Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Thought for the Day
If the Oscars were as bad as the Grammys, you'd have Eric Estrada winning the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
A Harmless Enough Deception
A friend of mine (let's call her Madame X) told me the following story the other night.
When "X" began dating her (now deceased) husband years ago, she had just met him and already was quite smitten. Then one night they went to dinner at the house of some friends of hers. Spying a grand piano in the living room, (let's call him) Jim asked:
"Do you mind if I play?"
"Oh goodness," thought "X," "in addition to everything else he plays piano, too. I'm hooked for sure."
Jim then proceded to sit down and play a quite competent rendition of "The Man I Love."
"More, more!," everyone said.
"No, I think that's it for now. Maybe later."
But he performed no more that evening. Eventually "X" was to learn that was the ONLY song he could play and in fact been coached how to do so by rote by (eventually highly-regarded) jazz pianist Lou Levy when they were both teenagers.
"It impresses girls no end," Lou told him.
Otherwise, Jim could not even navigate "Chopsticks." Nevertheless, he and "X" had many happy years together.
When "X" began dating her (now deceased) husband years ago, she had just met him and already was quite smitten. Then one night they went to dinner at the house of some friends of hers. Spying a grand piano in the living room, (let's call him) Jim asked:
"Do you mind if I play?"
"Oh goodness," thought "X," "in addition to everything else he plays piano, too. I'm hooked for sure."
Jim then proceded to sit down and play a quite competent rendition of "The Man I Love."
"More, more!," everyone said.
"No, I think that's it for now. Maybe later."
But he performed no more that evening. Eventually "X" was to learn that was the ONLY song he could play and in fact been coached how to do so by rote by (eventually highly-regarded) jazz pianist Lou Levy when they were both teenagers.
"It impresses girls no end," Lou told him.
Otherwise, Jim could not even navigate "Chopsticks." Nevertheless, he and "X" had many happy years together.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
"The Grand Old Man Of Vaudeville"
What a checkered job career I've had! Topped by a stint as a stage manager for a 1989 L.A. stage revue featuring senior citizen performers. Sort of a forerunner to the Palm Springs Follies and similar presentations. We had tap dancers, film chorines, legit singers, low comics, a whistler, a “bones”player, former strippers, in fact just about the entire spectrum of vaudeville disciplines. All that was missing were magicians. And previously having worked for a year for the dreaded prestidigitator Richard J. Potash, I'd more than had my fill of that.
Several of the participants were even fairly well-known, most notably singer Art Lund, star of the big band era and the Frank Loesser musical, The Most Happy Fella. Also somewhat recognizable---at least by sight---was comic Mousie Garner. A former member of the Spike Jones crew and of the 1920s Ted Healy's Stooges. Later, he was an interim replacement in several permutations of the The Three Stooges. Thus, he was an offical Stooge and, as such, the last surviving member of the group. Offstage, he was a quiet reflective sort and 180 degrees from the out-of-control wild man seen in this in this clip of his performance in the revue. Like two entirely different people. I believe it's called ACT-ING.
Several of the participants were even fairly well-known, most notably singer Art Lund, star of the big band era and the Frank Loesser musical, The Most Happy Fella. Also somewhat recognizable---at least by sight---was comic Mousie Garner. A former member of the Spike Jones crew and of the 1920s Ted Healy's Stooges. Later, he was an interim replacement in several permutations of the The Three Stooges. Thus, he was an offical Stooge and, as such, the last surviving member of the group. Offstage, he was a quiet reflective sort and 180 degrees from the out-of-control wild man seen in this in this clip of his performance in the revue. Like two entirely different people. I believe it's called ACT-ING.
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