Print out the calendar and let's party. By the way, take special note of the Happy Hour with food from Midtown BBQ and Brew.
The Baltimore Sun likes Midtown BBQ as much as I do. The Sun's reviewer, Eric Maza, wrote:
…Midtown might just be poised to become Mount Vernon’s happy hour nerve center again, thanks to a successful face-lift and a farm-to-table menu that is unapologetically traditional, rich and charmingly displayed on the plate…
Photo courtesy Baltimore Sun, Algerina Perna
…I’ll be coming back, not for the beer, not for the TV, but for an enormous rack of ribs that’ll last me for a couple of days…
…beef is organic, free-range, bought from a Pennsylvania farm and butchered and smoked in-house. This farm-to-table approach, rare among casual restaurants, is one of the restaurant’s assets…
June looks like it will rate high on the BrockelMeter.
You see a lot of wonderful things on Charles Street. But, this is going to be really special. (Read on, you'll thank me, later.)
The Gang's All Here, 1943
This 20th Century-Fox, Technicolor extravaganza features Carmen Miranda, Alice Faye, and James Ellison in a story about a singer and a soldier. The Gang's All Here is a film that one reviewer noted was, "like a male hairdresser's acid trip."
I've seen this Busby Berkeley choreographed movie twice and it's actually a fun, tuneful, and totally garish trip. You'll enjoy it—if not love it—and, you'll never forget it. Did I mention that Benny Goodman and his Orchestra are on stage to provide some extraordinary big band scenes and serious music?
The Gang's All Here, 1943
Details? I know you want details. Here you go:
BUSBY BERKELEY’S
THE GANG’S ALL HERE
FEATURING CARMEN MIRANDA in a RESTORED 35MM PRINT
Berkeley’s own special brand of kaleidoscopic fantasy, turned into psychedelic surrealism by the electric red and greens of 20th Century-Fox’s color processing. Those who consider Berkeley a master consider this his masterpiece. It is his maddest film: chorus girls dissolve into artichokes; there’s a banana xylophone; and Carmen Miranda appears in platform wedgies on an avenue of giant strawberries. -Pauline Kael
SHOW TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 26 11:30 AM MONDAY, MAY 28 7 PM THURSDAY, MAY 31 9 PM.
1943 Dir. Busby Berkeley. Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Edward Everett Horton, Phil Baker, Benny Goodman. Technicolor. Newly restored print! 103 min.
INFINITELY DELIGHTFUL, EFFORTLESSLY INVENTIVE! IT IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD! – Dave Kehr, The New York Times
UTTERLY DERANGED! A kaleidoscope of garish costumes, eye-popping color, psychedelic musical numbers, and some I-can't-believe-the-censors-let-them-get-away-with-that choreography. – New York magazine
Time and again, you can’t believe what you’re witnessing: Berkeley’s camera swoops and soars at seemingly impossible trajectories through crowds of extras; Miranda models an expansive fruit headdress... But nothing can prepare you for the literally kaleidoscopic finale, which includes a gaggle of synchronized showgirls and contains eye-searing imagery that anticipates everything from The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T to Tron. – Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
Here's my personal suggestion: Before you see this brilliant piece of joyous cinematography, have a cocktail or two. Leave all of your preconceived notions of major studio motion pictures at home and have a great time. Revel in the color, the movement, the music, the rhythm, and a little love story. Enjoy.
[A final piece of film trivia. This movie could not be shown in Carmen Miranda's home country of Portugal because of the suggestive nature of the banana dance, Alice Faye was pregnant during much of the filming and the U.S. censors mandated that the dancers must hold the end of the bananas at waist-level, not hip level.]
From my good friend, Laura Rodini, at the Historic Charles Street Association —
Where will you be on Saturday afternoon? That's the day of our Let's Eat Charles Street Festival, and everyone in Baltimore will be there!" Let's Eat Charles Street is the best thing to happen to Charles Street since Starbucks," says Haluk Kantar, owner of Cazbar Restaurant.
With restaurants like The Beef Brothers, Mick O'Sheas, Sascha's, Caribou Coffee, Midtown BBQ & Brew, Lumbini, Mina's Delights, Ban Thai, Cazbar and HomeSlyce Pizza Bar on hand, you can be sure you won't leave feeling hungry.
And I'm proud to say that our Let's Eat Charles Street festival will be the launching pad for Baltimore's first sushi truck, called Noodlerolla. Owner James Sin is the former Executive Chef at Sticky Rice, and his first food truck venture has been highly anticipated. "We will be serving sushi, bento boxes and even Korean fusion," James says.
