Haines His Way
Archives => Archive 3 => Topic started by: bk on June 05, 2005, 11:57:57 PM
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Well, you've read the notes, the notes have spoken volumes, and now it is time for you to post until the cows come home, which will be directly after their speaking engagement, where they will be speaking volumes.
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And the word of the day is: HEMOGLOBIN!
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For me that's haemoglobin.
I had my first ever blood transfusion three weeks ago and my favourite Cast recording is not Dracula.
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We had our third best posting day ever yesterday.
And now - Dino at the piano.
HEMOGLOBIN, baby, HEMOGLOBIN!
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Sticking to cast recordings that I like and I saw the production:
"Kiss Of The Spider Woman". (Vanessa Williams)
"Gone With The Wind" (London Cast)
"Gypsy" (Angela Lansbury) (I saw the London version)
"Sweeney Todd" (London Cast).
"Cowardy Custard" (London Cast)
"Passion" (Original Cast).
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Good Morning!
Ah, cast recordings....
The ones in my collection that seem to get regular play are:
Pippin
Baby
Big
Little Shop of Horrors (OCR)
Dreamgirls
Sunday in the Park with George
Company (OCR)
A Chorus Line
There was a time when I would put on the 3-disc complete symphonic recording of Les Miserables at least once, if not twice a week. I probably would have done the same with the complete symphonic recording of Miss Saigon, but the Chris on that recording doesn't sit too well on my ears.
And I used to give Evita a regular spin.
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DR Tomovoz - Your news "yesterday" was much better than any Tony win!
:)
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DR Tomovoz - Your news "yesterday" was much better than any Tony win!
:)
Fosca and Magnus and indeed Nurse Colin would agree.
Thank you Jose.
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OK...
I think I can WUSSBURGER safely now...
It truly was a swelll partay!
Goodnight.
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What a swell 2005 Tony Awards® par-tay it was!!
Topic of the Day: I went through my CDs and these are the original cast recordings that I tend to listen to much more often than others:
Ain't Misbehavin'
Brownstone
Closer Than Ever
Follies
Gifts of the Magi (with Eddie Korbich)
Little Shop of Horrors
Mack & Mabel
Nine (especially the 2-CD original Broadway cast recording)
No Way to Treat a Lady
Pacific Overtures
A Rock & Roll Twelfth Night (the original Olympia cast recording)
The Secret Garden
The Spitfire Grill
Sweeney Todd
Sunday in the Park with George
Weird Romance
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Well, alas, I have not read the notes because they are not up even though I could get to today's message board. I'll go back and read them, but I just want to jot down my observations re: Tonys.
1st Observation: It has become virtually impossible to watch anything on network television any more with any kind of real enjoyment or sense of continuity because of the frequent and lengthy commercial breaks. It's bad enough we get five minutes of commercials for what seems like five minutes of show but we also get the same dumb-ass commercials over and over again. Do these companies really think they are endearing themselves to me and that I'll go out and buy their product when they inundate me with the same repetitive, nauseating crap every commercial break? With everything chopped up with commercials between it, it is quite easy to see why Attention Deceit Disorder is now creeping into the adult world.
Anyway, the commercials made a show that was probably not much more than an hour and half seem like an eternity and much longer than the three hour running time, giving it no pace and no energy.
2nd Obervation: Yeah, yeah, I know. People tune in to see the musicals numbers, but I am much aggrieved how year after year straight plays get short shrift at the awards show.
It is appalling that a giant like Edward Albee has his Lifetime Achievement Award presented before air time and, while we got his eloquent acceptance speech, it would have been nice to see his colleagues do him homage as he went up to accept his award (This never happens with a lifetime achievement at the Oscars).
And is Arthur Miller really only deserving of a couple of minutes as the lead-in to the Scroll of the Dead? This man is American Theatre! Can we not give him a segment to himself to acknowledge his great legacy to the theatre...can't we see scenes or just a list of his plays or stills from his plays like Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, View From The Bridge, All My Sons, The Price, After the Fall, etc. What shoddy treatment for a man who devoted his life to the theatre. Nope, can't give Mr. Miller more than a nod, we have to squeeze in a number from that tired old retread LA CAGE AUX FOLLES or see the ripped-off choreography of Fosse in a mediocre production number from SWEET CHARITY (and , yes, I found poor Ms. Applegate's voice a little rocky, but I find Bruce's explanation of possibly why very credible...and I do give the woman props for getting her ass on the live stage. She also had the best and funniest entrance of the evening.)
Observation #3: How about calling the Tony for best theatrical event what it is: Tony for best stand-up comedy routine on Broadway.
Ob #4: Enjoyed opening banter of Jackman and Crystal lots of fun. Thought Billy should have sung: "Tony! Tony!" ala his Oscar number.
Ob #5: Why was the woman in Light in Piazza, holding a hand mic in the opening of her number and then it suddenly disappeared?
Ob #7: I really didn't get the idea of the island in the middle of the audience that had folks craning their necks to see Hugh's "Won't Dance" medley. A lot of the songs in it were from movies by the way...not the theatre. Damned fine songs, just not theatre songs.
Ob #6: If you're going to honour Steve Sondheim with a number for his 75th. How about something that he wrote both words and music for?
Ob #8: I want dear Tim Curry to have a nice long run in SPAMALOT, but the number they did, didn't impress me anymore than the original cast album did. And it all looks a little too much like all that recycled Monty Python which I used to love until it just got overexposed with endless runnings on PBS and BBC America. You just want a moratorium after awhile and say, "Fellas, give it a rest." Maybe it all goes down better as a whole.
Ob #8: Bill Irwin and Edward Albee gave the most gracious, eloquent speeches of the night.
Ob #9: Let people finish their speeches, CBS. Gee, so you go over a minute or two, big deal. People actually watching the Tonys aren't impatiently waiting for the local Sunday night late news. They want to see the Tonys. You want it under three hours...cut a promo or two for the Tommy Hilfinger reality show. Who needs that?
Ob #10: Again, just too many commercials to make the three hours justifible and sustainable. No wonder the networks keep losing viewership every year. First they put a lot of crap on the air and then interrupt the crap with more crap about selling crap. And, in those odd moments, when they actually do have something good on, they still interrupt it with crap-selling crap. God bless Turner Classic Movies. No commercials....yet!
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The Cast Albums I pull out frequently are:
SHE LOVES ME
LI'L ABNER
KISMET
MAN OF LA MANCHA
SWEENEY TODD
1776
KEAN
110 IN THE SHADE
MOST HAPPY FELLA
BOYS FROM SYRACUSE
BRIGADOON
GIRL CRAZY
HAZEL FLAGG
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Morning all!
Sorry I wasn't here for the Tonys but I don't really care for award shows. I watched about the first five minutes and that was enough for me. I didn't want to ruin your enjoyment.
It's Monday. Sigh.
DR SWW, good luck on your first day at work. Did anyone ever tell you that work is a four letter word? Ugh. IF I could only win that lotto--not so much for the money, itself, but for the freedom it would buy.......
Gotta run for the bus!
I haven't said it in awhile but I do hope that DR's Elmore, Tomovoz and TCB are doing much better.
Laters!
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HEMOGLOBIN easily unites with Oxygen.
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Good night Hisaka. Good morning America.
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Tom, three of your choices are also my choices and one I couldn't listen to without your gracious help
Gypsy (Angela Lansbury)
Sweeney Todd
Cowardy Custard (courtesy of Mr. Australia himself)
She Loves Me
110 in the Shade
Ain't Misbehavin'
Pacific Overtures
Follies
These are just the choices I could think of while sitting here at my desk after a night of too little sleep. I now must get back to work. I will return (a Douglas MacArthur reference).
