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[Michael]

BK

Can you post that internet trailer you mentioned in the notes?

[Ginny]

Looks like a nice place DR ELMORE....I need new glasses though....I thought the menu said Day Old Fries......but it was Old Bay Fries....

LOL! It's only 4 blocks or so away from me, and I don't know it. Full report later.

Looking forward to your report.  Ocean Grill is about 9 blocks north of the apartment we've reserved for Nov. 13-20.

[Michael]

TOD

Working in film and TV in Montreal I had the opportunity to meet many many people.

At the top of my list

Christopher Reeve
Angela Lansbury
Genevieve Bujold
Michael York

and never worked with but
Stephen Sondheim
Jerry Herman
Jason Graae
Liz Callaway
Alex Rybeck
Larry Moore

and of course Mr. Bruce Kimmel who I first met in the audience at Hairspray.

[elmore3003]

My advance copies of ROBERTA just arrived!

[Ginny]

TOD - Some of my favorite celebrity encounters have been with authors:

Amy Tan
Susan Vreeland
David Pogue
Mary Doria Russell

[ChasSmith]

TOD:

I don't know if walking all the way up the aisle of the Norris Theatre at USC next to Orson Welles (ca-1981) can be considered an "encounter", since no words were exchanged, but it sure was a memorable celebrity moment.  His entourage was all around, but I managed to fit in right next to him for those few minutes, long enough for a good close look and a good close listen to that voice, and to savor the "presence".

Getting Alfred Hitchcock's autograph following the premiere of FAMILY PLOT in Century City, just before his people hustled him out and away from other autograph seekers, was quite the thrill.

Edit:  BK, did you by any chance attend that?

A nice memory from another former life is driving tenor Richard Tucker from the Hollenden House Hotel in downtown Cleveland out to Severance Hall for a rehearsal of our concert performance of Verdi's DON CARLO, ca-1970.  Several of us were chosen to carry out such duties, and of those of mine that I recall, that one's the biggie.  He sat in the borrowed station wagon, bundled up to the hilt against getting any kind of a chill, and was polite but said nary a word for the entire ride.  I'm just thankful I got him there alive.

[vixmom]

Good morning, all!  I wanted to sleep in, but I had a phone call at 7:30 from a twit dialing a wrong number.

I'm experimenting with this lactose intolerant idea, so this morning I have had a cup of coffee with soy milk and a cup with almond milk. Soy wins!

At noon, I am having lunch with friends, and after that, who knows.

Now, about this PBS censorship: when the San Francisco Symphony concert of SWEENY TODD with Patti Lupone and George Hearn was shown on PBS several years ago, nothing was censored or bleeped. Does this mean a terrified PBS is kissing up to the far right idiots? 

 I think it is the fear of FCC fines

[vixmom]

The DD appears to be just about wholly back to normal. Whether he picked up a bug at the kennel or just had a psychotic break, we're not sure - but we know one thing: we will never be boarding him again!

I am so pleased to hear he is on the mend --- what a scare you have had!

[vixmom]

Well my encounters with Mr Larry Moore, Mr Bruce Kimmel, Mr Skip Kennon and Mr Fred Landau have been high points that I treasure and I continue to feel fortunate that they allow me to share in their lives

[vixmom]

for those "one off" meetings I would have to say

George Takei who spent about a half hour in a conversation with the Vixter and myself after a lecture he gave at I-CON

A very nice man and I have developed a great respect for him after that conversation



Sylvester McCoy and Nichelle Nichols  were also fun to chat with

DR Pogue's  close and personal friend, Harlan Ellison was a hoot

[TCB]

You can actually watch "Sweeney Todd" on PBS's website here:  http://video.pbs.org/video/2365329433/

I had to log in to be able to watch it in hi-def, and I don't know how long it's be available, but you can watch the whole thing on-line.

Hopefully they will repeat it sometime soon.  Or I suppose I can buy the DVD (during the  next Pledge Drive).

[vixmom]

George  could you please add me to your little list?