Music To Your Ears: An Interview with The Carousel Rogues Great food and shopping make up only part of what we have in store for you on May 12th. Six great musical acts will be taking the stage. Here's the lineup:
12-12:30pm - Jenee & Cornell 12:30-1pm - Charles Towers' apartments favorite R&B artist, Kevin Phillips 1-2pm: Andrew Grimm & June Star 2-3pm: Karter Jaymes, a 2-Time Grammy nominee 3-4pm: The McTell Brothers 4-5pm: Our headliners, The Carousel Rogues, sponsored by WTMD
I recently had the pleasure to sit down with The Carousel Rogues' lead singer, Caitlin Nethery Anselmo. "My husband, Zach Anselmo, and I were friends in high school. We started dating a year after we formed a band," Caitlin says. "We fell in love over music."Zach plays guitar and vocals and their friend, Daniel Wiley, rounds things out on keyboard. Their Indie-pop sound was quickly noticed by Baltimore area alternative radio."We played on WTMD's 'Baltimore Unsigned' a few years ago. After we put out our self-titled album, program director Scott Mullins liked one of our songs, 'Clementine,' and added it to their rotation."
"It became the number one song on their station for several weeks." Caitlin says their music is influenced by bands like Weezer, Phantom Planet and The Cardigans. "We definitely have late-90's sensibilities," she laughs, as well as other, indie sounds such as Teenage Fan Club.
"We also like a lot of music from the 1960s. I mean," she adds, "Who's not influenced by The Beatles"?
"Another source Caitlin credits for inspiration may seem unlikely: children's fantasy novels. "I wrote a song about this Andrew Peterson book for laughs. Dan (the keyboardist) encouraged me to send it to the author - we found his email address on his website. Andrew liked it so much he actually passed it on to his producer, Ben Shive. He reached out to me a couple months later about meeting up in Nashville to discuss working on some kind of project together. That's how our first record got started.
"The Carousel Rogues will begin recording their second album in Nashville this July. They'll be playing Clementine at our festival. So all you WTMD lovers, be sure to check them out! See you all on Saturday!
A Few Festival Nuts and Bolts Of course, putting on a street festival requires lots of help from different sources, and I would like to thank Carrollton Bank for their generous sponsorship, and the City of Baltimore for all of their assistance in securing our permits. The entire 300 block of N. Charles Street between Saratoga and Mulberry Streets will be closed to traffic as of 4:30 am on Saturday. So if you normally park there on the weekends, make sure you have another spot by then. Here are two alternatives: Our friends at PMS Parking offer weekend specials at their St. Paul Garage (behind the Tremont, at the corner of Charles & Saratoga) and their Franklin Street Garage (next to the Pope Garden at the intersection of Charles & Franklin). You can park all day at either garage for just $5.
The following bus schedule is in effect on Saturday, May 12 between Saratoga and Mulberry Streets: The No.3, 11 and 64 Lines will operate their regular route on northbound Charles Street. They will be diverted left on Fayette Street, right on Park Avenue, right on Mulberry Street, then back to their regular route on Charles Street. Bus stops at Fayette, Lexington, and Saratoga Streets, will be inoperative on Saturday, May 12th until 6pm.Southbound routes are all on streets other than Charles Street and will not be affected.
How You Can Help Out! I've also been getting a lot of questions from folks who want to know what they can do to help out on May 12. This is what I'm telling them:If you like us: Come on out and support our 40 local businesses and great live music that afternoon. And while you're here, make sure you fill out one of our surveys provided by our friends at The Downtown Partnership. We'll have raffle tickets for $75 worth of Zipcar driving credit to give away for filling it out! And if you like us, you like us, you really, really like us: You will consider volunteering a few hours of your time on Saturday. Our beer & wine tent and donation tables are already well staffed, but I'd love to have a few more folks help us with our setup between 9am and noon on Saturday, or manning our 2 awesome bounce houses in our children's play area. Please email me if you're interested, and my sincerest thanks for your support! — Laura Rodini
On Wednesday, May 2, at 1:00 pm, C Street Brass, a quintet founded by Conservatory students, will perform baroque, tango, and jazz crossover works at a free concert presented by WBJC in the Fine Arts Theater at Baltimore City Community College, 2901 Liberty Heights Avenue.
Faculty artist Joe Burgstaller, trumpet, will present Change Your Mind, Change Your Playing, a performance master class for all instruments, on Thursday, May 3, at 7:00 pm in Room LH414 (Leakin Hall). The class will include mock juries and other jury prep.
Courtney Orlando, violin and voice, who teaches ear training at the Conservatory, will give benefit performances for Mount Vernon Music Space, 1015 North Charles Street, on Friday, May 4, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 6, at 3:30 pm. On the program are works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Astor Piazzolla, Caleb Burhans, and Michael Rickelton (MM ’10, Composition). Percussionist Terry Sweeny, a junior, will also perform. For more information, visit mountvernonmusicspace.com.
