Haines His Way
Archives => Archive 2 => Topic started by: bk on May 22, 2004, 01:12:34 AM
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Well, you've read the notes, hopefully the notes were coherent as I could barely keep my eyes open whilst writing them, and hopefully you will now post to beat the band. We must always beat the band - they like it, you know.
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Thank you all for your beautiful postings - you really kept the home fries burning!
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I wanted to thank Jose for his fine thoughts yesterday. Of course, I'm more outraged by IATSE than the musicians - but, of course, if that IF is true, it's the latter who can change the sound of a show.
I'm not seeing the notes yet.
But I think I'm the first post.
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I never thought I would hear a lovelier version of "The Beeze and I" than that of Miss Jeannette MacDonald, until I heard Miss Caterina Valente sing it. I remember THE ENTERTAINERS well, and in fact I think that is the television show that caused Miss Carol Burnett to drop out of FADE OUT FADE IN and we all know how that turned out. And wasn't Mr BK singing "The Beeze and I" earlier this year? What a difference a consonant makes! ;D
I saw "Trembling Before G-d" and it was thought provoking. So many documentaries teach us things about lives and experiences we know nothing about. All of the documentaries we talked about last week showed me how much catching up I have to do. :P
I am glad you had a good time at TMM, Mr BK. I hope to see it when it comes to Indy early next year, because it is one of my favorite movies, and I like the Cast CD. I am only sorry Miss Julianna will not be in it then. After reading her journal, I feel as though I know her! ;)
As to the young people embracing a musical....I don't have an answer, but I have an idea.
It is comforting and empowering to be part of a larger group. We are all searching for an indentity, and if we are not sure of ourselves (and teens are even less sure of themselves than we insecure adults are) how wonderful to identify as part of a larger group. And if we are indentified with something successful, then perhaps some of that success will rub off on us. We can be indentified with a show, a performer, or even a composer. And we can be indentified with all that goes along with that person or thing. I think it is a desire to belong - to be indentified with something outside themselves - and TMM is as good a choice as anything. And because TMM is accepted....then I can be accepted, too, no matter how strange or lonely or different the rest of my life is. 8)
Or maybe they are hot for someone else who likes the show. ::)
Are there any other song titles that would be different with a missing or changed consonant?
I submit:
"Hernando's Bideway" and "Petting to Know You."
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MATTH why are we up so early?
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I don't see the new notes either, but I'll write a post anyway.
I, too, am not the least religious but I found TREMBLING BEFORE G-D a harrowing experience, and while my heart went out to so many who were undoubtedly suffering trying to validate their inner feelings of sexuality with their feelings of spirituality. I am thankful I have no such struggles. When one is secure with the knowledge that he was born a certain way through no fault of his own or anyone around him, there doesn't seem to be much to ponder in those regards. I feel really sorry for those whose beliefs aren't so easily managed.
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I'm in 1961 now in the Noel Coward Diaries, and he's busy writing SAIL AWAY with Elaine Stritch in mind for Mimi. Funny how as he was writing the iritial treatment of it, he wanted Rosalind Russell, and when she declined due to film commitments, he began persuing Kay Thompson who loved the material but had a phobia about appearing on Broadway. Elaine Stritch was an afterthought, and he was bothered when he found out she was in therapy. After pages and pages of detailing his uncomfortable dealings with Vivien Leigh who at this stage of her career was battling mental depressions and breakdowns almost monthly (they were old, dear friends), it was obvious he didn't want a leading lady he was going to have to coddle or gingerly handle to get a performance out of her. Can't wait to read more about the development of the play and its road rewrite which altered what he was so satisfied with so thoroughly.
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I only could sleep 6 hours in my muggy, humidity-ridden house. It's cooler outside than inside, so I have all the doors and windows flung open with funs running on high like mad.
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I remember what a shock the failure of THE ENTERTAINERS was for all concerned and especially for CBS who were sure they had a winner.
Show business must be the most unpredictable business ever.
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Oh DRMATTH after reading your description of the Noel Coward Diaries I ordered them last week and hopefully I will get them today or tomorrow.
I could read the notes today!
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Jason what Tony column were you talking about yesterday?
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I see this morning that a $200,000 film entitled TARNATION is a huge success in Cannes. Hopefully, this may provide an answer to "where in-"!
Much as I admire the late great Margaret Mead, I never came of age in Samoa or anywhere else I can think of, and I can offer no insights into the TOD. Since I am not a great fan of the musical THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, which I found inferior to a stylish but disorganized film, I can only hope that if this trend continues to revisit a show many times that their tastes improve.
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I finally got today's notes to show up hitting the refresh button. I kept getting the Leslie Parrish notes (who also makes a cameo appearance in today's notes).
At any rate, I have no answer for the topic of the day, but it is definitely a trend that I first noticed with THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
When I first got the internet/World Wide Web, I used to participate in the Playbill chat room, and all the teenagers there wanted to talk about was THE PHANTOM. They had no knowledge of the great Broadway past, and when I'd bring up wonderful shows of the decades prior to PHANTOM, I'd be met with stony silence. Years later at another theater site, it was all RENT, all the time. As I wasn't a fan of either PHANTOM or RENT, my conversations were one sided. Occasionally I'd find a kindred spirit who knew something more than Andrew Lloyd Webber and we'd carry on almost to ourselves, but finally I just stopped going to those sites. They weren't very edifying.
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Best DVD news I've read this morning while scouring the internet:
Coming from Paramount on 8/31 - COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA.
Coming the next week (9/7) - MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.
I couldn't be more thrilled especially about ORIENT EXPRESS.
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A comment re one of my posts last night:
It's "The Breeze and I." Not "The Wind and I."
And do I feel foolish!
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And yes, Dear Reader Panni, I did see Trembling Before G-d, and was quite moved by it. In fact, I am proud to say that my synagogue provided some financial support to the filmmaker and is acknowledged in the credits.
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On the topic o' the day:
I've said this before: whether or not Millie, Rent, Phantom or Mamma Mia! are to your taste, if they pull in the young crowd (repeatedly or not), I say hooray!
Those young audience members are experiencing the magic of live performance. And if they get into the habit of attending live performance when they are young, then they become the mature audience members at live performance tomorrow.
Who's going to quibble with that?
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Good Morning! TOD... I have no idea why teenagers have embraced musicals (BTW - I really liked JR's theory). In fact, I didn't realize they had, as I haven't seen many musicals in the last few years. But, no matter how over-eager or obnoxiously vociferous they are, I'm glad they're there. It's important to get younger people back to the theater. And with prices the way they are, it's a small miracle they're in the audience at all! (It's a small miracle ANYBODY'S in the audience.)
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Looks like Jay and I were posting basically the same thought at the same time.
Elmore - Re the movie TARNATION, there was a diary from Cannes of the young director/writer in yesterday's LA Times and it was excellent. 6 months ago he's a waiter and suddenly he's getting a standing O at Cannes! The film sounds good - I want to see it.
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Morning all!
Sorry I didn't make it back to post again last night. I have a very, very, very, very busy day and today isn't going to be any easier.
I didn't count on the new cell phone causing so much trouble in that I had already given my old cell phone number to a people and I had to send out e-mails and notices about the new number!
I think it's a little small. I can't read it without my reading glasses (don't know why I didn't notice that when I bought the thing) but I had a hard time getting some (not all of) my information programed into it.
I went with a different pay as you go carrier--I was with Trakphone but now I'm with Virgin Moble. It's supost to be cheeper. .25 a minute for the first ten minutes of the day then .10 for every minute of the day thereafter.
It doesn't matter where I call in the US. The only thing I have to remember is that when I am out of the 813 area, I have to dial the area code for where ever I am first. Other than that, there are no roaming codes to remember.
It has a bunch of fancy features but I bet I won't use half of them. Text messaging, voice activated calling and voice mail to name a few.
We'll give it a try this week but if I don't like it, I'm going to take it back.
I wanted to say yesterday about the topic of the day--My heart belongs to my daddy. Yes, I am a daddys girl. I can honestly say that as much as I like Michael Aday/Ball/Crawford, I don't "love" them" in the true sense of "love". I guess "
lust" is more like it! :D
I was up until midnight last night trying to get everything done but I didn't. Sigh. Even so I couldn't sleep and have been up since 7 still working on everything. I have to go finish packing and get ready to go see Le Miz.
If I don't get the chance to come back one last time (I'll be up at 2:30 AM and the car picks me up at 4:10 AM) I just want to say, to be good and happy and safe until I come back. I hope the Milford has a computer station in it like the Best Western did. That worked GREAT!
It was 10 minutes of internet time for a dollar so I would put $2.00 in and had just enough time to check my e-mails and to make small posts on my two favorite boards. I'm sure NYC will have something like that. Maybe more than a dollar, however! LOL!
