Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/23/2003 09:28 AM PST

William asked yesterday: As I've said I've never seen AI but I have seen photos in newspapers and magazines and I have a question: is it just the quality of the printing or was Clay a redhead at one point? It was certainly more interesting than the dorky brown in other pictures.

Well when Clay first auditioned for American Idol, he looked nothing like he looks now. They gave him a total make over. He had reddish brown plain ear. He was skinny as a stringbean. And he had these huge ears sticking out. And glasses.

I actually liked him even then, because I just loved his voice.

They keep showing his first audition when he told Simon, "i am the American Idol" and Simon almost laughed. Because Clay was that ugly. When Simon mentioned this week that Clay was very handsome now and very ugly before, he was not really lying.

I think what they did to Clay is one of the biggest changes I've seen on tv. They gave him better clothes, fed him, grew his hair to cover his ears, and they put streaks in his hair and made it all spikey.

Also William wrote:
The only AI person I've heard was a loser from the first season who appeared on "Boston Public". Her singing was exactally the type discussed above (ie: did not stick to the melody).

You are talking about Tamayra Gray, who I actually like very much. I thought she was incredible on Boston Public. For someone with no acting experience, I loved how she played the part David Kelly wrote for her. And I loved watching her in the school musical.

Posted by Jennifer @ 05/23/2003 09:31 AM PST

No brainer - cake! In my DVD player is 25th Hour, which I just finished watching. I thought it was pretty good. Tonight is Antoine Fisher.

Posted by JB aka JK @ 05/23/2003 10:09 AM PST

Sometimes, the answer is pie -- oh, Yes! One can make ado with a very nice pie...lemon meringue or a double chocolate...or a coconut custard!

Oh, yes! Pie can do it, too!

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 05/23/2003 10:58 AM PST

The correct question, of course, is "Cake or Death"?

Posted by Eddie Izzard @ 05/23/2003 11:07 AM PST

Car CD player: Uh, don't remember. My DH was driving my car some this week.

VCR: No clue. It's in Sandra's room with the tv. I haven't watched tv for a couple months.

I say cake AND pasta.

Posted by Laura @ 05/23/2003 11:15 AM PST

Just the frosting. And some chips.

Posted by Sandra @ 05/23/2003 11:16 AM PST

In my VCR at home: "Roxie Hart" strarring Ginger Rogers that I taped yesterday from Turner Classic Movies (I think), except that I missed the first minute or so of the opening credits. I did get the whole movie, otherwise. It's very different than the "Chicago" musical. Spoiler Alert!: There is no Velma Kelly character at all and you find out that it was Amos who really shot Fred Casley, but Roxie does go on trial (and is aquitted).

In my DVD player: again, the PAL, region 2 "Diva Las Vegas" concert by Bette Midler! After that will be "Far From Heaven."

In my CD player: "Traveler" by Steve Hass. He's the drummer for The Manhattan Transfer. Janis Siegel recorded several songs. Ann Marie Milazzo recorded a song for the CD. I don't know who she is but she's pretty darn good...but I still love Janis!

Posted by George @ 05/23/2003 11:18 AM PST

Wallll, I'll be swacked and pickled in moonshine if we didn't have the second best day we've ever had on this here site yesterday. It wasn't that we had so many posts, but the traffic went up by close to two hundred visitors. I guess we'll keep doing the interviews. Now, don't let it go to our collective heads - let's keep the posts up, let's have a fun and sparkling weekend here (it's a holiday weekend, don't forget). Soon we will be the most popular site on all the Internet, if feel it in my bones. What "it" is doing in my bones I have no idea.

Posted by bk @ 05/23/2003 11:27 AM PST

Pasta is healthier but I vote for cake, especially a Hanson's cake.

Nothing in my DVD. I just finished exercising and I always work out to Billy Joel.

Posted by Jane @ 05/23/2003 11:29 AM PST

Francois - forgot to thank you for your vote yesterday!

Merci!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/23/2003 11:37 AM PST

You are all MAD! I think Bruce should indulge on both! Have 1/2 a cake and 1/2 a portion of pasta.. the best of both worlds!

Posted by Craig @ 05/23/2003 11:39 AM PST

Yes Craig, but can Bruce really stop at only half a portion of each. I know I would not be able to.

Posted by Jane @ 05/23/2003 11:56 AM PST

Bruce, does Parisienne cake have calvados creme in it?

George, did you like Roxie Hart? My husband wasn't interested in watching it so I didn't record it. Shall I next time it's on? I'm a big Ginger Rogers fan.

Posted by Jane @ 05/23/2003 11:59 AM PST

In my work CD player is the one, the only

You Never Know

produced by our own Bruce Kimmel. I got it yesterday at Academy CDs along with Fade Out Fade In and I Had a Ball (with the wonderful and under appreciated Karen Morrow).

On Long Island this weekend we will watch the last two episodes of Six Feet Under (May 11 and May 18) and who knows what else we will watch.

I think in the CD player on the island is our collection of Ivor Novello.