Soprano Jennifer Holbrook (MM ’09, Voice; GPD ’11, Opera), tenor and countertenor Peter Lee (BM ’06, MM ’08, Voice), and baritone Kevin Wetzel (MM ’06, GPD ’08, Voice) will perform with the Peabody Concert Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore Orchestra and Symphonic Chorale, Peabody-Hopkins Chorus, Peabody Singers, and Peabody Children's Chorus at the Patricia and Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric, 140 West Mount Royal Avenue, on Saturday, May 5, at 8:00 pm. Edward Polochick, artistic director of Concert Artists of Baltimore and a Peabody faculty member, will conduct the collaborative performances of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Tickets are $28 and $38 and may be purchased by visiting lyricoperahouse.com or calling 410-900-1150. Student rush tickets may be purchased for $10 each at the Lyric Box Office starting one hour prior to the performance.
Brian Ganz, Peabody Faculty Artist
Faculty artist Brian Ganz, piano, will perform Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra with the National Philharmonic Orchestra as part of an all-Debussy program on Saturday, May 5, at 8:00 pm. The concert will take place at The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. For tickets, visit nationalphilharmonic.org.
The Peabody Children's Chorus, directed by Doreen Falby, will present The Poet Sings, a program of music set to the words of Shakespeare, Blake, Dickens, Dickinson, and other great poets, on Sunday, May 6, at 3:00 pm in Peabody's Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall. Tickets are $5. To purchase tickets, call the Peabody Box Office at 410-234-4800. Also that day at 3:00 pm, an ensemble from the Peabody Children's Chorus will appear in a performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society in the Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson. For tickets, visit baltimorechoralarts.org.
Free noon recitals At this week's free Thursday Noon recital in Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall, Brassivity—trumpeters Yanbin Chen and Tristan Clarke, hornist Joel Watts, trombonist Emily Joseph, and tubist Scott Miller—will perform Bach's Fugue in G minor, Michael Kamen's Quintet, and the Allegro Vivo movement from Eugene Bozza's Sonatine for Brass; violinist Szu-Yun Chiu, cellist Young Eun Lee, and pianist Sejoon Park will perform Schubert's Trio No. 1 in B-flat major; and violinist Erica Richardson, cellist Antoinette Gan, and pianist Choo Choo Hu will perform Dvorák's Trio No. 1 in B-flat major.
On Friday, May 4, at noon, there will be a free performance by Conservatory harp students in the Peabody on the Court series at the Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street.
Remember, fellow members, we now have the power to speak with a unified voice.
On May 19-20, the SAG-AFTRA National Board will consider a unanimous recommendation by the Executive Committee to implement a Do Not Work notice against music video productions.
Once implemented, SAG-AFTRA members may not accept employment as performers in any music video not produced under a SAG-AFTRA contract. A Do Not Work order for music videos is a result of the major record labels refusing to agree to a contract that meets the critical needs of music video performers.
This action will affect any SAG-AFTRA member hired to sing, dance, act or otherwise perform as talent on any music video that is not covered by the appropriate SAG-AFTRA contract, except for a royalty artist who is already contractually obligated to deliver certain services under an existing royalty agreement with a record label. Specifically included are SAG-AFTRA members working as dancers, singers, choreographers, cameo performers, models, actors, and most other talent. SAG-AFTRA members who violate a Do Not Work order can be subject to discipline, up to and including expulsion from membership.
This action follows performers’ efforts to secure an industry-wide contract for music video work, which most recently involved several rounds of contract discussions with the major record labels throughout 2011. SAG-AFTRA is continuing its efforts to reach agreement with the labels however this action is necessary because the labels have failed to agree to some of the most basic contract terms. Some of the outstanding issues involve guaranteed access to water and toilet facilities, proper safety protections for hard surface dancing, overtime provisions, health and retirement contributions and standardized rates of pay.
Please stand together with your fellow SAG-AFTRA members and fellow performers for safety and dignity on the job. Together we can ensure a safe and fair future for all of us.
If you have questions or wish to volunteer to support your fellow SAG-AFTRA members who are working to ensure basic union standards on music videos, you can help by contacting:
Growing up, the Bee Gees touched me. They often had a plaintive, reflective sound that I'd never heard before.
Readers, if you are so inclined, say a little prayer for Robin or send good wishes. I am.
UPDATE: (CNN) -- Bee Gees star Robin Gibb is in a coma and has pneumonia, the latest turn in health issues that include a recent battle with colon and liver cancer, his representative confirmed Saturday.
Doctors believe that Gibb, 62, has a secondary tumor, representative Doug Wright said, confirming a news account in The Sun in the United Kingdom. Gibb had emergency surgery in 2010 for a blocked bowel and then had more surgery for a twisted bowel, Wright confirmed.
His brother Maurice died in 2003 of a twisted bowel.
Brother Andy died at age 30 from a heart infection.
The Brothers Gibb -- calling themselves the Bee Gees -- soared to renown as one of the most successful British groups after the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" starring John Travolta was built around the group's disco songs. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, the Bee Gees have sold more than 200 million albums, and their soundtrack album to "Saturday Night Fever" was the top-selling album until Michael Jackson's "Thriller" claimed that distinction in the 1980s.
UPDATE - May 21, 2012—Robin Gibb dies at 62.
"The family of Robin Gibb ... announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," a statement posted on his official website said.
"The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."
