Baltimore21201.Com - The Blog

The Fonz a Porn Star? Henry Winkler's Coming to Broadway as 'Chuck Wood.'

Henry Winkler, soon to be seen as 'Chuck Wood' on Broadway

Returning to Broadway in David West Read's The Peformers, Winkler will play Chuck Wood—the hardest working man in the business.

Preview performances for the Performers begin October 23rd and the official Broadway opening at the Longacre Theatre is slated for November 14th.

The original casting notice—now, of course, inactive—with the character breakdowns follows. The only disapointment is the last line* in the official posting:

'THE PERFORMERS,' B'WAY

Robyn Goodman, Scott Delman, & Amanda Lipitz (prods.) are casting The Performers. David West Read, writer; Evan Cabnet, dir.; Cindy Tolan, casting dir.; Adam Caldwell, casting assoc.; Stephen Kocis, Aged in Wood Management, LLC, general mgr. Runs in NYC (rehearsal and performance dates TBA).

Seeking—

Lee: male, 20s-early 30s, any ethnicity, Mandrew's high school friend, a journalist doing an article for the NY Post on Mandrew and the Adult Film Awards, smart, witty, self-conscious, tightly wound, an academic who is incredibly uncomfortable around the porn stars but also thrilled by their inhibitions, actor must have incredible comic timing;

Sara: female, 20s-early 30s, any ethnicity, Lee's fiancée and high school sweetheart, a third grade teacher with big student loans, self-assured, sharp and dry, her intellect and wit have always been her strengths, appealing, and though she might be attractive, she wouldn't ever flaunt her sexuality like the porn stars or consider herself traditionally beautiful, though liberal and open about sex, she's judgemental of the porn world, actor must have incredible comic timing;

Sundown: female, 20s, any ethnicity, a rising porn star who was always hot, but now that she's gotten a boob job she's ridiculously sexy, a bombshell who means well, so dim that she can barely understand what's going on around her, actor must have incredible comic timing;

Mandrew: male, 20s-early 30s, any ethnicity, a rising porn star, attractive, charismatic, joyful, appealing, exuberant, sexy and comfortable in his body, but somehow still feels wholesome and innocent, a man-boy, may be intellectually challenged, but his enthusiasm, sincerity, and optimism are infectous you can't help but like him, actor must have incredible comic timing;

Peeps: female, 20s, any ethnicity, a rising porn star whose official name is Pussy Boots, Mandrew's wife, outwardly confident, sexy, attractive, but wildly insecure, passionate, impulsive, temperamental, has no emotional or sexual inhibitions, which can be hilarious and also endearing, actor must have incredible comic timing;

Chuck: male, 50s-late 60s, any ethnicity, an aging porn star with a happy-go-lucky attitude, thrilled to be playing a young man's game and playing it better than most young men, his confidence is attractive and seductive, suave, charming, studly, actor must have incredible comic timing.

Equity principal auditions will be held June 19-21, 2012, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. & 2-5:30 p.m. at the AEA Audition Center, 165 W. 46th St., 2nd fl., NYC. EPA rules are in effect; Equity monitor will be provided. Prepare a contemporary comic monologue, two minutes or less. Bring pix & résumés, stapled together. $1,703 min./wk.Equity Production (League) Contract.

Catagories: Union, stage
Production: David West Read, writer; Evan Cabnet, dir.; Cindy Tolan, casting dir.; Adam Caldwell, casting assoc.; Stephen Kocis, Aged in Wood Management, LLC, general mgr.

Pay: Union, professional, male, female
Age range: Young adult (18-29), Thirties (30-39), Older (50-65)
*Nudity: No

The Performers is a romantic comedy about two high school friends (Cheyenne Jackson and Daniel Breaker) -- and the women in their lives (Ari Graynor and an actress to be announced) -- who reconnect at the Adult Film Awards in Las Vegas. When the night takes an unexpected turn and relationships are threatened, Chuck Wood (Henry Winkler), the hardest-working man in the business, steps in to lend a hand. Sex, love and Barry Manilow intersect in this comedy about the ups and downs and ins and outs of love.

Starring in the cast are: Cheyenne Jackson, Ari Graynor, Daniel Breaker, Jenni Barber and Henry Winkler. Cast list was announced by the play's producers Robyn Goodman, Scott M. Delman

Break a leg, Mr. Winkler. We're all—if you get my drift—pulling for you.

New LifeRaft Video from SAG Foundation

SAG Foundation - LifeRaft Videos

LifeRaft: Is Your Demo Reel Working for You?

Does your reel show you well?

Is it what casting directors and agents are looking for?

What should be on your reel and what is better left off? How long should your reel be? Will your reel help you get work? Should you have separate short demos for specific types of jobs you're right for? Just a comedy and a drama reel?

This panel will explore industry protocol for choosing your best material, highlighting your work and uploading online. Panelists include Andy Henry (Casting Director), Bob Telford (Reel Editor), Joe Gressis (Reel Editor), Bruno Oliver, (VP Now Casting Inc), Alycia Stark (Commercial Agent, Stark Talent), Todd M. Eskin (Theatrical Agent, Across The Board agency). Moderated by Caroline Liem (Casting Director).