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The only Broadway show I’ve ever seen in my life is “Dreamgirls”, in 1983, and I enjoyed it very much. And the party at HHW last night (say, 924 posts!) was very fun, too, though I almost don’t know the names of actors/actresses dear readers mentioned…oh, I know Jackman and Crystal. ;) The Tony Award will be telecasted in a few days in Japan as usual. Look forward to enjoying it reading posts from yesterday. That a good idea, no? : :D
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The Cast Albums I pull out frequently are:
SHE LOVES ME
LI'L ABNER
KISMET
MAN OF LA MANCHA
SWEENEY TODD
1776
KEAN
110 IN THE SHADE
MOST HAPPY FELLA
BOYS FROM SYRACUSE
BRIGADOON
GIRL CRAZY
HAZEL FLAGG
DRPogue, we'd have almost the same list, and that leads to interesting questions like which BOYS FROM SYRACUSE (Lehman Engel studio cast, 1964 revival, London revival, or Encores!) or BRIGADOON (1946 cast, Lehman Engel studio cast, London revival from the 1980s, or John McGlinn-EMI) or KISMET (1952 Alfred Drake or 1966 Alfred Drake)?
To your list, I'd add:
CANDIDE (Barbara Cook, OBC)
KISS ME, KATE
FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1960s revival over OBC)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Mary Martin)
CARNIVAL
GOLDILOCKS
MY FAIR LADY (no one has sung Freddy's song better than John Michael King on the OBC)
BABES IN ARMS (Encores!)
OKLAHOMA! (1980 Palace Theatre with Christine Andreas)
I'm very fond of RENT, but I haven't played it in a while
I prefer the original London cast of LES MIS to the Broadway cast
PAL JOEY
FOLLIES (no one ever surpassed Dorothy Collins, but I like a lot of the complete Papermill production)
COMPANY
Off to Tams-Witmark!
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Good evening DR TOMOVOZ!
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Good morning DR ELMORE and BEN !
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Thanks for the observations Pogue. Glad I didn't watch. Probably would have been just as frustrated.
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The Tony Awards is the only program on network television I watch "live" instead of pre-taping it and zapping the commercials and last night was the perfect reason to do so. The quantity and quality of these ads almost made me turn off the awards after the first hour. At about 10:38 there were only three awards left and yet there were so many commericals that they had to rush final awards so the news could start on time. This truly ruined the awards for me and next year I plan on watching them delayed like everything else. What a pity that commercial television has sunk so low.
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RE: Last Night's Tony's...
Not the best presentation, but then, it's been years since we had anything near the best. I'm with BK in that I hate that the show is in Radio City--it's just too caveronous a venue to present anything having to do with theatre--they even have to construct that false proscenium to give the stage some kind of framing. Aside from allowing each show to truck in some of its scenery, there is no reason to hold the Tony's in Radio City other than to rake in some cash For the ATW by selling all those seats to "fans" at ridiculous prices.
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TOD:
Pippin
A Little Night Music
The Pajama Game
A Chorus Line
The Producers
Hairspray
Into The Woods
Chicago
On The Town
There are probably a few that I'm not thinking of right now.
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TOD:
Camelot
Lil Abner
Where's Charley
Salad Days
How to Succeed (OCR)
Greenwillow
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And the word of the day is: HEMOGLOBIN!
What kind of bloody word is that?
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Oh, yeah, and West Side Story.
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I've got oodles of catching up to do (oodles being the plural of ood, of course; I'd have thought it was the plural of oodle, but it's one of those exceptions to the rule, kind of like mouse/mice but not blouse/blice). But first I've got to get ready for work. Nice notes, though, BK.
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FLOWER DRUM SONG
WILDCATS
I don't have a lot of cast recordings ::)
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Almost forgot:
Believe it or not, today is National Cow Day!
I'm not sure whethere we're all supposed to have one, or just celebrate them. My calendar doesn't specify.
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I enjoyed watching my first ever Tony awards, of course the funnest part was reading the posts of those who were in the earlier time zones and then watching for the items they had posted about.
I honestly have to say that I don't recall a single commercial...I must have gotten up during each one and missed 'em.
Little by little I am expanding my horizens and now I know a bit more about current Broadway, and it is making me look very forward to getting to New York sometime this year!
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We were having computer problems this weekend... we are still on dialup and for some reaso we could not get online all weekend. (well at least at night which is when I was trying, the days are too full on the weekend!)
I logged oin this morning from work and found EIGHTEEN PAGES from last night!!
Gosh! I may never catch up!!
TOD: #1 is really a "concept album" I suppose but Chess still stands as my favorite
then there's (in no particular order)
Les Miserables
West Side Story
Into the Woods
Wicked
Joseph And the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
La Cage Aux Folles
Phantom of the Opera
Jesus Christ Superstar (well actually I guess this is the concept album as well....)
well off to read... see you in a week or so!!
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Congrats to JRand54 and BK, who both have several reviews in the upcoming Scarlet Street issue!
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Almost forgot:
Believe it or not, today is National Cow Day!
I'm not sure whethere we're all supposed to have one, or just celebrate them. My calendar doesn't specify.
I celebrated National Cow Day this weekend by grilling and eating a lovely steak on Saturday and grilling and eating sirloin burgers on Sunday with cheddar cheese melted on top of course... and we always have milk in our tea
I am not sure if the cows involved felt particulary honored but we did indeed appreciate their contributions to the meals
( I hope Jane still speaks to me after this post ;D)
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I am all caught up drip-irriagation-system-wise for now. So today I can catch up on my own stuff. Isn't that just too-too?
I stayed awake for the entire Tony show. Seemed to me there was an awful lot of wasted time. And I know about wasted time. I'm on the church board.
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Last night, DR TCB wrote: "Jesse L. Martin's performance tonight was even better than I remember his work being in RENT."
Except his last note was god-awful: way off pitch. If you reocrded the show, go back and listen to the last note he sings past the end of the song. He's not on pitch AT ALL.
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Last night, DR TCB wrote: "Jesse L. Martin's performance tonight was even better than I remember his work being in RENT."
Except his last note was god-awful: way off pitch. If you reocrded the show, go back and listen to the last note he sings past the end of the song. He's not on pitch AT ALL.
Not only off-pitch but over extended. Was he attempting an American Idol howl? Was it rehearsed that way?
And what a way to honor those who passed--with a song that contains the line "How can they spot you got no talent?" Sheesh!
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Re: Piazza hand-held mic. I was wondering the same, Pogue--but did anyone else hear the frequent backstage chatter, as if the control room board had an open mic? Right before the Piazza segment, I heard some very quick chatter that sounded like Clark's lavalier might have died so they probably just tossed her the hand-held, then when she got far enough downstage to be picked up by the floor mics, she handed it back. Just a guess.
Re: Jesse L. Martin. Yes, that last note made me think, "Is someone running ProTools as he sings and they turned it off one note early?" ;)
Biggest Tony question of the night: How in hell did Harvey Fierstein do that quick change to become Kathleen Turner? It was amazing, I tells ya, amazing.
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BK's coming to Portland? Oy!! Better send out some press releases. ;D
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And what a way to honor those who passed--with a song that contains the line "How can they spot you got no talent?" Sheesh!
I was thinking the same thing... ::)
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Ok, I caught uo with the rest of Friday and Saturday.. now to attempt the Sunday posts......
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Most played OCRs:
DREAMGIRLS
FOLLIES (Papermill)
MAME
COCO (believe it or not)
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN
GREENWILLOW
CITY OF ANGELS
THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD
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The same thing happened to John Leguizamo a few years ago when he was doing an excerpt from his nominated one man show on the TOnys. His body mike went dead, and a stagehand handed him a hand mic for the rest of the routine.
On a live show, things like that happen at the last minute. Didn't bother me in the least.
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And FLOWER DRUM SONG I also meant to have in my OCR list.
The show album I've played the most in recent weeks, however, is not an OCR but that marvelous studio album of BRIGADOON with Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy which finally came out on CD. I have loved it for over 40 years, and still I play it constantly. Even though the Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker studio version is most complete and is beautifully sung, there's something about this version that has just captivated me from a very young age.
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Another strange thing is that once I've done a show (and listened to the cast recordings for practicing at home, etc.) I don't go back to those shows much any more.