Here comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin' down the bunny trail, Hippity hoppin', Easter's on its way Bringin' ev'ry girl and boy A basketful of Easter joy Things to make your Easter Bright and gay He's got jelly beans for Tommy Colored eggs for sister Sue There's an orchid for your mommy And an Easter bonnet too. Oh! Here' comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin' down the bunny trail Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day Look at him hop and listen to him say, "Try to do the things you should" Maybe if you're extra good He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way
You'll wake up on Easter morning And you'll know that he was there When you find those choc'late bunnies That he's hiding ev´rywhere, Oh! Here' comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin' down the bunny trail Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day.
And, lest we forget, there's this wonderful little song from the Gene Autry archives: Bunny Round-up Time.
Jacob and I hope you enjoy your 2012 Easter with family and friends.
Once again KSWB, the FOX television affiliate in San Diego, treats a gaffe with good humor. And regarding Meat Loaf and meatloaf—just for the record—I actually enjoy a piece of each.
Here's an important letter from the Peabody Institute via Margaret Bell.
Vintage Postcard of the Peabody on North Charles Street
Dear Fellow Baltimore-Area Arts Organizations:
As you know, this year the Peabody Institute will produce its first summer issue of Arts Alive. This is a reminder that we are currently looking for your performing arts events, from June 1 to Sept. 15, for inclusion in the Arts Alive.
The deadline for those submissions is Thursday, March 15. (If you need more time, please let me know.) These listings are free of charge. This third annual issue will be a stand-alone publication, distributed in the same quantities as the fall and spring Peabody Magazine inserts.
Peabody continues to work with the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and the BaltimoreFunGuide.com to provide a comprehensive listing of music, dance, and theatre events in the Baltimore/Washington region.
Concerts & Event Listings Deadline for Event Information: Thursday, March 15
Since your organization is located in Baltimore City or the five contiguous counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard) your event information will be pulled directly from the BaltimoreFunGuide.com.
Your events must be listed on this site to be included. Many of you are currently working with the GBCA and have a user name and password to enter events through the BaltimoreFunGuide Content Management tool, but if you do not, please contact GBCA at gbca@baltimoreculture.org or 410-230-0200 to learn more about accessing the system.
Arts Alive is a special tear-out section in Peabody Magazine published twice a year and a guide to arts around the region. Arts Alive is distributed free of charge to cultural institutions in Mount Vernon, Downtown Baltimore, the Baltimore Visitors Center, and DC. Please let me know if you’d like to receive copies at your venue.
Advertising Information – Deadlines for Advertising Spring Issue: Space reservation, March 31; Art due April 5
The Gazelle Group, Inc. is the advertising representative for the Peabody Magazine and Arts Alive. The Gazelle Group currently represents the Johns Hopkins Gazette and other local publications. Questions regarding advertising should be directed to Julie Wittelsberger at the Gazelle Group, Inc., (443) 275-2687 or gazellegrp@comcast.net
If that doesn't seem extraordinary in these days of instant online ticketing, online seat choices, and online payments, think about this: It happened in January of 1974. It happened in the days of "line up at the box office for your paper ticket" and buy the best ticket you're offered before the box office ticket master looks over your shoulder and yells, "Next".
A CD of the Legendary Liza Concert is being released!
Masterworks Broadway has announced the release Liza Minnelli’s historic concert album "Legends Of Broadway: Liza Minnelli Live At The Winter Garden" on April 3rd digitally at www.masterworksbroadway.com, and on May 8th at other digital retailers and all hard-copy retailers.
This long-awaited Minnelli performance recording—recorded 38 years ago—is derived from the original master engineered by Phil Ramone.
The concert recording includes performances from Minnelli’s legendary Broadway show in January 1974 as well as three recently discovered live bonus tracks that were recorded but not included on the original LP for space reasons that recordings on vinyl dictated. The bonus tracks include Stevie Wonder’s "You and I" and standards "It Had to Be You" and "My Shining Hour."
From the press release:
The story behind the recording is an interesting one. The 27-year-old dynamo had sold out an entire month’s run of 24 concerts in 36 hours, setting a house record for the Winter Garden Theater. The show itself, which opened on January 6, was simply titled Liza.
The album Liza Minnelli Live At The Winter Garden was quickly released by Columbia Records in April, but had to be withdrawn from the market due to contractual conflicts over her performance of songs from the Cabaret film score, which were available on the then-current soundtrack album. Only pirated versions of the album have circulated since. This is the first time that the entire show will come out on CD and digital release.
Like Cabaret, Liza was directed by Bob Fosse, who choreographed it with Ron Lewis. Marvin Hamlisch served as musical director, and the celebrated songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb supplied Minnelli with new songs for the shows.
"The thing about doing a show like Liza is that every song means something," Minnelli reflects. "Fred and John were so brilliant at building a show, plus I had Marvin, so we tried all kinds of different rundowns and finally came up with what you hear on the album, and thank God it worked! But you keep trying, and don’t get satisfied with anything but the best."
