Here's a bit of fun:
A first grade teacher had twenty-five students in her class. She presented each child the first half of a well-known proverb, and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb.
Here's what she got in return:
1. Don't change horses..................until they stop running.
2. Strike while the..........................bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before ...............Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of .........termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but.........how?
6. Don't bite the hand that..................looks dirty.
7. No news is................................impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a.....................Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog.................new math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll .......stink in the morning.
11. Love all. Trust..........................me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ............pigs.
13. An idle mind is..........................the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's..............pollution.
15. Happy the bride who......................gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is.........................not much.
17. Two's company, three's...................the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what........you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and...........you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as ..............Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not..........spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed............get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you..................see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind............get out of the way.
And last but certainly not least:
25. Better late than........................pregnant.
There's some wisdom in there, wouldn't you agree?
Speaking of kids: Shane Bernier's 8th birthday is right around the corner. If you haven't mailed your cards yet, do so as soon as possible. Remember: they need to get to Canada by May 30th.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Avenue Quatsch
I mentioned this on my MySpace Blog, but, the more I thought about it, the more it annoyed me, and, when I get annoyed, I like to have a big audience. That means you, piglets. (That’s “big,” collectively speaking, of course. Those pants are very slimming on you.)
Anyway, I got some news recently that Music Theatre International, the company that owns the production rights to Avenue Q has announced that they will eventually be making the
Tony-award-winning musical about foul-mouthed, sexually promiscuous puppets available in a school version.
Yes. You read that correctly.
Additionally, the full version of the musical will be made available with . . . oh, hell . . . here’s the release, read it for yourself:
We’re delighted to announce that MTI has acquired the rights to represent the exciting and edgy hit musical AVENUE Q! While it is not available for general release at this time, we wanted you to know that in conjunction with the authors, the plan is to release two versions of the show: AVENUE Q School Edition (suitable for High Schools to perform, with any material that might be deemed “questionable” for a general audience altered or removed) and the full version of AVENUE Q, with variations for sections/songs/lyrics that will allow a production to retain as much of the original as possible, but be flexible to allow theatres to amend it within author-approved guidelines for various community standards.
Interesting reading, no? I myself have only read it the once as subsequent readings compel me to repeatedly stab myself in the eye with a spoon.
“Questionable for a general audience?”
Amendable “for various community standards”?
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. The authors of Grease are finally bowing to years of community and high school theatres’ continued royalty violations by now officially replacing the original production songs with the more popular movie versions “Hopelessly Devoted” and “You’re the One That I Want.” For all I know, they may have cleaned up the language as well. Maybe Rizzo’s hymen will remain intact and the song “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” will be about voting for Ralph Nader.
Look, Avenue Q is not meant to be performed by St. Mary’s Academy of the Sacred Virginal Knot High School. It’s just not. Sanitizing it to that end simply for the sake of lining one’s pockets is called “selling out.”
Spring Awakening just received 11 Tony nominations and is poised to be the next Best Musical winner.
Does that mean that four years from now we’ll be able to see it performed by the 1st Community Baptist Players singing the tunes “The Shucks of Living” and “Totally Inconvenienced?”
Auugh!!!!! Where’d I put my spoon?
Anyway, I got some news recently that Music Theatre International, the company that owns the production rights to Avenue Q has announced that they will eventually be making the
Tony-award-winning musical about foul-mouthed, sexually promiscuous puppets available in a school version.
Yes. You read that correctly.
Additionally, the full version of the musical will be made available with . . . oh, hell . . . here’s the release, read it for yourself:
We’re delighted to announce that MTI has acquired the rights to represent the exciting and edgy hit musical AVENUE Q! While it is not available for general release at this time, we wanted you to know that in conjunction with the authors, the plan is to release two versions of the show: AVENUE Q School Edition (suitable for High Schools to perform, with any material that might be deemed “questionable” for a general audience altered or removed) and the full version of AVENUE Q, with variations for sections/songs/lyrics that will allow a production to retain as much of the original as possible, but be flexible to allow theatres to amend it within author-approved guidelines for various community standards.
