OSCAR-FIED

Have been negligent in Blogging. My Apologies!
I got very Busy with Academy Awards and daily confusions and appointments.
Hope you all enjoyed the OSCARS.
They were a bit Dull to my eye and ear. And it was posted that there was a 20% drop in ratings for the program. I SAY ..as much as I love John Stewart..BRING BACK BILLY CRYSTAL!
I was knocked out by the beauty parade of our Actresses. Even Pregnant they are stunning. Helen Mirren, however, wins my vote for the classiest and most commanding of presence. Don't get me wrong they all looked sensational. But Mirren has that thing..uh..Star Charisma...so Anglicanly Understated!
Was thrilled that Marion Cotillard won for LA VIE EN ROSE..Absolutely deserved beyond question. She not only inhabited that role she ABSORBED and EXUDED it.
In our voting however I did the Politcal thing and voted for Julie Christie. I will NOT do that again. I will vote my heart!
Daniel Day Lewis in THERE WILL BE BLOOD was horrifyingly amazing and drained my resources just watching him in that part.
I think the most bypassed of the films this year was 3:10 TO YUMA which was brilliantly acted and constructed.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was one of those great films that is not pleasant to watch and since the ending was NOT HOLLYWOOD HAPPY it was off putting. But sensational throughout!
I rented IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH and watched it last night. THAT is another film that is worthy of more accolades!! The message is so vile and indermining. IT shows what WAR and COMBAT, especially with no holds barred (as we see in IRAQ), can do to the human soul and spirit. Making the unspeakable and unacceptable commonplace and reasonable. The human dilemma of the parents and the soldiers and all involved is so multi layered I am still assessing how anyone can handle the conundrums.
Stellar performances in that as well. Charlize Theron takes roles that are so interesting and she does them so well you have to search for that glorious beauty you know is there.
One thing Bugged me..It ws the 80th EIGHT OH..Year of Oscars. I thought there was not enough significance put to such a landmark Birthday event in the broadcast.
Anyway..I hope you all had a Grand Oscar Party to attend. I spent it by myself as I was on the verge of getting sick and managed to fight it off by staying in.
I think it was becasue our bodies don't know what weather to fight with. It is snowy and cold in the morning and then melting rain and higher temparatures by the afternoon.
People are over dressed or underdressed and coughing in over-heated subway cars and buildings. Some of which never get fresh air.
Am anxious to see GYPSY with LuPone and now have heard enough about NOVEMBER to see if I can get 1/2 price for that.
Saw TAKE ME ALONG at the IRISH REP at 132 W 22nd Street on Thursday night.
That was a lot of fun and some trrific singing and acting on the part of Beth Glover/WIlliam Parry and Anastasia Barzee. I am always intrigued by the production values nCharlotte Moore brings to that small space. BRAVO!
Pal LONI ACKERMAN is thinking about doing the METROPOLITAN ROOM and I wouyld suggest you run to see this amazing performer. GOOGLE her!
She was Grizabella in CATS for 3 Years ..Originated Eva Peron in the LA Company of EVITA and is a Broadway veteran since 19 years old in GEORGE M!! She has a bunch of Broadway,as well s Off- Broadway, shows to her credit including the LEAD opposite Robert Morse in the ill fated SO LONG 174TH ST..the musical of ENTER LAUGHING.
She is dynamite-plus and old school old PRO to the MAX! As wel as being a great gal. SHe raised 2 sons Jack & George and is amrried to Sound Maven Steve Canyon Kennedy. So she has been off the grid Mothering for a while but is back and ready!
And in Great shape too!!
Not much else to BLAB ON THE BLOG about.
Friends continue, as I do, to seek jobs and creative outlets.
Friends and Colleagues Dan Wackerman and Kevin Kennedy who run the Pecadillo Theatre Company have acquired the manager-ship of the Off Broadway ST.CLEMENTS theatre and are preparing THE MIRACLE WORKER for a debut there. It is a teransfer from the Papremill Production. These guys are very savvy and are focused to bring good American theatre to all. They run the BANK STREET THEATRE ansd now the ST. CLEMSNTS joins their team. They are also doing backers auditions for the Musical version of A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN for Broadway. So keep their names in your sites.
The pigeons on our windowsills are trying to nest in the plants so I have to go and scare them away.
Hope your nesting is more reliable.
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SUPER VOTE VOTE VOTE