[vixmom]

I know it is not "Ask BK  Day".   But I came home from a meeting this morning to find    Vixdad  watching Penn & Teller's  Bull*bleep* this morning, specifically the episode where you are putting snails on people.   He asked where it was filmed

 

[vixmom]

You can actually watch "Sweeney Todd" on PBS's website here:  http://video.pbs.org/video/2365329433/

I had to log in to be able to watch it in hi-def, and I don't know how long it's be available, but you can watch the whole thing on-line.

Hopefully they will repeat it sometime soon.  Or I suppose I can buy the DVD (during the  next Pledge Drive).

or as we call them - Begathons

[Ginny]

You can actually watch "Sweeney Todd" on PBS's website here:  http://video.pbs.org/video/2365329433/

I had to log in to be able to watch it in hi-def, and I don't know how long it's be available, but you can watch the whole thing on-line.

Hopefully they will repeat it sometime soon.  Or I suppose I can buy the DVD (during the  next Pledge Drive).

or as we call them - Begathons

"Whining for Dollars" in our house.

[FJL]

The ones that come to mind immediately for the TOD:

Among mainly-theater celebrities, a person I'd so greatly admired before I'd gotten to meet her, and actually having the joy of getting to work with, is Rebecca Luker on a reading and demo recording of a character based on a story I'd created, on the show-in-progress "Tangled Webs"; and among nationally famous celebrities, Jim Lehrer, as we develop a musical based on his novel "Viva Max!." 

On the workshop front, the ones I think of as widely-known celebrities are Maury Yeston, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz and Joe Masteroff when they were teachers at the musical theater workshops.

Among people with no work connection, I'd say Joyce Brothers and Andy Rooney, whom I'd talked with a lot and met during law school days - just a thrill to have ongoing chats with both of them.

And of course, meeting Bruce Kimmel and Larry Moore on the chat boards.

[FJL]

Well my encounters with Mr Larry Moore, Mr Bruce Kimmel, Mr Skip Kennon and Mr Fred Landua have been high points that I treasure and I continue to feel fortunate that they allow me to share in their lives

I feel so privileged to be included on such a list!!!

[BwayAnge]

Good Morning Dear Readers!

Thanks for the kind words about the family photos I posted the other night.  September is a sentimental month as it's the anniversary of Mom's passing and my dear Nephew's birthday.

Completed the first billing cycle at the new office yesterday -- still happy!

Enjoyed Sweeney Todd -- loved the style change at the beginning.  Pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face in the Ensemble -- Ron Sharpe.  Not sure, if he enjoyed his close shave!  Many moons ago, Ron played Marius in a Les Mis tour and was a frequent chatter on the prodigy musical boards.

Hope you all enjoy the weekend.  The temps have finally cooled down on the west coast -- cracks me up -- a week ago it was 100 degrees and now it's in the low 80's!

[TCB]

I enjoyed SWEENEY TODD.  I thought the Anthony and Joanna were the weakest links.....and there was that miscast useless lump of Tony-winning flesh that everyone thinks they can't do a show without.....but I actually thought the staging was good.  The ensemble was good as well.

Emma Thompson was on the money - maybe not vocally - but acting wise.....and I liked Terfel, too.  Some funny bits here and there....that helped relieve the unrelenting darkness....

The Hearn-Lansbury version is so ingrained in my brain, it is difficult to see anyone else, but this was fun and certainly - to paraphrase DR GINNY - not as bad as it could have been.

Who is teh useless lump of Tony-winning flesh?  May I have a clue?

[BwayAnge]

You can actually watch "Sweeney Todd" on PBS's website here:  http://video.pbs.org/video/2365329433/

I had to log in to be able to watch it in hi-def, and I don't know how long it's be available, but you can watch the whole thing on-line.

Thanks for the heads up DR George -- I have Goggle Chromecast, so I'm able to click a button and transfer the performance to my TV. 

[John G.]