We don't have a DVD player in either location so we will keep busy with other activities.

Posted by Ben @ 05/23/2003 12:07 PM PST

I'm enough of a Trekkette, even now, that my ever-lovin' der Brucer and I added Star Trek Nemesis to our DVD collection. It's not quite unwatchable, but not for a lack of trying.

The disc has plenty of bonus material, including scenes that were cut. What is interesting is that, while Wil "Wesley" Wheaton can be seen in the wedding reception scene, just barely, there is no explanation of WHY he is there, just barely. From what I had heard before, there was a sub-plot to explain why he was there, at least a scene or two that was left on the cutting room floor. But he is only in two shots in the finished film, none of the cut scenes, and there is nothing said about him in the mini-documentaries on the disc. Was he a particularly bad boy, to be quickly cut like this? All very strange, indeed.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 05/23/2003 12:10 PM PST

Jane - not sure what George will think, but I enjoyed ROXIE HART a lot. Ginger is terrific as is the entire supporting cast.

It moves very quickly. Ginger Rogers is back to her "old" pre-Fred Astaire personality of the gum-chewing wise cracker.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/23/2003 12:11 PM PST

There are so many new releases in or ready for my CD and DVD that I can't begin to list them all. Does anyone know why so much is released in May? The same thing happened last year.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/23/2003 12:13 PM PST

In my VCR - I got these movies after reading "The Two of Us," the autobiography of Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin.

1) EASY TO LOVE (1953), an Esther Williams extravaganza. This is the one with the Busby Berkeley staged waterskiing numbers that we all saw in "That's Entertainment." Cyd Charisse revealed in her book that Esther, because of an ear problem, had a double for all her dives.
2) CASBAH (1946) in glorious black and white. It stars Tony Martin, Yvonne DeCarlo, Peter Lorre and Marta Toren. Katherine Dunham, the modern dancer, is in it too. She was one of the dancers (the best IMO) with Astaire in the "Steppin' Out With My Baby" number in "Easter Parade."

Posted by Donna @ 05/23/2003 12:21 PM PST

BK - Have you ever tried the "Pink Elephant Cake." You can get it from a bakery in Farmer's Market. You furnish your own bottle of champagne and the bakery builds a cake around it topped with drunken pink elephants all over it.

Posted by Donna @ 05/23/2003 12:28 PM PST

Donna - EASY TO LOVE also marks the film debut of Miss Carroll Baker!!!!

Hey - let's do some "if you think about it, it's even funnier" movie lines. Okay I will start.

THE BANDWAGON

Jack Buchannon as a pretentious theatre director: "Yes, when it comes to culture I like to wade in up to my armpits."

Fred Astaire as the movie star returning to Broadway: "That's higher than usual, isn't it?"

Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/23/2003 12:31 PM PST

No Calvados in Parisienne Cake. Just a yellow cake covered with light chocolate frosting and topped with swirls of light chocolate candy-like chunks which you can pick off and eat. I opted for the cake - if I don't eat TOO much of it I may have something else besides.

Jane, you asked about my first kiss - the answer lies in Benjamin Kritzer, although in real life it was once and brief.

Posted by bk @ 05/23/2003 12:54 PM PST

Thanks Jrand. I just programmed my TIVO system to automatically record Roxy Hart the next time it is on t.v.

The cake sounds good. I'm sitting here eating it vicariously.

Posted by Jane @ 05/23/2003 01:19 PM PST

Jane, first of all, "Roxie Hart" was on the Fox Movie Channel not the Turner Classic Movies channel. I always get those two mixed up (I haven't had digital cable for very long). According to the FMC website, "Roxie Hart" will be rebroadcast on July 16 at 4:31 pm (EST) and July 17 at 6:31 am (EST). I want to retape it and get that first minute of the opening credits.

Anyway, I watched it last night and am going to watch it again tonight. It's really cute and, as I said, very different than the "Chicago" that we all know and love. The main difference is that the movie is told in flash back. It starts out with this older reporter guy walking into a bar with a first-day-on-the-job reporter. He then tells the story of Roxie Hart to his protégé and the customers of the bar. The ending is also very different. (I won't spoil that for you.)

If you're "a big Ginger Rogers fan", I'm sure that you'll really like this. She does a couple of dances to show off her talent and has a couple of really-go-at-'em fights. They also have a really cute running gag whenever reporters take a picture during the courtroom scenes. I genuinely chuckled every time it happened. So set your VCR and enjoy!

Posted by George @ 05/23/2003 01:19 PM PST

BK - Do you get your Gateau Parisienne from a certain bakery? And could you possibly describe the "chocolate candy-like chunks" which are on top? Are they just like bits of chocolate, or chocolate chips? Or are they more like bits of chocolate cookie bits? I'm intrigued.

As for what's in my players:

VCR: The Martha Stewart TV movie from this past week. Lots of fun. And actually, kind of sympathetic too.