Here's the track-list:
1 Overture – Liza With A "Z", Ring Them Bells, I Can See Clearly Now, Maybe This Time, and Cabaret 2 If You Could Read My Mind, Come Back To Me 3 Shine On Harvest Moon 4 Exactly Like Me 5 The Circle 6 More Than You Know 7 I'm One Of The Smart Ones 8 Natural Man 9 I Can See Clearly Now 10 And I In My Chair (Et Moi Dans Mon Coin) 11 There Is A Time (Le Temps) 12 Quiet Thing 13 Anywhere You Are, I Believe You 14 Cabaret Medley – Curtain Bows, Cabaret 15 You and I (Bonus Track) 16 It Had to Be You (Bonus Track) 17 My Shining Hour (Bonus Track)
About Minnelli: An Oscar winner for her performance in the movie version of "Cabaret," Minnelli has also earned Tony Awards for her performances in Flora, the Red Menace, The Act, Liza's at the Palace, as well as a special 1974 Tony. She also presented a tribute to her late father Minnelli on Minnelli at the Palace and has appeared in the films "The Sterile Cuckoo," "Arthur," "New York, New York" and "Stepping Out." The singer is also a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress.
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.
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.
An urgent note to all of my fellow SAG and AFTRA members in Baltimore and Washington, DC:
By now you should have received a hefty, Tiffany blue envelope. If you haven't received it, please call your union local at (301) 657-2560 or (800) 724-0767.
SAG - AFTRA Merger Package
The package contains:
an introductory letter, 10 pages
a FAQ and Contact document, 8 pages
a P&H, H&R, Feasibility Report, 32 pages
the SAG-AFTRA Constitution, Dues Structure, Merger Agreement document, 86 pages
the Ballot
the Secret Ballot envelope (with QR codes)
the return mail envelope (with bar code and QR codes)
SAG - AFTRA merger package
It's a formidable package. And, as a SAG or AFTRA member, it is the most important group of documents that you've ever received from your union. The ballot enclosed in your package is—without a doubt—the most important ballot you'll ever receive from your union. After you review the material, I urge you to vote YES for MERGER.
And, when you vote YES, you'll be in good company.
The Amercian Federation of Musicians supports the merger. The entertainment trade magazine, Variety, reports:
The American Federation of Musicians has endorsed the proposed merger between the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, joining Actors' Equity in blessing the union.The exec board of the AFM said it is in "full support" of the merger pact. "When ratified by the group's memberships, the uniting of the two groups will result in a more powerful and united face to represent workers in both film and broadcasting," the AFM said.
Ballots went out this week to 120,000 SAG members and 70,000 AFTRA members, who include actors, broadcasters, DJs, singers and dancers, with a tabulation date of March 30. To be approved, the merger must receive at least 60% of the votes from each union.
"The proposed merger is a historic step and is a symbol of unity for the entertainment sector and for the entire labor movement," said AFM president Ray Hair. "For decades, AFTRA and SAG have stood prominently and proudly for dignity and justice in the entertainment industry workplace. The joining of these two great unions will focus union power toward a better future for the media business, not only here in the United States but throughout the world."
And our brothers and sisters who work on the Great White Way support the SAG-AFTRA merger. The Hollywood Reporter's Jonathan Handel wrote:
The national Council of Actors Equity voted unanimously Tuesday night to endorse the planned merger of SAG and AFTRA. The vote by the nearly century-old union, which represents performers in live stage productions, adds fuel to the movement toward a combined SAG-AFTRA.
The Equity motion was a single sentence: “AEA strongly supports SAG and AFTRA in their proposal to merge their Unions.”
In response, SAG president Ken Howard thanked Equity president Nick Wyman and the Council, and said, “We're honored by their action today and by the support of Equity members, who are very often members of SAG and AFTRA as well.”
He added, “There¹s a real spirit of unity in our ranks, and it can only serve to make us all stronger.”
Before you vote YES, please read this document so that you may vote YES with confidence:
MYTHS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF the SAG - AFTRA MERGER
MYTH #1: Merger will jeopardize my pension. MERGER FACT: Your accrued pension benefits are protected by federal law. Benefits can only be reduced under certain conditions relating to plans in financial distress. Neither the AFTRA Plan nor the SAG plan is in that situation – both plans are in the “green zone.” As explained in the Feasibility Report, a merger of the plans would make it less likely that that your pension plan reaches the level of financial distress that places your accrued benefits in jeopardy: Multi-employer plan mergers do not pose any increase in the risk of loss of benefits to plan participants according to the government agency in charge of mergers. Indeed, the law requires that if pension plans are merged, the plans’ trustees have a legal obligation to ensure that no participant’s accrued benefits will be less after the merger than it was before.
And finally, my personal thanks to SAG, AFTRA, the labor attorneys, and the AFL-CIO consultants for creating one of the finest collective bargaining agreements ever written.