I haven't played COMPANY, GUYS AND DOLLS, FORUM, NUNCRACKERS, FOREVER PLAID, AND THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, etc. much at all since appearing in versions of those shows, and I used to play each of them a lot. I suspect LA CAGE will fall into that category very soon, too.
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Good Morning!
I'm up! I'm up!
And I'm basically off until next Saturday!
Hmmm.... What to do? What to do?
-Well, there are those "boxes o' stuff" I've been mentioning, so...
What to do? What to do?
;)
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...Yep, Jesse L. Martin's last note was a bit "scary"... Who knows? Maybe one of the chorus girls goosed him or something like that.
;)
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Good Morning!
I'm up! I'm up!
And I'm basically off until next Saturday!
Hmmm.... What to do? What to do?
-Well, there are those "boxes o' stuff" I've been mentioning, so...
What to do? What to do?
;)
And a Bollywood movie to watch.
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...Maybe DR Ben can clear up the microphone issue during The Light in the Piazza sequence. I just figured it was a framing device. She was being "interviewed", and then once the "world" was established, the microphone disappeared.
And, yes, the number may have been "busy", but at least the whole cast got to perform on the Tonys! -And, possibly, received a little financial bump from AFTRA. ;)
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...And didn't Norbert end up editing himself during the break in "Great Big Stuff"?
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...As I was watching last night, my friend, Andy, IMed me about Lauren Bacall. Lauren Bacall?? -Then he realized it was Kathleen Turner.
;D
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I'm up, I'm up. I was posting whilst most of the commercials were on, but I did "hear" the one about "vaginal bleeding" soon after they had bleeped the word "ASS" in the Scoundrels number.
The parade of death was indeed deadly and disrespectful, and the people who produced the show really SHOULD try listening to the lyric of Razzle Dazzle before using it as a "salute".
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DR vixmom - Thanks for the reminder...
I listen to Chess a lot too. However, I usually listen to the US cast recording - with David Carroll, Philip Casnoff and Judy Kuhn. But that double LP concept album got a lot of play too.
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RE: Christina Applegate's entrance - Stunt double?
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Wonderful morning-after Tony comments!
TOD - Here are the shows I've taken time to load into my iPod (as good an indicator as any, I guess):
1776
As Thousands Cheer, bk's version
Chicago
A Chorus Line
Company
Hairspray
The King and I, bk's version
Mamma Mia
Oklahoma, 1980 revival, which I was glad to see in DR elmore's list, because we saw it together in NYC
The Producers
Ragtime
West Side Story
Wonderful Town, revival with Donna Murphy
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
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Most-listened-to OCRs:
She Loves Me
Into the Woods
Sweeney Todd
A Little Night Music (both Johns and Dench)
Mack and Mabel
Dear World
The Music Man
Candide (1974 version)
Follies
I Do! I Do!
Fiorello!
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Woman of the Year
Applause
Phantom of the Opera
Wicked
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It seems like the "in memoriam" section of all the awards shows have gone downhill in the last few years.
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RE: Christina Applegate's entrance - Stunt double?
No, not in my opinion.
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On the matter of "Somewhere," Aretha sounded fine in her soul-drenched manner. Hugh sounded fine as a show singer. But they should never do a duet of a show song. Their styles are too divergent, and it ended up a mess. The song's beautiful, they're wonderful performers, but they should each have done a verse ALONE and let one of them end it, but not both.
Years ago when "Beauty and the Beast" was up for the Best Song Oscar, the producers let Angela Lansbury, who introduced it in the movie, sing the first verse, then the duo (Peebo Bryson and someone else) who made a pop version of it that sold big sang a verse. Unwisely, they brought them together for the finale, and the song lessened in impact because their styles were just not compatible.
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I, too, am amazed at the number of posts from yesterday. I will have to go back to them shortly, but wanted to chime in on the TOD:
FOLLIES (I agree with every word DR ELmoore appended to this title)
1776
MAME
PROMISES, PROMISES
SCARLET PIMPERNEL
FIDDLER
DREAMGIRLS
PIPPIN
CHORUS LINE
COMPANY
GYPSY (Various versions)
FUNNY GIRL (OBC)
I used to listen to the Brynner/Towers KING & I an awful lot, but I have never gotten around to getting it on CD. Ditto for NIGHT MUSIC.
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Ragtime
Yup! That too!
And SIDE SHOW
(For a while, I listened to BALLROOM incessantly. But that was when the LP was released.)
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I wondered if it was an Applegate stunt double at the time, but I didn't play it back. I will watch it again today since I'll be transferring the show from the hard drive to a DVD-R.
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I know I started Page 3, but like Hugh Jackman last night, I won't dance. Don't ask me.
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I'm groggy this morning, but I shall try to shake off that groggy feeling.
Apparently, Miss Clark's head mic was the problem - problem being they couldn't find which fader had it, the CBS sound people. They eventually found it in time for the actual number.
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As BK said (re: the microphone for Miss Clark), it was a technical problem, nothing more.
Off to lunch.
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And what a way to honor those who passed--with a song that contains the line "How can they spot you got no talent?" Sheesh!
My jaw dropped when I heard that :o
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Years ago when "Beauty and the Beast" was up for the Best Song Oscar, [snip] then the duo (Peebo Bryson and someone else) ...
You mean Celine Dion?
Wonder whatever happened to her?
:D
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Well I have finally caught up.....I wish I could have joined you all for your Partay but as I said the dial up just wasn't connecting
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Well I have finally caught up.....I wish I could have joined you all for your Partay but as I said the dial up just wasn't connecting
And we missed you, DR vixmom!
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After the Tonys were over I was flipping around and found "The Dan Band" on Bravo, it was a program "already in progress" as they say and it was this slightly overweight guy dressed in some kind of mechanic's uniform, with two backup singers in suit and tie and glasses.
He was singing all sorts of "girl songs" like, Ring My Bell, and Genie in A Bottle. Very funny.....
BTW does anybody else think that the backup singer on the right looks like one of our DR's?
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So this is what Cherry Jones meant when she talked about "Laura Wingfield" (from Playbill On-Line)
Cherry Jones, when taking her Best Actress (Play) award for Doubt referenced her "Laura Wingfield" from the stage. Her partner is Sarah Paulson, of Broadway's The Glass Menagerie.
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What was the headline on AOL last night?
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And we missed you, DR vixmom!
:-*
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After the Tonys were over I was flipping around and found "The Dan Band" on Bravo, it was a program "already in progress" as they say and it was this slightly overweight guy dressed in some kind of mechanic's uniform, with two backup singers in suit and tie and glasses.
He was singing all sorts of "girl songs" like, Ring My Bell, and Genie in A Bottle. Very funny.....
BTW does anybody else think that the backup singer on the right looks like one of our DR's?
"The Dan Band" is a lot of fun! And that special they landed on Bravo apparently came about in one of those "only in Hollywood" ways. I forget the exact details, but Steven Spielberg was one of the producers.
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I don't remember the exact wording but something to the effect that Doubt beat out Spamalot for the Tony for Best Play
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Can someone tell me what the headline was that was posted last night that you guys were laughing at?
Also, I agree about singing "SomeWhere" as a tribute to Sondheim. I wanted a song that he wrote both music and lyrics for!
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Ha, you guys were reading my mind. I had written my comments after reading page 1, but didn't press "post". The headline is now changed to something much more boring.
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I meant to add last night that the scene that was performed from SPAMALOT did nothing for me.
I forget if any DRs have seen SPAMALOT or not...if so, what did you think of it. It did not look like something I would enjoy.
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After some visits from a couple of "little birdies" this morning...
-Aretha Franklin sang "Somewhere" on that horrendous "Songs from West Side Story" CD that was released a couple of years ago.
-Ms. Franklin did not show up for rehearsal yesterday. Mr. Jackman was sort of feeding her the words in that reverse echo pop fashion thingie.
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Yes DR BEN is correct - it read "DOUBT Beats SPAMALOT for Tony As Best Play."