CD: Hmmm.. Florence Foster Jenkins - The Glory (???) of the Human Voice (thank you WEL for the nudge); Diana Krall - Live in Paris; and in honor of the AI finally, some great 80's and early 90's stuff: Paula Abdul, Styx, Doobie Brothers. -Great music to clean and rearrange the kitchen by.

DVD: Still a bunch of things of stand-by...

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 05/23/2003 01:24 PM PST

Pasta and PIE...do you hear?

A nice spaghetti carbonara, followed by a huge slab of key lime pie.

Tortellini with pomodoro sauce, or in a white sauce, followed by a nice chunk of chocolate bourbon pecan pie.

Penne alla rubbiata for main course, and a nice custard or a slice of chess pie.

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 05/23/2003 01:26 PM PST

My mother discovered Parisienne cake and we used to get it at a place called B&L Bakery on 3rd St. They now have it (or at least an excellent facsimile thereof) at the bakery in Gelson's. I'm afraid I didn't describe the chocolate bits on top very well - what they are are shavings, shavings that you can pick off and eat. I'm quite nauseous right now since I just ate a rather large slice of it and it is the first "real" dessert I've eaten in three or four months.

Posted by bk @ 05/23/2003 01:28 PM PST

How large a slice was it?

One-quarter of the cake, perhaps?

: )

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 05/23/2003 01:30 PM PST

Oh, if you're going to go for the pasta, then the dessert should be something like a nice ricotta cake, or a decadent zabaglione, or, even better yet... sambuca pie - which uses zabaglione as it's custard base! YUM!

-However, I would most likely go for a couple of scoops of different flavored gelatos - hazelnut, pistachio, amaretti, strawberry, fior di latte, and chocolate-espresso!

-And some nice cookies on the side...

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 05/23/2003 01:31 PM PST

You are making me soooo hungry! :)

Posted by JB aka JK @ 05/23/2003 01:38 PM PST

BK, does cake parisienne have another name? I know a lot about cake, and I've never heard of it :)

Posted by Jennifer @ 05/23/2003 01:40 PM PST

When you eat vicariously you don't feel sick afterwards. It's the best way to each rich desserts. I know, the doing isn't as much fun, but then where was I going to get a Parisienne cake in Ashland. It will be awhile before I am at Gelson's again. When I am there I usually pick up some Allen Wertz candy.

Thanks for the info George. The nice thing about TIVO is it will record Roxy Hart on any channel it shows up, even if it doesn't happen until a year from now. I am pleased to know I will only have to wait until July.

Posted by Jane @ 05/23/2003 01:46 PM PST

And I'll bet the reason the site was so busy yesterday was because of all the American Idol chatter!

Btw, Ruben (the winner) was on Jay Leno last night. Jay made two jokes that I thought were funny. In his opening bit, Jay was mentioning how Ruben had lost a lot of weight. He said something like this, "Yes, our new American Idol Ruben has lost a lot of weight recently ... like 140 lbs .... he lost Clay"

Well it's not as funny as when he said it. But it gave me a good laugh.

Also when talking to Ruben, Jay mentioned his brother (who they then panned to, and who is quite heavy as well). Jay asked Ruben if they ever went to buffets together and scared the owners. OMG, if I saw two guys like that, I would be scared the whole buffet would be gone! :)

I'm curious about something. It's pretty obvious that Simon from American Idol wanted Ruben to win. I think Paula and Randy did too. If everyone here seems to think that Clay is more talented, then why did Simon (in particular) think Ruben should win?

Jennifer

Posted by Jennifer @ 05/23/2003 01:46 PM PST

I baked a devil's food cake early in the week and have about three slices left. Reading about this Parisienne cake has made me hungry enough to go downstairs and scarf up the rest of it.

Media:

CD - A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (OCR)

VCR - Rocky and Bullwinkle tape, the banana formula hush-a-boom story

laserdisc - FORBIDDEN PLANET

DVD - INDEPENDENCE DAY (lordy, is that surround sound LOUD!)

Hmmmm. Guess I'm in a science fiction mood with those last two, though it's just a coincidence.

Posted by Matt H. @ 05/23/2003 01:49 PM PST

Oh, since we're back on the cake thing... I might as well catch up on something I mentioned last week: A Bee Sting Cake.

Also known as a Bienenstich, it's a German cake which is made up of a pastry type of cake base (it's a dough, and not a batter), and has an amazing crunchy honey-almond topping (with powdered sugar too!). And to make this even better, there's a layer of pastry cream in the middle. This cake really has a wonderful texture - very light, and airy, but with that crunch... But you can still tell it's very rich! YUM!

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 05/23/2003 01:53 PM PST

And as for the Ruben vs. Clay stuff as far as the judges are concerned... -And I've actually discussed this with some industry types...

Ruben has a more marketable look for the pop market - and he has good crossover potential - like the proposed rap song he wants to record. However, most people have agreed that Ruben does need to lose some (more) weight - you could tell the finals were taking their toll on him physically. He just needs to get healthier.