Elmore--I gave the new cell phone number to Jane. She will pass it along to you and anyone else who needs/wants it. Well, let me rephrase that, not just ANYBODY but I trust her judgement to not give to felons, rapests, etc. LOL! :)
New York City, here I come!
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Have fun Danise!!!!
For me I am headed to the big city of Seattle. Would you believe that I have never been there before?! Well it is true.
My buddies Terry and Mark and I are going up there and spending the night. I no not what we are going to do up there...knowing those two it will involve searching for hunky men...in fact I think Mark already has a date lined up! Well, hopefully I will get to see more of Seattle then just a smokey bar! Anyway, it should be fun! See you all on Sunday!
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Have fun Danise!!!!
For me I am headed to the big city of Seattle. Would you believe that I have never been there before?! Well it is true.
My buddies Terry and Mark and I are going up there and spending the night. I no not what we are going to do up there...knowing those two it will involve searching for hunky men...in fact I think Mark already has a date lined up! Well, hopefully I will get to see more of Seattle then just a smokey bar! Anyway, it should be fun! See you all on Sunday!
Go to the new central library, Dear Reader MBarnum! It was designed by Rem Koolhaas and the photographs indicate it is a gorgeous building, inside and out. Critics have already called it a stunning new architectural landmark in our world.
(I believe the official public grand opening is not until tomorrow, but with your good looks and charm, I have every confidence you'll be able to get in today.)
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DR Danise, on THE block of 42nd Street (between Seventh and Eighth) there is a huge internet cafe called Easy Everything. It's near Madame Tussaud's and has a big orange sign.
If the Milford Plaza doesn't have that sort of internet hookup, this place is very near by.
There's a quieter, more expensive internet cafe on 49th between Broadway and Eighth, not as brightly lit
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THE ENTERTAINERS was the show that Carol Burnett left FADE OUT, FADE IN for, causing all those lawsuits.
Regarding teenagers and musicals... the "pop" music of today is so bad that some of them prefer good show music, and rather than take a chance on a show they don't know much about they find a show they like and see it over and over again. This goes at least as far back as GODSPELL. When I was working at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo in the mid-70s we did GODSPELL and we got ticket reservations from all over the country. These were from people in their mid to late teens who travelled all over the country to see different productions of the show.
Yesterday we discussed MERRILY WE ROLL along a show which I am in the minority liking. The production I saw last night was the first time I've seen the "final revised" version (the one done at the York and recorded by BK), and I enjoyed it a lot. The main difference I noticed was the expansion of the part of Gussie which, I assume, was done because Michelle Pawk played the role at the York. There were a lot of lines/jokes that were not up to what Furth wrote fof COMPANY, but all in all it is far better Sondheim than PASSIONS and a couple of the other later shows. The production was good but left something to be desired. They had a great Mary, a good Franklin and a Charley I didn't care for. Also the director had a couple of the chorus boys play obviously gay throughout and it got annoying to see the posturizing. The set was functional but ugly; the costumes good and in period. I also discovered one error; in the 1963 scene there was a mention of Beth's family watching the Tonys® on their Sony in Houston. The Tonys® were not televised nationally until 1967.
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Elmore, I sent you Danise’s cell phone number. Is there another DR in the area who wants her number? If so, post or email me.
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Good Morning!
Topic of the Day: I've been trying to figure this out ever since Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables becames "sensations". I mean it practically borders on obsession - and in some cases it is. I even used to teach a class that had a group of Crazy For You groupies. They would train up to New York at least once a month, go see the show, go "hang out" with the cast at the stage door afterwards (they were apparently on a first name basis with Jodie Benson and Michelle Pawk after a few times - ??). But at least it was Gershwin, so... but still... they're whole "obssession" kind of made me worry.
And working with college age kids the past few years... It's always "JRB!!!" "JRB!!!!". And, strangely enough, most of them are only familiar with The Last Five Years. They do know that Mr. Brown wrote other shows, but The Last Five Years is "da bomb". I guess the whole relationship thing is what they glom onto.
And now a similar thing is happening with Wicked. They just LOVE this score. And then when I ask them, "Have you ever listened to Godspell, Pippin, or Children of Eden?" -they usually just give me a blank stare. However, some of them are also COE fans too, so....
OK - I don't think I'm making any sense right now since I can't make any real sense of the whole thing, so...
OH, and for those keeping score as it were, I had a nice date last night. Just nice. Comme çi, comme ça.
DR Danise - Safe and Happy Travel Vibes. Have a wonderful time!!! *And there's a few cyber cafes in the Times Square area. I really like the one on 42nd next to the New Amsterdam Theatre. It's big, busy, but very reasonable, and I've never had to wait that long for a computer. There's also one on 44th or 45th between Broadway and 8th that usually offers a "coffe and minutes" or "danish and minutes" special. -Sorry I can't remember names right now.
DR MBarnum - Have a great time in Seattle. We want pics!!! Well, I want pics, so... ;)
Time for me to get ready for the show. We're having our "Rally in the Alley" today. Basically a cookout between shows. Should be fun, although since the temp is supposed to be way up today... I may just end up retreating back across to the street to the French Bistro for some frites and A/C.
Laters...
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We watched THE CISCO KID last night and felt rather cheated. At the end of the show Poncho told his joke, Cisco laughed, Poncho laughed. They both laughed-AND the show was over. That was it, nothing else. ??? Of course we sat there filling in the missing lines, over and over. ;D
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AVENUE Q fans...
Check out www.avenueq.com to hear "Rod's Dilemma" a new song that the cast is performing at various functions around town to convince voter to vote for AVENUE Q for the Tonys® and other awards. I don't know if they added it to the show or not.
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DR Danise - Please refer to DR Noel's posts regarding the internet cafes - if you haven't already. Thanks, Noel, for filling in my blanks. ;)
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Thank you all for the good wishes and the good vibes. I'm sure they played a part in allowing me to recover enough to take my trip.
Thank you for the Cyber Cafe advise. I'll download it to my PDA so I won't forget it. You know I did recheck all of the good advise you guys gave me when I was on the plane to Utah.
I'm off to see Le Miz now.
Can you say: Whirlwind? Can you say: Duh! :D
I told Jane I'd better not see a website with: For a good time call Danise. Here is her cell phone number, when I get back. LOL! :D
Take care all!
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BK: Re the Bounce recording's two producers:
Tommy Krasker took very ill when he was supposed to go to DC for the sessions. As the studio and orchestra/cast were set of that date, [Nonesuch president] Robert Hurwitz instead produced the sessions. The masters were then mixed by Tommy in NYC. Hence the wierd credit.
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How do I set up a new website? :D
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BK, you must hie yourself to a music store and purchase all of Toninho Horta's CDs, especially Diamond Land, Moonstone, and his self-titled one on World Pacific. You will not be disappointed, I promise you. DR Panni, since I believe you mentioned you love Brasilian music, you should go with BK and buy them, too! I had a really hilarious piece of mail arrive yesterday, which you can read about at:
http://journals.aol.com/jmkauffman/JMKsblog/
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JFK I made the same comment as your son when Keith received his photo, months ago. His only came by regular mail-guess you really rate special attention.
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Jane, first of all, thanks for making me a former President. :D
The hilarious part of this all is Betsy and I are pretty well-known Democratic Party of Oregon "activists"--I wrote and music directed the Campaigners' Revues here for well over a decade, where all of Oregon's leading Democratic candidates and office-holders did parody versions of musicals, and Betsy was Media Director for the Democratic Senate Caucus, and later Bill Bradbury's (Oregon's SOS) Media Director. On the other hand, if the Reps want to waste their trillions of dollars doing mailings to registered Dems, that's fine with me. :)
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"Why are they dressed the same?" my prescient 5 year old asked
What I meant is I said the same comment as the above. :D
As a joke Keith framed the photo and put it on his desk for a week.
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I'm using my photo as a dartboard. :)
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We should have done that before trashing it. ;D
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Off to walk the fields with Echo.
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Campaigners' Revues memories (for the Oregonians amongst us):
Barbara Roberts singing "I Ain't Down Yet," when she looked like she was going to get trounced (she won) after now-disgraced Neil Goldschmidt dropped out of the gubernatorial race.
Atty. Gen. Hardy Myers singing "Donations" (to the tune of Maria--"Donations, I just met a PAC with donations") in our "West Side Story" parody, called "Nest Side Story" (it was the height of the spotted-owl controversy. One of my all-time fave parodies, everything just clicked).
Rep. Tom Novick portraying "Doc" Kitzhaber (our former Governor who also is a physician) in a musical version of "Gunsmoke".
US Rep. Earl Blumenauer's completely hilarious stand-up routines based on "state mottos": e.g., "Kansas--our state's more rectangular than yours."
