Baltimore21201.Com - The Blog

I've Said it Before—Time and Time Again—Baltimore's Entertaining!

Alternate title for this blog post:
A Boy and His Photog.

Looking out of our windows, we see ever-changing theatre. We see sky shows with helicopters, bi-planes, and blimps soaring around—sometimes at eye-level. We see, and listen to, concerts courtesy of the Downtown Partnership and the myriad of vocal and instrumental artists who arrive ready to entertain for just our smiles and applause. We have Street Fairs, Farmer's Markets, and Art Shows.

And day and night, we see hundreds of different people doing hundreds of different things in hundreds of different windows.

Now and then we are treated to a special, more intimate show.

A Boy and His Photog 1 - Sheraton, Baltimore

A Boy and His Photog 2 - Sheraton, Baltimore

A Boy and His Photog 3 - Sheraton, Baltimore

Nude photo shoots in hotels seem to be very innocent—often comically-funny-from-a-distance—events to catch a glimpse of. It can take a longtime for the photographer to get all of the "living props" where they should be. Photographing nude models makes photographing fresh cut flowers, raw seafood and meat, and ready-to-serve food seem like child's play.

By the way, if this post seems off topic, I assure you that some of the poses that these models construct truly qualify them to be designated: Performing Artist. Hey, their poses almost qualify them to be in Cirque Du Soleil.

Ok then, that's all on this topic. Well, until the Fireman's Convention arrives in Baltimore, later this year.

Washington DC's Hirshhorn Museum: The Building is Going to be Transformed!

                 Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC - "Song 1"

Jacob and I have this installation on our must-see list:

Doug Aitken: SONG 1

March 22, 2012 to May 13, 2012

Internationally renowned artist Doug Aitken (b. California, 1968; lives and works in Los Angeles and New York) will transform the Hirshhorn’s iconic circular building into “liquid architecture.”

Using nearly a dozen high-definition projectors, Aitken will seamlessly blend imagery to envelop the entire façade of the Gordon Bunshaft–designed structure with a 360-degree panorama that will make the Museum recede into cinematic space—rotating, rising, and evolving into new forms.

                                      Artist, Doug Aitken

Exploding film conventions, the work cannot be viewed from any single perspective or at any single moment in time. Visitors must walk the perimeter of the building in order to experience the work more fully.

                Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC - "Song 1"

This site-specific commission will remain on view each evening for nearly two months. More than a temporary artwork, this truly original piece will also become part of the Hirshhorn’s permanent collection, enhancing its ever-expanding holdings of cutting-edge time-based media.

Visit the Hirshhorn Museum online to learn more.

REVIEW: Kitchen Nightmares - Cafe Hon

On Kitchen Nightmares, airing tonight, Gordon Ramsey sits down to sample the food at his latest restaurant in distress, Baltimore's Cafe Hon.

Served a plate of the restaurant's signature meatloaf, Ramsey says, "Looks like a flamingo turd just landed on my plate." And that may just be the highlight, the pinnacle, of the episode 15, season 5.

Here's the meatloaf in question:

                                 Meatloaf, the money shot

The series, Kitchen Nightmares, is a formula show, yes. The formula, though, has become a sorry cliche much like the restaurateur in question.

The show is just the typical, electronic airing of dirty laundry on a national scale that for some reason continues to pass for entertainment—much like the side shows of carnivals long ago. Other than for Baltimore folks who know Denise Whiting and Cafe Hon and are looking for a bit of Schadenfreude, the show has little to offer.

There are the usual personal attacks on the employer by her staff with quotes like:

"You're a rude bitch..."

"She's like the anti-HON."

"Denise thinks she's a rock star."

And the employer sheds the requisite tear or two. She says she's sorry. And we question her sincerity. Next segment, please.

                                   Tear shedding time

Ramsey paints Cafe Hon's ugly green walls an ugly flamingo pink. The reveal follows, along with the requisite tears of joy and hug from the owner, Whiting. She looks as un-sincere as ever.

The time spent explaining how they fixed the menu is next to nil. 

The only interesting part of the episode takes place in a studio at Baltimore radio station, MIX 106.5 with JoJo and Reagan. The MIX folks are engaging, sincere, forthcoming, and fun. What a nice change from the vitrol in the cafe.