Clay, on the other hand, would probably do better in the country market with his look. Unfortunately, in the very image/look driven record industry... Also - and this is more the fault of AI's format - no one is really sure about Clay's ability with singing "today's pop" - whatever that is. -For example, his first single will be a cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

In other words, "they" would have to do more work with and on Clay, then they would have to do with Ruben as far as making them "stars". Stars = Money-making and money-drawing person.

-Talent? What's talent got to do with it?

Well, that's enough of that... I really didn't think I'd be discussing AI - but it's something to do on this rainy (again) day.

Time to get ready for the show. Catch you afterwards.

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 05/23/2003 02:02 PM PST

I'm going out to do errands now. Somehow I will try to avoid stopping for a piece of cake. I was really doing okay until Matt mentioned the devils food cake. I really want to loose a measly two pounds. Of course the half loaf of hala I ate, in one sitting, yesterday didn't help.

Posted by Jane @ 05/23/2003 02:13 PM PST

Cake...is...GOOD! But I vote for chocolate brownies!!

In my DVD player: AWAY ALL BOATS with Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, Keith Andes, William Reynolds, and most of the rest of the male Universal contract players.

In the VCR: Just now finished watching APRIL LOVE starring Pat Boone, Shirley Jones, and Brad Jackson, who I think had about 3 lines.

In the CD player: HAWAIIAN NISEI SONGS (vintage Japanese-American cocktail/big band music) and WE'LL SING IN THE SUNSHINE by Gale Garnett...a wonderful one hit wonder from the 60s who was also an actress...I caught her in a small role on Hawaiian Eye justlast week as a matter of fact!

Posted by MBarnum @ 05/23/2003 02:14 PM PST

Cake! But I would go with "Death By Chocolate" cake.

New stuff:
CDS
Broadway's Biggest Hits 97-98 and surpris surprise it has a hidden tarck I didn't know about!

The Paul Simon Album (Broadway sings...)

Carryovers: Copehagen and The Great American Songbook.

VCR Thought I taped the final buffy, but screwed up.

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 05/23/2003 02:18 PM PST

Jose said

... Bienenstich, it's a German cake

I always thought Bienstach was the Band manager in Some Like It Hot :-)

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 05/23/2003 02:20 PM PST

BK

Any of the cast members going to be at the First Nudie Musical showing?

Posted by Michael Sjhayne @ 05/23/2003 02:21 PM PST

The dinner theater I used to work for in Orlando has a cake called "Chocolate Corruption" - and it was pretty much the legal amount of chocolate you could pack into a piece of cake. Any more chocolate, and I think you would need to split atoms

Posted by Craig @ 05/23/2003 02:23 PM PST

I hate people sometimes. Rahlly, I do.

I just returned from Burger King, where I ordered quite possibly the cheapest meal ever--2 cups of chili and a 5-piece chicken tender pack and a medium drink. From that, the girl at the register got "2 chilis, 2 chicken tenders and a medium French fry." I don't understand how people can be quite so daft.

And while I'm ranting, let me say this...I received my phone call from Bucks Co. last Saturday. Since then, the director has attempted to contact me one time (on Weds.) and told me to call him back that evening, which I did. I left messages on both his cell and home phones--twice--and gave him specific times that he could reach me, both on Weds. night and all day and night yesterday. I heard nothing from him, so I called him again last night and left messages and STILL no word. If he wants me for his shows, he better get in touch with me in a hurry...there are only 2 weeks until rehearsals start and I haven't seen a contract, score or script yet! I don't think its good business to do what he's doing. Perhaps I don't want to work with them if this is the way they run things.

And now I'll get off my soapbox.

Posted by Jason @ 05/23/2003 02:32 PM PST

Maybe a "Bee Sting" here for Morning tea. It is My partner Colin's birthday. Tonight we are going to a Kartoffelhouse so it will be a German food day.

VCR: I just copied Harry Potter 2 from the DVD for a friend. I didn't realise it would be so easy.
DVD" "Pippin". Next to the DVD: "Kiss Me Kate"
CDs: Pippin
The Stephen Schwartz album
Whistele Down the Wind (OLC)

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 05/23/2003 02:36 PM PST

Just to clarify, what makes the meal that I ordered so cheap is that all of those items, with the exception of the drink, are on the $.99 menu. It sounds like a great deal of food, but let me assure you, when they only fill the cup of chili halfway, its not much at all. Oh, well.

Posted by Jason @ 05/23/2003 02:37 PM PST

Geez, I'm scatterbrained today. As to today's topic:

VCR: Nada.

DVD: "A Night to Remember," which will be followed by "Titanic." I figure I might as well start researching, just in case I do actually hear from this director.

CD Player: AMOUR

Posted by Jason @ 05/23/2003 02:40 PM PST

DR Laura: I checked the late posts. I have had limited viewing of the reality (NOT) shows which seem to be not rating as well now. IMHO opinion you are far better off with your own reality and the experiences of DR Sandra.