Judge pro tem Marc Abrams as Rep. candidate Gordon Smith (he had to run twice to finally win, changing all of his ultra-right positions on the way), singing to his cloned-self, "What Do I Have That I Don't Have".
....pressed between the scoresheets of my mind.
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Oh, I received a picture of the President & Mrs Bush as well....oh, I thought I was special.
Congratulations on your date, DRJOSE. There is hope for all of us singles, I guess.
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Re young theatergoers: Make no mistake - I'm happy they're going, that wasn't the point of the topic. WHY has it suddenly become so in? That was the point. If you've read Kritzer Time you know that I was practically a majority of one as a young person attending theater, whether musicals or straight plays - I would virtually be the only teen in the theater.
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Can you believe I slept until ten-thirty?
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Thanks for the info re Bounce, diva.
Now, might I just ask where in tarnation IS everyone? You'd think it was Saturday.
Do we suppose this waiter who made Tarnation is a lurker here? Just kidding. Although, if the film is about a wacky website well, then, I'll be up in arms, whatever the HELL that means. Or, maybe I'll be down in feet.
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Regarding teenagers and musicals... the "pop" music of today is so bad that some of them prefer good show music, and rather than take a chance on a show they don't know much about they find a show they like and see it over and over again. This goes at least as far back as GODSPELL. When I was working at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo in the mid-70s we did GODSPELL and we got ticket reservations from all over the country. These were from people in their mid to late teens who travelled all over the country to see different productions of the show.
Yesterday we discussed MERRILY WE ROLL along a show which I am in the minority liking. The production I saw last night was the first time I've seen the "final revised" version (the one done at the York and recorded by BK), and I enjoyed it a lot. The main difference I noticed was the expansion of the part of Gussie which, I assume, was done because Michelle Pawk played the role at the York. There were a lot of lines/jokes that were not up to what Furth wrote fof COMPANY, but all in all it is far better Sondheim than PASSION and a couple of the other later shows.
I agree that Merrily is better than everything Sondheim did after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Sunday in the Park. Far better, I'd say... although I've many problems with the show.
If anyone's still aware of groupies who must see Godspell, our production at the Circle-in-the-Square (50th between Broadway & 8th) is free: Sunday, May 30 at 8; Monday, May 31 at 2 & 8
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Personally, all the new boys (Brown, Guettel, Brown) leave me quite cold. I suppose in a sense, they write muscial theatre pieces. Nothing wrong with that, except that on occasion i still enjoy a roof-raising, chorus-boy-dancing old fashioned musical comedy. This is not to say that I don't like serious themes in my musicals, because I do, but there was a certain ethic to the old/semi-old school way of writing shows.
Now, Ahrens & Flaherty...they are the newcomers that most resemble what I am talking about......to me RAGTIME was the last great American musical written, and I rue the day Garth decided to open it in the same season as that overblown claptrap aka THE LION KING. If it had opened the following season, I think it would have attracted much more acclaim, and possibly still be running.
Those are my two cents.
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Here's how old I am... I remember Victor Garber doing the stage version of Godspell in Toronto (Gilda Radner was also in that production).
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Oh, I received a picture of the President & Mrs Bush as well....oh, I thought I was special.
;D
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Bruce I think it is great you slept in so late but don’t I get any sympathy from you for my sad story? I thought of all people, considering your post yesterday, you would understand how we felt.
Yesterday from Bruce: “Cisco Kid. Love it - Duncan Reynaldo and Leo Carillo - "Hey Ceesco" "Hey, Pancho".”
But then we were missing "Oh Poncho!" "Oh Ceesco!". Maybe that was the reason for your lack of sympathy.
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Personally, all the new boys (Brown, Guettel, Brown) leave me quite cold. I suppose in a sense, they write muscial theatre pieces. Nothing wrong with that, except that on occasion i still enjoy a roof-raising, chorus-boy-dancing old fashioned musical comedy. This is not to say that I don't like serious themes in my musicals, because I do, but there was a certain ethic to the old/semi-old school way of writing shows.
That's what I'm here for, Stuart.
http://hometown.aol.com/mprovizr/Index.html (http://hometown.aol.com/mprovizr/Index.html)
www.weddingmusical.com (http://www.weddingmusical.com)
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Shakalaka, baby! Thought I'd post as it's pretty dead around here.
Modified to add the last "ka" to Shakalaka - I keep leaving it off.
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Sure is Panni. That's why I thought I would give Bruce something to comment on, but he has disappeared. Probably doing important morning stuff, like having breakfast. :)
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I was just reading in VARIETY today (2 weeks old) about shows paying off. THE PRODUCERS did it in 6 months. HAIRSPRAY did it in 7. AVENUE Q is the latest to do it. It took AIDA 99 weeks to pay off. WICKED will take 16 months to pay off.
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I don't believe those Variety figures, otherwise someone would have to explain why a lower-budgeted show like Millie has not paid off after TWO YEARS. Uh uh. Avenue Q, maybe... MAYBE. It was much lower budgeted and is much cheaper to run, so it's possible.
Jane: Sympathy in spades.
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My Disney tins are all finally here. I guess I'll have to start with the World War II one so I can see VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER, I've always been so curious about it ever since reading about it in Leonard Maltin's THE DISNEY FILMS.
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I don't believe those Variety figures, otherwise someone would have to explain why a lower-budgeted show like Millie has not paid off after TWO YEARS. Uh uh. Avenue Q, maybe... MAYBE. It was much lower budgeted and is much cheaper to run, so it's possible.
BK, I'm sure you know it's not the length of time of the run but what the grosses are during your run. MILLIE was only a sellout for a few weeks, and has had as many losing weeks as winning ones during the past year.
JEKYLL & HYDE ran four years and didn't make its money back. I liken MILLIE to WOMAN OF THE YEAR which ran over 900 performances (like MILLIE) and didn't make its money back either.
The article also said the Bernadette Peters GYPSY will only have earned about 60% of its capitalization back by the time it closes.
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Re: Kids in the Theater...
The third time der Brucer and I saw Ragtime in Los Angeles, we were up in the balcony. We'd bought our tix through a special LA Times bargain, as had a large contingency of teens. During intermission, it was interesting listening to them chat among themselves.
Many of the young women were in love with the character of Mother, and how her personal growth inspired them. The young men, not really having a character to identify with as well, were less thrilled with the show.
So I wonder if this identification, something that can come through musicals or through films (the biggest repeat audience for Titanic was young women, lusting after Leo and being inspired by Kate), has a lot to do with the "groupie" aspect for the younger generation and specific shows. Mother and Millie both say "Yes, I Can!" Phantom and Les Miz are great romances, where the heroines are not just loved but adored totally. These are messages that these young people need.
And, hopefully, when the thrill of the first story that hits that nerve begins to dull, they will find other stories to be just as thrilling.
I wonder how much of the audience, back when Oklahoma! and Carousel were new, were young people, but not recognized as such at the time.
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Hello. Well, I wonder if that many young people really are interested in theatre. I mean there are so many young people, that of course some of them are into everything.
I just found the most beautiful flower baskets by accident. Yeah! I was going to a different flower place and just turned in to the one where I got the baskets. There were palates of baskets still wrapped. So I was the first one to look at them. Double yeah!
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Popping in to say that I'll be popping out for the next couple days. Heading down to Ellensburg for the university's choir concert tomorrow afternoon. My former director is leaving (got a job at Illinois State, I believe) and she's inviting all "her" alumni to sing on the finale, "Make Our Garden Grow." I know some of my good friends are also making the trip over for it, so it should be great fun... plus I just love singing that song! Will be staying down there Monday for a lecture by Thomas Blatt, a survivor of the 1943 mass escape from the Nazi death camp Sobibor. Quite interested to hear him.
I shall return to this wonderful lunacy Monday night!
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I just read the VARIETY review of the Cole Porter biopic DE-LOVELY. Much to my surprise, it wasn't a pan. The reviewer had some problems with some of the modern singers' attempts to handle the Porter catalog, and commented that director Irving Winkler had NO feel or understandning of the gay Hollywood scene of the 1930s (no kidding!). Lots of pretty boy pool posing has to suffice in many instances to what was going on sexually with Porter during those years.
And the reviewer didn't much like Ashley Judd's portrayal of Linda either. (Well, she is only about 20 years younger than Kevin Kline while Linda Porter was actually older than Cole.)
Still, it was a mixed-to-positive review overall. Kline was liked a lot, especially since he chose to cut back his singing voice to approximate Porter's untrained, barely on-pitch warbling.
As for me, I guess I WILL go to see it now, but Kevin Kline's singing was one of the things I was looking forward to. As a two time Tony winner for musicals, he at least understands what show singing is about.