View the latest LifeRaft video here.

What Men Do When They Quit Their Day Job to Go Out in the World to Brew Beer

Here's what one man did as he moved from the task forecasting the Mid-Atlantic weather to the profession of brewing suds.

Aaron Justus was a weatherman at a Richmond, Virginia television station and apparently wanted to make 'clever-time' with his friends and co-workers before he left CBS-6 to work for a microbrewery in San Diego, California. Turns out that he made 'clever' in a viral video kind of way.

Justus (with the help of unnamed staff at WTVR TV) created this cute little gem. And, it is cute. And, he plays the gag so perfectly straight it makes me grin.

 

When Justus was asked about the video by TVSpy, he said, “I had built a few crazy graphics during my last two weeks at WTVR.”

He continued, “It was an ongoing joke with the production team. I then decided to put it all together as one last farewell forecast, which of course never hit air.”

I so wish it had.

According to MediaBistro.com, Aaron Justus now says, from San Diego, “Life is good!”

I'm guessing he reports that life is good because Godzilla saved the East Coast from that super hurricane, the lava flows didn't take down Charlottesville, and those 345-degree temperatures didn't cause Fredericksburg to burst into flame. That and Justus being surrounded by wall-to-wall beer.

And that, of course, brings the story home to Baltimore.

Last Monday was Jon Zerivitz's last day working as a graphic designer at T. Rowe Price in Owings Mills. He left the rarefied air of the suburban corporate studio for the hopps-filled air of his new 7,200 square foot creation, Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore City.

While I wish Jon and his business partner all great success in the suds business, I'm wondering if we should—you know, in the name of due diligence—look back at the last couple of weeks of Zervitiz's work as a T. Rowe Price designer.

Jon is a funny, talented guy—a good man—and one hell of a desk-top finger drummer. Yet, I can't seem to shake the idea that there just might be a Godzilla or a volcano hidden in one of his last infographics.

Just saying.

Remember Audio MixTapes? Think Video!

The folks at the Paley Center for Media in New York City have put together some of the best theme-program schedules that I've ever seen. This series ups their already impressive ante.

TV MixTapes

The Paley Center recalls the days when, if you liked someone, you made them a tape. We like you, so we're making mixtapes for you—compilation screenings of amazing things in our collection, curated to provide a unique viewing experience each month with a different theme. Plus it's all on a movie-size screen with great sound.

Every month the Paley Center will present special screenings culled from their massive collection, curated to provide a unique viewing experience … audiences can expect classic episodes from favorite series enhanced by exclusive Paley Center content, original compilations of the weird and wonderful created for this series, and selections from rare programs unavailable anywhere else. Plus there is the thrill of seeing it all on the big screen, with great sound.

Here's the package, the line-up:

Summer "Camp" - starts July 5th 2012
Welcome to a compilation of television’s most outrageous, campy, and head-scratching moments—a celebration of the weird, wild, and wacky side of the small screen, culling only the best moments in discrete chunks for the YouTube generation.

We excerpt the craziest scenes from afterschool specials, old network celebrity spectaculars, outdated training and educational films, camp classic television movies, bizarre music videos, and other outré ephemera. A surefire hit for the Gen-X audience and available exclusively at the Paley Center. 

Hotter than Hellmouth - August
Hell hath no fury like a demon scorned … or something like that. Join us as we celebrate the dog days of August in air-conditioned bliss with this really creepy compilation of television programming spotlighting emissaries from hell (both fictional and not), anchored by “Once More With Feeling,” the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which will be screened in its entirety. We don’t want to give too much away, but also look for clips from The Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, South Park,Thriller, plus a few gems from our collection of programs, commercials, and Paley Center panel discussions. To conclude the package, we’ll screen excerpts from Tom Snyder’s legendary 1981 interview with Charles Manson.  

Dueling Star Treks - September
Star Trek: The Next Generation celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in September, and with this specially produced compilation the Paley Center boldly goes where thousands and thousands have gone before, tackling the red-hot-button question of whether The Next Generation was also the greatest generation, or whether that honor belongs instead to the original series. Was the first Star Trek too campy? Next Generation too earnest? Beverly Crusher or Bones McCoy? Spock or Data? Kirk’s bare chest or Picard’s bare head? We will shy away from no issue, illustrating our points through a deft selection of clips featuring moments from both shows and a few surprises as well, including excerpts from Paley Center events with the cast and the creative team of TNG and with Captain James T. Kirk himself, the great William Shatner.

Sweet TV Dreams (are made of these?) - October
For the month of chills and thrills, the Paley Center brings you a sixty-minute mixtape that shows the truly frightful—as well as the lighthearted—dreamscapes that have seeped out of our collective unconscious and into our daily TV viewing over the years.

The creepy/scary stuff will come from the usual suspects—Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, The Outer Limits, Buffy the Vampire Slayer—joined with the more psychological hauntings of Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and M*A*S*H. Then we'll look to Bewitched, My So Called Life, The Practice, and Absolutely Fabulous for the lighter side of our neuroses. 