Interesting reading, no? I myself have only read it the once as subsequent readings compel me to repeatedly stab myself in the eye with a spoon.
“Questionable for a general audience?”
Amendable “for various community standards”?
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. The authors of Grease are finally bowing to years of community and high school theatres’ continued royalty violations by now officially replacing the original production songs with the more popular movie versions “Hopelessly Devoted” and “You’re the One That I Want.” For all I know, they may have cleaned up the language as well. Maybe Rizzo’s hymen will remain intact and the song “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” will be about voting for Ralph Nader.
Look, Avenue Q is not meant to be performed by St. Mary’s Academy of the Sacred Virginal Knot High School. It’s just not. Sanitizing it to that end simply for the sake of lining one’s pockets is called “selling out.”
Spring Awakening just received 11 Tony nominations and is poised to be the next Best Musical winner.
Does that mean that four years from now we’ll be able to see it performed by the 1st Community Baptist Players singing the tunes “The Shucks of Living” and “Totally Inconvenienced?”
Auugh!!!!! Where’d I put my spoon?
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Dramatic Mayhem at the State Capitol
Well, that was fun. It really was.
As I mentioned before, 365 Days/365 Plays found itself without a theatre company to perform week 26 in our state’s cycle, so the Colorado coordinator, Brenda Cook, sent out a call for actors earlier this week to help perform the 7 plays in front of the state capitol.
Well, I decided that this sounded like a lot of fun, so I made my way to the capitol today and, with Brenda Cook and two more intrepid performers, Flavia Florezell and Stephen Pierce, performed in seven short but insightful plays by Susan-Lori Parks. We didn’t take even a moment to read over the scripts beforehand. Brenda quickly assigned parts and, at Stephen’s suggestion, we just dove right in to the coldest of cold readings that I’ve ever been involved with. What fun! While my companions were far more adept than I, it was a unique exercise, both dramatically and physically, as we leapt over railings, stood atop benches, and scaled stairs in what just might be the most acrobatic reading of shows in this entire cycle. I had a blast, and I would like to thank Brenda, Stephen, and Flavia for the one-of-a-kind experience. Well let’s hope it was "one-of-a-kind," anyway. I think that the remaining 26 weeks are pretty well covered. Next up is Single Carrot Productions (formerly New 22) in Boulder.
There's still time to get those birthday cards in the mail to Shane Bernier, let's keep putting smiles on that little guy's face.
And, speaking of birthdays, I'd like to send out best wishes to my dear, irrepressible Miss Binks. Happy Birthday, kitten.
As I mentioned before, 365 Days/365 Plays found itself without a theatre company to perform week 26 in our state’s cycle, so the Colorado coordinator, Brenda Cook, sent out a call for actors earlier this week to help perform the 7 plays in front of the state capitol.
Well, I decided that this sounded like a lot of fun, so I made my way to the capitol today and, with Brenda Cook and two more intrepid performers, Flavia Florezell and Stephen Pierce, performed in seven short but insightful plays by Susan-Lori Parks. We didn’t take even a moment to read over the scripts beforehand. Brenda quickly assigned parts and, at Stephen’s suggestion, we just dove right in to the coldest of cold readings that I’ve ever been involved with. What fun! While my companions were far more adept than I, it was a unique exercise, both dramatically and physically, as we leapt over railings, stood atop benches, and scaled stairs in what just might be the most acrobatic reading of shows in this entire cycle. I had a blast, and I would like to thank Brenda, Stephen, and Flavia for the one-of-a-kind experience. Well let’s hope it was "one-of-a-kind," anyway. I think that the remaining 26 weeks are pretty well covered. Next up is Single Carrot Productions (formerly New 22) in Boulder.
There's still time to get those birthday cards in the mail to Shane Bernier, let's keep putting smiles on that little guy's face.
And, speaking of birthdays, I'd like to send out best wishes to my dear, irrepressible Miss Binks. Happy Birthday, kitten.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Movies: a.k.a Cassius Clay
a.k.a. Cassius Clay (1970)
I stumbled across this documentary about Cassius Clay/ Muhammed Ali in a discount DVD bin a few months ago, but only finally got around to watching it last night.
a.k.a. Cassius Clay was made in 1970 during the time that Muhammed Ali was not allowed to fight professionally because of his conviction for refusing to be inducted into the army to serve in the Vietnam War. He had also been stripped of his championship title.