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Re: making back investments: WICKED will make back its money in 16 months if they continue to sell at 100% capacity, with people paying full price on those $100+ tickets. MILLIE sold very well after it opened--it was nearly impossible to get a ticket for many weeks--and then, all of a sudden, it became yesterday's news with HAIRSPRAY opening up the street. The Marquis is a HUGE theatre, and they've not come anywhere near filling it, unfortunately, for many months now--even when Sutton was still in the show. I can see where they won't make their money back on the Broadway production, but they'll make it back in spades on the tour. And trust me, since MTI got the amateur and regional rights to the show, people have been calling like crazy trying to get it.
Re. theatre groupies: I don't really understand it myself. I look at RENT-heads and think, "why!?" But then I look back on myself in the early '90's (I was a late theatre-bloomer) and I remember that I was most definitely a LES MIZ and PHANTOM-head. The idea of teenaged theatre fans is a great one, and while it's baffling to see so many teens rallying up for MILLIE or RENT or even VAMPIRES and TABOO, I think it's important to remember: THANK GOD KIDS ARE GOING TO THE THEATRE! I don't say this to be offensive, but many of them are the theatre queens and "hags" of the future who have just recently discovered musicals (and in many cases, themselves), and many of them jump on the bandwagon of whatever show got them hooked. PHANTOM was the show that got me--I have no shame in admitting that--and I still defend the virtues of that show to this day. And living in the midwest, it was difficult to see these shows that I loved so much, so I went every chance I had. I saw PHANTOM three times in Louisville...twice in Nashville, TN and once in Dallas, TX. Now that I'm in New York, I've seen it twice and I know if I wanted to see it again, it's just a hop-skip-and-a-jump off the E-train. I think sometimes people in "the biz" (mostly, those of us who live in New York), take live theatre for granted in the sense that here there's relatively easy access to it. Maybe not financially easy, but there are ways to see it if you really want to. For these kids out in Oklahoma City or Madison, WI, Broadway seems worlds away, and cast recordings and national tours are their only exposure to these shows. If and when they get the rare opportunity to visit New York, they stock up on their favorite show(s). It's like teens and rock bands, I guess. I don't understand Dead-Heads, but they're out there...and people literally followed the Grateful Dead around the country.
I think it's also important to look at the messages that these shows that people flock to are making. MILLIE is about a young girl coming out of her shell--finding herself. RENT is about a group of misfits in various stages of love, who accept each other and love each other despite their flaws and differences. PHANTOM: A flawed man pining for the love of a beautiful girl that he can never have, but she sort of falls for him anyway--not because of his looks, but because of his soul. LES MIZ: The downtrodden searching for hope and love in a time where there seemed to be none. TABOO: Misfits trying to find their place in the world. All of these shows have messages that teenagers can relate to. Obviously there's SOMETHING to the story of RENT--we don't really question people who see LA BOHEME every year. People have been reading LES MISERABLES and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA since they were first published, and teenagers have been looking for their "place" in the world ever since Cain and Abel. I think that's why they go. But that's just my opinion...
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Irwin Winkler is one of the world's worst directors. He was a fine producer, but a director he's not and never will be. There is no way the film will be good - cannot happen.
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I don't believe those Variety figures, otherwise someone would have to explain why a lower-budgeted show like Millie has not paid off after TWO YEARS. Uh uh. Avenue Q, maybe... MAYBE. It was much lower budgeted and is much cheaper to run, so it's possible.
Why would you say that Millie is "lower-budgeted?" It has a large number of speaking roles, a full-sized chorus, it appeared to have a pretty big orchestra (does DR Elmore know the figure?) and those sets - including a working elevator. (Well, it only works when you tap dance in it.) If that's not a higher-budgeted show, what is?
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Certainly I went back to shows I loved, IF I had the money. But in those days it cost me about five bucks for a primo orchestra seat. I did see Stop the World three times, but I was no groupie - I just loved the show and new it would only be in LA for three weeks. What baffles me today is kids shelling out huge amounts of moolah to see the same show ten or twenty times and behaving like screaming raving maniacs in the theater. I hate that. I love an excited reaction or a thrilling ovation, but not one that's like a rock concert. I've been party to standing Os that were deserverd, where there was much "bravo" being shouted, but somehow it was more respectful of the THEATER. I find this topic fascinating.
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BK: The whooping and hollering bothers me, too. Thankfully, that hasn't happened too much in shows that I've seen here. Maybe it does at RENT, but I've not heard people screaming and hollering in the balconies of BOY FROM OZ or WICKED...not even at HAIRSPRAY.
I think a lot of those issues are simply behavioral, which is a whole other issue. As to paying loads of money to see shows over and over and over...well, I say if they've got the cash, let 'em spend it on theatre. It's better than buying a bag of dope or a twelve-pack of booze, right?
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All right, BK, since Jason and I seem to be seeing pretty eye-to-eye here, as to why certain shows attract the youth audience, let's back up a bit and look at what shows you were seeing when you were "that age." A list of titles might be helpful here.
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In then land of OZ it looks like "The Producers" will actually succeed financially. Nearly everything else has failed in recent years. No-one wanted to know about "The Full Monty", "Sunset B" could not find an audience and nor could revivals of "Showboat" and "Man Of La Mancha". "Rent" didn't make the grade either. "B & The B" lost money too. The big exception in the post "Phantom" and "Les Mis" years was "Mama Mia".
On the other hand, mount an in-concert version of "Grease" or "JC Superstar" and the punters flock in to the "arenas" to see their pop favourites perform. Both shows are sure fire tickets sellers in non-professional theatre too. The other show that does not seem to run out of lives is "The Rocky Horror Show".
The successful shows are the "pop" star vehicles. The young audience does not seem to get the "bug" and visit tradional style musicals. Even gimmick laden musicals like "Witches Of Eastwick" could not find an audience.
Subsidised professional theatre has managed to provide us with some Sondheim shows (Night Music, Assassins, Woods) and at present "Urinetown". They have done well for short seasons but it is the subscription theatre season bookings that assure them of a "run" in the first place.
I guess the next show to make money here will be "Tonight's The Night" if Rod Stewart songs can have the same impact as ABBA. There is no much hope finding any audience for or staging a "Ragtime" here.
The only hope and joy we get is from non-professional theatre.
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Final note: I don't think we have the "Theatre Groupies" here. Who could afford to be?
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Interesting.
Hmmmmmmmmm.....I didn't see a lot of shows even as a teen because there weren't any....
But I was familiar with GYPSY, THE MUSIC MAN, and HOW TO SUCCEED because my dance-gymnastic teacher provided the "kids" for these shows for the "under the stars" productions (that is under the night time stars).... And I knew the records because we bought them through the Columbia Record Club.
I did always go back to see the musicals on the screen as often as I could while they were in town....and I wanted to be part of the world, but it was a bit muddled in my mind whether I liked theatre or film better.
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Maybe parents don't take their children to live theatre these days so it is not a "learning experience". Children's theatre - I guess it is the English tradition - of pantomime was an anticipated event each Chistmas of my childhood. Of course it was a childhood without Television and the entertainment alternatives of today! Young audiences take their pop concert behaviour into the theatre.
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I was a Laurence Olivier groupie. The National Theater of Great Britain came to TO with a number of productions -- horrendously expensive - and I went to see them all. To see Larry! Used up all the money I'd saved. But it was worth it.
And I loved ballet. Went to the National Ballet as often as possible. When I grew up and was a writer I became friendly with a a few of the dancers (Veronica Tennant for one) and it was a huge thrill for me to actually have some of these heroes of mine in my home.
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The shows of my childhood were "Kismet", "The Pajama Game", "My Fair Lady" "Oliver" and "The Sound Of Music". Family outings and they were affordable.
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Great story, Panni! And yes, if I had to choose between having a bit of extra money and seeing a show....well there is NO choice!
And DRJAY - I love the idea of "The Beeze and I" nearly as much as I like the idea of "The King and U." ;D
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And I saw lots and lots of musicals, of course. My favorite (on stage) was Camelot. It was SO tragic and romantic. Saw all the big musical films, natch. Those were expensive, too. But worth every penny.
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Dear S. Woody White:
While I could provide you with a list of titles, you do have a lovely novel entitled Kritzer Time, which you have been avoiding like the plague for what, close to three months? Why don't you try reading the book - all you answers lie within.
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S. Woody has left the room. Perhaps to read a book? Doubtful.
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And not to beat a dead horse but where in tarnation IS everyone?
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That's a great story, Panni. If you're ever in New York in the early summer, let me know...I can probably get tickets to the American Ballet Theatre for you.
I blame my parents for starting me in the theatre, though they'd rather die than admit it's their fault. When I was six, we were living in England, and they took me to see a stage production of BUGSY MALONE for my birthday. (A 14-year old Catherine Zeta-Jones starred as Talulah.) After that, we saw Topol in FIDDLER and Richard Harris in CAMELOT. I slept through those two, but I vividly remember Tevye's nightmare and thought to be terrifying and thrilling all at the same time.