James Bond: 50 Years on Film -  November
This mixtape will screen in November, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the first Bond film (Dr. No) and also the release of the new Bond film (Skyfall). Included are clips from the 1954 television version of Casino Royale (Bond’s screen debut); two Bond-themed TV specials in our collection; The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which Ian Fleming helped develop (plus a Paley Center panel with star Robert Vaughn); Get Smart (including clips from PaleyFest); Archer (including our David Cross–moderated seminar); The Avengers (starring Bond girl Diana Rigg); and appearances by Bond stars Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore in television programs and ads. 

Christmas Carols: A Scrooge Mash-up - December
Arguably the most famous and familiar holiday story ever written, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol continues to enchant generation after generation and inspire countless adaptations, with more, no doubt, yet to come. Since everyone has their particular favorite dramatization, the Paley Center presents its own “Scrooge mash-up,” so to speak.

The entire story will be told using clips from versions starring Mr. Magoo, Patrick Stewart, and Basil Rathbone among others, as well as the tale as interpreted by the casts of such shows as WKRP in Cincinnati, Northern Exposure, and The Honeymooners.

Ok now Baltimore, if you love classic film and television as much as I do, let's book some Bolt Buses and head to The Big Apple for a what will certainly be a monthly fun-fest. And bring your friends. There are new finds and real surprises in this collection of shows. I'm sure that you haven't seen some of these moments before. That's all I'm going to say.

The Paley Center for Media
25 West 52 Street • New York, NY 10019
212.621.6600

Free for Paley Center Members and included with general admission.

A Rude Ringtone? Well, No One Noticed.

Barbara Billingsley, Jiving in 'Airplane'

At work, some months ago, I was in a meeting with Craig (Mr. Super Creative and Designer of all things Interactive) and a batch of account people. The group was discussing a business website hosted on the Jive platform. An account manager looked my way and said, "You're fairly new here do you know Jive?"

My instant response, perhaps a little too instant and glib, "Know Jive? I speak Jive."

Craig and I connected over the memory of a great old movie and a great old gal, the late Barbara Billingsley. It was one of those wink-wink moments that are so much fun when everyone else in the room is working just a tad bit too hard.

A few days later I cut some audio and made a swell ringtone to commemorate the moment. It's here, and it's yours for the taking. 

 
'I Speak Jive' - the ringtone 

Last week I was at Lexington Market and my phone ringer was set at its highest level. It rang. It rang with the 'I Speak Jive' ringtone.

For a few seconds I panicked. My 'jive' moment seemed like the perfect wrong-place-wrong-time event. I was certain that I wouldn't make it to the safety of Faidley's and my favorite oyster shucker's protective knife.

However, I needn't have worried about the social correctness of my sound bite. Only one Lexington Market shopper even acknowledged that he heard it. He tipped his head toward me and muttered, "Uh huh, that's right."

And, just so you know, Miss Billingsley. I think you were quite a babe.

Very Special Video: "You Can't Take it With You" - from Baltimore's Everyman Theatre

Fireworks, police raids, and a xylophone are just the tip of the iceberg in this zany Kaufman and Hart comedy classic. It's a comedy that's often listed in the madcap category because it is, it really is. If there was a magnificent category it would be listed there, also.

Meet the Sycamore family, politically independent with healthy distrust of government. They open their New York City home to all sorts of free spirits. When their daughter Alice, decides to invite her conservative boyfriend’s family to dinner, they promise to be on their best behavior. However…!

 

This extraordinary production stars an all-star Everyman cast. This production ends June 17th and it you only see one show at Everyman this season, please make it this one. I've posted a few highlights from some of the reviews of this production below. I'll add mine here.

"BRANDHAGEN PLAYS XYLOPHONE!
SMOKE, SETS, LOVE, AND LAUGHTER!
The best ticket in town; the finest set you've ever seen."
-Stephen Brockelman, Baltimore 21201

The Cast:         

Megan Anderson* — Essie
Clinton Brandhagen* — Ed
Chinai Hardy — Rheba
Deborah Hazlett* — Mrs. Kirby
Brianna Letourneau —  Alice Sycamore
Wil Love* — Mr. De Pinna
Bruce Randolph Nelson* — Kohlenkov
Caitlin O'Connell — Penny Sycamore
Jon Odom — Donald
Barbara Pinolini — Gay Wellington
Steve Sawicki —  Henderson
Kimberly Schraf — Olga
Matthew Schleigh — Tony Kirby
Carl Schurr* — Mr. Kirby
Stan Weiman* — Martin Vanderhof
Tom Weyburn — Paul Sycamore
and
Michael Leicht
Evan Moritz
Kyle Jackson  — Three Men
*Everyman company member

“COMIC DYNAMITE!
DELICIOUSLY RADICAL!”
-Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun

“FIVE STARS!
NOT TO BE MISSSED!”
-DC Metro Theater Arts

“TERRIFIC!
HILARIOUS!
I definitely recommend. You’ll laugh throughout.”
-Eddie Applefeld, WCBM 680 AM

“UPLIFTING! DELIGHTFUL! LIVELY!
‘You Can’t Take it With You’ has Everyman favorites in roles that they seem born to play!”
-Mike Giuliano, Patuxent Papers

“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!”
-DC Theatre Scene

“Leaves you hankering for a place at the family's dining room table!"
-Judy Rousuck, WYPR Maryland Morning

“Thoroughly enjoyable...a really fun evening at the theater. Buy tickets now because it's likely to sell out very quickly!"
-MD Theatre Guide

Tickets. Get your tickets here.

