other online retailers, and find what I want almost immediately, and can even save my wish list, or have new releases recommended to me. I can then sample some of the songs from the CD before I buy it. I then plunk down my money and find the CD in mailbox with a day or two. I can do all of this from the comfort of my own home, no need to find parking, deal with rude customers or (worse!) rude "customer service professionals". Sorry, but Barnes & Noble can't compete with all of that. Heck, those chains can't even compete based on price - especially with free shipping, which I always get.
The preceding was not a paid advertisement for Amazon.com, though come to think of it, they *should* be paying me, don't you think?
Posted by Dave @ 02/27/2003 12:22 PM PST

Yes, I believe the Michael Callen mentioned above is the same as Mickey Callen who played Riff in WSS and no, he is not Michael Callen the late performer and AIDS activist. Michael Callen the AIDS activist was born in 1955 and died in 1993. He performed with an acapella group called The Flirtations (AKA, The Flirts) and they had two albums, The Flirtations, and The Flirtations, Live Out on the Road (this is a great album IMHO). He also had a solo album called Purple Heart (before the other two) and his last album, put together as he was dying is called Legacy. He wrote Love Don't Need a Reason with Peter Allen and Marsha Malamet.
Posted by Ben @ 02/27/2003 12:23 PM PST

Michael Callan is also the man who sang and danced "Too Darn Hot" in the 1968 Goulet/Lawrence TV version of Kiss Me Kate.
Posted by O. M. Time @ 02/27/2003 12:48 PM PST

Thanks, Ben, for clearing up the Michael Callen situation. I think that is the reason the Unions won't allow two members with the same name (although in this case one was obviously Equity and SAG while the other would have probably been AGVA). Still the 2nd MC should have known there might be some confusion since the first MC was not exactally an unknown.
(The chorus of WSS included a dancer named Elizabeth Taylor, obviously not the violet-eyed film star. Yet years later when the more famous ET wanted to do Broadway she was allowed to use her name. But why was our very own Susan Gordon's name given away while our SG was on a hiatus from film?)
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/27/2003 01:00 PM PST

Yes...the WSS guy NOT the Flirtations guy. Wow! If he was in that tv KMK, I will look harder for that album. Of course, I don't have a turntable, but maybe I can get one sooner or later.
AND Yes, Bill, I am thinking of a song that was included on the GREAT GATSBY soundtrack called "Charleston Back to Charleston" or some such...NOT the song from The Boyfriend. Doh! Thanks.
You know, Dave, you are right. It is the customer service experience that has gone even further downhill than the quality of the music. And it is convenient to shop the net.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/27/2003 01:05 PM PST

20’s Bye Bye Blackbird
30’s River Stay ‘Way From Door
40’s When The Lights Go On All Over The World
50’s That’ll Be The Day
60’s Teenage Idol
70’s I am Woman
80’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
90’s Gonna Make You Sweat
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 02/27/2003 01:15 PM PST

Music for the decades:
20s - I Fall In Love Too Easily
30s - A Hard Time To Be Single
40s - The Little Things You Do Together
50s - With So Little To Be Sure Of
60s - I Never Do Anything Twice
70s - I'm Still Here
80s - Try To Remember
90s - Is That All There Is?
That was what was meant ... wasn't it??
Posted by Allan @ 02/27/2003 01:21 PM PST

Actually, now that I look at my message, I realize I made a slight error. One of the reasons for confusion between the two Michaels is Michael Callan from WSS spells his name CallAn. I forgot to mention that in my first post. Michael Callen the performer/AIDS activist spells his last name CallEn. That's the reason there could be two of them in the union. It's a slight difference but one the union would let through. As for SG, I don't know a reason why she would lose her name. The Liz Taylor situation could be that the dancer had left the business and was asked if it would be OK for La Liz to use the name Elizabeth Taylor. If the first performer agrees to that, then the second performer can use his or her name. I had a friend in the 80s who ran into this situation with an elderly actress. She was in her 80s at the time and had not done anything for years and years and was not living in the Actor's Home (not that it would make any difference). My friend Barbara pleaded with the woman to let the exclusivity on the name drop so she wouldn't have to change her name, but the older actress was adamant. She was Barabara Barnett and no on would take that away from her, so my friend Barbara had to come up with a new last name for herself.
Posted by Ben @ 02/27/2003 01:27 PM PST

