Another Must See! JOHN & JEN at the Bus Barn

Last night I saw a rarely performed musical by Broadway's latest boy wonder, Andrew Lippa. David Curley and Kristin Stokes bring this wonderful two person musical to life. Their voices are pure and wonderful and the acting is personal and touching. The chemistry between them is electrifying.

The musical direction was flawless. What a great orchestra they've assembled!

Barbara Cannon's direction added so many subtle touches to the performances. For instance, there is one moment when John(David Curley) reaches out to touch his uncle's tombstone that really moved me. It was a very small movement and very fleeting, but for me it was poignent moment. This is the kind of detail that I really love to see. It's the type of added touch that transports a play from the usual to the transcendent.

		David Curley (John) DAVID CURLEY returns to BusBarn after appearing in THE GOODBYE GIRL in 2004. So far this year, David was seen in URINETOWN (Foothill Music Theatre), GYPSY (American Musical Theatre of San Jose) and the staged reading of Andrew Lippa’s ASPHALT BEACH (TheatreWorks’ New Works Festival). Past appearances include the world premiers of MEMPHIS (TheatreWorks) and THE HAUNTING OF WINCHESTER (San Jose Rep) and the regional premier of BAT BOY (TheatreWorks). Other credits: RAGTIME (TheatreWorks), CABARET (Theatre on San Pedro Square), SHE LOVES ME and ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (Foothill Music Theatre), AND THE WORLD GOES ROUND (Pear Avenue Theatre) and HOORAY FOR WHAT, MINNIE’S BOYS and MISS LIBERTY (42nd Street Moon). His performance in MISS LIBERTY earned him a 2005 Bay Area Theatre Critic’s Circle award. David is also a voiceover and commercial actor and was seen on The Discovery Channel in “30 Roller Coasters in 24 Hours”, which documented his successful attempt at a Guinness World Record. For contact and upcoming performance info please visit: www.davidcurley.com
		Kristin Stokes (Jen) Kristin Stokes is delighted to be making her Bus Barn debut in John and Jen. She recently finished up another Andrew Lippa project called ASPHALT BEACH; a part of Theatreworks New Works festival. Her most recent Bay Area credits include: GYPSY at AMT , CABARET at the Willows (Sally), and INTO THE WOODS at Theatreworks (Snow White/Harp/ Lil‚ Red u/s- performed). Other credits include; Lilly St. Regis in ANNIE (PCPA), Rachel in TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY (Broadway West), Bonnie Jean in BRIGADOON (PCPA), and Helen Keller in THE MIRACLE WORKER (Universal Performers). Ms. Stokes is a recent graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and wishes the best of luck to the graduating class of 2006.

Bus Barn Stage Company

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Go See STRING OF PEARLS at City Lights Theater Company

City Lights Theater Company

This show you must see. Kit Wilder(Direction), the four wonderful actresses, and the lighting and sound experts, have created a very human, heartfelt show at City Lights. Four women play multiple roles in this amazing story of love and hope. Each of their characters are distinct and so interesting. It's truly riveting theatre. The acting, lighting, sound and direction are superb. The performances are layered and subtle and wonderful all around. I happen to know most of the people involved in this production, but it has nothing to do with my enthusiasm. You really have to go see this if you want to see some superb acting in an intimate venue.

Bay Area Premiere!
STRING OF PEARLS

Written by
Michele Lowe

Directed by
Kit Wilder

Featuring
Lisa Mallette*,
Raegena Raymond,
Nancy Sauder and
Shannon Stowe
* Appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Performances
May 18-June 18, 2006
Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 pm
Select Sundays at 2 pm or 7 pm

Tickets
Friday Preview: $20
Gala Opening: $35
All Other Shows:
$25 GN, $20 SR, $15 ST/ED
Group discounts are available; please call the Box Office for details.

In this funny, moving story, the journey of one necklace links the lives of 23 women. Four actresses play wildly varied characters who covet, steal, bestow and misplace a lustrous string of pearls. With gentle comedy and surprising candor, the play reveals the twists and turns in relationships between husband and wife, mother and daughter, sisters, friends and memories, intricately threading love, loss and destiny together into a radiant and heart-warming tale.
For mature audiences.