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...And at least it wasn't that arrangement of "Somewhere" that Barbra Streisand used on her first Broadway album... well, you know what I mean... -And I still remember my jaw-dropping to the ground in disbelief when I saw Kiri Te Kanawa in concert, and she used that same arrangement.
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Yes - many of my favorites have been mentioned, but I that won't stop me.
COMPANY - Original Cast Album with Mr Dean Jones, et al.
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG - Revival produced by Mr BK
THE MUSIC MAN - so funny, and the Capital Stereo is great!
LES MIZ - because I like the show so much
WILDCAT - to hear Lucy
MY FAIR LADY - the London STEREO recording
I liked WEST SIDE STORY in the soundtrack version because I don't think the OCR was in true stereo, although it may have been re-processed along the way somewhere.
AND:
JOSEPH/TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT - London revisal with Mr Jason Donovan
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Last night I decided to throw away some 20 year old magazines that I dug out of the trash barrel at the Phoenix Theatre. Issues of THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY and THEATRE CRAFTS. I saved the "show covers" and stories of the TC's and some of the "how-to" stories from TD&T. Wow have things changed in the last 20-25 years!
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elmore, I listen to both the 1960's version of BOYS FROM SYRACUSE and the more complete version done in the 90's. I think I also have a record of a version Jack Cassidy did. I usually listen to the McGlinn BRIGADOON, though I have the vinyl Cassidy version of that too, I believe.
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The OCR of West Side Story is indeed in true stereo, always has been. It's actually quite good stereo, too.
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The OCR of West Side Story is indeed in true stereo, always has been. It's actually quite good stereo, too.
One of my favorite afternoons in high school was spent over at a friend's house listening to the OCR of West Side Story on his parents high-end stereo system in their spacious living room. It was amazing to hear how the characters/voices tracked from one part of the "stage" to the other. The "Jet's Song" never sounded so vivid to me!
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I saw all four nominated shows. They each have their own good points.
The thing about Spamalot is, if you don't like Monty Python, chances are you won't like the show. It's the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail transferred to stage with filler material added. It is without questions very well done. There are very talented people involved and there is a professional sheen about the production that comes from experience and hard work. I laughed and had a good time. I don't regret seeing the show at all. That being said, it is not my favorite of the four shows and I won't return to it any time soon.
Many people in the audience know all the material before it happens and they screech with laughter at the entrance of a certain character before anything is even said because they know what will happen. I find that just a bit annoying.
The number shown on the Tonys did absolutely NOTHING (IMHO) to show the silly, crazy and off-the-wall moments in the show. If I had not seen the show already, that number would not make me want to see it, especially if I knew it would cost me anywhere from $101.25 for the Orchestra or Mezzanine to $76.25 for the front balcony or $36.25 for the Rear Balcony (if you have a fear of heights and no binoculars avoid that choice). The .25 cent charge is part of the $1.25 Theatre Restoration Fee included in the price of almost all Broadway tickets sold nowadays.
That may not answer your question but those are some random thoughts about the steamroller called Spamalot
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Oh, elmore, it's the Alfred Drake 1952 Kismet for me! I also have the Judy Kaye one, the Same Ramey one, and the movie one...but the original is still my fav. I, like you, am a fan of Babes In Arms as well.
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Thanks Ben, I enjoyed your thoughts on SPAMALOT. I am not a big fan of Monty Python, however I have not seen a lot of MP's stuff.
I think what I liked best, of what I saw last night, were the costumes in those plays/musicals that were 1950s era...they did an excellent job on them....and those are the plays I think, at least visually, I would enjoy...not knowing anything else about the productions.
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You mean Celine Dion?
Wonder whatever happened to her?
:D
I heard she's doing some vanity show in Vegas. ;)
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And one for Mahler!
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And now for the news
SYDNEY, Australia - There must have been something fishy about the way she walked. Customs officials said Monday they stopped a woman as she arrived Friday in the southern city of Melbourne on a flight from Singapore and found 51 live tropical fish allegedly hidden in a specially designed apron under her skirt.
"During the search customs officers became suspicious after hearing 'flipping' noises coming from the vicinity of her waist," the Australian Customs Service said in a press release. "An examination revealed 15 plastic water-filled bags holding fish allegedly concealed inside a purpose-built apron."
The species of fish was not immediately known, but customs officials warned they could carry diseases that could decimate Australian fish if they escaped into local rivers.
Customs officers will charge the woman once they establish what species the fish are. If convicted of smuggling wildlife, she faces a fine of up to U.S. $83,617 and could also get a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
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and
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - A man who says he was severely burned when a portable toilet exploded after he sat down and lit a cigarette is suing a general contractor and a coal company, accusing them of negligence.
John Jenkins, 53, and his wife, Ramona Jenkins, 35, of Brave, Pa., filed the suit Tuesday in county circuit court seeking $10 million in damages from Chisler Inc. and Eastern Associated Coal Corp.
The lawsuit claims Jenkins’ face, neck, arms, torso and legs were severely burned last July after the cigarette ignited methane gas leaking from a pipe underneath the toilet unit.
“When I struck the lighter, the whole thing just detonated — the whole top blew off,” said Jenkins, a methane power plant operator with North West Fuels Development Inc. “I can’t tell you if it blew me out the door or if I jumped out.”
Eastern Associated owns the Blacksville property where the explosion occurred. Jenkins alleges that heavy equipment from Chisler Inc. ran over the pipelines before the explosion, causing the methane gas leak.
A call to the Charleston office of Peabody Energy, the parent company of Eastern Associated Coal, was not returned.
A man who answered the phone at Chisler’s office in Fairview said the company would have no comment.
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It will be interesting to see which shows will have staying power post-Tony night.
I have a feeling The Light in the Piazza may not have as long a life as Lincoln Center would like it to have. I'm afraid it will follow the same path that Passion did it after it's Tony wins - closing within a year. It truly - and sort of self-admittedly - has a limited appeal.
Even Spamalot does not seem like a likely candidate for a multi-year run. Maybe two or three... but not beyond that. As DR Ben pointed out - and as I've heard from many others - the show is really for the diehard Monty Python fans. And once that initial built in fan base has seen the show... Who knows? But they have a good advertising/press company, so as long as they keep coming up with good ads, that will help. I also, unfortunately, expect some stunt casting as the run goes along.
I've also heard some "complaints" from people who have seen the show, that the set looks cheap. Yes, there's lots of it, but it looks cheap. These people weren't that familiar with the original "Flying Circus" programs and the very identifiable Monty Python style. So....
*And I have to admit that I was shocked that The Who's Tommy closed as early as it did. It ran and ran and ran, and then the audience just seemed to drop out. I still remember all those promotions they were running during the closing months trying to get people into those seats. Free books. Free CDs. Buy One Get One Free offers.
Spelling Bee did one very smart thing last night - it proved that the show could work in a large house. Hopefully, the show will be tweaked enough for it's tour when it goes from playing the relatively intimate Circle In The Square to the cavernous road houses it will undoubtedly get booked into.
And I think the run of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will depend on the contracts of it's two leading men. But they're advertising campaign has been very fun and smart too. I think it's main strike is the fact that is not a family show, and, thus, not one that all tour operators could book groups into when they come to New York.
For that, they now have Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Any other thoughts, obervations?
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Last night I decided to throw away some 20 year old magazines that I dug out of the trash barrel at the Phoenix Theatre. Issues of THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY and THEATRE CRAFTS. I saved the "show covers" and stories of the TC's and some of the "how-to" stories from TD&T. Wow have things changed in the last 20-25 years!
I wonder if there is a single piece of wood used in scenery construction these days.
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I have a question regarding SPELLING BEE. Is Al Sharpton in it? Or do they have a different celebrity in each show as a joke?
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It will be interesting to see which shows will have staying power post-Tony night.
I have a feeling The Light in the Piazza may not have as long a life as Lincoln Center would like it to have. I'm afraid it will follow the same path that Passion did it after it's Tony wins - closing within a year. It truly - and sort of self-admittedly - has a limited appeal.