Meet Betty White in NYC? Yes, You Can!

The Friars Club is involved. That means it's going to be a bawdy, no-holds-barred evening. Stevedores will blush like girls at their first prom. It'll cost you a few bucks, but it's for a great cause. (And think about it, face time with Betty White is priceless.) 

                          Betty White via CharityBuzz.Com

Here's the scoop from Charity Buzz:

Bid now on 2 tickets to the Friars Club Roast of Betty White on May 16, 2012 plus meet the funny lady herself. The event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in NYC.

Terms: Valid for 2 people on May 16, 2012 only. Cannot be resold or re-auctioned. Travel and accommodations are not included.

Donated by: The Friars Club and the one-and-only Betty White

The proceeds for this item benefit The RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights.
Learn more about 2012 RFK Center Spring Auction.

All of the details are available on the Charity Buzz website. If you bid, let me know and I'll follow you and cover your antics all the way to you meeting the gal who's Hot in Cleveland.

A Musical Within a Comedy - See It at JHU

The title of this wonderful play—to be presented in April—is The Drowsy Chaperone. It was written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.

The show was launched in 1998 at The Rivoli in Toronto and opened on Broadway on May 1 2006. The show won two Tony Awards, Best Book and Best Score. The concept began as a spoof of old musicals written by friends for the wedding of Bob Martin and his wife, Janet as a wedding gift for . The show has had major productions in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, London, and Japan, as well as two North American tours.

                         Broadway Cast Recording - Cover Art

Here's the story:

The Johns Hopkins University Barnstormers are performing the hilarious musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone.

A rare combination of unprecedented originality and blinding talent, The Drowsy Chaperone boldly addresses a great unspoken desire in all of our hearts: to be entertained. If you've ever found yourself sitting in a dark theatre and thought, "Dear Lord in heaven, please let it be good," this is the show for you!

It all begins when a die-hard musical-theater fan plays her favorite cast album on her turntable, and the musical literally bursts to life in her living room, telling the rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love.

The Barnstormers are working with director Jayme Kilburn of Baltimore and music director Rodney Long of Silver Springs on this production.

Performance Schedule:
Thursday, April 5th at 8p.m.
Saturday, April 7th at 3p.m. and 8p.m.
Friday, April 13th at 8p.m.
Saturday, April 14th at 8p.m.
Sunday, April 15th at 3p.m.

Ticket Prices:
To reserve tickets, visit thejhubarnstormers.org

College students - $5
General admission - $10

Location:
All performances will take place in the Swirnow Theater in the Mattin Center on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus, located on North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD.

About the Barnstormers:
The JHU Barnstormers, originally chartered in 1919, are the University's oldest and largest theatrical troupe on campus. They are organized entirely by students and perform published plays and musicals of all genres. Of the six shows they produce each year, they invite professional directors to direct two "mainstage" shows including the fall drama as well as the spring musical.

I say this to you: Go. See. Enjoy. Laugh and tap your feet.

Alert: There Will Be Coastal Disturbances in Baltimore All Weekend!

It's not a prediction; it's a fact. I don't even have to verify this with my favorite weather-guru, Justin Berk. 

         'Coastal Disturbances' at Fells Point Corner Theatre

Coastal Disturbances will be with us in Baltimore through March 4th. And, I know you'll enjoy watching the Baltimore premiere.

For the first time in Baltimore, Tina Howe brings us this beautiful story that examines love from all sides, amid the ebb and flow of summer life in a private New England beach, swirling around a mishmash of quirky characters. Garnering a Tony Award Nomination for Best Play when it premiered in 1987, Coastal Disturbances is a slice of Chekhov with a healthy dash of Ionesco's absurdism. Howe's beloved tone shines in this sensuous comedy. 

The New York Times' Frank Rich wrote:

The people in Coastal Disturbances, four generations of vacationers on a private Massachusetts beach, are always welling up with love, lust or anger whenever one least expects. As written by Ms. Howe…the emotional cloudbursts, no less than the meteorological, can take the breath away.

   Coastal Disturbances photo courtesy Fells Point Corner Theatre

When Coastal Disturbances premiered on Broadway it received good recognition:

1987 Tony Award Best Play
Written by Tina Howe; Produced by Circle in the Square (Theodore Mann: Artistic Director; Paul Libin: Producing Director) [nominee]
1987 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play
Annette Bening [nominee]
1987 Tony Award Best Direction of a Play
Carole Rothman [nominee]
1987 Theatre World Award
Annette Bening [winner]
Timothy Daly [winner]
1987 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Play
Carole Rothman [nominee]
1987 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design
Lighting Design by Dennis Parichy [nominee]

Fells Point Corner Theatre
251 South Ann Street
Baltimore, MD  21231

See the show times and get your tickets here - this show may well be a sell out.

Notes: Coastal Disturbances has some strong language and mild adult content and may not be suitable for all children. Coastal Disturbances will be performed in FPCT's upstairs, Sokal Stage and is not handicap accessible.