America's New Idol - The King of the Soul Patrol

Well, I was wrong. Katherine McPhee didn't get the votes. I guess America likes the underdog so Taylor is your new Idol winner. I kind of like the idea that a guy with gray hair, a little ponch who's pushing thirty years old won. But, Katharine's the money girl. She's going to have a big career in front of her. Like my friend Diana DeGarmo. I predict she'll become a Broadway star.


The highlight of the show was most certainly Dionne Warwick's appearance with Burt Bacharach - two living legends of American popular music.

For me, American Idol comes close to bringing back one of the genres of TV that I grew up with and watched constantly - the Variety Show. Programs like the Carol Burnett Show, Jackie Gleason, Andy Williams, Donny and Marie, Flip Wilson, and on and on.. were programs that helped me escape for hours and hours as a kid. That's probably why I really like this crazy piece of fluff so much. It kind of brings me back to those days of innocence - to a time, when for the hour that the program was on, you could forget the world and just laugh and listen and watch nice people singing nice songs.

This Will Be Your Next American Idol - Katharine McPhee

American Idol: Contestants - Katharine McPhee

With her rendition tonight of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" she has certainly clinched it. No one will top that performance, and America won't be able to resist voting for this extremely talented and beautiful young woman.

If you really want to hear and see how good she is, watch and listen to her sing when she's not being judged. She's way more relaxed and sounds great.

Give Peace a Chance

One, two, three, four

Everybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism,
Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, That-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Yeah!
C'mon
Everybody's talking about Ministers,
Sinister, Banisters
And canisters, Bishops, and Fishops,
And Rabbis, and Pop eyes, Bye, bye, bye byes

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Let me tell you now
Everybody's talking about
Revolute, evolute, masturbate,
Flagellate, regulate, integrate,
Meditate,-------?,
Congratulate!

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Everybody's talking about
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary,
Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan,
Tommy Copper,
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer,
Allen Ginsberg, Hare Krishna,
Hare, Hare
Krishna

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Google Ads

I put these little Google ads on here. You can see them above. Now, I think it's obnoxious. My inner capitalist and inner artist are at war.

Martin Short's New Show

I went and saw this show which is currently running at the Orpheum in San Francisco. Next it's to Chicago and then apparantly to Broadway. It really has some funny moments but they have a lot of work to do before it's ready for the big time. I really hope it does well. Martin Short is a funny man with loads of talent and his cast is fantastic. The show just feels too much like a long Saturday Night Live skit right now. I have a feeling they can pull it off, though. I'll keep my fingers crossed for them.

Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me to Open on Broadway August 10, Broadway.com Buzz

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Sopranos - Episode 73 - Johnny Cakes

The highlight of this week's episode was the amazing scene between Tony and A.J. Robert Iler, the actor who plays A.J. is developing some really excellent acting chops. This episode was really his episode and he ran with it. The subtlety of his performance was touching. You can really feel his conflict: a boy loves his distant and dangerous father and wants to gain his love by being more like him but he also hates him. He hates him for the life that he's been forced to live as the son of a kingpin. I hope we see more of him for the rest of the season.

HBO: The Sopranos: Episode Guide: Summary: Season 6: Episode 73

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Colbert Trashes Bush

You have to take about 20 minutes to watch this video. For some reason the White House Correspondents' Association let Stephen Colbert speak at their annual diinner. With his remarkable sarcasma and satire he completely dogs Bush. This guy has some serious testicular fortitude. Bush is sitting just a few feet away and he just nails him over and over again. The press people in the audience don't want to be seen laughing so most pretend to be disgusted as the cameras pan over them. It's fantastic stuff. Take a look.
Video Dog - Salon.com

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My Upcoming Show - 'Misalliance' by George Bernard Shaw

The Pear Avenue Theatre - Current Show

American Idol - Who's the best??

Who's the best? It's really tough to decide this year. The only one left that should go is Kelly Pickler, the calaaamarrri girl. She can sing, but only country seems to work for her and this is a pop idol contest.

Who do I want to win? Well if I were to judge solely on the fact that when Katharine McPhee is singing steam starts coming out of my ears and the sound of AHHHHOOOGAAAAAH can be heard for miles away, then well..

But...