This was a tough time for Ali as he was unable to box, he faced a five year prison term (which he was appealing) and his alignment with the Nation of Islam had him in poor favor with the general public.
There is plenty of history in this film, particularly through the use of lot of footage of Ali’s early fights, training, and frequently over-the-top antics both in and out of the ring. Additionally, there is some footage of Ali with legendary trainer Cus D’Amato as the two debate Ali’s ability or inability to defeat boxers from an earlier era like Joe Louis. These segments also contain a lot of rare fight footage of Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, and Jake LaMotta among others, so if you’re a boxing aficionado, there are a lot of treats in this film.
The documentary is a bit disjointed at times, particularly as it jumps back and forth between the early rise of Cassius Clay and his present (in 1970) struggle with his public image as Muhammed Ali.
The best thing about this documentary is the use of historical footage. There’s Ali clowning with the Beatles, there’s Malcolm X delivering his famous speech about “house negroes” versus “field negroes,” but, mostly, there’s lots of boxing. Classic boxing. No ear biting. (That we can see.)
Of particular interest to me was some very brief footage of Ali performing in his short-lived (7 performances) Broadway debut in the musical Buck White.
If you’re into boxing or just interested in Muhammed Ali, a.k.a. Cassius Clay is a real gem.
Quick reminders:
>There’s still about two-and-a-half weeks until Shane Bernier’s 8th birthday, so really only about a dozen or so days left to get your cards in the mail.
> 365 Days/ 365 Plays needs readers for Saturday, May 12th.
I stumbled across this documentary about Cassius Clay/ Muhammed Ali in a discount DVD bin a few months ago, but only finally got around to watching it last night.
a.k.a. Cassius Clay was made in 1970 during the time that Muhammed Ali was not allowed to fight professionally because of his conviction for refusing to be inducted into the army to serve in the Vietnam War. He had also been stripped of his championship title.
This was a tough time for Ali as he was unable to box, he faced a five year prison term (which he was appealing) and his alignment with the Nation of Islam had him in poor favor with the general public.
There is plenty of history in this film, particularly through the use of lot of footage of Ali’s early fights, training, and frequently over-the-top antics both in and out of the ring. Additionally, there is some footage of Ali with legendary trainer Cus D’Amato as the two debate Ali’s ability or inability to defeat boxers from an earlier era like Joe Louis. These segments also contain a lot of rare fight footage of Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, and Jake LaMotta among others, so if you’re a boxing aficionado, there are a lot of treats in this film.
The documentary is a bit disjointed at times, particularly as it jumps back and forth between the early rise of Cassius Clay and his present (in 1970) struggle with his public image as Muhammed Ali.
The best thing about this documentary is the use of historical footage. There’s Ali clowning with the Beatles, there’s Malcolm X delivering his famous speech about “house negroes” versus “field negroes,” but, mostly, there’s lots of boxing. Classic boxing. No ear biting. (That we can see.)
Of particular interest to me was some very brief footage of Ali performing in his short-lived (7 performances) Broadway debut in the musical Buck White.
If you’re into boxing or just interested in Muhammed Ali, a.k.a. Cassius Clay is a real gem.
Quick reminders:
>There’s still about two-and-a-half weeks until Shane Bernier’s 8th birthday, so really only about a dozen or so days left to get your cards in the mail.
> 365 Days/ 365 Plays needs readers for Saturday, May 12th.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Cinco de Mayo, Nancy Goodwin, Update on Shane
Hola, cochinillos!
It's Cinco de Mayo, a day to celebrate Mexican-American culture and its many contributions.
It is not, as is commonly believed, Mexican Independence Day. That's September 16th.
The original significance of Cinco de Mayo was to commemorate the victory of the Mexican militia over the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It signifies a triumph over great adversity, and has been adopted as an unofficial cultural holiday by Mexican-Americans. (Outside of the state of Puebla and Puebla, Puebla - where the battle was fought - Cinco de Mayo is not very widely celebrated in Mexico.)
