This blog spot is the home to my ramblings. I am a free lance writer. Most of my work goes on Associated Content. Sometimes I write what is on my mind, sometimes I plug some of my writing, and sometimes a combination of the two. So, sit back read, enjoy, and we will see where it goes.
Broadway, TV, movie award winning actor Robert Redford passed away recently at the age of 89. Recognized by Presidents with the National Medal of the Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was honored at the Kennedy Center. He was won Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
A clip from "The Natural"...
"Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid"
What a career so many roles. He will be missed by family, friends and fans.
69 years ago today back on May 16, 1946 Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun" opened at The Imperial Theatre. Herbert and Dorothy Fields wrote the book but Irving Berlin created the music and lyrics.
Here is a bit from a dress rehearsal of a Broadway version in 2009...
The musical was filled with some timeless hits. A prime example is the above "There's No Business Like Show Business." Another would be this one..
"Anything You Can Do" from the 1950 film version.
The shows initial performance on Broadway would consist of 1,147 performances. The show would enjoy a revival in 1966 and again in 1999. The one in 1999 would finally win the show two Tony Awards.
Bernadette Peters who won one of those Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical in action above with "Can't Get A Man With A Gun."
Have a favorite tune from the show? Have a favorite memory? Feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for visiting.
Actress Elizabeth Wilson passed away over the weekend at the age of 94. The Tony award winning actress was elected to the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2007. She won her Tony award in 1972 for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Sticks and Bones. In 1980 she won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance in Morning's at Seven.
She made her Broadway debut in 1953 in a play called Picnic. She appeared in 11 Broadway productions. She would branch out to film in 1955 appearing in a screen version of her Broadway debut Picnic.
News clip of Elizabeth Wilson's passing..
On the silver screen she starred in films such as The Graduate, 9 to 5, The Birds, The Adams Family and more.
The Trailer for The Graduate
She was a regular on television on Doc and East Side/West Side. She made guest appearances on numerous shows. Her works will live on in reruns and film. Her family, fans, the theatre, film and television communities will mourn her loss, 94 years is a long life and she certainly left behind plenty of memories.
The Contemporary American Theater Festival returns to Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia for their 23rd season starting July 5th and running through July 28th. This season the festival features five plays and three of them are World Premieres.
The first play is A Discourse on The Wonders of the Invisible World is a World Premiere by Liz Duffy Adams. Set in New England in 1702, this play features the Puritans and an appearance by the Devil himself. Kent Nicholson directs the play that features Broadway actors Cassie Beck, Rod Brogan, and Joey Collins. The cast is rounded out by Becky Byers, Susannah Hoffman and Gerardo Rodriguez.
Here is an invite to the 2010 CATF by the founder Ed Herendeen, the promo still fits for 2013...
Ed directs John Kern's Modern Terrorism, Or They Who Want to Kill Us and How We Learn to Love Them. Below is a sneak peak from an earlier production...
Jane Martin's H2O is another World Premiere, this one is directed by Jon Jory. The play takes place in a brand new 90-seat intimate setting theatre at Shepherd University and stars Dianne Mair and Alex Podulke.
Ed Herendeen also directs noted playwright Sam Shepard's latest play Heartless. Cassie Beck and Susannah Hoffman are in this cast. They will be joined by Broadway actor Michael Cullen, Kathleen Butler
and film, television, stage star Robyn Cohen.
Here is a promo for an other production of Heartless
Scott and Hem in the Garden of Allah is another World Premiere and this one will be truely special as it is directed by the playwright Mark St. Germain. The play features a Broadway cast of Rod Brogan, Joey Collins, and Angela Pierce. It sounds like a play that a theatre lover would hate to miss!
Tickets, showtimes and more information can be found at the Festival's website. Take the short drive from Baltimore and Washington to West Virginia's Oldest Town beautifully located on the Potomac River.
No not the real Janis Joplin who died in 1970. However, her music and spirit has beeen revived in a musical I reviewed last year called One Night With Janis Joplin. The show is set to open this fall at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre you can read more details here.
The real Janis Joplin...
You can read my review from last year here. I really enjoyed the show and gaveit five stars. It returned for another run this summer and here is what Max Johnson thought of the show. Here is a preview for the shows return to Arena Stage...
Here is a little taste...
My editor Joel Markowitz interviewed the star, Mary Bridget Davis and you can read it here. Well I hope you enjoy and I will be back soon with a new post!
Jean Stapleton passed away at the age of 90. Most of us remember her as Edith Bunker on "All In The Family." Here is a clip from that show...
Here the two reunite on a talk show, this is believed to be the last time...(Carroll O'Conner, Jean Stapleton)
The show won her three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Her career included much more than "All In The Family." She perfromed in many shows on Broadway, other TV shows and movies. Here is a commercial she did in the 50s...
Here she is on Broadway in 1986. She was performing in the revival of Arsenic & Old Lace...
Here is a news clip (CBS New York) of her death...
Jean Stapleton will be missed, her legacy to the perfroming arts will live on in classic reruns.
Larry Hagman the actor who played J.R. Ewing on "Dallas" in the 70's and 80's and also on the recent TNT revival has passed away due to complications with cancer. He died on Friday. You can read more on his death in this New York Times obit.
Here is a video about his death...
Here he is in an interview along with Linda Evans discussing season 2 of the new "Dallas"....
Here is a clip from the original show...
Many of you may have forgot he also starred on "I Dream of Jeannie" here is an episode to remind you..
I remember watching the reruns of this show when I was growing up. He also starred in a few Broadway plays before his successful television career. His talents will be missed and he will be missed by his family and love ones.
I'm going to be writing a lot this week. Most of it is sports related. Since, I have already blogged about football and baseball this week I thought I would break it up a bit and write about a musical I reviewed. I found out the lead role lost his voice and the show didn't have an understudy. So, I was expecting the worst but I was pleasantly surprised and treated to a stellar performance of Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick, Maryland. You can read my full review here.
Here is a bit of the opening number as done on the Broadway Production...
It poortrays Andrew Jackson in a EMO rock star style. It is not politically correct, sometimes offensive, but interesting, entertaining, thought provoking fun time!
I'll be back soon with another post about something different.what? I am not sure yet.
Sherman Hemsley who played George Jefferson on The Jeffersons passed away yesterday. He also starred in the show Amen. He appeared in Broadway in 1970 and had guest appearances on The Archie Bunker Show. He was a television star during the era of me growing up, and the era of my life where I watched more television. Sorry to see him go. You can read a review o his death from the San Jose Mercury here.
I will show some videos to share memories...
First up he talks about his character George Jefferson...
Here he guest stars on The Fresh Price of Bel-Air:
It's old news now Davy Jones of The Monkees passed away February 29, 2012. A little late I know on this one. I have been distracted lately and not writing much. Busy at the day job, drama some of my other writing ventures, probably a bit of writer's block and so forth.
Davy Jones was a talented man. As a teenager he performed in Oliver! in London's West End and New York's Broadway. The two theatre capitals of western civilization. He also appeared in a lot of theatre on the West End later in his career. in between he starred in the 60's shoe The Monkees which created a pop band of the same name.
Here is the origninal video for The Monkees hit "I'm A Believer"
Here is a little taste of their show..
I've caught a few shows on re-runs here and there. A touching tribute can be found on his official website.