I think I heard that The Light In The Piazza was a limited run that's already been extended through to the end of summer.
I have tickets for Spamalot the weekend after next and I'm trying to decide which of the other three shows I will also take in. In some ways, I wish I could see something different other than Spamalot, except I don't want to miss Hank Azara before he goes on his summer hiatus from the show.
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It will be interesting to see which shows will have staying power post-Tony night.
I have a feeling The Light in the Piazza may not have as long a life as Lincoln Center would like it to have. I'm afraid it will follow the same path that Passion did it after it's Tony wins - closing within a year. It truly - and sort of self-admittedly - has a limited appeal.
<SNIP>
Any other thoughts, obervations?
I don't know if it's an indicator, but according to THIS (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/93370.html) article on Playbill.com, "Sales of Broadway Cast Recordings Soar After Tony Awards." It says:
Within the past 24 hours, sales of several Broadway cast recordings have skyrocketed, most likely due to the hoopla surrounding and the broadcast of the 2005 Tony Awards.
According to a spokesperson for Amazon.com, sales for the cast recording of The Light in the Piazza — which received six Tony Awards, including one for Adam Guettel's score — have climbed 175 percent. The CD is currently ranked as "Soundtrack No. 4" on the Amazon.com Top Sellers list of CDs.
The sales of the Spamalot CD have climbed 140 percent during the past day, and the recording is now listed as "Soundtrack No. 5." Sales for William Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, now listed as "Soundtrack No. 10," have climbed a whopping 240 percent. Similarly, sales of the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels cast recording have climbed 237 percent, and the CD is now ranked No. 16. The Little Women recording, starring Tony winner Sutton Foster, is now listed as No. 56. Its sales have climbed 108 percent in the past 24-hour period.
Visit www.Amazon.com for more information.
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Other thoughts:
Having seen Chitty I don't think it will be the multi-year success it was in London. I think it still has life in it and will run perhaps through the rest of the year but I think that's it. The car really is the star of the show and I didn't feel that way when I saw it in London. There was something more to it.
You're right about Scoundrels. If they don't get good replacements, especially for Butz, then the show won't last. It's nice that there is an adult musical comedy playing right now but since Broadway has become something of a family theme park the risque bits in the show (hummers in my hummer, etc.) do not bode well.
Unless I'm mistaken I don't think All Shook Up will close very soon. It's not selling out every night but I think it's doing respectable business, better business than Brooklyn has been doing and it's not a "bad" show. Granted, it's not a "great" show, but Broadway has always had that mid-level show which opens to mixed or decent reviews and everyone knows it's not top of the line but it runs a respectable amount of time and makes some audiences happy. Not everything that opens on Broadway will be a Night Music or [Death of a Salesman[/i] and, IMHO (in my humble opinion) even in the difficult economic climate of Broadway today, it's OK if these shows run for more than a week. If the producers are willing to spend/lose the money, so be it.
Jose, BTW, Anthony thinks Nick (at Mill Mountain) is a great guy.
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I have a question regarding SPELLING BEE. Is Al Sharpton in it? Or do they have a different celebrity in each show as a joke?
That was a "special apperance" last night. During the regular run of the show, they recruit a couple of audience members to be "guest spellers". There was a nice article in the New York Times about the whole process - and the "dangers" inherent in audience participation.
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Michael, no Al Shaprton isn't in the show and they don't have a different celebrity. They do ask for volunteers at each performance and if you want to be considered as a speller you can give your name and have a very quick interview for possible consideration as an on-stage contestant. They choose two men and two women from all the folks who volunteered and they get words (some hard, some easy, the night I saw the show one of the audience members got elephant and another got Mexican) to spell through the course of the show. If you spell your word correctly, you're still on stage, although at some point they do pull out the obscure words so you will inevitably lose, get your juice box and a hug from the Comfort Counselor and be sent back to your seat.
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Other thoughts:
Having seen Chitty I don't think it will be the multi-year success it was in London. I think it still has life in it and will run perhaps through the rest of the year but I think that's it. The car really is the star of the show and I didn't feel that way when I saw it in London. There was something more to it.
Agreed. Unless they start offering "family packs" of tickets.
it. Some of my friends in the pit mentioned that the past couple of weeks have sort of been light audience-wise. Not bad-bad, but lots of visible empty seats.
Jose, BTW, Anthony thinks Nick (at Mill Mountain) is a great guy.
And Nick does have beautiful legs too!
Be sure to tell Anthony to give Nick a big hug and a squeeze (or two or three) for/from me!
:D
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Ob #9: Let people finish their speeches, CBS. Gee, so you go over a minute or two, big deal. People actually watching the Tonys aren't impatiently waiting for the local Sunday night late news. They want to see the Tonys. You want it under three hours...cut a promo or two for the Tommy Hilfinger reality show. Who needs that?
Except...
The time the show runs over into the local Sunday night late news is exactly that, LOCAL. It isn't CBS' time that is being eaten into, it's the local affiliates time, and much of their revenue comes from advertising during the local news broadcasts. Apples and oranges, CP.
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How was your first day at work DR SWW?
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Michael, no Al Shaprton isn't in the show and they don't have a different celebrity. They do ask for volunteers at each performance and if you want to be considered as a speller you can give your name and have a very quick interview for possible consideration as an on-stage contestant. They choose two men and two women from all the folks who volunteered and they get words (some hard, some easy, the night I saw the show one of the audience members got elephant and another got Mexican) to spell through the course of the show. If you spell your word correctly, you're still on stage, although at some point they do pull out the obscure words so you will inevitably lose, get your juice box and a hug from the Comfort Counselor and be sent back to your seat.
I wonder what they would do if an audience member turned out to be abn ex spelling chmapion and NEVER got one wrong!? ;D
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I wonder what they would do if an audience member turned out to be abn ex spelling chmapion and NEVER got one wrong!? ;D
as you can see from the abpve i of course am not speaking about myslef... I will not be enteringany tuping contests int he near future either! ::)
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That was a "special apperance" last night. During the regular run of the show, they recruit a couple of audience members to be "guest spellers". There was a nice article in the New York Times about the whole process - and the "dangers" inherent in audience participation.
I would like to read this article.. any idea when it ran? Thanks!
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Oh, DR Mbarnum the husband was expressing some interestthis past weekend in seeing a Bollywood movie, any suggestions for "first timers?"
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Oh, DR Mbarnum the husband was expressing some interestthis past weekend in seeing a Bollywood movie, any suggestions for "first timers?"
DR Vixmom, it would all depend on what genre he would be most interested in...action, adventure, dramatic, tearjerker, thriller, comedy, war...new or vintage.
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PAHKEEZAH....but I am sure MBARNUM will have other selections.
DrM - I think the saying now is, if it burns, don't use it.
WSS in true Stereo...hmmmm.....maybe my albums are just NOT. And I think I have the OCR on CD....hmmmmmmm. I will check tonight, if so, I know what I will be playing.
ANYWAY...off to the theatre - the FAMOUS Putnam County Playhouse - to set up my rehearsal space, sell tickets for OLIVER!, and then block Act One.
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I would like to read this article.. any idea when it ran? Thanks!
I think I found it, on the NY Times site, May 11.....now when I go to the library tonight I shall have to look it up.
Speaking of going to the library, the reason I am tonight going is that the Vixter is joining the "Battle of The Books" team. This will be her second year on the team., and I have been "volunteered " as a coach.
DR Ginny, do you have any programs like this at your library? This the link to ours http://www.suffolk.lib.ny.us/youth/bb/index.html
for anyone who is interested.
Its a nice program and the kids get to keep the books and the library also provides team T shirts and they all get trophies for particpiating.
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My Fancy Schmancy Putnam County Playhouse rehearsal space:
a cement slab in front of the small barn containing the dressing rooms and storage areas. ;D
These are the auditions for my 2001 production of JOSEPH/DREAMCOAT. 8) We sunburned several people in the process.