Great answer, Allan!
I was about to note that the question is sufficiently ambiguous that the song need not actually have been written or recorded in the decade indicated. The question was "What popular song best represents the following decades:
The 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s?" A song need not come from the fifties to represent that decade in your memory or imagination. For some people, there are probably songs from GREASE that represent the 50's more than anything that actually was recorded back then.
Hey, that could be an extension to the question: Which musical best represents the following decades: The 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s?
And you can read it any way you like.
Posted by Dave @ 02/27/2003 01:27 PM PST

1920s -- ??
1930s -- "We're in the Money"
1940s -- "I'll Be Seeing You"
1950s -- "Twilight Time"
1960s -- "Is That All There Is"
1970s -- "Imagine"
1980s -- "Do That To Me One More Time"
1990s -- "My Heart Will Go On"
2000s -- "God Bless America"
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 02/27/2003 01:29 PM PST

Excellent posts today from one and all and also all and one.
What an unseemly typo - that's what happens when I sleep too well. I shall fix it immeditaely for, like George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, I can.
Posted by bk @ 02/27/2003 01:35 PM PST

No fair BK.
When we make typos in our posts and don't catch them we are stuck with them for all eternity.
Oh - A Calvin Klein reference.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/27/2003 01:38 PM PST

I didn't think Bruce's use of the word "meet" was a typo at all. I thought perhaps that's what Taco Bell calls the stuff they put in tacos. Because whatever they put in their food, it certainly isn't MEAT.
Posted by Kerry @ 02/27/2003 01:45 PM PST

While BK is fixing his typo, will he also be correcting his spelling of the word "immediately"?
Posted by Dave @ 02/27/2003 01:57 PM PST

Well, I'm a 1950's baby, so, since i'm rushing off to the theater, I'll name my 1950's song:
SECRET LOVE
Posted by td @ 02/27/2003 02:50 PM PST

Ohhhh....Secret Love.... used as underscoring in the Troy Donahue film PARRISH just as Connie Stevens reveals the father of her baby to be Troy's about to be wed to someone else stepbrother! Warner Bros never let a good song die.
In THE CROWDED SKY as Troy and Efrem Zimbalist Jr sit in an airport coffee shop...the underscoring is of course A SUMMER PLACE.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/27/2003 03:04 PM PST

Just a PS on the ACTOR, Michael Callan...he was also in the film, THE INTERNS (1962, w/Cliff Robertson, Suzy Parker, Nick Adams, Buddy Ebsen, Telly Savalas, James McArthur), after the novel of the same name. Some useless trivia: it was filmed in NYC, at Mount Sinai Hospital (my school of nursing) and at our nabe bar we used to hang out at, with the Sinai interns, residents, and the medical students from Flower Fifth Ave. Hospital, called Murphy's, on 98th St. and Madison.
I'd be most pleased to pop Junie Moon in the mail to you, if you would email me your mailing addy.
Yay, come to Sin City, do! If you're here on March 12th-16th, Jillian will be here, too.
It seems I am too fermished to tackle the song question, but the Aerosmith song, "Dream On" (80's?) pops into my head...as well as "California Dreamin'", "The Sound Of Silence" and all the music from HAIR, Seger's "Like A Rock", in their respective decades.
Posted by KT @ 02/27/2003 04:30 PM PST

Dear BK:
Regarding the L.A. production of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE: I called the theater box office just this week and had no problem getting a ticket. For the Saturday night of my choice, no less. At minimum, the show should be interesting. It is always a delight to see both Misty Cotton and Ruth Williamson on the stage. I am looking forward to it!
Posted by Jay @ 02/27/2003 04:52 PM PST

Hi Folks!
Just popping in for a minute as I'm still very busy. I've got some interesting Cabaret News I'll post in a couple of days.
In the meantime, I'd just like to say ...
After reading your previous posts, I realize I'm in the minority here but -- for ME, Kiss Me Kate on PBS was unwatchable. Everybody was in such a hurry and nobody seemed to actually BE their character. I turned it off after 15 minutes. However, I will give it another try when they rerun it.
Ta for now!
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 02/27/2003 05:37 PM PST

I don't know what decades that popular songs come from, so I won't comment. I just didn't want to be errant and truant.
Posted by George @ 02/27/2003 05:47 PM PST