Posted by Tom Guest (from OZ) @ 05/23/2003 03:44 PM PST

There seems to have been a one hour lull. Where are you François?

Posted by Tom Terrific & Manfred (The Wonder Dog) @ 05/23/2003 03:45 PM PST

Make that a two hour lull!

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 05/23/2003 05:12 PM PST

I'm here, I'm here... and very
subdued....

What cds have i been listening
to lately? Well, let see....

A Tribute To Walt Disney,
(NAXOS) arranged and
conducted by the terrific
Richard Hayman......that has to
be my favorite recording of
Disney music NOT produced
by Disney Entreprises....

How To Succeed -- the
soundtrack --

A Rhino compilation of some
of the best filmmusic themes
coming from MGM... I think it's
called When The Lion
Roared....

Sorry, but I don't want to talk
about FOOD.....

Oh, I guess you know that the
Cannes Film Festival is in full
blast.......

Posted by François @ 05/23/2003 05:15 PM PST

Sorry; I feel like posting all that
info on that great arranger I
just mentioned, Richard
Hayman:

Born 27 March 1920,
Cambridge, Massachussetts
------------------------------------------
------------------------------

Hayman started at 18 as a
harmonica virtuoso in Borrah
Minevitch's Harmonica
Rascals, then went with Leo
Diamond when Diamond left
to form the Solidaires. He
worked a variety of jobs,
including assistant arranger
on "Meet Me in St. Louis,"
arranger for Vaughn Monroe,
and soloist with Horace Heidt
before he won a contract
under his own name with
Mercury in 1950. Hayman's
Mercury productions were
dramatic and passionate, and
often featured his harmonica
work. He had several hit
singles during this time, the
most successful being his
cover of "Ruby" from the movie,
"Ruby Gentry."

After arranging and conducting
a strings album with jazz
saxophonist Julian
"Cannonball" Adderley,
Hayman dropped out of the
recording scene for much of
the 1960s, then reappeared
on Command label late in its
run, after Enoch Light had
departed to found Project 3.
The highlight of Hayman's
Command days was the
much-coveted early Moog
album, The Genuine Electric
Latin Love Machine. Much of
his efforts were devoted to his
work with the Boston Pops. He
was the backbone of the Pops
arranging staff, and he often
served as a back-up conductor
for Arthur Fiedler. He appeared
annually as a featured
conductor, usually bringing out
his harmonica for one
showcase number. He
returned to recording in the
1970s, and a number of his
later albums, featuring mostly
light classical and popular
orchestral works, are still
available on CD.

------------------------------------------
------------------------------

Recordings

* Music For Romance, Mercury
MG-20048
* Reminiscing, Mercury
MG-20113
* Love is a Many Splendored
Thing, Mercury MG-20123
* Come With Me to Far-Away
Places, Mercury MG-20129
* My Fair Lady, Mercury
MG-20192
* Only Memories, Mercury
MG-20248
* Great Motion Picture Themes
of Victor Young, Mercury
MG-20369
* Voodoo!, Mercury MG-20465
* Havana in Hi-Fi, Mercury SR
6000
* Campfire Songs,
Mercury-Wing SR 60169
* Harmonica Holiday, Mercury
PPS6005
* Conducts Pop Concert in
Sound, Mercury PPS6010
* Let's Get Together,
Mercury-Wing MGW-12100
* The Era of Cleopatra, Time S
2080
* Cinemagic Sounds,
Command RS 941 SD
* The Genuine Electric Latin
Love Machine, Command
Note: this list does not include
Hayman's many pop classical
recordings.

Posted by François @ 05/23/2003 05:23 PM PST

Ok. I ran an errand, and now I can tell you what CD is in my car CD player: "A Fynsworth Christmas." I was hoping that some Christmas music would make me feel cooler (temperature-wise). It worked! It was only 103F today!

I'm sure any Merry Searchers who might have been searching for "Fynsworth" are sorely disappointed.

Posted by Laura @ 05/23/2003 06:01 PM PST

Dear esteemed, suave, guapo, and sated BK,

Congratulations on your cake day..DR Kerry and I got to indulge in a wonderful dark chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting that I made last week....if I thought that it mailed at all well, I would have sent you a piece. I can tell you, it was My-Tee-Fine.

DR Jason -- Condolences to you my little pate choux....when encountering louts with dim brains, just remember the sage words of the Big Poobah here ; Damn them, damn them all to hell.

Can anybody tell me what the plot or story or whatever is for "Amour?"

DVD - nothing this week, too much work.

CD - the wonderful score to "Ruthless".....I'm sure in another life I was Sylvia St. Croix.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/23/2003 06:02 PM PST

Amen to Sister Laura !! Any of you dear readers in parts of the country where it is still cool, or drizzly, or grey, or anything else..... take our sunshine,,,please ! (thank you, Henny) .