                            Resolution segment - all is well

The quandry segment. Lots of refelctive footage of Whiting deciding whether to do the right thing and give up the trademark to HON. Everyone takes a deep breath. Tension builds—sort of—to about the pitch of "do you think it might rain today?"

She gives up the trademark. Everyone is relieved. Fade from pink walls to black.

There's a certain curiosity factor here for Baltimoreans, but, I recommend that if you have anything else to do this evening, do it.

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares airs tonight at 8 PM on FOX.

Postcards Were Like Tweets: An Early 20th Century Baltimore Christmas Card

     [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?

Baltimore 21201: Lookin' So Good at 3AM

Sometimes, when I wake up in the wee, small hours of the morning, I gaze out the windows at our view.

Have a sixty-second gaze with me. It's all kinds of peaceful.

 
              Baltimore on Sunday Morning, January 29th 2012

Views like this definitely put the Shama-Lama in the Ding Dong.

The Best 'New York Post' Cover. Ever.

                     New York Post Cover, Chicken of the Sea

You can find the rest of their pithy coverage at NYPost.Com under the header: Captains Bad 'Trip'

It's Cold Up There: Contrails Over Baltimore and a Beautiful Sunset 12-30-11

                    The Eve Before New Years Eve 2011

A view from my home office on North Charles Street. Baltimore's winter sunsets are vibrant; Baltimore's summer skies are the best for photographing puffy, white clouds.

Everyman Theatre's Winter Concert Cast will Perform at George Washington Monument Lighting

 

Celebrate the season with a performance from the cast of On the Sunny Side of the Street at the Washington Monument Lighting this Thursday night at 6:30 PM!

About the Monument Lighting:

An Evening of Choir Performances, Strolling Entertainment, and More!
Mount Vernon Place celebrates the holiday season with the 40th annual lighting of the Washington Monument.

A Monumental Occasion takes place Thursday, December 1, 2011 with pre-event festivities hosted by MIX 106.5 at 5:30pm in Mount Vernon. The official ceremony begins at 7pm with the official lighting at approximately 7:45pm.

The evening includes musical performers by area choirs and refreshments for purchase by local vendors.  The event ends with a colorful fireworks and laser finale choreographed to music. 

Mount Vernon Place is located in the 600-700 block of North Charles Street.

A Monumental Occasion is coordinated by Downtown Partnership of Baltimore in conjunction with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and the Department of Recreation and Parks.

For more information on A Monumental Occasion, call 1-877-BALTIMORE or visit http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com.

About Everyman's Winter Concert:

A Tribute to Dorothy Fields - Everyman’s winter concerts have become a staple of the holiday season in Baltimore.  Join Howard Breitbart and his dazzling lineup of top-notch singers in a concert you won’t want to miss. 

This year we celebrate the music of Dorothy Fields, the lyricist whose decades-long career included over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films.  Join us for this festive concert and celebrate the season with Everyman.

Some of Dorothy Fields’ most memorable hits include:

• The Way you Look Tonight
• On the Sunny Side of the Street
• I’m In The Mood For Love
• I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby
• Big Spender
• If My Friends Could See Me Now
• A Fine Romance

Visit the Everyman Theatre website for tickets.

Godly and Spiritual Songs at JHU's Peabody Institute December1st and 2nd, 2011

        Renaissance Ensemble Image courtesy, Peabody Institute

Mark Cudek will direct two performances by the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble of Godly and Spiritual Songs, a program of Christmas music from the British Isles, on Thursday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 2, in Peabody's Leith Symington Griswold Hall.

Thursday night's concert will begin at approximately 8:00 pm, following the 40th Annual Lighting of the Washington Monument, which will feature a short performance by a Peabody brass group—the Bonehedz Trombone Quartet—around 7:15. Friday night's Renaissance Ensemble concert will begin at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students with ID. To purchase tickets, call the Peabody Box Office at 410-234-4800.

For Monument Lighting details, visit godowntownbaltimore.com.

About the Early Music Program at the Peabody Institute:
The Peabody Conservatory of Music continues to expand its offerings in the historical performance of music before 1800. The Early Music Program provides instruction and performance opportunities in Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical music.

Students play on period instruments and develop vocal techniques compatible with early performance practices. Our accomplished faculty brings a wealth of performing and teaching experience to developing artists.