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DR CP - one of the TC magazines, Jan/Feb 1979 has a cover and nice technical story w/some photos of the Broadway CRUCIFER OF BLOOD. I know you did that show, if you would like this, I saved the ENTIRE issue for you. Drop me an email. It was free to me....so free to you.
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I like the original KISMET very much, but the revival at Lincoln Center with Alfred Drake recorded in RCA stereo is superb. They changed the overture (not to my liking), but the songs themselves sound simply gorgeous on the revival recording, and since both feature Alfred Drake, well, you can't go wrong.
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I go now.
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I think WEST SIDE STORY was the first full stereo OCR released by Columbia (or any other label). BELLS ARE RINGING had some songs in stereo, I think, but maybe not the entire album.
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Did anyone else notice the scowl on Sherie Rene Scott's face when her nomination was announced? She seemed to be disgusted or disapppointed that DRS hadn't won any Tonys to that point.
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DR Ron, you know my knowledge of modern pop music (including the ultra famous CEline Dion) is negligible. No prodding is going to change that fact.
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...And at least it wasn't that arrangement of "Somewhere" that Barbra Streisand used on her first Broadway album... well, you know what I mean... -And I still remember my jaw-dropping to the ground in disbelief when I saw Kiri Te Kanawa in concert, and she used that same arrangement.
When we recorded Ms Te Kanawa's album, KIRI SINGS GERSHWIN, she was listening to Streisand's Broadway album over and over again in her headphones. Since she couldn't remember some of the tunes she was recording, she should have been listening to them.
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How was your first day at work DR SWW?
The day went fairly easily. There are a few difficult places, such as keying the payment type in correctly (cash, check, credit/debit card), and learning all the codes for fresh produce and bakery goods is going to be tricky, but it's all do-able. I'm off tomorrow (time for a haircut); second day on a new job is always worse than the first! :-\
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When I ordered my August show tickets a couple of months ago, LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA was scheduled then to close in mid-September. I chose not to order tickets because at the time it wasn't selling all that well, and I didn't want to risk getting tickets for a show and then it closing prematurely as the Roundabout did with ASSASSINS last year (which closed while still doing healthy if not sellout business, better business than PIAZZA had been doing.)
ASSASSINS won 5 Tonys (the most of any musical last year) and it still closed early. Who knows what will happen to PIAZZA? I have to say I wasn't so swept away with the music that I'm sorry I didn't order tickets for it. Perhaps when my CD arrives on Wednesday, I'll change my mind and be regretful, but for now, I'm satisfied with the four shows I'll be seeing.
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I have a question regarding SPELLING BEE. Is Al Sharpton in it? Or do they have a different celebrity in each show as a joke?
God love Al! He irritates and amuses me, often at the same time, but I have great admiration for him.
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TOD:
Company OCR
ALNM OCR
SITPWG
A New Brain
All I can think of at the moment, but these have held up well for me.
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I think I heard that The Light In The Piazza was a limited run that's already been extended through to the end of summer.
I have tickets for Spamalot the weekend after next and I'm trying to decide which of the other three shows I will also take in. In some ways, I wish I could see something different other than Spamalot, except I don't want to miss Hank Azara before he goes on his summer hiatus from the show.
Well, DRDTM, are any of us getting to meet you when you show up?
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DR Vixmom, it would all depend on what genre he would be most interested in...action, adventure, dramatic, tearjerker, thriller, comedy, war...new or vintage.
I think something he wouldn't view as a 'chick flick' and I wouldn't view as too violent ( no flying body parts ;D)
I guess adventure or comedy, but whatever you think
We watched "Jan Daar", a Thai movie, over the weekend it was a wild ride... sex, incest, rape, pologamy
I think the Bollywood movies are a bit tamer aren't they?
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Well, DRDTM, are any of us getting to meet you when you show up?
Has no one made plans to meet with dear Dan (the man) yet? That's no good!!!
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I think something he wouldn't view as a 'chick flick' and I wouldn't view as too violent ( no flying body parts ;D)
I guess adventure or comedy, but whatever you think
We watched "Jan Daar", a Thai movie, over the weekend it was a wild ride... sex, incest, rape, pologamy
I think the Bollywood movies are a bit tamer aren't they?
Hmmmm...I was going to suggest the movie that DR Jose got (but hasn't watched). It is a remake of LOVE STORY...but that might be a chick flick...there are some very good comedies out....Hera Pheri (2000) is quite funny, I liked it, and there is a sequel coming out this year...Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar (2001) was also a fun comedy. You can probably get both movies from NETFLIX.
For action/adventure I highly recommend PAAP. It is only mildly violent, no decapitations or anything, LOL, but there are some fights and shooting, and a little sexiness! A good story, and one heck of a gorgeous leading man!!! Hubba Hubba!
Any of those 3 films I think you would both enjoy.
If you want something from the 50s or 60s I can suggest many others.
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Perhaps someone can explain this to me: Well, probably not because you are all intelligent beings....
A conservative Christian activist group said Monday that it had suspended its boycott of Ford Motor Co. after Ford dealers promised to lobby the automaker to address the group’s concerns about its support for gay and lesbian rights.
The American Family Association, which is based in Tupelo, Miss., announced the boycott only a week ago, calling Ford “the company which has done the most to affirm and promote the homosexual lifestyle.” Ford extends benefits to employees’ same-sex partners, offers to make donations to gay advocacy groups when their members buy specific automobiles, sponsors gay pride celebrations and advertises in gay-oriented publications, part of what it says is an important diversity outreach.
Does this group think that Ford employees and/or consumers 'choose' their sexual orientation based on benefit packages ?
"Gosh, I can't get health care coverage for my live-in boyfriend so I guess I'm going to become a lesbian."
Geez Louise!!!
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Hmmmm...I was going to suggest the movie that DR Jose got (but hasn't watched). It is a remake of LOVE STORY...but that might be a chick flick...there are some very good comedies out....Hera Pheri (2000) is quite funny, I liked it, and there is a sequel coming out this year...Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar (2001) was also a fun comedy. You can probably get both movies from NETFLIX.
For action/adventure I highly recommend PAAP. It is only mildly violent, no decapitations or anything, LOL, but there are some fights and shooting, and a little sexiness! A good story, and one heck of a gorgeous leading man!!! Hubba Hubba!
Any of those 3 films I think you would both enjoy.
If you want something from the 50s or 60s I can suggest many others.
I will go and see if I can find them.. Thanks for the suggestions, I'll let you know what we got and what we thought.
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The OCR of Bells are Ringing is completely in stereo. The Columbia album that had some experimental stereo tracks done (but not released at the time) was Li'l Abner - for the current reissue both of those tracks are included.
I love that playbill thing about amazon. How pathetic are theater people trying to shove this stuff down the throats of the public - and it DOESN'T work, kiddies. And why is this the first year, do you suppose, that they've tried this ploy? Because it's the ONLY way they can pretend that something is happening, sales-wise. Certainly, these albums are not going to be appearing on the Billboard chart EVER. So, what's the deal on amazon? Let's say something is sitting at number 100 on the sales rank. If five people buy that album within a few hours, that sales rank number will change to number 10. That's how it works. How else would Writer's Block jump from sales rank number 500,000 to sales rank number 29,000 (which is comparable to what they're saying is happening with these CDs)? I mean, Writer's Block didn't have HUGE sales, but it did improve its sales rank by 300 percent. Why? Because ten people bought the book after the theatermania review came out. After Filichia's plug it had consistent good sales ranking during Christmas. Why? Because two or three people a day were buying the book.
Even Guy Haines made the top 100, and if THAT doesn't tell you something, nothing will.
And The First Nudie Musical was in the top fifty DVD sales when it came out. What do you think that translated into, sales-wise? Fifty copies or thereabouts.
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DRs vixmon and Danise - Check your mailboxes.
:)
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OK... I'm heading out to dinner with some friends...
Laters...
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God love Al! He irritates and amuses me, often at the same time, but I have great admiration for him.
