Replies: 33 Unseemly Comments
A happy Hainsies/Kimlets birthday to silent Dear Reader Ray - many good wishes and a lovely year filled with cheese slices and ham chunks.
While February was just a scooch behind January (our previous best month) there is no question that had it not been a dastardly short month that it would have been our finest month ever, and therefore I am declaring it so, since despite being a short month it beat January in every single category - visits, page views, etc. Congratulations to all of you Dear Readers for continuing to make this the best site on all the Internet.
Posted by bk @ 03/01/2003 09:43 AM PST
At this time (a ce moment), yesterday's column/messages are not available in the archives.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 03/01/2003 09:50 AM PST
Yes, Ron they are in fact in the archive. You must go to the archive, then scroll down PAST the months, where you will find yesterday's date. For some reason it is not showing up yet if you actually click on February. Just scroll down you you'll find it fine.
Posted by bk @ 03/01/2003 09:54 AM PST
Man! It's been a while since I managed a "first post." Get out of bed, you sluggards!
In four hours, the curtains part and Dame Edna will begin his matinee. I'm hoping it will be frivolous and wicked and droll. I need a few laughs.
I enjoyed BK's write-up on the "Sweet Charity" DVD. I have the film on VHS in widescreen. Somewhere. (Oy! A Bernstein/Sondheim reference).
I always felt the movie got bogged down in the "movie star" sequence. I love "If They Could See Me Now," but the wait for it, and the lull before things get going again after it seemed to me to be interminable. But, it has been years since I saw it, so I'll give it another go.
It's a GREAT soundtrack album, though!
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 03/01/2003 09:56 AM PST
Man! It's GOOD TO BE KING!
When I posted my first post...it showed up AS the first post when I posted it. Just shows to go you....
Thanks for the clarification (????) about the archives and where I could find Feb. 28.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 03/01/2003 09:58 AM PST
I bought the SWEET CHARITY soundtrack album before seeing the movie. Love the music....remember the hype "What West Side Story was to the 50's, What The Sound Of Music was to the 60's...for the 70's SWEET CHARITY!!!!" LOL
The DVD sounds too good to resist. And if I may play E/R a moment. I just finished watching CONTEMPT on the Criterion Collection DVD. You know, there are some films that make you think perhaps you haven't seen a movie before. It is that intriguing. The scenery, particularly once they go on location to Capri, is breathtaking. And I must say that I have never thought much about Brigitte Bardot as an actress...I WAS WRONG. There are intimate scenes in an apartment that are just wonderful. If you are interested in cinema - you really must see this film...directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
The interior decor is no less interesting than the location shots. The color design and the score by Georges Delerue are terrific. I had never HEARD of this movie before - and now it is one of my favorites. With English subtitles and lots of extras I haven't watched yet - CONTEMPT is great!
Also I have read (and seen onscreen) that directors can't frame a closeup in CinemaScope that includes the whole face - either the chin or the forehead has to be cropped...and yet it happens in this film. The poster however (French) says Franscope. Which is correct, the screen credit or the poster?
Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/01/2003 10:07 AM PST
First of all, silent Ray (I'm Penn to his Teller) thanks you for the birthday greetings.
And speaking of P&T, I was amazed to see that I was the only one who commented on your "Sex... Sex... Sex" episode that aired last night. It was a lot of fun. I thought surely there would be more comments on Chad and Tad. What is interesting is that I find P&T a lot less obnoxious on this show than I have on other occasions. I still find it hard to believe that these are "real people" although I noticed five actors listed in the credits.