It's time for a late night rally. Since February is a short month - let see if we can blow March out of the water. I think we can do it. I think everyone needs to get off their collective buttcheeks and post.
We're at 34 posts now - I bet by midnight, we can get to at least 50.
I'll get the ball rolling by telling everyone what I did today. I did a lot of job hunting on the web is what I did! Monster.com, NYTIMES.COM, and many more sites know me by name. After my morning ritual of job hunting online, I took a very nice (and much needed) break and walked a ways. I walked down to my friend's abode, but alas, she was not at home. Now.. I could have called ahead of time, but I wanted to walk anyway - so there ya go.
After I returned from my walk, I worked on a website for a little bit. When that task was done - I made myself a delicious dinner of tequila chicken wings.
I feel quite like Fodor right now giving you my travelogue..
After dinner - it was back to the computer to send out some resumes. I then watch an 18 minute film a friend wrote and directed. I will post the link to his website so we may all enjoy his work when I have been given the OK sign. The movie is rather irreverant and stars our VERY OWN KERRY BUTLER! Oh yes.. and she is great in it!
Then I partook of some television and made some calls. And now - here I sit typing away, yes I said my nimble finger are fritterin away...wait did I just go into The Music Man? Whoaaaa...
Ok...so now it's up to you.. what happened to you today?
Posted by Craig @ 02/27/2003 06:58 PM PST

What happened to me today? Some things of interest.
My school's GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) somehow got involved with a community art project with the local community college. Teens were supposed to express themselves honestly. They basically had cigar boxes and other art supplies and said "Go for it!" So I, who am not a visual artist, who hasn't created anything resembling visual art since his last required art class in middle school, went for it. The cigar box reminded me of a mouth, and then I got the image of a mouth sewn shut. So I got a handy-dandy cordless drill (also provided by the artists) and drilled a bunch of holes in the top and sides of the box, (I was told that I am very sexy with power tools in my hand) and threaded through some bright yarn (I eventually figured out how best to do this, with a small nail.) to seal the box. I then wrapped the yarn around the outside of the box. I couldn't really think of something else to do, and started playing with feathers. I got the idea of ideas struggling to get out-feathers stuck in to each of the drill holes, with only a little bit visible. I covered some of the brighter cigar-box designs with some neutral colored paper, and wrote a little "artists statement" about feeling unable to express oneself (this is no longer really something I suffer from anymore) and a hope that others would be able to "break their bonds. And now my art is going to be exhibited in a gallery alongside that of other high schoolers.
My that was a strange and digresive story, wasn't it?
In other news, I found that I have no homework that needs to be done, so I have been doing other things, such as practicing my saxophone and visiting this here site. And I found that I am no longer a finalist for a scholarship at Washington University.
Let's have more of these day descriptions. Try it, its fun!
Posted by Hapgood @ 02/27/2003 07:21 PM PST

Bruce...I assume when you met Charo you were not plunged face first into her bosom as I was. Depending upon your point of view, it can be harrowing or delightful.
She and Erik Estrada were in (yet another) road company of "Grease" about 5 years ago. I was in the front row when she made her entrance from the back of the house. As she crossed in front of the house to get to the stage, she made eye contact with me. I don't know why I did it, but I did a high five with her. She stopped, got right in my face, and exchanged some banter. At the end of our little exchange, she grabbed me by the back of the head and plunged me head first into her cleavage. This stunned my friends and broke up the audience. It left me with crooked glasses that were caked with makeup. What a memory.
She has a lot of personality and I believe she does have talent.
20's..Charleston
30's..The Way You Look Tonight
40's..White Cliffs of Dover
50's..Blue Suede Shoes
60's..Ain't No Mountain High Enough
70's..YMCA
80's..not sure
90's..not sure
Posted by Dennis Clancy @ 02/27/2003 08:12 PM PST

Hey George -- I thought I was the only one who is illiterate when it comes to the decades of popular songs...... However, I do know that movie version of Saturday Night Fever is from the 70's.
Posted by Angela @ 02/27/2003 08:33 PM PST

I'm gonna have to pass on the Songs of the Decades query too - just too late and too tired to think straight.
However...
Woke up. Watched some Regis & Kelly Lee - well, Joy was hosting this morning.
Warmed my car up, and scraped the snow and ice off the windows, then shoveled the front and back porches.
Went in to get measured for my costume for Hair. Checked in with Company Management of Mamma Mia! - and it was payday too! Went to the bank, the hardware store and the grocery store.
Spent some more time online. Watched some more TV. Found out that my Hair rehearsal was cancelled due to the school cancelling the evening classes because of the weather. Enjoyed my "extra" hour. Went to the theatre and played the show. Came back to the apartment, turned on the computer and the TV.. and now I'm here...
Sorry for the lack of narrative.. So, I guess I'm going to bed now.. Goodnight.
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 02/27/2003 10:19 PM PST