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/23/2003 06:05 PM PST

DR Ron Pulliam -- Oh Ron, I agree with you a lot about pie, but I'm sure you've noticed that we are a slim minority around here! DR Kerry I'm sure thought I was crazy the other night, but I took about 2 1/2 hours to make a completely "from scratch" fresh peach pie.....and the peaches were from our very own trees in our very own yard, right here in our very own stinky hot desert! Anyway, the pie turned out very tasty! I'm going to bribe DR Laura with it, to help me with some mail stuff over the weekend.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/23/2003 06:11 PM PST

AMOUR is the story of Dusoleil (Malcolm Gets), an unnoticed office worker who is love with the married woman down the street (Ms. Errico). One night he discovers he has the ability to walk through walls, and decides to use his gift to win the attention of Isabelle by robbing from the rich and giving to the needy. Eventually the newspapers start reporting about "Passepartout" and Isabelle begins to take interest in him, not realizing that Passepartout is, in fact, Dusoleil. Long story short (too late!), they find each other and fall in love, and Isabelle's brute husband is send to prison for being an aide to Hitler in the War. Dusoleil agrees to one final press conference, and just before takes some medicine that's been prescribed to him by some crazy doctor for his headache. As he is walking through a wall for the photo op, the medicine kicks in and takes away his ability to walk through things, leaving him stuck for eternity in the wall.

I suppose that does it, then. Hope it helps. :-)

Posted by Jason @ 05/23/2003 06:15 PM PST

I forgot to mention that "Passepartout" means "Passes Through Everything."

Posted by Jason @ 05/23/2003 06:17 PM PST

DR Ben -- Welcome back to studly DangerMouse! I hope your trip was wonderful, and I hope that you enjoyed your welcome home present that DR Kerry had waiting for you on your computer!

Ben, do you and Ant have a second home out on Long Island? It sounds like you go there fairly regularly. Just wondering.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/23/2003 06:18 PM PST

Give me the pasta! PLEASE! I just finished a nice little home cooked dinner (my own, of course) consisting of Ravioli stuffed with spinach and avacodo, doused in a sauce made from our very own home canned tomatoes and sweet vidalia onions....as a side dish, I stir-fried some red bell peppers, fresh yellow squash, zucchini and portobello mushrooms...

In the dvd player:
IN LIKE FLINT
CASTLE IN THE SKY

In the cd player:
RAGTIME -original soundtrack
THE ALAN MENKEN ALBUM - Debbie Gravitte
ELABORATE LIVES - a four track cd consisting of various versions of the AIDA song
THE SONG IS MINE - John DePalma
DOWN WITH LOVE - origianl soundtrack

In the vcr:
Today's episode of ONE LIFE TO LIVE in which my *sister* (Janet Fanale) portrayed a sister (nun). Janet has the distinction of having played Sister Mary Amnesia in NUNSENSE for close to a decade in Pittsburgh; this was her first television gig in NYC, another appearance will follow on July 1.

In the laserdisc player:
After last week's uproar about poor, sweet BAMBI being in the player - this week, I shoved POCAHONTAS in there instead. . .

Posted by td @ 05/23/2003 06:21 PM PST

DR Jason -- Thank you so much for the synopsis. My, it makes me feel old....my frame of reference is made up of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Jerry Herman. I guess I just really like bright, and cheerful, and fairly happy endings. Even Dancing Dildos. By the way Jason, if you have an email address that you don't mind sharing, drop me a note please.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/23/2003 06:24 PM PST

This show is sweet and happy...until the end, but even then it doesn't feel like such a sad ending as you might expect. I love the score, and I think the "vocalise" overture is one of the best overtures I've ever heard. Its oh, so "Amelie."

Posted by Jason @ 05/23/2003 06:27 PM PST

Some review of AMour by John
Simon of New York Metro.com:

Your reaction to the musical
Amour, a French import, will
depend largely on your
feelings about Michel Legrand
and terminal cutes. To my
mind, Legrand has always
been a serviceable hack
whose through-composed
movie musicals struck me as
excruciating (and worse, as
when, like The Umbrellas of
Cherbourg, they were staged).
Amour is Legrand through and
through.

Since it is a sung-through
opera bouffe, the musical
numbers have no individual
titles, but the bouncy one
about taking a plunge is
pleasant enough, and a
bedroom duet for the lovers,
Dusoleil and Isabelle, is an
ingratiating waltz. The rest,
even while the scenery keeps
rising from the floor or
descending from the flies,
remains unremittingly flat. The
English lyrics, by Jeremy
Sams, are clever and often
saucy, as in a whore's "Better
a blow job / Than no job at all,"
or in the heroine's reading in a
fan magazine about "other
people's sin: / Why does David
Niven live with Errol Flynn?"
They do strain, though, as
when someone photographed
with Himmler "should be sent
to the guillotine or something
sim'lar," and when Montmartre
hopes to rhyme with coup de
théâtre.