Job story: I had worked as controller for a company for over ten years and when personal matters took me out of town for part of this time I continued working from home via modem and fax. When I started there were 20 employees. Over the years the company got a lot bigger and eventually the original owner was bought out. At that point business started to drop but the new owners were sure the company would be big and "go public". One day I was told that since I had never brought a company public before I was being replaced by someone who had. I got an excellent severance package. Since then almost everyone has been let go except the receptionist including people who had been there longer than I was. Business has dropped even more and they have never gone public. Two weeks later I was working again at my current job where there is a lot less pressure and the people are very nice. Only the commute is twice as long. So it all worked out fine.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 03/01/2003 10:08 AM PST
What a fine kettle of fish is Mr. BK's review of Sweet Charity. Yes - a fine kettle - filled to the rim - or is it brim?
I don't have any unceremonious layoffs in my career really.. I do have jobs that I have left because of the environment I was working in. My basic work philosphy is - if you are going to spend the majority of your day doing something.. you should enjoy what you are doing. If you are unhappy the majority of your day - that's really no way to live..
Posted by Craig @ 03/01/2003 10:11 AM PST
Happy Birthday to Ray E. partner to WEL!
Anthony your review of the Cliff Richard DVD's in this months SS (yes I do read them even if I didn't write them) convinced me. I ordered them this morning after sitting on the fence for awhile.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/01/2003 10:13 AM PST
Oh yes....Showtime last night. All I could think of was.....
I see naked people.....
Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/01/2003 10:15 AM PST
Ron: Sweet Charity has never been released in correct letterbox form - the tape and laser is full frame for the dramatic scenes and kind of a half-assed 1:85 for the musical numbers. It's a full scope (actually listed as 70mm, but I don't think it was shot in that format - just blown up). So, this is its first release in its proper ratio.
Jrand52 - I love Contempt and I even think I wrote about it when the DVD was released. Brigitte is wonderful in this (I always like her however) and the Delerue score is haunting and beautiful. Godard can be a trial sometimes, but this is one of his greats.
William E. Lurie - the actors in the credits included Chad and Tad, the guy who played the casting director, etc. All the others were "real" people. My favorite things to put together in the episode, stylistically, were the Chad and Tad thing, and the breast hypnosis thing. Both bits were endless - I had hours and hours of footage to cut down to two or three minutes of fun stuff - I really love doing that, distilling it into its essence and giving it a style with both cutting and music.
Posted by bk @ 03/01/2003 10:17 AM PST
I went back and re-read Mr BK's comments on CONTEMPT, and indeed I think this may be why I was brave enough to buy it.
Not to go on and on ... there are single shots that are so haunting....as simple as the long shot of Bardot in skirt and blouse on the roof of the villa in Capri waving her arms...walking out of frame...the ocean. Oh well....you get my drift, H/K - this is one of my favorite movies after one viewing.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/01/2003 10:33 AM PST
A resounding AMEN BROTHER to BK's words on filiming dances! Of all of Fosse's films, Sweet Charity seems the most dated (IMHO). I think The Rhythm of Life is a BRILLIANT song. Dorothy Fields' lyrics are right on the mark.
Yes, I have been ungracefully and ungratefully "dumped" (read "fired") from two jobs. However, I didn't come out on the better end afterward. It must be karma. Just in case there are any potential employers out there, I am an excellent worker who takes her work seriously, is on time, responsible, capable of learning on the job, doesn't gossip or play politics. On top of all that, I have a friendly disposition that's easy to live with.
Anyone want to hire me? I'm in-between jobs at the present time.
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 03/01/2003 10:36 AM PST
Greetings everyone from the
2003 Religious Education
Congress here in
not-so-sunny Anaheim at the
Convention Center. It's been a
blast so far. Kind of crowded,
but everyone is smiling.
There's been some good
music and good workshops.
Tonight, I'm sneaking over the
Magic Kingdom for an evening
of non-thinking fun and frolic.
I don't think I've been dumped
from a job, maybe just written
out of the schedule once or
twice - I guess that is
un-ceremoniously. Probably
all my doing, of course.
Posted by Matthew @ 03/01/2003 11:53 AM PST
Hey everyone!