Baltimore Gets a Year of Charlie Chaplin

                Charlie Chaplin, photo via Creative Commons

The Charles Theatre in Baltimore is presenting a treasure-trove of Chaplin's films with new 35mm prints.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN SERIES A year-long retrospective of Charlie Chaplin’s films begins this Saturday as part of the Charles Theatre’s Revival Series. Janus Films has produced seventeen new 35mm prints spanning the years 1918-1958. The Revival Series will show one Chaplin program each month through January 2013. Each film will be presented with a musical soundtrack. Kids Welcome.  FIRST PROGRAM: FEBRUARY 11, 13, 16 A DOG’S LIFE (1918) Thanks to a dog he finds, Charlie ends up in possession of some stolen loot. But the wrongdoers want their ill-gotten gains back. 33m. SHOULDER ARMS (1918) Enlisted during the First World War, Charlie discovers the hard life of the trenches and the dangers of combat. 37m.  SUNNYSIDE (1919) Charlie is a farm laborer who’ll try anything to win over his pretty neighbor, but ends up spending a lot of time in dreamland. 30m.•  SHOWTIMES: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 NOON; MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13  7PM; THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16  9PM. UPCOMING: MARCH 10, 12, 15     A DAY’S PLEASURE,     THE KID APRIL     THE IDLE CLASS,     PAYDAY,     THE PILGRIM MAY     A WOMAN OF PARIS                                  A Woman of Paris JUNE     THE CIRCUS JULY     CITY LIGHTS AUGUST     MODERN TIMES SEPTEMBER     THE GREAT DICTATOR OCTOBER     THE GOLD RUSH NOVEMBER     MONSIEUR VERDOUX DECEMBER     LIMELIGHT JANUARY 2013     A KING IN NEW YORK •Synosis WB and MK2

Weathermen at War: Justin Berk and Gene Norman Go Toe-to-Toe

 

WMAR TV's Justin Berk and Gene Norman, chief meteorologist at KHOU in Houston, are going at it this weekend as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Houston Texans in the second round of the NFL playoffs.

The terms of the bet: Berk’s crab cakes against Norman’s barbeque sauce, which the loser must eat on the air in the opposing team’s gear.

Norman noted that barbeque sauce “goes real good on dead bird.”
“Have you met Ray Rice? Do you know what he can do to you?” Berk shot back.

Awards Season 2012: So Many Movies. So Little Time. So Many Great Cocktails!

I love January.

I'm in the thick of the 2012 entertainment awards season and the screening copies of DVDs have been arriving from Screen Actors Guild in big, padded envelopes. And, I love it.

Here's my blog post on the awards season from last year, 2011.

This year's motion picture award line-up is wonderfully diverse in terms of story-line, era, location, costume...

Because there is such an interesting mix of movies to view, I'm thinking that making a different cocktail for each movie screening would enhance the experience just a tad. Here's what I'm planning.

My Week with Marilyn - I can't find—nor could I ever afford—Monroe's favorite libation: Dom Pérignon 1953. So, a French 75 seems appropriate.

• 2 ounces London dry gin
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 5 ounces Brut champagne

J Edgar - What could be better than a Pink Lady? Not only delicious, but outrageous, pink, smooth, and creamy.

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz applejack
• 1/4 oz lemon juice
• 1-2 dashes grenadine
• 1 egg white
• maraschino cherry for garnish
• Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry.

The Artist - Perfect for this film would be one of my favorites. The classic Sidecar.

• Shake well with cracked ice:
• 1 1/4 oz cognac
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• 3/4 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• Strain into chilled, sugar-rimmed cocktail glass  

The Descendants - No question, Piña Coladas.

• 4 oz. fresh pineapple juice
• 3 oz. rum
• 2 oz. coconut cream
• 2 cups crushed ice
• Pour all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend briefly at high speed. Strain into a glass and serve. Garnish with a slice of fresh pineapple and a cherry.

Iron Lady - Pimms Cup No. 1

• with soda and a big squeeze of lime in a tall glass filled with ice. I learned about Pimms Cup at Joe Allen restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1970s. (Gary was one hell of a bartender.)

Midnight in Paris - Absinthe.

• I have it, I have the slotted spoons, I have the sugar cubes. Enough said.

The Help - A Highball.

• Any highball made with bourbon or corn whisky.

Moneyball - Beer.

• Any cheap beer.

A Better Life - Tequila.

• Una botella grande de Tequila por favor.

You can take it from there, film fans. Let me know what you'd mix-up for the movie, Bridesmaids. I just cannot go there. (Ok, ok, I can. Fuzzy Navels all around.)

Here's cheers to the nominees and the future winners. Clink, clink. I'm having a Manhattan.

Battle of Sexes and Battle of Wits to Explode in Baltimore. Don't Miss the Bang!

The Strand Theater Company marks the midpoint of its fourth season with Sheila Callaghan’s antic revenge story, That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play.

Blending fantasy, feminism, and satire with gonzo bouts of sex and violence, this dark, dark, dark comedy will shake audiences out of their theatrical doldrums and leave them talking well into the night, debating how the media portrays “dangerous women.”