It was nearly ten years later that I discovered PHANTOM and once I heard that overture, I was hooked for life. I found out from my piano teacher that there was such a thing as the Broadway Series in Louisville (a subscription series that brought in 6-8 national tours every year) and I begged my parents for a subscription for my birthday. Jenny, my piano teacher, was going to subscribe, too, so we could go together. The first season included a bang-up season: GUYS AND DOLLS with Lorna Luft, EVITA, ASPECTS OF LOVE, BREAKING LEGS starring Gary Sandy and Karen Valentine, THE SECRET GARDEN, THE WORLD GOES ROUND and LES MISERABLES (LES MIZ was a season extra...I had to pay more for that one). The next year, PHANTOM was on the schedule, and the night that I was supposed to see it, a big snow storm blew into town. It hardly ever snows in Louisville, and I cried like a baby when I thought I might not get to see it. I had to change my tickets to another night (they upgraded me) and after three years of imagining what the show really looked like, I got to see THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA from very center seat of the 12th row of the orchestra in Louisville's 2,500-seat theatre. When that chandelier flew over my head, I felt like I was the only person in that building and when it was over, I was moved to tears. Eight years later, I got to perform CARMEN on that very stage.
I didn't speak to my dad when he came to pick me up from the theatre--I couldn't find the words to describe it--and he didn't make me try. He just let me be. That was probably the most magical theatrical experience I've ever had. Now my friend, Julie, is the standby for Christine in the Broadway production of the show. When she was on the road (I saw her in Dallas), she gave us a backstage tour and I could barely focus because I was so excited and overwhelmed. To have been able to touch the chandelier...to stand onstage with the HANNIBAL elephant--I thought I'd die and gone to musical theatre Heaven.
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Now, you bookworm players - I want to know the secret when those stupid burning tiles start showing up, one after another, with no way of keeping up with them. Is there a secret?
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BK: The more you click on the worm to scramble the letters, the more burning tiles you get. You won't get higher scores this way, but I usually try to get rid of the burning ones as soon as they pop up by forming a three- or four-letter word with them while they're still up on top. Once they're gone, you can leisurely go back to making those high-point words.
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Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal - A FACE IN THE CROWD - Elia Kazan.
In the realm of remarkable performances in remarkable films....Neal has rarely been matched in this role, IMHO. Everyone here is doing great work.....
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Me too, DRJASON, as soon as one shows up I try to get rid of it. And three letter words make even MORE red tiles show up. Try for at least four letter words.
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Why would you say that Millie is "lower-budgeted?" It has a large number of speaking roles, a full-sized chorus, it appeared to have a pretty big orchestra (does DR Elmore know the figure?) and those sets - including a working elevator. (Well, it only works when you tap dance in it.) If that's not a higher-budgeted show, what is?
DR Noel, I haven't thought about the MILLY orchestra since I saw the show, but my memory of counting the original players listed in the Playbill of 2001 tells me it was around 22 players. There was a full compliment of brass and reeds; it's always the strings that get cut back and a synth fills out the string sound. I feel this inhibits string writing but producers would rather pay for a string quartet and synth than 10 or so string players.
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Just checked the Playbill...MILLIE, when it first opened, had 22 players, one conductor and two associate conductors. Four violins, one or two cellos.
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BK - Book Fair this weekend at the Pasadena Center.
Be there or be round.
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Oh I really want to see De-lovely. Does anyone know when it will be in wide release?
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That's a great story, Panni. If you're ever in New York in the early summer, let me know...I can probably get tickets to the American Ballet Theatre for you.
A reason to go to NY in the early summer. :) I was lucky to have a father who loved the ballet. The last time we went to the ballet together was at the Greek Theater, a very long time ago.
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For BK and DR Panni: Don't forget your Dick Van Dyke and Carol Burnett specials are on tonight.
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Thank you, Dear Reader Jason for a great testimony of your love for musical theater; moving and thrilling!
.... and I'm still one of those people who haven't seen Les Miz or Phantom! :(
News from the Cannes Film Festival:
Palme d'Or to "Fahrenheit 9/11" by Michael Moore
The Palme d'Or of this 57th edition of the Festival de Cannes was presented by Charlize Theron to Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.
"I can't begin to express my appreciation and my gratitude to the jury, the Festival, to Gilles Jacob, Thierry Frémaux, Bob and Harvey at Miramax, to all of the crew who worked on the film. [...] I have a sneaking suspicion that what you have done here and the response from everyone at the festival, you will assure that the American people will see this film. I can't thank you enough for that. You've put a huge light on this and many people want the truth and many want to put it in the closet, just walk away. There was a great Republican president who once said, if you just give the people the truth, the republicans, the Americans will be saved. [...] I dedicate this Palme d'Or to my daughter, to the children of Americans and to Iraq and to all those in the world who suffer from our actions. "
Ham chunks, cheese slices and diet cokes are on ME tonight! 8)
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Grand Prix to "Old Boy" by Park Chan-Wook
The Grand Prix was presented by Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd to Old Boy by Park Chan-Wook.
"I would like to thank all the members of the Jury and the Cannes Festival," said the South Korean director. "I met Roman Polanski at a party and we had our photograph taken together. That was already such an honour that I really didn't expect to win a prize [...] The fact that this great director said 'good luck' to me was such an honour. I dedicate this prize to the whole crew."
When asked by a journalist at the post-press conference about the mixed canvas his film conveys : “With the advent of the DVD and other digital supports, the possibility to watch a film more than once exists. And I made this film with the intention that people would watch it again and discover new elements each time.”
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Best Actress Award to Maggie Cheung for her role in "Clean"
The Best Actress Award went to Maggie Cheung for her role in Clean directed by Olivier Assayas.
“It's really an incredible time in my life,” Maggie Cheung said. “I would like to thank the Cannes Festival for having invited us this evening. I want to thank the jury for having given us this prize. Clean wasn't easy to get made and I also want to thank the three producers [...] And thank you too Olivier.”
When asked at the press conference whether this was her best performance: “It was difficult to play but not the most difficult technically speaking. It was difficult because it was painful. [...] Other directors might let me play such a role, a junkie, but only Olivier gives me the trust necessary to play it as I feel. ”
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Best Actor Award to Yuuya Yagira for his role in "Nobody Knows"
The Best Actor Award went to the 14-year old Yuuya Yagira for his role in Nobody Knows directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.
With Yagira Yuuya back in Japan, it was director Hirokazu Kore-eda who collected the award on his behalf. At the post-awards press conference, the director gave his impressions. “This prize is deserved, because we worked for a year with the children, and I think that you can see their progress in the film during that year [...] I chose Yagira at an audition. What made me choose him was his eyes. [...] Yagira is at middle school and he had to return to Japan to take his exams. I just telephoned him to tell him the good news, and he was very happy. He thinks he failed his exam, but he hopes that with this prize, his teacher might be more understanding.”
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Best Director Award goes to Tony Gatlif for "Exils"
The Best Director Award goes to Tony Gatlif for Exils.
"Thank you Gilles Jacob; thank you Thierry Frémaux, merci Senor Presidente – gracias, merci to all the members of the jury" said the director in his acceptance speech. "A film isn't made alone; there's a team, who I forced to become nomadic for three months, on the roads of France, Spain, on the sea, in Morocco and Algeria. I owe this film to the crew [...] We didn't have much money. This film was produced at great risk thanks to all these people who worked so hard and who believed in it [...] Cinema is made with money, long live auteur cinema."
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Best Screenplay Award goes to "Comme une Image" by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri
Best Screenplay Award goes to "Comme une Image" by French duo Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri.
Agnès Jaoui, who also directed the film, thanked her crew, her producers, and her singing teacher. "Me too," Jean-Pierre Bacri added laconically.
"It's a prize that suits us perfectly," Agnès Jaoui declared at the press conference, "because for us the screenplay is what's most important in a film. [...] On the set, nothing was improvised."
Co-screenwriter Jean-Pierre Bacri also said that personally he was "delighted" with the Palme d'Or awarded to Fahrenheit 9/11.
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The Jury Prize to Irma P. Hall and "Tropical Malady"
The Jury Prize goes to actress Irma P. Hall for her role in The Ladykillers by the Coen brothers and to Tropical Malady from the Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. He thanked the jury with all his heart. "It's a great honour for me to be here because it's the first Thai film to be shown in [competition at] the Cannes Festival. And we have a prize, which represents a great privilege. I'd like to thank the jury and the Festival for having invited me. I would like to dedicate this prize to my family, my mother and my father who passed away before we finished filming."