My ears tell me that Elliot Yamin should win. He's got the most amazing tone and he always sings the most difficult songs. He's just kind of well, non-idol looking. But the stylists seem to be working their magic and each week he magically looks a little better.

I don't know. Any of them but Kelly could win. Chris Daughrty is damn good, but I think Elliot's vocal tone gets the edge. Chris, though, already looks and acts like a star. Taylor Hicks has soul and charisma but I think that ultimately his limited range and gray hair will do him in. Paris is just too good of an actor. She's sixteen or seventeen but when she sings you think you are listening to some old soul. It's too strange for the average viewer. I love her though. Anyway that's my two cents. O yah.. Simon sucks.

Sopranos - Episode 72 - Luxury Lounge

Our mobsters were up to all kinds of nasty stuff this week, but the highlight of this show, hands down was Lauren Bacall saying the 'F' word!!! Bogey is rolling in his grave! You gotta love L.B. She has always been one of my favorite actors from the old days. What a great sense of humor she has, to have the guts in her later years, to do a part like this. My hats off to you Dame Bacall.

Just as awesome was the appearance of Sir Ben Kingsley! He was so damn funny. I love the line at the end when he sees Chrissy on the plane with home. "FAAAAAAAAAAAAAwk" he says. It was priceless.

Another priceless moment was Chris showing his overwhelming intellect referring to Law and Order SUV. He is such an idiot.

The Sopranos - Episode 71 - "Live Free or Die"

It's all about Vito now and his secret life. Tony's ability to put the whole thing in perspective was quite surprising. The Captain's aren't going to be able to put up with it though. There's way too much homophobia in that group to tolerate the likes of Vito. So, as I said last week., Vito won't last the season.

Old Mr. Walnuts had quite a reaction to Vito's pufta tendencies. He said he felt betrayed. Hmmm??

I think that Paulie may have had a little action under the table during his prison stay. “The Lady doth Protest Too Much”, as one very smart Brit once said.

Gypsy at AMTSJ

I went to go see GYPSY last night at American Musical Theatre of San Jose. Things really got hot in Act II. The show picked up steam through the second act and the finally was really tremendous as Marya Grandy sung Rose's Turn with such gusto that would have made Ethel Merman proud.. It was great to see so many Bay Area pals up there doing there thing. It's a tribute to AMTSJ that they use as much local talent as they can and still remain a professional theater on a full scale Equity contract. Congrats to David, Jeff, Matt, Gia, Adrea, Joe, Dirk, Diana and all the other S.F. Based performers.

The Sopranos - Episode 70 - Mr. and Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..

It looks like actor Joe Gannascoli who plays Vito Spatafore better start looking for another acting gig. He's going to lose another 100 lbs. due to starvation if he doesn't start selling more of his line of pasta sauce. Poor Vito was discovered at a gay night club by a couple of wise guys collecting their weekly envelope. So our buddy Vito grabs his pistol and puts himself up in a hotel out in the boondocks somewhere. Looks like he's contemplating giving himself a little lead poisoning. Within the next couple of weeks he's either going to have meet his maker by his own hand, or by one of T's crew. No way in hell they can let a fruity boss stay above ground. It's not in the job profile.

I love the way that every time Dr. Melfi gives T any actual practical advice, he uses it to improve his “business” relationships. This time she told him that if he's afraid of looking weak, to remember that people only see in us, what we let them see. So, T, being the quick study that he is, goes out and beats the holy crap out of his new body guard just to remind the jackals who's boss. If Melfi actually ever found out how many people have been killed and maimed because of her wisdom, she'd have to turn herself in as an accessory to murder and mayhem.

Does Christopher have an I.Q. of a turnip or what? His stupidity is hilarious. Last week it was his logical conclusion that dinosaurs and people could not have coexisted because that means Adam and Eve would have been chased around paradise by wild T Rex-s. This week he tells T that his idea to bring someone in from Naples to perform the hit on the Mayor of Munchkinland, was a pussy ass idea. Then he brings up one of the themes from THE GODFATHER that T must have agreed to doing the hit for Johnny because of the wedding. Only T had to remind Christopher that he had it backward. It was Johny Sack that wouldn't be able to refuse giving the favor. Christopher always has considered himself an expert on THE GODFATHER films. So, this was quite a riot.