I am still fairly out of it. I thought my sinus infection was done with. But unfortunately I was wrong. But I really wanted to go to the mall this morning. So i headed out. The only problem is that I get dizzy really easily. And so I almost fell over about 20 times. I went with my mom. And she did not look pleased everytime I blocked my fall by grabbing on to her! :)
I stopped at the video store and got a copy of the dvd Les 8 Femmes (Eight Women). I'm pretty sure it's the English version (well the french version with the English subtitles). I'm in Montreal, so you can never be too careful.
Anyhow I'm gonna go nap, and watch tv. I hope everyone is having a happy Saturday!
Jennifer
Posted by Jennifer @ 03/01/2003 11:57 AM PST
I completely forgot to mention the brilliant Ralph Burns' orchestrations, which better his original show orchestrations, I think.
Posted by bk @ 03/01/2003 12:27 PM PST
Jennifer, I'm with you -- nothing is better than a nap on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Hope you are feeling better.
As for the topic of the day -- I've yet to be fired from a job. I did have a couple of Managers who needed to be Bitch Slapped!
Posted by Angela @ 03/01/2003 12:33 PM PST
I'll probably give "Charity" a try at some stage - after all it begins at home. I have never been a fan of the movie but I only ever saw it at a Drive-In cinema. I particularly disliked the Sammy Davis Jnr scene. Would you believe (and we all know whence that line comes)that "Rhythm Of Life" was a major major hit here for Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations. The single did not even make the top 100 in the USA.
Happy Birthday Ray. To celebrate your day we are having more glorious rain. We need a few more months of the glorious stuff.
Yes! Where is Jason? Where is Mike?
I worked for the same employer from 1965 until my retirement 2 years ago. Boring! I changed the subjects I taught and the schools in which I taught but I was a government employee. Boring but secure.
I started to "tidy up" my videos yesterday. I forgot I had a copy of Abner taken from TV years ago. I stage managed for a school production 20 years ago. It was such fun. I wish it was sataged more often. If I had my druthers!
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 03/01/2003 12:51 PM PST
Happy Birthday, Dear Reader Silent Ray!!
I was fired for being in the family way.
Posted by Laura @ 03/01/2003 01:32 PM PST
I love "Sweet Charity." It is probably my favorite film of all time--not the greatest, mind you, just my favorite. I saw it at a very impressionable age, and it bowled me over then, and continues to this day. Although, I must add, Shirley is quite horrendously flat on part of "Where Am I Going?" Why they didn't rerecord her has always bothered me.
Posted by JMK @ 03/01/2003 02:01 PM PST
Here's some news hot off the press from the Cabaret West Calendar & Newsletter --
Cinegrill Reopens
This is for SURE! The Cinegrill will reopen March 25 with Michael Feinstein in a five-week engagement. It will now be called FEINSTEIN'S AT THE CINEGRILL. Closed in October 2001, the Cinegrill was designed and rebuilt in an entirely new location in the hotel. Located off the newly renovated reception lobby, it features a 170 seat tier-leveled cabaret supper club with state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment, dual plasma screen monitors and projection equipment for film screening, as well as five star dining to accompany the headlining entertainment.
Having led the hotel through a $15 million renovation, Sam Cole, the Roosevelt Hotel General Manager, conceived the plan to join forces with Feinstein and create a coast-to-coast marketing opportunity whereby talent performing at Feinstein’s New York club, Feinstein’s at the Regency, could be contracted to perform on the West Coast at the Cinegrill.
Hello Dolly's!
Alan Scott and partner Joel Agron announce the Grand Opening of DOLLY'S PALM SPRINGS. Opening March 6, this event coincides with the beginning of The First Ever Palm Springs Cabaret Week Plus. The new space will have a piano lounge and a cabaret room named after the incomparable Julie Wilson. The ribbon cutting ceremony (with Julie) will commence at 7:30 p.m. on March 9. Then at 8 p.m., MAC and Bistro Award winner, Georga Osborne, will perform her show, Summer in the Attic (Some're Not). The cost is $25 per person (cash only) and includes a glass of champagne. Mr. Scott, an actor and cabaret performer himself, says, "We hope to open six or seven more Dolly's in the next ten years in San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, the L.A. area, San Antonio, and Atlanta)."