Irma P. Hall was unable to collect her prize for her performance in The Ladykillers. The actress was in hospital in the USA. The award was collected on her behalf by Jean-François Camilléri, President of Gaumont Buena Vista International, who thanked "in the name of Irma P. Hall, the Coen brothers and the producers, Quentin Tarantino and his jury, but also Gilles Jacob, Thierry Frémaux and Véronique Cayla for having allowed the Coen brothers to continue their love story with the Cannes Festival."
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The Camera d'Or goes to "Or" by Keren Yedaya
Jury President Tim Roth bestowed the Camera d'Or to the first feature film, Or, by Israeli director Keren Yedaya.
"I would like to say a big thank you because it's not easy to choose a film like mine," declared the Israeli director. "This week has been like living a dream: my film has received a lot of love and also animosity. This proves to me that people want things to change. Thank you all [...] I want to dedicate this film, from the bottom of my heart, to all the people who are not free, to all those living in slavery. I hope that with this prize we can construct a home for all women who want to get out of prostitution. It's very difficult for me to say that because I come from Israel and we are responsible for the slavery of 3 million Palestinians. I love Israel; I love my country. But, please, there are many people in Israel who are fighting this occupation, help them, help the Palestinians."
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Camera d'Or Special Mention to "Lu Cheung (Passages)" by Yang Chao and "Bitter Dream" by Mohsen Amiryoussefi
Camera d'Or Special Mention went to two films: Lu Cheung (Passages) by Chinese director Chao Yang and Bitter Dream" by Iranian director Mohsen Amiryoussefi.
Short Film Palme d'Or to "Trafic" by Catalin Mitulescu
French actress Jeanne Balibar gave the Short Film Palme d'Or to Trafic by Rumanian director Catalin Mitulescu.
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he Short Film Jury Prize to "Flatlife" by Jonas Geirnaert
The Short Film Jury Prize goes to Flatlife by Belgian director Jonas Geirnaert.
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Flashback to Saturday, May 22
Jury President Quentin Tarantino brought the 57th Cannes Festival to a close by awarding the Palme d'Or to US director Michael Moore, who received the top prize for Fahrenheit 9/11, his anti-George W. Bush documentary. The South Korean director Park Chan-wook took away the Grand Prix for his film, Old Boy. Among the other award winners were Maggie Cheung, awarded Best Actress for her performance in Clean, and 14-year-old Yagira Yuya, winner of Best Actor for his role in Nobody Knows.
After the announcement of the winners, a party was held to celebrate the 80 years of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, the studio that produced the Festival's closing film, De-Lovely. Director and producer Irwin Winkler, actors Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd, as well as singers Lara Fabian, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette, all made the trip to Cannes to present this musical based on the life of composer Cole Porter.
The day at Cannes was also marked by the prize-giving ceremony for Un Certain Regard – top prize to Ousmane Sembène's Moolaadé – and the official screening of The General, accompanied by the orchestral music of Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.
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Wow, Dear Reader Tomovoz.... I guess i scared EVERYONE away with this "palmares"!
Sorry!
You'd think it's Saturday night!!!... to quote a phrase!
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How can it be Saturday Night. It is 10.20am Sunday and I am not in "Flatbush".
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Well, I guess we should sing "You & Me!" from Victor,Victoria; Dear Reader Tom.....Dear Reader Elmore is here to do the orchestrations!!
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Hi folks,
Just got everything done. Dogs fed, walked, watered and am getting ready to go to bed.
Just wanted to pop in one last time and give you a quick review of Le Miz.
I wish I had time to do a full blow by blow review but my overall feeling was that this was the karaoke version.
Some bright spots (including a way handsome guy who played one of the students--couldn't take my eyes off of him.)
Valjean--- C
Fantine--- C-
Javert---- B
Older Cosette---- A+
Eponine--- A+
Marius (No Michael Ball but..)--- A
Handsome Student/dead guy M. Thenardier was draging in the sewer scene--- A++++++
The Thenardiers--- B+
When I get back someone is going to have to tell me about this game you all are talking about. Bookworm? Where do you buy it? Don't tell me now, I'll never remember but remind me when I get home and can really talk about it. Maybe I'll see it in NYC and can get it there.
Have a good everning all! :) :)
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Best Actor Award to Yuuya Yagira for his role in "Nobody Knows"
The Best Actor Award went to the 14-year old Yuuya Yagira for his role in Nobody Knows directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Yagira is at middle school and he had to return to Japan to take his exams. I just telephoned him to tell him the good news, and he was very happy. He thinks he failed his exam, but he hopes that with this prize, his teacher might be more understanding.”
Cute story.
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That's all well and good as far as it goes RE: Cannes - but let's get to the facts, DRFRANCOIS - who lost her bikini top on the beach? That's what we want to see at Cannes.
AND PLEASE PLEASE don't tell me it was Michael Moore - although he is fast becoming the Jayne Mansfield Publicity Champion of 2004!
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Jason - Thank you for the invitation (and the lovely story).
Jennifer - Thanks for the reminder about Dick van D.. I totally forgot. I'll be out, but will set a tape.
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Panni, tape is the best way to watch the show. That way you can skip over the really bad parts.
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"Starlettes" can't lose their bikini tops, Dear Reader Jrand53, because they DON'T wear any!!!... I don't even know if most wear ANYTHING at all, these days!
Oh, NO, not MM! -- Mickey Mouse? -- but my feeling is that...... he slept!!
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Dear Reader Jane,
How does one skip "bad parts" when one has NEVER seen a show before?
(Oh, those French people always come up with annoying questions!! -- among other things!!)
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And yes, Dear Reader Panni, I did see Trembling Before G-d, and was quite moved by it. In fact, I am proud to say that my synagogue provided some financial support to the filmmaker and is acknowledged in the credits.
DRJAY, I will be watching Trembling Before G-d on our local ABC tv tonight...looking foward to seeing how the topic is protrayed.
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Didn't notice it listed Beekay. Thanks. I wonder if I too shall tremble.
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That's way past my bedtime! 10.15
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I don't know why I made the assumption that Millie was lower-budgeted. Perhaps it was the tacky set.
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New Juliana will be up in ten minutes.
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Why can't the title say "God"????
I know it's a stupid question, but I say it anyway!! :D
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That's way past my bedtime! 10.15
Delay your bedtime, Tom! That kind of thinking is for 60-year-olds. You're not there quite yet. It's really worth seeing. I won't say it's MOVING because I shall be chastised by certain parties who think I am too often moved by films - but it will certainly make you think. When I saw it in Boulder the filmmaker was present and there was a really intense discussion after the screening.
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Why can't the title say "God"????
Because in Judaism, you're not supposed to write out the whole word. The only time it is actually written out or spoken is in prayer. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
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I assume it is because some people will not speak the name of God.
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To continue... When reference is made to God in the course of a conversation, even when quoting biblical passages or in sermons, the word "HaShem," meaning The Name is used instead. All this, of course, is so that the name is not used in vain, something familiar as well to Christianity.
Aren't you glad you asked, Francois?
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The video will be set Panni. I shall then discuss it with my fellow Oz Kimlet later in the week. Good to see him posting. Brave man is off to see "Troy" today.
I am very much a morning person - Late night last night so only about 4 hours sleep.
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I knew next to nothing about Judaism (having been brought up in a very assimilated household) until my now ex-husband decided he wanted to convert and leave his Methodist past behind. I had to attend conversion classes with him. Actually, everyone thought I was the one converting because I don't look Jewish and he did. Anyway, I learned quite a bit. And now I can put it to some use in educating DR Francois.
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I believe you are correct Panni. At one time I knew the reason behind that, possibly something to do with respect.
François I use to speed read, now I speed watch bad movies. Of course you miss much more when you speed watch, but then that is the point. :)
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New entry is now up.
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The mouse keeps sticking and by the time I could get to the post button, several more posts had been made.
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DRJAY, I will be watching Trembling Before G-d on our local ABC tv tonight...looking foward to seeing how the topic is protrayed.
I check, long-shot I know, and we can't get it. :(
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PAGE FIVE!
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Panni, you're partially correct. Actually in prayer one will usually see "Adonai" (My lord) in place of G-d. Some here with good memories will recall the priceless comment Gabe made when he was quite young and had picked up (where? where do children learn these things? certainly not from their parents! ::) ) using "G-d" conversationally and I told him we shouldn't be calling "G-d" when it wasn't really important, and that's why we said "Adonai" in prayer. At which point Gabe, who at that point was quite enamored of a certain large green Japanese lizard/dinosaur, said, "I guess we should say Adonai-zilla, then, too, shouldn't we, Dad?" Out of the mouths....
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Thanks for the answer Dear Reader Panni....
I knew it had something to do with that but then people of that obedience but from another "culture", how do they write His Name???
Di-u, De-....
That sounds too PC to me!!
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The mouse keeps sticking and by the time I could get to the post button, several more posts had been made.
All that sounds so KINKY to me!!! ;)
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Cute story JMK.