One of my favorite little moments in the show was when A.J.s date at the wedding said she doesn't eat fish because of the “toxins”. This she said as she was taking a drag on a cig. Maybe they were those new toxin free organic cigarettes.

The whole fatty theme around Johnny Sacs family is a scream. You know he's a true Italian because even though his wife and daughter both resemble water buffalo he is concerned about them not eating enough. “Mangia, Mangia, Ven Grande!”, as my own grandmother used to say.

Overall, this one of the best episodes in memory and certainly the best this season. Next week, look for Vito to be pushing up more than his share of daisies, and (keep your fingers crossed), maybe the return of the ultimate hit-man Furio to do in the Mayor of Munchkinland.

The Sopranos - Episode 69- "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh"

You have got to love this picture. Paulie Walnuts, the conscientious recylcer. What a great way to start the show. I had to pause my Reply TV and go up to the screen to read it, but I love these little details. Damn, that Paulie is one mean S.O.B. It seems that he really doesn't have to do much acting, though. The actor, Tony Sirico, who plays the part of Paulie was a hood before he became an actor. It seems that he had his mob connections and spent quite a bit of time extorting people in New York night clubs. A New York judge once declared Mr. Sirico, “ a menace to society”. Don't believe it? Check out this article on Smoking Gun

So, the question we're left with at the end of the week's episode is about how much Tony is going to go "good guy" on us after his near death experience. My money is on him becoming more ruthless than ever after he sees how is new found humanity threatens his hold on the Family.

This weeks episode was one of the best. I hope it continues.

Damon Bags Armstrong Film

It seems that Matt Damon has bagged the Lance Armstrong film. The reasons for the departure seem hard to believe. As it says in the article, Matt and Lance disagreeed on the casting of the lead women. Since when does Lance Armstong consider himself an expert in the casting of a Hollywood film? I think that the reasons are just read-hearings. I wouldn't doubt if it were something as simple as Damon getting offered more dollars on something else. But who really knows? I mean what could be the problem with Michelle Pfeiffer as Lance's mom? You couldn't ask for a better actress and she's the perfect age. I actually ran into her at Pete's Coffee a few months ago in Palo Alto (she lives nearby). Lance loves Pete's coffee. I heard that he is essentially a Pete's addict. I bet if he had known, he would have gone with her as choice for mommy.

Who would be a good Lance on the big screen? I would cast an unknown who happens to also be a kick-ass bike rider. I am sure there are some actors out there like that. Why not? You could surround him with stars like Pfeiffer and actually have a lead character that looks like he is a bike racer.


www.cyclingnews.com news and analysis: "Armstrong film searching for new star

By Cheyenne Spokes

The heavily-rumoured casting of Hollywood heart-throb Matt Damon as Lance Armstrong in the forthcoming biopic about the seven time Tour de France winner has come to nothing after the 35 year old decided to dramatically quit the project in favour of another screen role.

Damon, star of hit movies such as Ocean's Eleven, the Bourne Identity and Saving Private Ryan, was long considered the prime choice of Armstrong.

Indeed Armstrong's dramatic recovery from a near-fatal illness seemed both the ideal Hollywood plot and a perfect vehicle for Damon's talents. Although the two look nothing alike, the movie star was reportedly in heavy training for the role, going on long bike rides with Armstrong in a bid to lose weight, gain fitness and build the technical skill to convincingly portray the multiple Tour champ on screen.

'Man, I'm even shaving my legs,' Damon reportedly said in an as-yet unpublished interview with celebrity reporter April Fibbs.

Details are still sketchy about what happened to his involvement with the project, but according to the unrivalled journal of record, National Enquirer, Damon and Armstrong failed to see eye to eye in a number of areas. These rumours include reports that:

* Damon INSISTED that Michelle Pfeiffer play Armstrong's mother.
* He DEMANDED that Jessica Alba play Armstrong's former wife Kristin, and
* He EXPRESSED A STRONG preference for the casting of Vanessa Paradis as Sheryl Crow, despite the fact that the singer is not actually French."