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 03/01/2003 02:39 PM PST
Happy Saturday one and all!
-So far, one rehearsal and one matinee down... just one more show to go tonight... then I can sleep(!!!!!). But it's been a good day, and the "kids" really did a great second run-thru of Hair this morning.
As for being dumped from a job... I really don't think I've ever really had that happen to me. And if it did, it was probably something really small, or else I would have remembered it. However, like someone else stated earlier, I have left a job/gig due to a very difficult work atmosphere.
Oh - and as for what cake to go with the current celebration... I think this call's for a pair: A Chocolate Mousse Cake, and a White Chocolate Mousse Cake.
And as for P&T's Bullshit... I guess I must have misinterpreted the TV schedules. I looked for it last night - Friday night - but it was actually on Thursday night - a.k.a. Friday morning. So... I plan to catch it tomorrow night on Showtime 2. -Gonna be quite the cable TV night - season premieres of Six Feet Under and Queer As Folk - then "Sex, Sex, Sex". *Although the program I did end up watching on Showtime last night, "Family Business", did feature lots of sex, sex, sex too.
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 03/01/2003 03:28 PM PST
My my, after a wonderful day
post-wise we seem to have a
Hainsian Hangover. We need
posts to kick off this month of
March!
Never been fired from a job
(knock on wood), but then I've
only had a couple. A 5-year
stint at my university library
which ended a couple months
ago due to my graduation
(well, the end of my classwork,
that is, as my graduation is
still another 3 weeks away),
and a rather awful summer job
at a "family fun center." I ran
the bumper boats for 8 of the
longest weeks of my life (it
was supposed to be 10
weeks, but I turned in my
whistle as soon as I had
enough money to make it
through the rest of the
summer).
Today has been a lovely day of
all things BK in my little
apartment. Had a hankering
to watch the TFNM
documentary this morning,
and ended up watching it twice
(second time with the audio
commentary). And this
afternoon I have listened to
both Lost in Boston IV and
Haines His Way.
Afraid I'm going to miss yet
another chat tomorrow, due to
a recital being given by one of
my best friends. Have a
sparkling time, all y'all, as we
always do!
Posted by Jed @ 03/01/2003 04:10 PM PST
I shall remain silent6 no longer! Thank you bk and everyone else for your birthday wishes! I already "know" most of you vicariously through my partner Bill (WEL), so it's nice to finally say "hello!" to all you fine folks. And Bruce, I will be errant and truant no longer.
Posted by Silent Reader Ray @ 03/01/2003 05:16 PM PST
Hurray!! Silent Reader Ray has now become Dear Reader Ray!!!!!!
Posted by Laura @ 03/01/2003 05:35 PM PST
Welcome to the world Silent Reader Ray. We do have our "ups and downs" at times but for the most part this is where friends are indeed friends. I hope your birthday celebrations have been most suitable and that William has behaved and treated you in a manner befitting your day of days.
Jose. I am so envious. I hope it is not too long before Six Feet arrives here. I could not afford to buy the DVD of series one. Was it worth the cash? Was the extra material enlightening?
Another series of QAF. I am addicted to its stupidity and I wonder where they can lead the characters. Tacky and trashy and I have not missed an episode!
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 03/01/2003 05:35 PM PST
I'm back from San Francisco.
I had a lovely luncheon at Max's -- calamari and a glass of house pino grigio. Simply scrumptious.
As for the show, my face muscles are nearly constricted from all the laughing I did earlier.
When I was in my late teens/early 20s I could laugh and laugh and laugh until I was on the floor and just barely able to retain fluids that wanted to escape me.