Like St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and Columbus Day (controversy aside), Cinco de Mayo honors the Mexican contribution to the American cultural landscape. Also like the aforementioned days, it's a big ol' excuse to whoop it up.
Now, I know that there's a pretty hot debate going on in this country regarding Mexican immigration, and, I don't believe it's a debate that should be ignored. However, I believe that it's a debate that can be set aside for a day or two while we reflect upon the many positive things brought to this country from Mexico: exotic food, beautiful music, lively dancing, and, perhaps my favorite contribution, Salma Hayek. (VIVA MEXICO!)
So go out today and take in a little bit of Mexican-American culture. (Taco Bell does not count!)
We can go back to politics on Monday.
==========================================================
Producer/Director/Choreographer/Actress/Singer Nancy Goodwin passed away on Thursday after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer. The loss to the Denver theatre community is significant. Denver Theatre critic and columnist, John Moore wrote a very nice tribute here, and many Denver performers have added their remembrances of Nancy here. There will be a celebration of Nancy Goodwin on Sunday night in the Caboose at the Denver Chophouse at 19th and Wynkoop downtown from 7pm to 10pm. All are invited.
Here is a link to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for those of you who are as frustrated as I am by the ravages of this terrible disease, and want to know if there's anything that you can do to help.
==========================================================
In happier news, Shane Bernier has now received over 125,000 birthday cards from warm-hearted people all over the world. There's still 24 days until Shane's 8th birthday on May 30th. Keep those cards rolling in. Here's a site where you can check on the progress of the birthday card campaign and read a little more about Shane.
==========================================================
Finally, a quick reminder: 365 Days/365 Plays needs readers, actors, or just warm bodies for Week #26 here in Denver. More here.
It's Cinco de Mayo, a day to celebrate Mexican-American culture and its many contributions.
It is not, as is commonly believed, Mexican Independence Day. That's September 16th.
The original significance of Cinco de Mayo was to commemorate the victory of the Mexican militia over the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It signifies a triumph over great adversity, and has been adopted as an unofficial cultural holiday by Mexican-Americans. (Outside of the state of Puebla and Puebla, Puebla - where the battle was fought - Cinco de Mayo is not very widely celebrated in Mexico.)
Like St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and Columbus Day (controversy aside), Cinco de Mayo honors the Mexican contribution to the American cultural landscape. Also like the aforementioned days, it's a big ol' excuse to whoop it up.
Now, I know that there's a pretty hot debate going on in this country regarding Mexican immigration, and, I don't believe it's a debate that should be ignored. However, I believe that it's a debate that can be set aside for a day or two while we reflect upon the many positive things brought to this country from Mexico: exotic food, beautiful music, lively dancing, and, perhaps my favorite contribution, Salma Hayek. (VIVA MEXICO!)
So go out today and take in a little bit of Mexican-American culture. (Taco Bell does not count!)
We can go back to politics on Monday.
==========================================================
Producer/Director/Choreographer/Actress/Singer Nancy Goodwin passed away on Thursday after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer. The loss to the Denver theatre community is significant. Denver Theatre critic and columnist, John Moore wrote a very nice tribute here, and many Denver performers have added their remembrances of Nancy here. There will be a celebration of Nancy Goodwin on Sunday night in the Caboose at the Denver Chophouse at 19th and Wynkoop downtown from 7pm to 10pm. All are invited.
Here is a link to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for those of you who are as frustrated as I am by the ravages of this terrible disease, and want to know if there's anything that you can do to help.
==========================================================
In happier news, Shane Bernier has now received over 125,000 birthday cards from warm-hearted people all over the world. There's still 24 days until Shane's 8th birthday on May 30th. Keep those cards rolling in. Here's a site where you can check on the progress of the birthday card campaign and read a little more about Shane.
==========================================================
Finally, a quick reminder: 365 Days/365 Plays needs readers, actors, or just warm bodies for Week #26 here in Denver. More here.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
365 Plays/365 Days Needs You! (No, not you, the guy behind you . . .)
Here's an opportunity to be involved in a rather unique experience:
Hey friends -
After last night's amazing spontaneity at FREAK TRAIN, we have another opportunity to be spontaneous with 365!