CONGRATS TO GIANTS AND GIANT FANS!
Eating at a retaurant on SUPERBOWL SUNDAY on Amsterdam Ave last night was accompanied by loud screams and cheers from the Bar.
I am not a sports fan but was almost drawn into the Bar from the huge amount of joy coming from the gathering.
Later the streets of the Upper West Side were alive with horns, sirens and screams of Joy. It lasted almost to midnight when we ventrured to Broadway and 85th for a cab home.
I hope tomorrow's SUPER TUESDAY results in as much CHEER and JOY.
We need change and I pray whoever is the Democratic candidate can push change and PROGRESS. After all these stagnant and toxic seven years a house cleaning and policy revisions will be so welcome.
Time some ADULTS ran or lead the country instead of these Fraternity Sophmores.
ENOUGH.
VOTE VOTE VOTE !
Got NEW PHONE SERVICE from CREDO. We decided that Verizon as part of the Verizon & AT&T's willingness to allow their records and our private calls to be HANDED TO THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION illegally was a strong reason to leave them.
They offered nothing more than the same deal as Verizon, albeit onb the SPRINT system Network, but they do not share their records and also support Progressive organizations like the ACLU. SO I encourage all to investigate GREEN companies like Credo. We have ALLOWED complacency and BIZ AS USUAL to go unrestricted and with no accountability for way too long! So until that changes we can CHANGE where we put our dollars.
Anyway..
Hope we have the ACADEMY AWARDS.
It seems like the writer's strike msy finally reach an end. I hope they get their residuals for the Internet advertising revenue that the producers are already enjoying. And by passing not only the writers contribution (WHICH IS THE PRODUCT) but also any compensation for the writers USING the wrtier's material they the Producers have been enjoying a windfall of unshared revenue!!
The movies and performances that are Oscar worthy are to my eye varied and many.
The Golden Globes went overboard rewarding the defunct SOPRANOS I thought.
There were many performances and programs as worthy of honors I thought.
It has been very mild in NYC and although the Groundhog predicts another 6 weeks of Winter one wonders WHERE this Winter will be?
Many friends are excited and ready for tomorrow's voting and we all hope WE THE PEOPLE will get our lazy & complacent butts to the polls and make our Constitutional right to vote an experience that helps change the spirit in this country and gives us a candidate that will help us back to HOPE!
VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!!
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REWARDING and AWARDING

What happened to the WEATHERMAN who could at least closely predict?
We were gearing for SNOW and NOPE!
We are never sure what to expect. Back to the Farmer's Almanac?
Anyway..It seems we are heading for a Repression/Depression according to all indicators.
It will be intersting to see what happens. Especially when we see the churlsh arguing among politicians and the backhanded swats this Administration takes at oppostion.
One day Canada puts us on their TOTURE NATIONS list..and then they Bend to the will of this Administration and the USA is now Off the List.
When Helen Thomas asked at Presidential Press Conference today if we leaned on the Canadain Government? Perino said smuggly that they had "talks." Hmm, with Waterboarding?
This is a bullying process that I hope stops once the election is in full swing.
But whatever, we must survive.
And we will. Even if there is Looting and Riots in the Streets which we hope is not the case.
We are gearing up for the SAG AWARDS which looks like it might be the ONLY Awards show broadcast this season. I hear it has something to do with the SAG Union being part of the Guilds and therefore not under the same rules that strikers are fighting.
Was VERY surprised that SWEENEY TODD WASN'T nominated for AA Best Picture!
It is a beautifully constructed piece and terrifically entertaining.
Julie Christie in AWAY FROM HER breaks your heart and she is still amazingly stunning onscreen after over 40+ years! HAIRSPRAY was one of my favorites but I fear it will be swept under the Red Carpet. Michelle Fiffer's performance is so beautifully underplayed and nuanced you have to see the picture twice to see how rich it is.
Was also shocked that Christian Bale & Russell Crowe weren't nominated. I haven't seen chemistry between actors like that onscreen since Newman & Redford in BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID.
Speaking of SUNDANCE..the Festival is going on now and a friend went there this weekend. Can'twait to hear what was making people excited onscreen. Another friend's brother was listed as one of the ten new Directors to watch. He is Dan Barnes and his picture is PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND with Fellicity Huffman and Patricia Clarkson. We hope he gets a lot of action and distribution from the festival.
The acting in a great many films this season, is superb. This is true even on the TV series and Sit-Coms. They are giving us some terrific performances; Glenn Close winning the Golden Globe for DAMAGES is certainly a highend performer giving us her best and being rightly rewarded for it. Sally Field is no slouch either on BROTHERS. Alec Baldwin and James Spader among so many guys on TV are upholding a higher grade of acting standard than we have seen in many seasons. This is good for us and the Art as well.
Vanessa Williams gorgeousness and sensational portrayal on UGLY BETTY certainly deserves to be rewarded as well. Although America Ferarra is up for the same category she has won before and I think Williams deserves her chance.
I hope the Writer's Strike gets settled to everyone's satisfaction, and soon.
It is amazing how much revenue the Studios/Networks are willing to lose to NOT let the writers get only a fraction of the Online/Internet profits..ON THEIR WORK!
It is a totally unfair set up and the writer's deserve their share.
That is my Soap Box speech for today.
Must get away from the computer for today and have some physical life other than digit dexterity!
Stay Warm you New YAWKERS!
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HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY ETHEL MERMAN