Graduates of Peabody's Early Music Program have gone on to win prizes at international competitions, earn Fulbright and Beebe scholarships, and graduate from European conservatories with high honors. Peabody graduates have performed with Apollo's Fire, the Baltimore Consort, Hesperus, Les Arts Florissants, the New York Collegium, and the Waverly Consort. 

Watch the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in a Private Room with 19 Friends

Is this an off-topic post? Naw, Marching Bands and Street Singers are performing artists, too.

Here's the deal, and it's a pretty darn good one.

                         Photo courtesy CharityBuzz Auctions

From CharityBuzz:

Watch the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in a private party room for 19 of your best friends!

This absolutely stellar location is on the 6th floor of a NY building, overlooking both 6th avenue AND 34th street. Light breakfast, coffee, and orange juice will be served, including an option for heavier catering as well!

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.

The three-hour event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day.

Visit CharityBuzz for terms and conditions.

The projected price for this auction is $5,000 for 20 people. Do the math, $250. per person is not a bad deal. And, don't forget that the package comes with a light breakfast. In New York a glass of orange juice can cost 5-bucks, 7.50 from room service.

Grab your friends and act early. Grab a Bolt Bus and make it a day-trip.

And, the auction sale supports Mercy College.

About Mercy:

Mercy College is dedicated to making a high-quality education attainable offering more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs within its five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The New York metropolitan area college of nearly 10,000 students has five campus locations including: Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, Manhattan, White Plains, and Yorktown Heights and offers more than 25 degree programs online.

Baltimore 21201 - The Blog. Now, Entertainment Driven and Refocused

             Greek Tragedian, Sophocles, Photo Courtesy Shakko

A wise doctor does not mutter incantations over a sore that needs the knife.                                                                                                  – Sophocles, Ajax I. 581  

This blog needed a sharp knife and I have applied it.

I began writing this blog in January 2006 as an ongoing piece of fan mail to one of my favorite cities, Baltimore, Maryland. Over the past five years I've tried to cover, mention, and promote way too many things. This blog became rambling and unpredictable for readers. It lost its initial focus.

Last week I wrote this blog's swan song.

And then, I began hearing from people. Not all of them were from Baltimore. Not all of them were even from the east coast. The consensus was, "Hold on there, stupid. You should rethink your plan."

I did.

Here's the result of my rethinking. Here's the updated focus for my newly-revised, tighter, subject-driven blog.

Baltimore 21201 will now cover Baltimore's Vibrant Performing Arts Scene.

Performing arts, a phrase that was first used in the English language in early 1700's, is a topic I know a bit about. (And, not just due to my age.)

My first acting jobs in New York City were on the CBS Television soap operas, Love of Life and The Edge of Night. In late 1969 and early 1970 those soaps were live coast-to-coast. And, yes, they were in black-and-white. I've been a working SAG (Screen Actors Guild) member since June 1971 and I belong to the Baltimore/Washington, DC local. I'm a former member of AFTRA (the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and DGA (the Directors Guild of America). For a number of years I served on SAG's Hollywood EEOC panel. I'm also a former member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and served on numerous EMMY Awards nominating committees.

I know some pretty darn special entertainment industry people—both locally and nationally—and I've intimately known some of the great performers, producers, agents, writers, directors, and casting professionals who are no longer with us. I have some great stories to tell and will try to add a few of them here along the way. I may even include a few teasers from the book that I'm writing. Working title: The Wrong Coast.

Baltimore casting calls? You'll find them here, both union and non-union. Reviews, news, interviews, and personal views? You'll find those here, also. A little backstage, behind-the-scenes gossip, now and then? Yep, right here. If it has to do with performers and their performances, stay tuned...

Fun, informative, entertaining things are on the way. While the layout here will change a bit over the next few weeks, the content will be varied, and will stay on target. The target? Well, That's Entertainment.

Sing it, people.

It might be a fight like you see on the screen
A swain getting slain for the love of a queen
Some great Shakespearean scene
Where a ghost and a prince meet
And everyone ends in mincemeat.

The gag may be waving the flag
That began with a mystical hand
Hip hooray! The American way
The world is a stage
Baltimore's a world of entertain-ment.

I'll see you on the boards...

Baltimore 21201. The Blog, The Swan Song

That's it for this blog. To quote my favorite broadcast journalist, Edward R Murrow, "Good night and good luck.

To my friends, Keep On Truckin'.