The plans for the upcoming Week #26 have fallen through and so I need YOU to help me get those words out there.
Meet me at the Capitol Building - on the steps facing Civic Park - on SATURDAY, MAY 12 at 3:00pm for a spur-of-the-moment reading of Week #26.
I'll be handing out roles as people arrive, or if no one comes to read I'll be reading the whole week myself (which could be worth the trip over!)
Thanks all -
Brenda Cook
Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the 365 Days/365 Plays project here is the MySpace link for the Colorado cycle of 365, and this is the 365 Days/365 Plays official site.
It sounds like fun, and it should at least make for interesting cast-party stories for weeks to come. (I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but everybody's sick of hearing how you almost lost an eye playing El Gallo . . .)
Hey friends -
After last night's amazing spontaneity at FREAK TRAIN, we have another opportunity to be spontaneous with 365!
The plans for the upcoming Week #26 have fallen through and so I need YOU to help me get those words out there.
Meet me at the Capitol Building - on the steps facing Civic Park - on SATURDAY, MAY 12 at 3:00pm for a spur-of-the-moment reading of Week #26.
I'll be handing out roles as people arrive, or if no one comes to read I'll be reading the whole week myself (which could be worth the trip over!)
Thanks all -
Brenda Cook
Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the 365 Days/365 Plays project here is the MySpace link for the Colorado cycle of 365, and this is the 365 Days/365 Plays official site.
It sounds like fun, and it should at least make for interesting cast-party stories for weeks to come. (I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but everybody's sick of hearing how you almost lost an eye playing El Gallo . . .)
Music: Evil Dead -The Musical
Oh yeah. You read the title right. Sam Raimi’s first two Evil Dead films (and bits of the third) have been combined into a full-scale off-Broadway musical (now running in Toronto), and there is now a cast album to prove it. (And, of course, in this day and age there’s a website or two, as well.)
Just as the Evil Dead franchise is a spoof of the typical 1980’s horror film, Evil Dead: The Musical lampoons not only horror films, but also just about every convention of musical theatre in the last 40 years.
Foul-mouthed and irreverent, Evil Dead: The Musical is about as far from the Disney-inspired (and frequently sponsored) typical Broadway musical. (Although it does have a talking moose head.)
If you aren’t familiar with the Sam Raimi films that launched Bruce Campbell to legendary cult-hero status, then . . . (apologies to Rod Serling):
Picture, if you will, a group of pheromonally-motivated attractive young people off to a secluded cabin for a lively weekend of, well, you know.
Something evil in the woods turns the group one-by-one into zombie-like Candarian demons, save for Ash, the intrepid and wise-cracking S-Mart employee who dispatches the monstrous creatures with a chainsaw and a shotgun, which he affectionately calls his “boomstick.”
Pop-culture references abound, and no one, not even Henry Winkler, is safe from the clever and biting lyrics of songs like “Do the Necronomicon”, “Bit Part Demon”, “Housewares Employee”, and, my personal favorite, “What the F*** Was That?” (Censored here but not on the cast album.)
As I listen to the CD, I become increasingly envious of the audiences who got to see the show during its three-and-a-half month Off-Broadway run, and I am contemplating a trip to Toronto just to catch the production live . . . and, of course, to drop in on some relatives while I’m in town. (My mom reads this blog.)
One person who did get a chance to see the original production is Bruce Campbell himself, and here’s his endorsement directly from the CD jacket:
“Evil Dead: The Musical was everything I hoped it would be: outrageous, high-energy, and really f***in’ funny.”
The Shane Bernier birthday card campaign seems to be progressing well from what some of you who have e-mailed me and stopped me on the street have told me. The employees at the card shop where I bought my last batch of cards and the ladies behind the counter at the post office have all now asked me for the address, so, record or no record, it looks like the Mile High City will be well-represented on Shane’s wall and in his heart.
For those who have been moved to further action by Shane’s story, here is a link to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where you can learn more about the disease and what can be done to help Shane and kids like him.
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