DR Jane. Very much a long shot! ABC TV here is "Australian Broadcasting Commission" - the equivalent of the BBC in Britain. Beekay lives near (4 or 5 hours away) me.
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Juliana's entry is very sweet. And where are the pictures we were promised, huh?
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And to delve even further into this (this is actually one of my little specialties, combining my loves of history, language and religion), the "real" name of G-d is unpronounceable (unless you're a Levi and know the secret handshake): YHVH, which if you transliterate into English, comes frighteningly close to my first name (a longstanding joke in my family for my prediliction to be in charge). This unpronounceable word also transmogrifies into various romance languages, including jefe (don't know how to make accents, sorry) in Spanish and, of course, chief.
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Well it's not, it is frustrating. That combined with the fact I had a tick crawling around my belly tonight. Last night I had one as well. I hope Keith is enjoying all the body checks I keep making him do on me.
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Tomovoz I said it was a long shot ;D
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Pictures are on sis's camera - she'll be getting them shortly and then I'll post them.
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I'm also looking forward to them.
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You mean "jéfé", Dear reader JMK?
"Chef" in French, close to "chief", which come from Latin Caput, capitis -- head -- (capital, chapeau....) if i'm correct!....
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Dear S. Woody White:
While I could provide you with a list of titles, you do have a lovely novel entitled Kritzer Time, which you have been avoiding like the plague for what, close to three months? Why don't you try reading the book - all you answers lie within.
I was asking for a list in regards to our conversation here today, about what shows were available to be seen when you were in your teens, so that we could compare those shows with those that the current teen crop seems to be flocking to. I'm trying to find out if the type of story might have had some influence on the audience. If you really want me to contribute to the current conversation in a timely manner, than you're just going to have to submit the list; I don't have time to read "fiction" right now, as I'm spending most of my time studying for my new job. (Turns out, the company that owns the company I'll be working for also owns Proctor Silex and Hamilton Beach. Which I will be selling. That's a lot of product info to learn.)
Besides, it's der Brucer's copy of the book. You should be complaining about how HE hasn't read it yet, not ME! And, as far as I know, he hasn't read the other two books yet, either.
:-*
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Well it's not, it is frustrating. That combined with the fact I had a tick crawling around my belly tonight. Last night I had one as well. I hope Keith is enjoying all the body checks I keep making him do on me.
AND.... you don't call that kinky???? ??? :o
;D
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S. Woody has left the room. Perhaps to read a book? Doubtful.
No, reading product manuals and corporate reports.
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New Juliana will be up in ten minutes.
I certainly hope so...doesn't she have a show to perform in? ;D
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AND.... you don't call that kinky???? ??? :o
;D
I can't believe I said that :-[ ;D Must have been the 10 sips of wine I had with dinner.
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Of course!!!
Next thing we'll know is that you blame it on the French wine!!
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I thought we HAD this conversation already, S. Woody, about it being der Brucer's copy. In fact, I know we did. My question remains simple - why even buy the book if you don't care to read it? I really do find it irksome, which probably delights you, so go ahead and be delighted. My memory is that you enjoyed the first two, so I just guess I'm at a loss. I understand your prepping for your job, but that is new and I do believe you've had the book for quite some time. Ultimately, it matters not whether you read it or you don't read it - I just find it extremely peculiar that you pay money for something and then it just sits there like so much fish. I'll tell you what -you can even return it and I'll refund your money - that way, neither you nor I ever have to think about it again. How's that?
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What happened to the... old Juliana???? ;)
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I enjoyed I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE (had not seen it before but knew it to be good), but did Howard Hawks keep making the same comedy movie scenario over and over again during his long career? It was BRINGING UP BABY with even the same leading man, and I also couldn't help remembering the know-it-all character played by Paula Prentiss in MAN'S FAVORITE SPORT which is ALSO the same basic movie: pushy woman maneuvers a socially inept man into love and/or matrimony. Cute, delightful, but each reminiscent of something better which preceded it.
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SInce Fox isn't breaking its neck to release any Betty Grable or Alice Faye films on DVD, I have to be thankful for the Fox Movie Channel which shows them in good enough quality prints to dupe DVDs worth keeping. Got HELLO, FRISCO, HELLO last night.
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I was just telling a 43-year old friend how happy I was about getting a beautiful copy of HELLO, FRISCO HELLO dubbed to a DVD, and she said, "Who's Alice Faye?"
I guess I take far too much for granted.
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I've always been fond of Alice Faye, dear Reader MattH.
And I think she was a better singer than what most people might remember....
So many "hits", should I say standards?, she introduced!
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I was just telling a 43-year old friend how happy I was about getting a beautiful copy of HELLO, FRISCO HELLO dubbed to a DVD, and she said, "Who's Alice Faye?"
I guess I take far too much for granted.
Did you tell your friend: "You'll Never Know"???
Obviously, she knows what a DVD is!! ;)
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François French wine is so good. I'm sure much better than what I had tonight.
Matt H-I'm shocked. Our son, at the age of 11, named his gerbil Frisco in honor of the song. I believe we had just watched the movie. He named the second gerbil Ditto.
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SWW I don't believe you mentioned the name of the store you will be working at. Does it just have the one theme?
I'm so happy my mouse is working again. :)
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Boy, I'm glad he did not choose Alice and Faye!!!
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Alice had such a mellow croon. She was the female Perry Como.
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I'm so happy my mouse is working again. :)
Of course! You were using one of the gerbils before!! The wine, you know, the wine!! :D
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I just read that President Bush sustained minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises by falling off of his bicycle on his ranch today.
Another reporter quoted opponent Kerry as saying that the President must have taken off the training wheels.
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Alice had such a mellow croon. She was the female Perry Como.
Perry who??????
Como was the one who introduced Caterina Valente to American audiences on his show!
She's also very famous for FRENEZY, VOLARE and PIGALLE!
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Maybe he fell off the bike when he heard Michael Moore had won the top prize at Cannes for his anti-Bush film.
Just thinking aloud here. :D
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I just read that President Bush sustained minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises by falling off of his bicycle on his ranch today.
Another reporter quoted opponent Kerry as saying that the President must have taken off the training wheels.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Must have been when he was told that MM's film won the Palme d'Or in Cannes! No doubt!! ;D
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Goodnight, off to watch ?
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My!!!
Great Kimlet minds think alike!!!
Wow!
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Good night Jane!
Good night, Keith!
Good night, Frisco!
Good night, Ditto!
Good night, Echo!
Say good night, Gracie!
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Speaking of Mr. Perry Como - I love him. What a crooner. I can listen to him for hours and hours. I'm watching a spiffy war movie entitled Morituri with Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner.
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Welcome seven GUESTS. We are havin' a partay.
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My error - welcome ten GUESTS.
Pogue: I totally forgot about the book fair - I would have shown up today. Tomorrow I won't be able to as I'm seeing Urinetown at one.
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I like Como and I'm crazy about Vic Damone!
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SWW I don't believe you mentioned the name of the store you will be working at. Does it just have the one theme?
I'm so happy my mouse is working again. :)
I'll be at Kitchen Collection. It's a national chain that sells smaller kitchen tools and appliances, mostly located at outlet malls. Rehoboth, having three malls, has two KC branches; I'll be at the "smaller" one.
Currently, the store's objective is to improve customer service. On the national level (and this is where the homework pays off, or I wouldn't have known this) there are worries that the gas price increase will cut into sales. If people aren't willing to drive to the store destinations, they can't buy what we have to offer. This puts even more pressure on knowing the product, so that the customer can have confidence in what they're buying. We're likely to have only one chance to work with the customer and help them make a purchase they're satisfied with.
I've already discussed with my new boss ways to increase sales with local customers. It turns out that while Rehoboth is known for it's restaurants, the closest restaurant equipment store is an hour drive away. If we can get the chefs to think of us first when they need "stuff", it'll be better for both them and for us.
And so on, and the rest is just business.
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I thought we HAD this conversation already, S. Woody, about it being der Brucer's copy. In fact, I know we did. My question remains simple - why even buy the book if you don't care to read it? I really do find it irksome, which probably delights you, so go ahead and be delighted. My memory is that you enjoyed the first two, so I just guess I'm at a loss. I understand your prepping for your job, but that is new and I do believe you've had the book for quite some time. Ultimately, it matters not whether you read it or you don't read it - I just find it extremely peculiar that you pay money for something and then it just sits there like so much fish. I'll tell you what -you can even return it and I'll refund your money - that way, neither you nor I ever have to think about it again. How's that?
With the first two books, I had a lot more time for reading. Four hours on public transportation to and from work can make for a LOT of time.
No, we're not going to return the book. That would also entail returning the CD, and I happen to like Guy Haines' voice too much to do that. I like the news songs, too.