HOW CAN WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS FORCE OF UNNATURAL TALENT ON HER 100 ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH Jan 15th 1908.
I forgot it and was reminded in numerous emials.
LOVED her and her Clarion voice. I saw her in HELLO DOLLY at the St. James on 44th St. in the last months of it's original run.
WOW WOW WOW!
Happy Be Lated Birthday Ethel.
You influenced so many perfromers and are still a Standard by which Broadway belting is measured. BRAVA!!
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NOT MUCH

Too bored to bother lately. Readjusting to the new year and trying to consolidate and coordinate daily has taken a lot of energy and time.
Have been neglectful in writing to this blog. SO!?
Been trying to get work and be progressive and productive and not really achieving more than a slow pace toward it all.
Don't know whether it is the new year or what, but I am less depressed and have the feeling of new horizons and fresh starts.
I am already more hopeful
The Primaries are a Circus of curiousity.
Obama and Hillary are the focus of the Media while Edward is being bypassed for no reason other than what seems to be an effort to make him invisible and not viable. BUT he seems to come in close to these 2 in all races. We'll see what happens when the stretch is in. McCain, that strange man and the other Odd Republican zealots are so ready to pander and promise anything and all things to whatever faction involved it is a sorry and obvious ploy for political profit. Their twisted thinking and twisted speeches with mangled and obtuse logic is a variation of the childhood game of CHUTES & LADDERS. Huckabee wanting the Conntitution to be rewritten to the Biblical standard and Romney just the weirdest with that statement about seeing his father March with Martin Luther King. It was a lie and indicative of the entire methodology of this campaign. Which is to me : DO ANYTHING TO WIN. SAY ANYTHING TO WIN.
And I think this is true of both sides.
The exclusion of Kucinich from the Democratic Debates was absolutely a misstep of huge proportions. And the fact that the Democratic candidates ignored that exclusion and didn't mention it was showing an alligiance to foul play that makes one question their honesty and ability to lead us with impunity.
Ahh..However-- anything that comes along in the next election cycle has to be better than the last years of economic torment and literal torture.
VOTE VOTE VOTE!!
We must fight against the use of electronic voting machines and must hold candidates accountable and responsible for their words, actions and promises!
It might be a good thing or an incentive for a candidate to be able to be de-throned once in office if he/her starts to NOT make good on his campaign promises. It's a thought!
That's my Soap Box speech for this cold January night.

Have you seen the candidates for the SAG Awards?
My favorites from what I have so far seen are:

SWEENEY TODD
3:10 TO YUMA (no Kidding what a cast and terrific acting and direction)
HAIRSPRAY (IF ONLY they would categorize the musicals /Comedies & Dramas better)
ATONEMET (GORGEOUS FILM ALL AROUND)

Liked
AWAY FROM HER (Julie Christie a Jewel still shimmering since the 60's!)
INTO THE WILD

and Daniel Day Lewis' performance in
THERE WILL BE BLOOD..amazing acting ...I found the film hard to watch it had a meanness that was difficult to endure.

I also really enjoyed
LUST...CAUTION the ANG LEE film. Gorgeous to view and beautiful acting as well. A bit long..but I didn't mind that.
There are a few we have yet to see and I hope I can grab them before the Awards need to be in next week.
Hope you all stay warm and cozy and of course SAFE.
Oh, If you have the time, money and chance try DOVETAIL restaurant on 77th and Columbus. It is SUPERB. One of those special places that is best done with friends who appreciate VERY FINE dining.
I also had a terrific dinner at Isabella's on 77th and Columbus, literally across the street from DOVETAIL. It is also a very good place but not as high end.
Since I am going to try and lose about 10-15 pounds I will likely be cranky and on a lot of caffeine. So pardon my spelling and syntax!

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