         Pretty, Pretty - Coming to Baltimore's Strand Theatre

VALERIE:
You make an ass of yourself when you stand on a buffet table. You make like you have no self-respect. That is tedious and it's UGLY.
AGNES:
Just because I don't have a blog doesn't mean I don't have something to say.

The script of Pretty, Pretty just gets better and better. Here is the complete update from Baltimore's Strand Theatre:

Baltimore, MD—The Strand Theater Company marks the midpoint of its fourth season with Sheila Callaghan’s antic revenge story, That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play. Blending fantasy, feminism, and satire with gonzo bouts of sex and violence, this dark, dark, dark comedy will shake audiences out of their theatrical doldrums and leave them talking well into the night, debating how the media portrays “dangerous women.”

In That Pretty Pretty…, radical feminist ex-strippers Agnes and Valerie scour the country on a murderous rampage, offing douchey dudes in seedy hotel rooms and blogging their exploits in gruesome detail. Meanwhile, scruffy screenwriter Owen tries to bang out his magnum opus in another seedy hotel room, while his buddy Rodney indulges some baser instincts.

When Owen decides Agnes and Valerie are the cure for his writer’s block and weaves the “dangerous women” into his script, reality unravels. Can Jane Fonda—yes, that Jane Fonda—prevent complete chaos?

The Strand’s Founding Artistic Director, Jayme Kilburn, brings this acerbic acid trip to startling life in what will be her final production with the company...

"It was not an easy decision to leave the Strand, particularly when every season has marked an evolution in scope and quality. This year especially I have been particularly challenged with two great plays: first Anna Bella Eema and now That Pretty Pretty…. Sheila’s material is really jarring for the artists and will be the same for audiences. I sit in rehearsals sometimes disgusted at what we are creating; the characters’ behavior and the physical staging are both so extreme. But this is precisely the kind of challenge I embrace as a director and producer.”

Due to the highly graphic nature of the play, the production is suitable for adult audiences only. Sheila Callaghan's plays include Scab, Crawl Fade to White, Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), We Are Not These Hands, Dead City, Lascivious Something, Kate Crackernuts, and Fever/Dream. Her work has been produced and developed by companies throughout the country, including Woolly Mammoth and Rorschach in DC, Soho Rep and Playwrights Horizons in New York, California’s South Coast Repertory, and Actor's Theatre of Louisville.

Sheila is the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including the Princess Grace Award for emerging artists. She has taught playwriting at Columbia University, The University of Rochester, The College of New Jersey, Florida State University, and Spalding University. Named one of Variety’s “10 Screenwriters to Watch” in 2010, she was one of the staff writers for the Emmy-winning Showtime series, The United States of Tara.

Performance Schedule
Thursday, February 2nd at 8pm (Pay-What-You-Can Dress Rehearsal)
Friday, February 3rd at 8pm (Opening Night: pre-show reception and post-show Q&A)
Saturday, February 4th at 8pm
Friday, February 10th at 8pm
Saturday, February 11th at 8pm
Wednesday, February 15 at 7pm (School Night: students and teachers $3 with ID)
Friday, February 17th at 8pm
Saturday, February 18th at 8pm

Ticket Prices
Adult: $20, Senior (65+): $15, Student: $10, Opening Night: $25

The Strand Theater Company is a community theater dedicated to providing opportunities for women artists, writers, designers, and directors. With a focus on producing works new to Baltimore, the Strand hopes to foster a love of theater for a new generation of patrons. Since launching in 2008, the Strand has presented 14 full-length plays, including six world premieres; offered 75% of the artistic positions on its productions—as playwrights, directors, designers, stage managers, and actors—to women; provided affordable theater space to many organizations and independent artists; and played an integral role in the revitalization of the Station North Arts & Entertainment District

In August 2011, the Strand was honored as one of Baltimore magazine’s “Top 5 Baltimore Theaters,” along with CENTERSTAGE, Everyman, the Hippodrome, and Single Carrot. The Strand is funded by an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.  To learn more about the Strand Theater Company, visit strand-theater.org.

First Promo for the 2012 Academy Awards

 
            1st Oscar trailer for 2012 from AMPAS 

I can't decide if the trailer totally sucks or if it sort-of works. What do you think?

Carol Channing Film Gets Release Dates

Just a couple of weeks ago I wrote about the death of Carol Channing's husband, Harry Kullijian.
That news made me sad.

This news makes me happy.
The documentary, Carol Channing: Larger than Life, took the Tribeca Film Festival by storm. Reviews came in as raves. The film is now being released. The movie poster is shown below.

 

This documentary seems like a wonderful fit for Baltimore's Charles Theatre (I'm thinking of John Waters as a speaker). Let's hope Baltimore books this gem. Here's the release from Entertainment One:

Entertainment One US will release CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE in New York and Los Angeles on January 20, 2012, with additional markets to follow.

The film, directed by Dori Berinstein (ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway, Some Assembly Required, Gotta Dance), examines the life and career of Tony Award-winning Broadway legend, Carol Channing – her extraordinary stage life, her offstage struggles and survival and the extraordinary storybook romance that found her reunited with her junior high school sweetheart after over 70 years.