According to The New York Times, "As [Breakfast at Tiffany's] celebrates its 50th anniversary, the familiar town house at 169 East 71st Street where Holly Golightly lived and hosted her wild cocktail parties has gone on the market for $5.85 million.
"The four-story house, which is in a landmark district, figured prominently in the 1961 film. It was here that Holly Golightly, as played by Audrey Hepburn, lived alongside Paul Varjak, the aspiring writer played by George Peppard."
Yearly taxes are $29,845 on the 3,200 sq ft property which is on the small side for New York townhouses. The building on 72st Street, off Lexington, is currently configured as two duplex apartments and will be delivered vacant to the new owner.
If you have another million or two for renovations and reconfiguration, it would make an outstanding single family residence with ground space to create a wonderful garden.
Paul Varjak, "I never could do that."
Robert Browne at Corcoran has the listing. By the way, did you know that the kitty that played Cat in the movie was an actor kitty that, in real life, was named Putney?
These are exceptional tickets and they can be yours "If," as Rod Roddy used to say, "the Price is Right." These tickets aren't just for the awards broadcast - They are your pass to the GRAMMY Celebration Party, also. The proceeds from this sale benefit the GRAMMY Museum. Here are the details:
You and a friend can attend the 2012 GRAMMY Awards and GRAMMY Celebration Party on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles!
This package includes two Silver Level Tickets to the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards and two tickets to the 2012 GRAMMY Celebration after-party
The GRAMMY Celebration Party is The Recording Academy®'s official after-party. Inspired by images of Rio's Carnival, this year's all-star gathering will be a euphoric event where guests will dance, sing, party and continue to celebrate Music's Biggest Night®. The night's festivities will be catered and produced by Along Came Mary Productions.
One of the year's most anticipated events attracting GRAMMY winners, nominees and celebrities, the 2012 GRAMMY Celebration will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 12 immediately following the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
Terms: Valid for two silver level tickets to the 2012 GRAMMY awards and access for two to the Recording Academy's GRAMMY Celebration Party on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. Cannot be returned or exchanged. Travel and accommodations are not included.
Visual theatre returns to Theatre Project for two weeks in March with dynamic performances by Baltimore based Nana Projects and Miwa Matreyek, a multi-media artist from L.A.
In conjunction with QuestFest 2012, Quest Visual Theatre's biennial premier international visual theatre festival, Theatre Project will present Nana Project's Alonzo's Lullaby March 9 - 11, and Miwa Matreyek's Myth and Infrastructure and Dreaming of lucid Living March 16 - 18. Talk-backs with the artists will be held following each performance.
In Alonzo's Lullaby, gorgeous hand manipulated cut outs tell a tale of madness, passion and intrigue. Inspired by the Hagenback-Wallace Circus train wreck of 1918, this work is performed by three puppeteers (aka lanterneers) who project 2-dimensional images made of plastic and acrylic gels onto a screen with three overhead projectors. Relying on inventive tricks including scrolls of plastic, masking illusions, and faders allow the puppeteers to manipulate the pieces of plastic with a fluidity that is often mistaken for animation.
Alonzo's Lullaby is a luminous, richly-hued, shadow puppet play for adults, with original score performed by singer/songwriter ellen cherry. Funded by the Jim Henson Foundation, Alonzo's Lullaby received the prestigious Union Internationale de la Marionette citation of excellence in puppetry.
Miwa Matreyek's Myth and Infrastructure and Dreaming of Lucid Living are live performances with projected animation. As the artist walks behind the screen, her shadow becomes an integral part of the animated world - she crosses from domestic/home spaces of kitchens and dining room tables to oceanscapes and cityscapes in a fantastical journey.
Matreyek's performances can be viewed as a cinematic experiences taking place on a screen. What is seen on the screen is a collapsed product of multiple layers of animation, objects and body. Her work exists in a juxtaposition of illusion and non-illusion.
Showtimes
Alonzo's Lullaby
Friday, March 9 @ 7:00pm Saturday March 10 @ 3:00pm and 8:00 pm Sunday, March 11 @ 3:00pm
Myth and Infrastructure and Dreaming of Lucid Living
Friday, March 16 @ 7:00pm Saturday March 17 @ 3:00pm and 8:00 pm Sunday, March 18 @ 3:00pm
Tickets for all shows
General Admission ~ $20 Seniors/Artists/Military ~ $15 Students ~ $10
** ASL sign language interpreters will be provided for the March 9 & 11 performances of Alonzo's Lullaby and the March 16 & 18 performances of Myth and Infrastructure and Dreaming of Lucid Living. **
Alonzo's Lullaby, Myth and Infrastructure, and Dreaming of Lucid Living are being presented as part of QuestFest, a two-week international visual theatre festival. QuestFest features groundbreaking work from exceptional performers and companies dedicated to the use of movement, gesture, and digital media to tell stories. By stripping away the artifice of language, QuestFest builds bridges between disparate communities and cultures.
QuestFest is funded in part by the United States Department of Education, the Herbert Bearman Foundation, the John J. Leidy Foundation, VSA/MetLife Foundation, and Target.