The book, as developed from
Marcel Aymé's 1943 novella Le
Passe-Muraille by the currently
acclaimed novelist Didier van
Cauwelaert, and as Englished
by Sams, moves along
chipperly. It is the story of the
nerdy clerk Dusoleil who
discovers that he can walk
through walls and puts this to
various romantic and practical
uses, whether he is pursuing
the young, unhappily married
Isabelle, or simply escaping
from jail. This conceit had
particular relevance for the
French during the Occupation,
but set in 1946 and seen
today, it doesn't resonate. The
technical aspects of
wall-traversing are ably
handled by Scott Pask's
scenery and Jules Fisher and
Peggy Eisenhauer's lighting;
Donna Granata gets added
laughs with her costumes.

Malcolm Gets, hair moussed
into a finger-in-the-socket
spike, is a wonderfully dorky
Dusoleil, whether losing his
door key or screwing up his
courage to the stalking point.
As Isabelle, Melissa Errico
shuttles deliciously between
the demurely woebegone and
the joyously sexy. There is
good support from the small
ensemble, which, through
versatile doubling, manage to
convey le tout Paris. James
Lapine has directed
mischievously, and Jane
Comfort has provided amiably
goofy dances. I just wish I had
had as much fun as the cast.

------------------------------------------
------------------------------

Posted by François @ 05/23/2003 06:30 PM PST

In my DVD player - "Judy Berlin"
In my CD player - disc one of the Swedish "Chess"
In my VCR - two episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer' ('The Body', from season five - it was repeated here yesterday and I didn't tape it the last time it aired - and the series finale, 'Chosen').

I will probably emerge from Buffy-related mourning some time next month (probably some time close to the 10th, when season 4 comes out on DVD and I get to hear the commentary track for the glorious 'Hush' episode).

Posted by Stephen Farrow @ 05/23/2003 06:35 PM PST

a lull. a definitive lull.

Posted by td @ 05/23/2003 07:24 PM PST

Ahh, a long weekend. Sounds
delightful after substituting for
an elementary music teacher
the past two days. I'm just fine
with the rugrats for a couple
days, but high school (or at
least middle school) is much
more to my liking. And after
teaching the same lesson 20
(count them, 20) times
in two days, I'm absolutely sick
of Eb blues.

As for the topic de jour...
DVD: CSI Season One, disc 6
VCR: empty
CDs: She Loves Me (OBC)
Sweeney Todd... in Jazz
Violet (OCR)

Posted by Jed @ 05/23/2003 07:25 PM PST

Oh, I forgot... Cake, please.

Posted by Jed @ 05/23/2003 07:26 PM PST

From the Rosemary Clooney
Palladium site:

"5/23/03 - Today we celebrate
Rosemary's birthday. She
would have been 75...."

Posted by François @ 05/23/2003 08:09 PM PST

Happy Birthday Rosemary..!! DR Kerry and I got to see her in person here in Phoenix some years back, and even though fairly up in years, she gave a show that had all of the great elements and was rock solid. She also sang the melody to songs as they had been written.

DR Francois -- Do you live in the city of Paris, or one of the nearby suburbs? If in the city, which area? DR Kerry and I have vacationed there a number of times, and really love it.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/23/2003 09:10 PM PST

I know this a late post, but I just had to thank DR Laura for dropping by some of her fresh tomatoes and a zucchini, all from her very own garden. I used some of the tomatoes in with some sauteed green beans tonight with our dinner, and it was delicious. Oh, and if any of you come through Phoenix, don't tell her husband about us getting tomatoes! Shhhhh.

I think I will now finish the evening with a piece of my peach pie with some vanilla Hagen-Daz on the side.

Oink.

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/23/2003 09:16 PM PST

Yes, Rosie was a great girl
singer: someone who cared
for the melody and the lyrics....

MusicGuy;
I live on the outskirts of Paris,
on a small island called Ile St
Germain, but I work right in the
center of the city, in the St
Germain des Prés district...

I guess St Germain is
watching over me....

Laura's husband; DO YOU
KNOW THAT......OOPS, sorry....

Posted by François @ 05/23/2003 09:38 PM PST

In my CD players:

"Boy Meets Boy" (OC)
"Broadway Bound"
"Divas of Swing"
"Michael Buble (with an accent acute)-- Thanks td

Cassette player:
A compilation tape of some of the Burt Bacharach album, Prime Time Musicals, South Pacific, and yes, I admit it-- one song by Joey Lawrence

Romanovsky and Phillips "Trouble in Paradise"

VCR: A compilation tape of musical numbers from various TV shows and specials featuring a very good (and unfortunately departed) friend, Rick Mason. It has clips from the "Chorus Line" numbers on the Tony Awards, dancing with Chita Rivera on the Merv Griffin show, A Carpenters special, and the Mary Tyler Mooore variety show. It's wonderful to see him dance and looking so good and sad because I miss him so much and wish he were still here.

More cake.

Posted by Kerry @ 05/23/2003 09:38 PM PST

That's the spirit! MORE CAKE!!