Art Saturday: I Honestly Like This Painter

                 A Helping Hand, Oil on gessoboard, 6X6-inches

Jacob and I were looking for an original painting, acrylic or oil, of broccoli this afternoon — don't ask, it's a long, convoluted story — and I ran across an artist named Carol Marine.

And, I am totally enchanted with her work.

Our friends know that Jacob and I collect art. The collection we have today had its genesis 4-decades ago in New York City with my purchase of two Asako Sasaki silkscreens, Yellow Table with Cherries and Blue Table with Lemons and Apples.

My collection of Japanese Modern expanded. Then, touring the United States as an actor in a play, I discovered the paintings of American Regional artists.

I have always been fascinated with artists who have mastered impasto technique.

The artist we found today, Carol Marine, is doing everything right in a much less aggressive style than most impasto artists. Yet, her brush strokes are sure and are confident. She tells a complete story in each of her paintings. And, the story behind each of her paintings is open to each and every viewer's personal interpretation. You'll find some stories disturbing. You'll find others clever and fun. You'll be amused; you'll wonder. And you'll remember.

                   Fading Fast, Oil on gessoboard, 6x6-inches

A Carol Marine painting isn't on our wall yet. Though, I predict we will be hanging one of her pieces soon.

            Where Are My Glasses, Oil on gessoboard, 6x6-inches

As for full disclosure, Carol Marine is not a client of mine. However, we are certain to become a client of hers.

Jacob and I are thinking about a commissioned portrait of the two of us painted by Ms. Marine. I can only imagine how much fun it would be to see ourselves depicted in her vibrant, crisp, colorful, distinctive style.

Here's the contact information for Carol Marnie:

Carol Marnie's Blog Link

Carol Marnie's Website

And, yes, some time ago, she created a beautiful painting of broccoli.

Here is October's Free eBook from the University of Chicago Press

          Revel with a Cause: Liberal Satire in Postwar America
                                       by Stephen E Kercher

Book description from University of Chicago Press:

We live in a time much like the postwar era. A time of arch political conservatism and vast social conformity. A time in which our nation’s leaders question and challenge the patriotism of those who oppose their policies. But before there was Jon Stewart, Al Franken, or Bill Maher, there were Mort Sahl, Stan Freberg, and Lenny Bruce—liberal satirists who, through their wry and scabrous comedic routines, waged war against the political ironies, contradictions, and hypocrisies of their times.

Revel with a Cause is their story. Stephen Kercher here provides the first comprehensive look at the satiric humor that flourished in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. Focusing on an impressive range of comedy—not just standup comedians of the day but also satirical publications like MAD magazine, improvisational theater groups such as Second City, the motion picture Dr. Strangelove, and TV shows like That Was the Week That Was—Kercher reminds us that the postwar era saw varieties of comic expression that were more challenging and nonconformist than we commonly remember.

His history of these comedic luminaries shows that for a sizeable audience of educated, middle-class Americans who shared such liberal views, the period’s satire was a crucial mode of cultural dissent. For such individuals, satire was a vehicle through which concerns over the suppression of civil liberties, Cold War foreign policies, blind social conformity, and our heated racial crisis could be productively addressed.

A vibrant and probing look at some of the most influential comedy of mid-twentieth-century America, Revel with a Cause belongs on the short list of essential books for anyone interested in the relationship between American politics and popular culture.

Here's the link to your free download.

HGTV is Casting in Baltimore & Annapolis

From the folks at HGTV, an announcment and a casting opportunity. Time is of the essence, get on it Baltimore. Don't let the glory and the face-time go south... to Annapolis!

BUYING YOUR FIRST PLACE?
Then HGTV is looking for you!

MY FIRST PLACE, HGTV’s hit series, is coming back for a eleventh season and we’re looking for first-time homebuyers (and their agents!) in the Baltimore/Annapolis area RIGHT NOW!

We are looking for fun, high-energy people who are just starting the home-buying process for their first place and would like to share their story with HGTV! Our goal is to capture all the trials and tribulations of looking for, bidding on and buying your first place.

Taping takes place this fall and winter. Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic buyers with a unique story to tell and a desire to share their experiences!

Singles, couples and families are all invited to apply!

Candidates who complete taping will receive a monetary gift as part of the show and also a DVD copy of their episode to document their first home-buying experience for all time!