I really had no use for Mr. Sharpton until he decided to run for Seantor from NY. There was a field of 4 or 5 candidates for the Democratic nomination, and they had a televised debate.
The whole thing was a big mud-slinging match, with each one trying to emphasize some "scandal" in the others' pasts. Until Al took the stage as the Voice of Reason--a shock to me--and asked if they shouldn't perhaps discuss The Issues.
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...And at least it wasn't that arrangement of "Somewhere" that Barbra Streisand used on her first Broadway album... well, you know what I mean... -And I still remember my jaw-dropping to the ground in disbelief when I saw Kiri Te Kanawa in concert, and she used that same arrangement.
My David Foster comment of yesterday. A truly dreadful arrangement.
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FYI, for DR Vixmom,
PAAP
Plot: A police detective investigates a murder that was witnessed by a little Buddhist kid who must now be protected from the bad guys.
Starring these two people:
(http://216.247.121.93/dvdImages/b6388.jpg)
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Well, here I posted at long last, went and took my shower, and came back to no posts. Makes me feel less like a Wussburger.
I have been catching up on the posts whenever I can--I don't like to post until I've read everything, and maybe that is a bad thing, but hey, it's my Protestant upbringing, I guess. And it is much harder to find time at home than at work. What does that tell you? I'm off for the summer, and whenever I sit at the computer I see so many papers to file, bills to pay, that I just grab odd moments for hhw. Which is the appropriate type of moment, I suppose.
Taped the Tonys last night and will probably watch them tonight. I'm not bothered by having read all the spoilers here in advance, and this way I can zap the "vaginal bleeding" and other commercial messages.
The problem with reading all the posts late is that I want to jump into last Thursday's TOD and then forget it by the time I get to today. Aaargh!
Hi, everybody!
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Hi WFO!
Yes, it seems to be a slow afternoon (Pacifice Time) here at HHW...I think it was my Bollywood posts that did it....that subject is certain to clear a room. :D
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FYI, for DR Vixmom,
PAAP
Plot: A police detective investigates a murder that was witnessed by a little Buddhist kid who must now be protected from the bad guys.
From that very simple description, it sounds a bit like "Witness" starring Patti LuPone (as Harrison Ford's sister ;)).
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OK, so BELLS ARE RINGING was the first Columbia stereo OCR?
I know CANDIDE wasn't originally released in stereo. Isn't it in real stereo now? Is it the first?
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From that very simple description, it sounds a bit like "Witness" starring Patti LuPone (as Harrison Ford's sister ;)).
And it very likely is a remake of witness....India is infamous for doing that....they even remade E.T.!
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Hey, MBarnum! I congratulate you on sticking it out through the entire Tony show--theatre neophyte that you are. Now if I can get my Joe to watch the tape of it tonight. Begging and pleading might help. Hugh Jackman might help even more. We shall see.
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Hey, MBarnum! I congratulate you on sticking it out through the entire Tony show--theatre neophyte that you are. Now if I can get my Joe to watch the tape of it tonight. Begging and pleading might help. Hugh Jackman might help even more. We shall see.
It was fun! It surprised me how much fun it was!
Hugh was worth the price of admission, I must say!
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Old TOD, Poetry
Two of my favorite modern poets are Marilyn Hacker and Richard Wilbur (known to some of you as one of the lyricists for Candide, in particular of "Dear Boy")
Here is a Wilbur poem I committed to memory in High School.
Mind
By: Richard Wilbur
Mind in its purest play is like some bat
That beats about in caverns all alone,
Contriving by a kind of senseless wit
Not to conclude against a wall of stone.
It has no need to falter or explore;
Darkly it knows what obstacles are there,
And so may wave and flitter, dip and soar
In perfect courses through the blackest air.
And has this simile a like perfection?
The mind is like a bat. Precisely. Save
That in the very happiest intellection
A graceful error may correct the cave.
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And in honor of the Island of Long, here an example from Whitman that is a bit more characteristic than "Oh Captain, My Captain":
To a Stranger
By: Walt Whitman
Passing stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you,
You must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me as of a dream,)
I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you,
All is recall'd as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured,
You grew up with me, were a boy with me or a girl with me,
I ate with you and slept with you, your body has become not yours only nor left my body mine only,
You give me the pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass,
you take of my beard, breast, hands, in return,
I am not to speak to you, I am to think of you when I sit alone
or wake at night alone,
I am to wait, I do not doubt I am to meet you again,
I am to see to it that I do not lose you.
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Last night, DR TCB wrote: "Jesse L. Martin's performance tonight was even better than I remember his work being in RENT."
Except his last note was god-awful: way off pitch. If you reocrded the show, go back and listen to the last note he sings past the end of the song. He's not on pitch AT ALL.
Yes I know, and it was still ten times better than his performance in RENT.
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It seems like the "in memoriam" section of all the awards shows have gone downhill in the last few years.
At least you didn't say it died in recent years.
And the song Razzle Dazzle relates to Cy Coleman how?
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It was fun! It surprised me how much fun it was!
Hugh was worth the price of admission, I must say!
You got that right! ;)
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I've just collected my mail. Surprise. A parcel containing Ann-Margret. Thank you BK. Most appreciated. "A friend to me".
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A reminder: Russell Crowe is from New Zealand. I'm not sure that they know about telephone etiquette there.
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Taped the Tonys last night and will probably watch them tonight. I'm not bothered by having read all the spoilers here in advance, and this way I can zap the "vaginal bleeding" and other commercial messages.
Good thing, then.
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And one for Mahler!
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Page Six Dance...Swing it, baby! Swing it!! ;D
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Am I the only person who felt that Bill Haber's acceptance speech last night for Best Musical was meant to be a slap in the face to the American Theatre Wing for not giving SPAMALOT the same kind of sweep that THE PRODUCERS received?
"Let's not thank Eric Idle............... let's not thank John DuPrez.................. let's not thank Casey Nicholaw"
True, he went on to say "Let's not thank Mike Nichols (who, of course, did win)", but that was only after the band started to play him off.
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I shall be on my way to a meeting shortly, but it shouldn't be too long a meeting, then I simply must watch a DVD, as I'm getting way too far behind in my viewing.
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I do believe Bells and West Side were the first stereo Columbia cast album, but there may have been another in there, too - when was Goldilocks? Just checked - Bells indeed, 1956.
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Perhaps someone can explain this to me: Well, probably not because you are all intelligent beings....Does this group think that Ford employees and/or consumers 'choose' their sexual orientation based on benefit packages ?
"Gosh, I can't get health care coverage for my live-in boyfriend so I guess I'm going to become a lesbian."
Geez Louise!!!
Oh, this group is very real. They even have a website (http://www.boycottford.com/boycottford.asp) for this campaign. But word is that they're suspending the boycott until December 1st of this year. (I'm trying to figure out what the significance is for the restart date, but the only thing I can come up with has to do with Santa and all those elves, with maybe Mrs. Claus as a dominatrix.)
A good satire (http://swiftreport.blogs.com/news/2005/06/ford_poised_to_.html#more) of the whole campaign has been written, of course.
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Good Evening!
Back from dinner... We met at the Caryle. Which used to be the Carlyle Grand. Which was originally the Carlyle Grand Cafe. -Each time they remodeled, the name got "smaller". ;) -But it will always be the Carlyle Grand Cafe to me. And I realized tonight that I've probably been eating there for about 20 years! -Thankfully, they've kept the Flourless Chocolate Waffle - although I do miss the in-house-made Macadamia Brittle Ice Cream. But I do miss the Chocolate Hurricane Cake, and the Mile High Pie....
Where was I...?? Oh, yes... Food report...
Well, here's what I had, at least
Appetizer - Blue Crab and Corn Fritters - Basically a very creamy crab cake wrapped up in kataifi - shredded phyllo dough - served with a corn relish and remoulade. Very tasty.
Entree - Their "Steak and Cake" special. A Filet Mignon with a Crab Cake, served with Grilled Asparagus and Mashed Cauliflower. -A very Atkins friendly entree in retrospect. Very good, and the Filet was very tasty and perfectly cooked.