Posted by Jason @ 05/23/2003 09:47 PM PST

DRs Kerry and MusicGuy - if you enjoy the accented Michael Buble, grab a hold of the soundtrack to DOWN WITH LOVE - he sings and swings the title song. . .
Oh, and an update on what's in the dvd player - I put in one of the first dvds that I had bought. . .Terry Gilliam's time-twisting TWELVE MONKEYS, and I have been re-entranced by this film. I had only planned on checking out how good or bad the print was, but got swept into the story, the characters and the design once again. . .

Posted by td @ 05/23/2003 10:36 PM PST

You'll be happy to know that I took everyone's advice and had two count them two pieces of cake (there's still three-fourths left) and spaghetti carbonara. I am sated and feel lovely.

Posted by bk @ 05/23/2003 10:38 PM PST

Atta-Boy, BK!!!

-Just remember, both the cake and the spaghetti carbonara have fat in them - and the "carbonara" has protein in it - so you're not totally dissing Chet and Eileen.

-Isn't rationalization a wonderful thing!

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 05/23/2003 10:54 PM PST

MusicGuy: I will happily help with the mailing. I sure hope you are planning to do it on Saturday and Sunday. If you are planning it for Monday, I have a big decision to make: peach pie or second honeymoon?

Sandra and I saw Forever Plaid again tonight at the community theater. These were our regular Friday night season tickets. Last night's were extras so that MusicGuy and Kerry could come with us. The audience was better (which makes a difference in this show!)

Note to Kerry and MusicGuy: When Jinx sings "Cry," that is the ONLY time I ever shout "WOOOO HOOOO" during a show. I promise. Sometimes the audience is lame and needs someone to get them started.

Posted by Laura @ 05/23/2003 11:28 PM PST

Come on now, Laura, admit it.
You're a diehard "WOOOO
HOOOO"-er. Now we know
the real reason the DH doesn't
attend shows and such with
you. Be thankful you have a
daughter willing to be seen in
public with a mother who puts
on such displays! :-)

Posted by Jed @ 05/23/2003 11:41 PM PST

Note to Dear Reader Jed:

:-P

Posted by Laura @ 05/24/2003 12:04 AM PST

All please spare a thought for Tom from Oz as he will be getting over-excited at the moment.

Tonight is The Eurovision Song Contest, one of his obsessions!

For the uninitiated that means sitting through about 25 songs from different countries in Europe, all of which are entitled something like 'Bing A Bang Bong' and most of which are excrutiatingly bad. THEN you have to sit through about an hour and a half of voting by each country which goes something like:
"And now over to the Estonian jury. Hello Tallinn ..... Tallinn, can you hear me? Tallinn, bon soir? Tallinn ....?"
"Yes, yes, Eva, yes we are here - good evening from Tallinn, here are the votes from the Estonian jury. Latvia - 10 points."
"Latvia, eight points??"
"No, no, Eva, Latvia ten points."
"Latvia ten points, La Latvie, dix points"
"Lithuania, 8 points"
"Lithuania eight points, La Lettonie, huit points"
.. and so on for the next 90 minutes.

In England, we have a wonderful commentator, Terry Wogan, who mocks everything that's going on. It's hilarious.

In the CD player at the moment, 'The Music of Disney - A Legacy in Song' courtesy of, yes you guessed it, Francois - merci, mon brave. I'm at this moment listening to Dick Van Dyke's 'Cockney' accent - tee, hee.

In the car CD, the Aussie 'Secret Garden' courtesy of Tom (thanks, cobber). Also the York Theatre 'Prodigal' complete with 'Australian' accents - can't wait to hear what Tom thinks of them.
Also Pamela Myers 'A Chance To Sing' - a wonderful collection of songs, and it would be bearable if she only remembered just occasionally that she was singing with a solo piano and not a 70-piece orchestra. Note to Pamela - lovey, you don't need to belt everything.

Ready and waiting in the DVD, Brent Barrett's Kiss Me Kate. I saw him doing this in London, so now I'll get to see it close up.

Posted by Allan @ 05/24/2003 01:51 AM PST

Come on a my house, my house.

Posted by Rosemary Clooney @ 05/24/2003 04:20 AM PST

Welllll...come in. If I knew you were comin' I'da baked a cake, hired a band, goodness sake!
Howdya do howdya do howdya do!

Posted by Eileen Barton @ 05/24/2003 04:21 AM PST

DR Jed -- Well, I have to tell you that in this case DR Laura is being very honest...she is usually the stellar model of decorum and quiet good taste (as she lives "the simple life"..you'll have to get her to explain that one to you...) . However, when confronted with a huge glob of ice cream in a giant cream puff that has been slathered with an obscene amount of dark hot fudge, she gets a twinkling glint in her eye that could scare Larry Flynt and Hugh Hefner both!

DR Sandra, on the otherhand, remains calm and angelic looking. But you know what they say about still water running deep.....and sometimes murky! She is probably just waiting to break out into her Courtney Love personna any day now.

My god, why am I in such a Stephen King/Hitchcock mood this morning??

Posted by MusicGuy @ 05/24/2003 07:59 AM PST