Now, back to the question: Which shows did you see when you were a teenager? No, really! I'm sure there are a lot of lurkers out there who haven't read Kritzertime, either, so a list from you would be a good idea, regardless of my reading habits. If we have such a list to work from, maybe we can figure out what those shows don't have in common with the current "obsession" shows.
For example, you've already mentioned Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. In a lot of ways, this show is almost anti-romantic. Littlechap gets trapped in marriage, cheats on his wife (several times), is generally not a likable character, and dies. Nope, this is not something young women are going to identify with. Nor are young men. Aside from the hit songs, it doesn't have that "obsession" quality that could make teenagers say "Oh, that was so wonderful!" and squeal with delight.
So, what other examples can you give us?
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They're filming scenes for a movie down the street. I read the parking notices...apparently it's the new Sidney Pollack movie "The Enterpreter" starring Ms. Nicole Kidman and Mr. Sean Penn. Isn't that exciting? Isn't it too too?
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That's the only show I saw multiple times. Other favorites of the era - Unsinkable Molly Brown, a couple of Billy Barnes revues, A Family Affair, A Thurber Carnival, The Tenth Man, Under the Yum Yum Tree (I actually saw that show about six times), Virginia Woolf, Oh, Dad, Poor Dad, etc.
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Chill, BK, the book fair is next weekend in Pasadena...unless there was one this week somewhere I don't know about.
We listened to BOUNCE tonight. The lovely wife Julieanne's reaction was almost dead-on to yours, BK. After she'd made her comments, I gave her your critique from the site. She now loves you all the more.
Me, I just wish there was like one song you could hear on the radio out of context from the show.
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Whew, I thought I'd missed it. Nothing will keep me from going next week.
I just had me some wonderful C.C. Brown's hot fudge. Yummilicious.
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BK, I forgot to mention that The Lovely Wife agreed with on BOUNCE (she kept calling out various deriative sections as "Merrily!", "Assassins!", "Little Night Music!") and she's pretty close to being a bit of a Sondhead. She'd arm-wrestle you over the merits of PASSION, one that has always left me curiously passionless. I don't have close to the ear either of you have, but, like you, Sweeney is the epitome.
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That's the only show I saw multiple times. Other favorites of the era - Unsinkable Molly Brown, a couple of Billy Barnes revues, A Family Affair, A Thurber Carnival, The Tenth Man, Under the Yum Yum Tree (I actually saw that show about six times), Virginia Woolf, Oh, Dad, Poor Dad, etc.
Interesting, because the film of Unsinkable Molly Brown was borderline obsession material for young women my sister's age. Had all the elements: strong heroine to empathize with, who wins the heart of her highly swoonworthy man, then has to win him all over again.
Maybe young people were just better behaved back then. Or maybe theater wasn't cool. Or movie theaters had better air conditioning.
I'm not familiar enough with Yum Yum Tree to comment. The others don't strike me as shows most young people would want to see, as far as identification purposes go. Let's face it, you probably were the youngest person in the audience most times. :-\
The only film I went to see multiple times (stage being out of the question) was Richard Lester's Three Musketeers. It was basically a guy version of a chick flick. The plot? Young man falls in with a group of slightly older fellows, who take him in as a buddy. He also wins the heart of a lovely woman, and gets to perform feats of daring-do in the process. Yep, definately a guy version of a chick flick, but we don't have a word for that yet. And yep, I identified with the young hero.
I also just nutshelled the plot for the originalStar Wars. No wonder that film became such a hit.
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We listened to BOUNCE tonight. ...Me, I just wish there was like one song you could hear on the radio out of context from the show.
Der Brucer and I saw Bounce in DC. Our reaction was pretty much the same. But I'll probably get the CD anyway. (Red cover, to match the programme, t-shirt, and coffee mug.)
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As I said in an earlier post, I WAS the only young person in the audience at any of the shows I saw.
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SWW I don't believe you mentioned the name of the store you will be working at. Does it just have the one theme?
I'm so happy my mouse is working again. :)
Jane -- Why did you call SWW your mouse?
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Great, now I'm going to have nightmares about this Adonai-zilla.
I distinctly remember bicycling to the Shubert theatre in Century City to see Grease, alone. In fact, the lady in the seat next to me commented on how unusual it was to see a 13-year-old (or however old I was) attending a show alone. But, it would never occur to me to see a show more than once. Not as a teen, and not now. Sometimes, I'll see something and think of someone who, I think, would really like the show, so I'll take them and see it again. Metamorphoses was so romantic, for instance, I had to go back with Joy when she got back from her national tour.
A lot of people at my high school were plenty obsessed with theatre. One year (freshman, I think) I read virtually every play in the school's library.
We threw a party tonight, and now, 8 hours after the first guest arrived, there are still guests here. And they're having "girl talk" which means they've closed the door on me.
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Well, have all the 'girls' come and post when they're through.
New notes up in ten minutes.
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And welcome to our two newest registered users, nychick and doraemma. Methinks they're here for the journal. Still, welcome to our world.
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Good morning!
-Well, it's technically morning here on the East Coast, so...
Since it was Saturday, it was a two show day. Good shows. And we had a cookout between shows - good hotdogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob(!). Oh, and someone brought in those new Tostitos with a "hint of jalapeno". Very good! Or should I say, "muy bien"! ;)
The highlight of the cookout was a MASSIVE silly string battle. One of the stage hands brought two CASES of the stuff - about 40 bottles. There were some pretty good scrimmages, and the young girl in the show kept asking to get "stringed", so by the time all was said and done, she looked like a bad piece of 70's art - in neon!! -And it took her forever to brush all the stuff out her hair for the evening show!
And then I ended doing an impromptu coaching with one of the actors who has a few auditions coming up in the city on his day off next week. It was great playing some other music for a little while. And it was a nice variety of stuff too. Oh... If I may ask you DRs....
-If you had to pick two or three adjectives - or a key phrase - to describe/capsulize the character of Vidal in Sweet Charity, what would they be? I had my ideas, but I think I missed something.... -The last time I did the show, the director did some MAJOR cutting in that whole sequence, so my memory has been edited accordingly too. ;)
As for the topic of shows that got me hooked... Well, my parents always had music in the house. And I was always playing records from their collection in our console. They had lots of boxed sets from Reader's Digets, Time-Life, etc. Thinking back to some of the titles they owned, I wish I still had some of them in vinyl form for sentimental reasons. So, when it came time for school plays and shows, I had no issues with wanting to be in them, to be a part of them. And I still remember being dressed in a homemade sheep costume when I was in sixth grade for a "really cool" Christmas musical/cantata...."Messiah is coming, and it's gonna be a bri-ighter day..." :-)
The one show I know I got truly hooked on was Sweeny Todd. I saw a wonderful dinner theatre production my freshman year in high school - hmm, I might have been a sophomore. Well... I remember going to the Sam Goody's in Seven Corners Mall and going into "sticker shock" when I realized it was a two-record set - that was a LOT of money back then!!!! So, after much begging and begging and begging, my mom gave me enough money to buy it. I opened the record right there in the mall, and began showing my mom the photos inside... and reading key parts of the show from the booklet. "See.. this happens.. and then this happens...".... -Oh, and to see the word "shit" in print was also quite the guilty pleasure for this Catholic school boy. -OH!!! And then hearing - and trying to visualize - the Judge's Johanna.. WHOA!!! I listened to those records many, many times over. -And then since I didn't want a second generation cassette dub, I saved up enough money to buy the cassette version - great packaging/box. -And when the CDs became available, I remember giving the cassettes to someone else so they could enjoy the show.
I was in shows throughout high school, and our drama teacher would have plenty of field trips throughout the year to see various shows. And then came Sunday in the Park with George. I only knew it from the OCR. -I just started buying anything by this guy named Sondheim. ;) I read all the reviews and articles... And when it came time for our senior trip to New York... We voted to see Brighton Beach Memoirs as our play... And then the The Tap Dance Kid as our musical... Sunday was on the ballot, and did receive a few votes, but most of my classmates wanted to see something flashy, so... Ah, well...
"First prize: One week in Philadelphia!"
"Second prize: Two weeks in Philadelphia!"
"Yuck-Yuck-Yuck!"
-But at least I got to see Hinton Battle... Alfonso Ribiero had literally left the show that day!!! But the new "kid" was very good. And since it was in the Minskoff... the show was HUGE!!! -And had that "sky cab"(?) going across the stage. And I still remember that one number being held in the dance class, where the dancers were dancing "fast", but the singer was singing "slow" - inner monolgue thingy. -Oh, and the shadow dancing sequence too.
-Oh, and then there was Matthew Broderick in Biloxi Blues - SRO at a Wednesday matinee... ;) I'm glad I was able to work that into the schedule.
Where was I???
Well...
Hmmm...
It's late... And I don't really think I bring this to a neat close.. so...
Hmm...
Goodnight.