Carol Channing's life is as colorful as the lipstick on her big, bright smile. In CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE, director Berinstein and co-writer and editor Adam Zucker capture the magic and vivacity of the 90-year-old icon – both onstage and off, past and present. The film is both an intimate love story and a rarefied journey inside Broadway's most glamorous era. It is, above all, a look at an inspiring, incomparable and always entertaining American legend.

 

“My first Broadway show was Hello, Dolly! at the age of five,” commented producer and director Berinstein. “I adored her astonishing brilliance on stage, screen and television, but it is Carol’s life behind-the-curtain that had me completely convinced that hers is a life that must be told.”

Carol Channing has been a Broadway star since stopping the show in the 1948 Broadway revue, Lend an Ear. The following year, she landed on the cover of Time Magazine and won international acclaim her riotous performance as Lorelei Lee in the musical, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her Broadway appearances included Show Girl, The Vamp, Wonderful Town, The Millionairess and Four on a Garden.

In 1964, she created the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly!, winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She would play the role of Dolly over 5,000 times throughout the world, without missing a performance. Channing also received a Special Tony Award in 1968 and a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995.

Channing received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for her performance as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Her other films include Paid in Full, The First Traveling Saleslady, Skidoo, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Her TV specials include “Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl,” “Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey on Broadway” and the White Queen in “Alice Through the Looking Glass”. Other credits include appearances on “What’s My Line?” “I’ve Got a Secret,” “Password,” “Hollywood Squares”; variety shows, including “The Dean Martin Show,” “The Red Skelton Show,” “The Milton Berle Show,” “Rowen & Martin’s Laugh-In,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” “The Muppet Show,” as well as episodes of Playhouse 90, “The Love Boat,” “Magnum P.I.” “The Nanny,” “Touched By an Angel,” “The Drew Carey Show” and “Family Guy”.

Channing made headlines in 2003 when she married her junior high school sweetheart, businessman Harry Kulijian after a 70 year separation. She also released her best selling memoirs, Just Lucky I Guess and has been touring in her one woman show, The First Eighty Years are the Hardest. She released a new CD, For Heaven Sake in 2010, included many of the songs she loved as a child, as well as spirituals taught to her by her father.

Dori Berinstein is a three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer and an award-winning directed and producer of film and television. Documentary features directed and produced by Dori include Gotta Dance (2008), which won the Audience Award at the Palm Beach International Film Festival; Some Assembly Required (2007), which won Best Feature Documentary at the International Family Film Festival and ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway (2007), which won Best Feature Documentary from the Florida Film Festival and was one of the International Documentary Association’s Top 5 Films of 2007.

As a Broadway producer, her credits include Legally Blonde (Best Musical Olivier Award), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Best Musical Tony Award), The Crucible, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Best Revival of a Play Tony Award), Fool Moon (Special Tony Award), Flower Drum Song, Enchanted April and Golden Child.

In addition to Channing and Kulijian, the film includes interviews with Jerry Herman, Lily Tomlin, Chita Rivera, Barbara Walters, Tommy Tune, Tyne Daly, Debbie Reynolds, Phyllis Diller, Loni Anderson, JoAnne Worley and Bruce Vilanch.

CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE is written and edited by Adam Zucker. Director of Photography is Rob Vanalkemade and music is by Craig Sharmat. The film was co-produced by B. Harlan Boll.

What Was on TV New Years Day, 1956?

 

The Jack Benny Program
New Years Day, 1956 
Season 6, episode 7
Original air date: 1 January 1956

Cast: Jack Benny (Jack Benny/ The Old Year), Don Wilson (Don Wilson/ Uncle Sam), Red Sanders (Himself- UCLA Football Coach), Duffy Daugherty (Himself- Michigan State Football Coach), The Sportsmen Quartet (Themselves - Singers), Lois Corbett (Lois Wilson - Columbia), Mel Blanc (Airplane/ Mars), Charles Herbert (The New Year), Gene Twambley (Himself - Sound Man), Gurney Bell (Member - The Sportsman Quartet: uncredited), Bill Days (Member - The Sportsman Quartet: uncredited), Robert Garsen (Member - The Sportsman Quartet: uncredited), Benny Rubin (Audience Member: uncredited), Martin Sperzel (Member - The Spotsman Quartet: uncredited).

56 years ago television was such an infant. The comedy was so gentle and proper, yet somehow, it's still funny. Smart and clever.

Spike Jones Sends a Christmas Greeting to Enoch Pratt Library's Roswell Encina

 

Here is one more All I Want for Christmas for your collection and listening marathon. Happy Holidays!

Desi Arnaz Sang 'Babalu' on 'I Love Lucy' - What in the World Was 'Babalu' About?

The definitive answer came from Desi's son, Desi Arnaz, Jr and the answer surprised me. I suspect that the origins of Babalu just might surprise you, as well.

I knew Desi Arnaz, Sr and I spent time with him in Los Angeles and at his home in Del Mar. As a DGA member, I directed Desi Arnaz, Sr in his final appearances on television, in a series of commercials for a record album, Musical Moments from I Love Lucy, Celebrating the 30th Anniversary. After we finished taping the spots, Desi and I had a brief photo shoot and then we headed back to his hotel, L'Ermitage Beverly Hills. 