Dessert (of course!) - I let my dining companion have the Flourless Chocolate Waffle, while I tried their new Sticky Almond Toffee Cake - basically their vision of a Sticky Toffee Pudding. I now have a great alternative to the Flourless Chocolate Cake! A nice, warm, dense almond cake with toffee baked into it's "crust". With vanilla ice cream on the side, and a small pitcher of warm caramel sauce to be poured over it all. Very good, and not sickeningly sweet like these type of desserts tend to be.
*When making the dessert decision, our server said that if I didn't like the Toffee Cake that she would gladly bring me out another Flourless Chocolate Cake.... well... It was very tempting to say that I did not like it... But since my plate was basically licked clean by the time she came back to check on us...
In any case...
A very good dinner, and very good company.
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DR Ginny, do you have any programs like this at your library? This the link to ours http://www.suffolk.lib.ny.us/youth/bb/index.html
for anyone who is interested.
Its a nice program and the kids get to keep the books and the library also provides team T shirts and they all get trophies for particpiating.
DR vixmom - your teen program sounds like a lot of fun for the kids. It's much more labor-intensive than the program our library does:
webster.daytonmetrolibrary.org/teens/content.cfm?id=280 (http://webster.daytonmetrolibrary.org/teens/content.cfm?id=280)
We also have versions of this type of summer reading program for children, adults, and staff.
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Hey, MBarnum! I congratulate you on sticking it out through the entire Tony show--theatre neophyte that you are. Now if I can get my Joe to watch the tape of it tonight. Begging and pleading might help. Hugh Jackman might help even more. We shall see.
Just don't tell Joe that Hugh keeps his shirt on.
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Oh, this group is very real. They even have a website (http://www.boycottford.com/boycottford.asp) for this campaign. But word is that they're suspending the boycott until December 1st of this year. (I'm trying to figure out what the significance is for the restart date, but the only thing I can come up with has to do with Santa and all those elves, with maybe Mrs. Claus as a dominatrix.)
Could it be because December 1st is Bette Midler's birthday?? ;)
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Bette Midler is Mrs. Claus?
Actually, that explains a LOT of things. :o
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I thought Bill Haber's acceptance speech (for Spamalot) was idiotic and it made him look like a buffoon. I am continually amazed by people who should know better. Why did they let him speak anyway. There were other people who could have said something and not come across as a pompous b***hole. But then, he probably thought he was being funny and that was enough for him.
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WHEW!!
I bought a bag of those new Jolly Rancher Pallettas - I mean Lollipops. They've been formulated by "Thalia" - whoever she is. In any case, it's part of their newish "Latin" line of flavors. The the three flavors of lollipops are Tamarind, Lime and Mango... with Chile! Chili! ???
In any case....
Whew! They're quite tasty, and the spice is quite kick-y!
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I thought Bill Haber's acceptance speech (for Spamalot) was idiotic and it made him look like a buffoon. I am continually amazed by people who should know better. Why did they let him speak anyway. There were other people who could have said something and not come across as a pompous b***hole. But then, he probably thought he was being funny and that was enough for him.
Now tell us what you really think, DR Ben?
;)
Actually... when he got cut off, I was annoyed that he got cut off, but I really didn't mind it.
*And I would have thought people would have known better after the Elaine Stritch debacle a few years ago.
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And speaking of acceptance speeches...
What was the deal with Adriane Lenox?!?!?
She came across as very smug - "Oh, I knew I going to win," to me.
That or she was truly shocked to have won and just babbled up there and said HI to her family in the audience.
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At least you didn't say it died in recent years.
And the song Razzle Dazzle relates to Cy Coleman how?
It doesn't. He sang it in honor of his close friend (and LAW & ORDER co-star) Jerry Orbach who introduced it and whose picture was also part of the montage of images of those who left us in the last year.
And, of course, Fred Ebb who co-wrote it. Ebb and Coleman did co-produce some of Shirley MacLaine's TV specials in the 1970s and won Emmys for "Gypsy in My Soul."
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Friends who attended the Tonys said YES, it was a body double who took the spill.
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My brother is coming up tomorrow night to see my home theater set-up and decide if he wants me to assist him in setting one up in his home. In thinking through DVDs I wanted to use to show off sound, I decided on the movie which I think has the best sound design of any of the DVDs I own - LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING. I've chosen the chapter of the Cave of the Dead which is window rattling. Of course, I'll show him some high definition stuff from the Discovery Channel HD or the HBO or Showtime HD channels.
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Friends who attended the Tonys said YES, it was a body double who took the spill.
I figured it had to be. Producers of a multi-million dollar Broadway musical couldn't risk another injury to their star.
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Hmm...
So, I was able to snag a deal on a hotel this weekend...
Now onto the tickets... Which, since it's the week right after the Tonys, are gonna be hard to come by...
Then again, we could always just do a culinary "tour" of the Island of Manhattan.
:)
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I'll be attending the Hollywood Bowl Sondheim event - box seats, given to me because I provided a chart for one of the songs, to be sung by Emmy Rossum - and the best part is it's elmore's orchestration for Goodbye for Now, and he will be credited in the program.
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Cool, BK!!
Can you take pictures?? ;)
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Am I the only person who felt that Bill Haber's acceptance speech last night for Best Musical was meant to be a slap in the face to the American Theatre Wing for not giving SPAMALOT the same kind of sweep that THE PRODUCERS received?
"Let's not thank Eric Idle............... let's not thank John DuPrez.................. let's not thank Casey Nicholaw"
True, he went on to say "Let's not thank Mike Nichols (who, of course, did win)", but that was only after the band started to play him off.
Nope You Are Not. That is exactly what I thought he was doing.
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I'll be attending the Hollywood Bowl Sondheim event - box seats, given to me because I provided a chart for one of the songs, to be sung by Emmy Rossum - and the best part is it's elmore's orchestration for Goodbye for Now, and he will be credited in the program.
Good things happen to good people. Be sure to pick up some programs off the floor to send to the hinterlands.
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BK, when is the Sondheim event at the Bowl. The Lovely Wife and I may have to get tickets for the nose-bleed section and pack a picnic lunch and a couple bottles of wine.
The Hollywood Bowl is still the best bargain in this town of few bargains. Anywhere you sit in the place is great, whether you can see the folks onstage or not. Just to sit out under the stars and listen to terrific music, partaking of your own food and libation is great. I think you can still get tickets for like 3 bucks.
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Not sure of the date - must find out.
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Not sure of the date - must find out.
Stephen Sondheim's 75th: The Concert
Special Performances-II SPE2-HB
Friday, July 8, 2005, 8:00 PM
Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Avenue
Hollywood, CA
(323) 850-2000
Artists:
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Paul Gemignani, conductor
Jason Alexander
Carol Burnett
Len Cariou
Barbara Cook
Jason Danieley
Josh Groban
Angela Lansbury
Marin Mazzie
Audra McDonald
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Donna Murphy
Bernadette Peters
Emmy Rossum
Vanessa Williams
Paul Lazarus, producer/director
Program:
From West Side Story to Follies, from Gypsy to Sweeney Todd, the inimitable Stephen Sondheim has been at the forefront of American musical theater. An all-star guest list including Jason Alexander, Nathan Lane, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, and others join the Los Angeles Philharmonic and longtime Sondheim collaborator Paul Gemignani to celebrate five decades of work from Broadway’s most prolific, innovative and thought-provoking composer-lyricist. A once-in-a-lifetime birthday concert.
Single Ticket Prices for This Event:
Seating Section - Price
Garden Box - Sold Out
Terrace Box - Sold Out
SuperSeats - Sold Out
Benches D E G2 J2 - Sold Out
Benches F K - $33.00
Benches M N - $21.00
Benches L P - $20.00
Benches Q R S T U - $14.00
Benches W - $7.00
Benches V, X - Sold Out
(Prices subject to change.)
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com
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Thanks, Jose. I'll have to go and get some tix tomorrow.
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You're welcome, Charles.