Request an application by emailing:
MBRUSH@HIGHNOONTV.COM
Or call MARYBETH BRUSH at (303) 872-8575
http://bit.ly/mfpcasting

Reflections. Baltimore 21201.

    Sunset in the Windows of 201 N Charles Street

No. 1 of a series -

Reasons why we must work hard to take care of Baltimore's downtown, Baltimore's city center:

Beauty abounds at all hours. Though, sometimes you do have to look up, down, or around to see it. You sometimes have to speak to stranger to find it.

Look away from your iPad or your Blackberry every now and then. Look at the sights. Check out the architectural details above your usual gaze.

Take photos every so often. Enjoy them. More importantly, share them.

Good Bye, Irene. Welcome Back Sunsets!

A postcard from Baltimore 21201

                              Monday, August 29th 2011

It was a beautiful day today. It's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow. Enjoy!

The Jews of Baltimore - 1910. Download Your Free Copy.

Last Monday I put a digital copy of Groeninger's New Baltimore online as a free download and happily a whole lot of people were interested. Over the week it's been downloaded hundreds of times. I say happily because I enjoy knowing how many people are interested in history, Baltimore history in particular.

Today I'm sharing, in two volumes, The Jews of Baltimore. Written and compiled by Isador Blum, the 532-page book was published in 1910 by The Historical Review Publishing Company of Baltimore and Washington, DC. 

The photography in this book is an extraordinary historical record of Baltimore architecture, buildings, and the businesses and the people they housed.

Two specialty photographers contributed their talents: N. Shulman did the portrait work and Jos C Christhilf was the commercial photographer in charge of buildings, interiors, exteriors, and products. N. Shulman's studio was at 924 E Baltimore Street, Christhilf worked from 201 Park Avenue.

                    N Shulman, Photographer - Baltimore, MD

The biographical profiles of businessmen are informative and sometimes humorous. Among the hundreds of bios, which are called 'representations' in the book, you'll find Dr. Salzman, the Painless Dentist and L. Rubenstein, the Different Ladies' Tailor.

Among the businesses, you'll find Cronhardt, Dumler & Co., the Flower and Feather House at 5 - 7 South Hanover Street and Guth Roman Cafe, a Luncheon and Bonbon establishment catering to the elite exclusively at 320 - 324 North Charles Street.

There's also an interesting introductory letter from then Mayor, J. Barry Mahool.

Issuu has a limit of 500 pages per pdf document, so I've split the book into two volumes. Read online or download your own copy. This is the link to Volume I and here is the link to Volume II. Enjoy! 

Groeninger's New Baltimore - 1906, Download Your Free Copy

I was working on my first project for Baltimore's Historic Charles Street Association in 2006 and I went online to round up and bookmark some source material. I ran across Groeninger's New Baltimore and downloaded a copy. It's in the public domain.

Furst Bros Company in Sharp-Leadenhall is a long-time client of mine and I was excited to find one of their ads in the little book. (A half-page ad, thank you very much.) I created a cover and burned the book to a few CDs as a little gift for them.

                  A Preview of Groeninger's New Baltimore 1906

Jones & Groeninger was a photography and publishing house located at 404 N Paca in Baltimore. They were apparently hired by the City and a group of business-men to create a promotional marketing piece to show the world that Baltimore had been rebuilt after the Great Fire, was once again open-for-business, flourishing, bigger, better, and a grander center of commerce than ever before.

The photos, before-and-after the Great Fire of 1904, are wonderful. The photographer was Wm J Groeninger, a partner in the firm.This afternoon I didn't have time to find the reference CD that I'd made over 5-years ago. I went online and found that people are trying to sell this out-of-copyright book from anywhere between 99-cents and $14.96. Well, that just seems silly. I've paid for public domain material before, but only when value was added by way of research, citations, redirects, and the like.

You may download a PDF by clicking on the preview above or by clicking here to go directly to my page on ISSUU.

Jones & Groeninger published their own quarter-page ad in the book.

                          Jones & Groeninger - About This Book

For more information about the Great Fire of 1904, the Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program is the best place to start: The Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program is a collaborative, statewide digitization program headquartered at the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center in downtown Baltimore.

Moody, Dark Clouds Over Baltimore 21201

                         Baltimore Sunset, August 4th 2011

It was cloudy all day. Even though it wasn't on the weather radar, I expected approaching thunder, lightining, and rain.

However, a film noir end of the day works for me, also.