Today, I laughed so hard that tears streamed, and then I laughed some more. The only thing that stopped my laughter was the pain which sobered me up from peak to peak. Dame Edna "live" is an esoteric experience. She's everything I thought she'd be and then some.
Picked up a few things at Rasputin -- nothing worth mentioning to this group, though.
Then I invaded the chocolate counter at Neimann-Marcus and spent way too much money on Joseph Schmidt and Godiva chocolates.
Time to settle in for the evening.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 03/01/2003 06:09 PM PST
Welcome to the non-silent world of haineshisway.com Ray, even though it has been fairly silent since this afternoon. But I fully expect a rally quite soon, oh, yes, I fully expect a rally quite soon.
Posted by bk @ 03/01/2003 06:10 PM PST
I was that way, too, Ron, when I saw the Dame on Broadway. In fact, I was laughing and crying so hard that the teenage girl next to me was laughing at me as much as the Dame. I did adore working with her, too, on the Sondheim album, and let me tell you of the howling that was going on during that session. In fact, it was a shame that we could only use the one take, because she did three other equally funny ones (I, of course, have copies of those takes).
Posted by bk @ 03/01/2003 06:12 PM PST
Actually, I spent most of the day shampooing the living room carpet! However, Bill has been in the kitchen most of the day preparing a feast for me. Roast pork, couscous, baked squash, about 2 dozen home made chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate cake with cherry frosting! After dinner, we are going to spend my birthday evening with none other than Ms. Norma Desmond! That's right, the DVD of Sunset Boulevard! I can think of no better way to spend my birthday, except maybe with Margo Channing, but we just watched All About Eve a few nights ago.
Posted by Ray @ 03/01/2003 06:18 PM PST
Ray, you wild kid, ya! You sure know how to celebrate a birthday!! Cleaning the carpet.
Posted by Laura @ 03/01/2003 08:00 PM PST
I haven't been fired, but I did sub in a job for six or seven weeks after the regular employee quit and before they filled the position permanently. I applied for but DIDN'T get the job. I just assumed (and you know what that means) that I would get the job because I was doing it, but I didn't. That was a pretty hard blow. The guy who did get the job eventually moved to Seattle and then I did get the job. I've been there ever since.
Posted by George @ 03/01/2003 08:07 PM PST
Having retired last year from a job I was at for twenty-three (count 'em, twenty-three) years, I have to go back a ways to think of a job I was canned from. But think back that far I can, and canned I was.
It all took place at the Alex Theater in Glendale, Ca. I was hired at the theater, which was then a film theater, as the assistant manager. The manager was a very nice fellow who was trying to start a family, which was a good reason for his leaving for something that paid better and had better hours.
His replacement was another fellow named Richard, but whose personality was better described by a Richard nickname (and I do not mean Richie or anything starting with the letter "R"). He had me on call for all hours, to do the most menial of tasks which, frankly, should have been assigned to others. When it was his day off, he would suddenly appear and count the take...which would just as suddenly be less than had been taken (or had it been taken?). I distinctly recall an occasion when there was a line at the concession stand, which I was manning, while he and another employee were standing at the door, just watching and laughing instead of coming over to help. Finally, when it occurred to me that, while the other employees (ushers and usherettes) were getting paid minimum wage, I was actually getting paid LESS per hour than they, that ugly...uh, Richard fired me. No reason was given, he just wanted me out of there so he could hire his boyfriend and put him in the post.
About two months after I was canned, the company that owned the Alex at the time went over the books and canned that Richard. And that was that. I got other jobs, eventually landing where I stayed for twenty-three years. And things turned out well for the Alex, as well. It was closed for some time, but then people took an interest in the place, completely refurbished it, and it is now a fine theater again, now specializing in concerts and live performances.
I do so love a happy ending.
Posted by S. Woody White @ 03/01/2003 08:32 PM PST