[Thanks to my friend, Daniel Waldman at Evolve Communications for the heads-up on this one.]
AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR BROS PRODUCTION OF VALHELLA
VALHELLA: The Ragnarøkkoperetta is the third feature-length rock opera from the Baltimore Rock Opera Society. A dreamlike depiction of the end of the Gods, VALHELLA tells the story of three crippled sons of Odin as they are tempted and twisted by the progeny of Loki. VALHELLA is set to a power-metal soundtrack, annihilating the minds of all and initiating the foretold apocalypse!
VALHELLA will run for two consecutive weekends on May 11-13 and 18-20. Rehearsals are scheduled to begin on February 22.
The auditions will be Tuesday February 14 and Wednesday February 15 from 7-10PM. Additional audition times will be made by appointment only. All auditions will be at the Autograph Playhouse (The old Showtime Theatre), which is located at 9 West 25th Street Baltimore, MD.
Please RSVP to valhella.auditions@gmail.com with your name in the subject line. Please include your audition day in the email body. Auditions will be held on a first come-first serve basis. If you have a scheduling constraint, please include that information in your email.
Bring your Headshot & Resume if you have one, but if you don’t have one, don’t let that stop you!
For the auditions: Please prepare a short (one minute or less) monologue. Please prepare a short ROCKING SONG to be sung acapella. The style of music to be performed is folk, power-metal, and operatic style rock vocals, however all vocal style are encouraged to try out. If you haven’t prepared anything but still want to audition, please come anyway! We’ll have you read sides from the script.
LIST OF ROLES
Odin - large male 20s through older than dirt, ruler of Asgard, king of the gods. Loki - male 20s-40s, mischevious shape-shifting god, father of the three progeny. Ivar, Har & Kar - Three crippled brothers, descendants of odin, Male, some vocal ability necessary. 3 Norns - female weavers of destiny, singing necessary 3 MaidensHel - Female ruler of the underworld, we need a screamer (hardcore singer) Fenrir (voice only) - the voice of a giant wolf descended from Loki Jorgmungandr (voice only) - the the voice of a giant snake descended from Loki Villagers - male and female, range of ages, (including one singing old man, and one small child) some singing parts
NON SINGING ROLES
Firenr (puppeteer) - a puppeteer/movement expert for a giant wolf. Jorgmungandr (puppeteer) - a puppeteer/movement expert for a giant snake.
The Baltimore Rock Opera Society is a NON UNION, VOLUNTEER organization. Actors will be compensated with a seat amongst the gods; however no human moneys will be given. To learn more about the BROS and their epic history, please visit our website at http://baltimorerockopera.org
[signed in script: A Merry X Mass to you all (Will)]
What ever you have to say about good ol' Will, you can't call him sentimental. And, he certainly wasn't into waxing bucolic.
No sir, no snowy scenes of Baltimore, no holiday theme, no close-ups of churches for Will. Nothing at all warm and fuzzy.
He appears to have been a cut-to-the chase kind of guy.
I wonder who he was? I wonder why he was in Baltimore? I wonder who his family was?
Vintage postcards fascinate me in much the same way that Twitter fascinates me. Both are forms of extremely short communication that can be read by most anyone who happens to see it. They both convey and publicly display personal messages, sell products, add to an organization's marketing mix, and many times carry photos along with bragging rights. Both forms of communication let friends know where you are, where you've been, and what you did there.
Fort McHenry Centennial Postcard, Baltimore 1912
Postcard writers and Twitter authors use a form of highly abbreviated writing that would almost never be acceptable in another format. The language for postcard writers is actually called Postcardese. And, both postcards and Twitter can create a highly charged impact; sometimes the message is vital and urgent.
The postcard business in the United States became a full-on craze between 1903 and 1915, reaching its zenith around 1906.
And a look back at some of the early postcards is just plain fun, if not educational. Here's a 2-and-a-half-minute look at old Baltimore via the picture postcard.
One day someone may look back at your Tweets and photos and make a fun little show like this one. Hey it could happen. Remember that...
...every public tweet, ever, since Twitter’s inception in March 2006, will be archived digitally at the Library of Congress. That’s a LOT of tweets, by the way: Twitter processes more than 50 million tweets every day, with the total numbering in the billions.
Enjoy. And that's song is a cute little ditty, yes?
When a production fact-sheet mentions the word "Deco" in the set description, it gets my attention. When a press release mentions nearly 500 Magnums of Taittinger Brut La Française Champagne I'm all over it.
The 2012 SAG Awards show is going to be bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than ever.
The event will take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. And, for each and every event the Shrine needs some serious attention. Here's the backgrounder:
To create a dramatic arrivals area, impressive set and intimate dinner setting for the world’s leading actors who are gathering on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 the SAG Awards staff must transform the Shrine Auditorium entrance and the adjoining Exposition Center. The Shrine complex is Los Angeles landmark built in 1920 in Spanish Colonial Revival style with Moorish detailing. It’s grandiose and beautiful on the outside, but the inner space of the Shrine’s Exposition Center, with its 34,000 square foot wooden floor, paint-trimmed overhangs and bare columns, has to be redefined for each event.