Angela, I did know that, too, because "Saturday Night Fever" was my sister's favorite record album during that time. She still has the actual vinyl record and has since gotten the CD. She has no interest, however, in getting the CD to the stage version cast album.
Posted by George @ 02/27/2003 10:22 PM PST

I liked other people's interpretations on the songs of the decades and feel my choices are covered. Now if we were to do favorite song of each decade, that would be different.
I just got back from a touring production of the revival of "Cabaret." It was very well done, and surprised me with its version of things. I'm still cogitating on the whole thing.
Posted by Kerry @ 02/27/2003 10:28 PM PST

Hey look everyone...KERRY is cogitating. Woohooo.. that's just crazy.
Well I have enjoyed reading about some dear reader's days.. I wish more would post so we could all feel like we've connected, hung around the electronic fireplace and shares our day..
Posted by Craig @ 02/27/2003 10:46 PM PST

I'm afraid you folks just couldn't stand all the details of my exciting life.
Posted by Laura @ 02/27/2003 11:07 PM PST

Laura-
then make something up we could handle ;)
Posted by Craig @ 02/27/2003 11:11 PM PST

Gut morgen mesdames & mein herren, and wilkommen from Hamburg!
Has anyone here ever heard of Eva Cassidy? She was a DC based singer who passed away in 1996. First heard her on my flight to Germany, where her CD's remain very popular. Picked up two of them here - a very soulful singer. Her CD's are also available through amazon.com (for a lot less than I spent here - typical duty free prices in Amsterdam were 19 Euros - almost $20!).
Will be back in the US tomorrow - best wishes to all!
Posted by Phil @ 02/28/2003 02:09 AM PST

Hapgood: Your adventure with cigar-box art was fascinating. I knew the Religious Right was right about the depraved things that go on at GSA meetings. Shocking!
Donna: I finally watched the first half hour of Kiss Me, Kate! with my 5:00 coffee this morning, and my reaction was the exact opposite from yours. I love all that motion, entrances, exits, and classic schtick, which I feel exactly fits the mood of the comedy.
And Brent is adorable! He's married, isn't he? Rats! Good to see the dancing with primarily whole-body shots.
I was reminded of a touring company I saw at the Elitch's Theatre (in the amusement park) in Denver in the '60's. It starred Jan Clayton, the original Mom in Lassie, and she made much of the line "He may have hair upon his chest, but sister,..." One line change was "tell her what Burton told Cleopatterer," as the movie was filming at the time and in all the gossip columns. Surprise, surprise a few years later when Burton and Cleopatterer filmed The Taming of the Shrew. Quite the Fred and Lilli they were, those two!
Songs:
I'm changing the rules and substituting "K&E" for "popular".
1920's: "All That Jazz"
1930's: "(All I Need Is) One Big Break"
1940's: "The Skin of Our Teeth"
1950's: "The Grass Is Always Greener"
1960's: "Tomorrow Belongs to Me"
1970's: "Two Ladies"
1980's: "Ten Percent"
1990's: "Only in the Movies"
Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/28/2003 06:04 AM PST

BB is not married.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/28/2003 06:18 AM PST

Ah! There's hope.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/28/2003 06:52 AM PST

I am changing my 1920's song to
Ain't We Got Fun.
The only problem I had with KMK is the problem I always have with the show....how can all this be happening backstage while a show is going on? Who is onstage Baptista doing a number? And the gangsters weren't so hot now that I think about it - but all in all, I enjoyed it.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/28/2003 07:34 AM PST

JRand: Ah, suspension of disbelief! It's kind of like watching a movie and "Warning: Thirty seconds until self-destruct. Please evacuate all personnel." And then fifteen minutes later, "Warning: Twenty seconds until self-destruct..."
Also, can you e-mail me re Edge of Night tapes?
Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/28/2003 08:08 AM PST

Speaking of which, just in case I am called upon to disarm a bomb in the near future, can someone tell me: Is it the red wire or the blue wire?
Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/28/2003 08:11 AM PST

...Red (A Sunday in the Park with George reference)
Posted by George @ 02/28/2003 09:27 AM PST

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