Regarding bleeping the "S" word, if that were the case, they wouldn't have shown "Sweeney Todd" at all, with its very mature subject matter and graphic elements.  We are more sensitive in 2014 than we were in earlier times, and that's not PBS's fault.  (Editing Downton Abbey, though, is another matter that i don't understand.) 

It seems like ever since that famous Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction, and the government getting involved with fines and punishment in a way that dismayed so many people, the broadcasters have felt forced to be careful.  Why not celebrate that PBS is bringing us this type of event at all?   

This "sensitivity" excuse is ludicrous. Why not celebrate the fact that censorship in any form is not to be tolerated? 

Today is the last day of Banned Books Week. Why not use Sweeney as a means of showing the ignorance of such censorship. Was the line cut in the high school version of the play? I don't think so. The high school version of Bonnie and Clyde I saw earlier this year left all of the cursing in, and no one was shocked.

[John G.]

I enjoyed SWEENEY TODD.  I thought the Anthony and Joanna were the weakest links.....and there was that miscast useless lump of Tony-winning flesh that everyone thinks they can't do a show without.....but I actually thought the staging was good.  The ensemble was good as well.

Emma Thompson was on the money - maybe not vocally - but acting wise.....and I liked Terfel, too.  Some funny bits here and there....that helped relieve the unrelenting darkness....

The Hearn-Lansbury version is so ingrained in my brain, it is difficult to see anyone else, but this was fun and certainly - to paraphrase DR GINNY - not as bad as it could have been.

Who is teh useless lump of Tony-winning flesh?  May I have a clue?

Audra? She had been a part of the show the last time they did with Patti and George. But she couldn't make the taping, so they did it with Elmore's least favorite piece of Tony-winning flesh, Victoria.

[John G.]

My advance copies of ROBERTA just arrived!

Aren't those feelings of holding a new baby (or babies) just wonderful?

[John G.]

Hmmmm......meeting celebrities....well they don't often come to Indiana....and I don't get out much....but:

I enjoyed meeting MR BK and DR CHARLES EDWARD POGUE when they traveled here a few years ago.

Jane Powell was very nice when my sister and I saw her in a stock version of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers many years ago....she had a bunch of little dogs with her, and one of them peed on my shoe....but that was okay.

But my favorite was when Donna Douglas came to town.  She wore her hair Elly Mae style and was just so much fun talking to everyone and signing photos and getting her picture taken.  I happened to bring her a photo that Nancy Kulp had sent me which she liked...."Bless her heart" she said....and I gave her a photo book of her appearance in THE TWILIGHT ZONE...which she had never seen....

I saw Jane Powell with those dogs in a hotel lobby in Louisville before going to see a production of Seven Brides.

[John G.]

Thank you, Fred.

[John G.]

TOD: So many names, but a few that really stayed with me:

Lena Horne
Bobby Short
Lily Tomlin
Lillian Gish
Charles Strouse

[Jeanne]

Hello, everyone.

[Jeanne]

Larry, you said your brothers have gotten realistic about selling the property. Has it actually been listed now?

Vibes this moves swiftly!

[Jeanne]

The DD appears to be just about wholly back to normal. Whether he picked up a bug at the kennel or just had a psychotic break, we're not sure - but we know one thing: we will never be boarding him again!

Sing, this sounds like an incident I had with my dog once. Many years ago I had to go to Europe on business. I was living in San Diego at the time, and my parents were in LA. Instead of flying out of San Diego, I drove--with the  dog-- up to LA, left the dog with my parents, while I flew out of LA. It seemed like a really practical option. I was gone about two weeks. When I got back to LA, however, my parents were very upset. Pasha had stopped eating and was lethargic. They'd taken her to a vet, but the vet could find nothing wrong. She perked up when she saw me and once we were home she was fine.

I know this may sound silly, but in my rush to catch the plane I'd neglected to talk to her and tell her I'd be back and this was just temporary. I do feel there's a lot of communication between pets and their owners, and I try to always have this little talk. Animals suffer separation anxiety, just like people do. Well, dogs, anyway.

[Jeanne]