So then, what will the SAG Awards be bringing to the table for 2012?
FOR THE STAR STUDDED ARRIVALS AND TO TRANSFORM THE SHOWROOM
The SAG Awards will:
Lay 15,872 square feet of red carpet in the arrivals area, edged by 585 lineal feet of hedges
Accommodate 300 fans in three-row six-foot high bleachers placed along an 180’ section of the red carpet arrivals area
In the event of rain, protect the red carpet from the elements by 23,530 square feet of tenting
Post five 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet and onstage.
Lay 11,800 square feet of black carpet in the interior Shrine entrance and the showroom.
Drape the interior Shrine entrance with 4,575 square feet of charcoal/silver shimmer fabric
Post three 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet.
Cover the showroom walls with 15,000 square feet of black drape to create a neutral background and block sunlight.
On the stage, install 700 feet of steel tubing to support 120 running feet of 22’ high set walls punctuated by eight gold and platinum fluted columns and a central radiating backlit golden sunburst. Two stepped deco arches will be accented by 30 feet of translucent etched fins. Crowning the stage will be 400 feet of gold-leafed and copper-leafed deco molding, illuminated by 400 feet of warm white neon tubing.
Float a 20’ wide “silver screen” framed by a platinum and gold screen-surround illuminated by 80 feet of embedded LED lights at center stage in front of 200 running feet of 30’ high fiber-optic star cloth.
Line the stage floor with 150 '4’x8’ sheets of black Formica.
Above the stage hang a 5-foot square crystal beaded art deco chandelier that will be echoed by the four chandeliers hung from the Expo Hall’s ornate ceiling.
TO SET THE DINNER TABLES, the SAG Awards will:
Place over 3,600 Opus champagne, wine and water glasses, 2,400 pieces Scalini silver flatware and 1,200 square glass dinner plates, on 86 rectangular dinner tables and over 2,400 glasses at two 16’ beverage bars and two wine tasting bar.
Create custom table coverings from 1306 linear yards of gunmetal crinkled organza, complemented by 1,200 silver satin matte lined napkins
Soften 1,200 Silver “Simply X” Chameleon chairs with 1,200 black suede seat cushions
Create a stunning visual setting through the use of florals. This year's inspiration is a return to the roots. It is an organic approach using the various elements of foliage creating a textured landscape in shades of greens. The compositions incorporate thousands of stems of various foliage, green dianthus, various grasses, calathea, equisetum highlighted with hundreds of succulents, complimented with over 3,000 blossoms of miniature green cymbidium orchids and 4,000 white miniature cala lilies. Each of the arrangements is made in a glass container lined with frosted glass adding a slightly contemporary look to the textured landscaped style. It is the look of a newer Hollywood.
THE DINNER MENU
Guests will dine on antipasto plates conceived by James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin, deliciously prepared and artfully arranged by Lucques Catering, consisting of:
MAIN PLATE:
Slow-roasted salmon with yellow beets, spicy carrot salad and raita
Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
Grilled chicken breast with black rice, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigre
VEGETARIAN PLATE:
Spicy carrot salad with yellow beets, cucumber and black mustard seeds
Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
Black rice salad with english peas, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigrette
To prepare this menu, Lucques' order for the SAG Awards from their select group of purveyors. Their order includes:
Champagne Taittinger and Dry Creek Vineyard are providing champagne and wine for the SAG Awards for the 12th consecutive year. Both are multi-generational family-owned companies. Taittinger and Dry Creek are generous supporters of the SAG Foundation, as is the SAG Awards newest beverage sponsor, FIJI® Water.
Champagne Taittinger is serving:
1 magnum of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française for the Champagne Taittinger toast that opens the SAG Awards Red Carpet. Each magnum contains 500 million bubbles!
234 magnums of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française in the showroom
144 magnums of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française at the post-Awards gala
Dry Creek Vineyard is serving:
For the tables: 126 magnums of Dry Creek Vineyard’s 2006 Endeavour, a Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine and 252 bottles of the 2010 Sonoma County Fumé Blanc, rated 90 points by Winereviewonline.com.
Dry Creek Vineyard’s wine-tasting bars will offer a selection that includes the newly released 2009 Russian River Valley Foggy Oaks Chardonnay and the 2007 The Mariner from the Dry Creek Valley, rated 93 points from Winereviewonline.com. A total of 132 bottles will be available for tasting.
FIJI Water is serving:
2760 liters of FIJI’s natural artesian water served in the showroom and at the post-Awards Gala
Another 15,120 third-liters served to staff, crew and the more than 800 media and 300 fans in the bleachers as well as placed in the Gala gift bags.
The above is just the tip-of-the-iceburg of what it takes to put together the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for 2012.
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.