  Stephen Brockelman (Me) and Desi Arnaz at TransAmerican Video

I hadn't a clue as to the origins of the song, Babalu, until this month. I hadn't a clue until Desi Jr and Lucie explained the song. I was in awe listening to them speak and thankful for the insight. You will be, also.

Here's the album that Desi and I are holding:

First, to refresh your memory, here's Arnaz Sr singing Babalu. Check out his intensity and passion. At one point it almost seems like an out-of-body experience for him.

 

Roll forward. December 9th 2011. The Paley Center for Media hosted an event, Tropicana Nights: A Salute to the Music of 'I Love Lucy.' The event featured Desi Arnaz, Jr, his sister, Lucie Arnaz, composer, arranger, Ron Abel, and others. Here's a fun clip from the event. You'll enjoy seeing Desi Jr, Lucie, and learning what, I suspect, you many not know about the song, Babalu! It's a fascinating story.

 

After learning about Babalu, I thought back to the night before we taped the TV spots for Desi's Musical Moments album. We made last minute script changes in Desi's hotel room at L'Ermitage. (I wrote the scripts, Desi had final approval, I had the teleprompter people on call for edits). In the room with me were Donald MacIntosh Havens (my life and business partner, and for the shoot, my AD) and Peter Witt (Continuity). 

We all worked well past midnight while Desi, oddly, kept his eye on the clock. At around 11:00 Desi said, "We need a break, besides my son is going to be on Saturday Night Live. Come on over and sit on the bed."

We did and, more than Desi Jr, we watched a father who had an extraordinary level of pride in his son. A clip of Desi Sr and Desi Jr follows. The episode we watched was a rerun from SNL Season 1, Episode 14. Desi Sr nodded, smiled, and beamed like it was the first time he'd ever seen the show.

 

I learned more about Desi Arnaz that night than I could ever had imagined. The next day, Desi and i had a couple of arguments on the set. At one point he cursed and threatened to walk.

I held my ground. Desi was going long on every take and he knew it. At the end of the long, long shoot (we shot one :60 spot and two :30 spots in English and the entire run again in Spanish) Desi put his arm around my shoulder, lit an extraordinary cigar, offered me one, and said, "You're one hell of a director, son." He invited me to dinner.

I've never received higher praise.

[There's a whole lot more to my friendship with Desi Arnaz. For that you'll have to wait for my book, The Wrong Coast. Stay tuned.]

Christmas Was So Simple in 1963

At least it was simple on TV.

Television audiences could vicariously spend Christmas in Mayberry, Beverly Hills, Virginia City, Dodge City, Bryant Park, Los Angeles, or Hilldale.

Some of the popular shows on television in 1963 were: Bonanza, The Donna Reed Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Andy Griffith Show, Gunsmoke, Ben Casey, The Patty Duke Show, and  My Three Sons.

Number 1 in the Nielsen Ratings, as it entered its second season, was The Beverly Hillbillies. Here's the 1963 Christmas episode, Christmas with the Clampetts. It's now in public domain.

 

Oh sure, it's silly and simple comedy. But here's what I find wonderfully refreshing: It's scripted entertainment, there's not a hint of reality TV, and there's not a Kardashian anywhere in sight.

When you get all crazy with your Holiday chores and guest lists, pour a glass of eggnog and take a look back at a simpler time. Merry Christmas, all.

The Best Christmas Gift Ever: Freedom and Security. Let's All Say, "Thanks."

Our troops give us the gift of freedom and security. It's important that we remember our troops every day. It's even more important that we remember them during the Holidays.

You won't see a photo of our troops celebrating Christmas captured on a Currier and Ives print. Christmas for soldiers serving in faraway places is not pretty, it's not an image to put on a greeting card.

I wasn't really aware of what Christmas might be like for our troops until a couple of years before I turned 18. Draft age.

Our family watched Bob Hope, on his 1967 USO tour, visiting the troops at Christmastime. During the broadcast my father, who had returned home from WWII with some massive scars and a Purple Heart, reminded us that what were seeing on television was the prettiest face that could ever be put on an ugly situation, a situation that he called "that tragic mess in Indochina." Watching the broadcast was an eye-opener for me.

1967 was a bloody year in Vietnam. Over 11,000 Americans died in the military conflict that year. Enjoyable moments for our troops serving in 1967 were few and far between. There may have been none at all.

Here's the show our family watched from our living room in Kansas.

 

Bob Hope was the first big star to entertain American troops under the USO banner. He entertained at March Field in May of 1941, just 3 months after the USO was founded.

Comedian Joe E Brown was the first top-shelf name to entertain our troops on frontline bases. Brown's USO tour began in March of 1942. (Brown's own son was killed in a military plane crash in California in 1942.)

There are dozens of ways to support and remember our service members and I hope that you'll find one that touches you. There is a perfect way to support our troops through the USO. Follow this link to the USO Wishbook, and take a look around, read, and please do what you can.

Our troops are doing everything they can possibly do—including giving their lives—every single day to help us have a safe Christmas. It's our turn to give a little something. It's the least we can do.

The USO's financials are online for you to review.