The Sopranos Episode #68 - MAYHAM

It looks like Tony has woken from his Junior-induced perma-slumber and will be with us again in reality rather than in parallel universe dream format. Thank God. I started imagining having to experience T as only his yuppie dream dude version, and what a long season that would have been. But now he's up again! Sitting in a chair in a stupor, but he's up! Christopher wasted no time in telling him that he was back in the "movie" business, and that Tony "owed" him this one because of Adrianna. He just better hope T was too out of it to understand, or he may himself become the zombie-mob-dude-super=hero of his new slasher film.

Great opening for a the show this week with Paulie and a henchman knocking over a mony laundering operation. Fearless and gruesome is Mr. Walnuts. He's one guy I would never turn my back on. Scary goomba.

What's with Tony's other sister ( I don't even know her name) and her husband making these one-liner appearances? I can't help but wonder that maybe Chase is setting up a season finale where the whole Soprano pod gets wiped out. First he needs to bring them all home, which now he has done. Maybe it will be a suicide bomber on a family cruise reunion, or maybe Meadow will marry Fin and a jealous latent homosexual Vito will have the entire clan gunned down, just as they all sit down for the antipasto. We'll just have to see.

Speaking of Vito and his newly found fame on the show. I love it. His dieting and weight loss make good funny moments on the show. Just watching him sit their and devour that bag of baby carrots was great. You just know that one of these days he's going to break down and heat a gallon of Hagen Dazs.

Carmela continues to amaze. She gets all the best writing in the script. Her scene with Melfi was the highlight of the episode. She sees that now her children must suffer, and it may be what turns her against Tony himself.

Christopher! You want to write a screenplay. Why do it like all those other suffering schmucks in La La Land. Just extort an old drug addict screen writer gone straight and have a meeting! Nice one and very funny!

Poor Silvio. He just couldn't handle the pressure. I wonder if we'll see him much for the rest of the season. I'll miss the man with the plastic hair.

Until next week.... Watch your Back.

The Sopranos Episode #67 - JOIN THE CLUB

Now I remember why I love HBO's original programming. This week's episode of the Sopranos was out of this world. The first ten minutes of the episode shows Tony at some sales convention where he gets stuck because he accidentally picked up some other's guys briefcase in the bar. Immediately you realize that this sales convention Tony, who looks like Tony Soprano and sort of sounds like him, is not really him. Is it a dream? Is it a clone? What the hell is it? Has David Chase just completely lost his mind? Then boom! Just as you are ready to throw a brick through your TV set, you are catapulted into reality. The reality of Tony Soprano, the real Tony Soprano, is in an ICU barely holding on to life. Then you understand exactly what you had been witnessing moments before. You had been thrust into the world of Tony Soprano's coma - his new and maybe his last world. A world dealt to him by a pistol wielding Uncle Junior in a dimented fit. Finally, the hit that Tony's mom ordered on her own son, may become a reality. Would Chase actually have the audacity to keep Tony Soprano, the cornerstone of the show, in a coma for the entire last season? Already, as Tony lay there Paulie and Vito start scuffling, positioning themselves in the shadow of Tony's probably demise: suggestions for future violence.

As Tony lie there in his other-world, we see Carmela and A.J. each alone with Tony, finally able to communicate with him without fear of his temper and wrath. Edie Falco, as Carmela, turns in an amazing performance as she opens her heart to Tony. He can't hear, but it doesn't matter. Carmela had things she had to say and feel and she does. She also seems to being to trying to reassure herself that he is a "good" man. She spends a bunch of time convincing herself of this as she talks to him. " You care about your friends and your family", she says. "I once told you that God was going to send you to hell, well you're not going to hell. I never should have said that, and I'm sorry. For that I will be judged." Carmela wants so badly for him to have been something that he's not, that even at this point she can convince herself that he's lived a stellar life. When A.J. is alone with Tony we start to see the new and possibly next Tony Soprano. He vows to "put a bullet in Junior's head" for what he did. The rage is eerily like that of dad and it's chilling.

It looks like next week we get to see the crew start to plan and plot one another's demise as they try and get themselves positioned for a Soprano Family without the Big S himself.

The Sopranos is Back! With Episode #1 - MEMBERS ONLY

This week HBO's hit series, The Sopranos, returned with it's first episode of what will most likely be it's final season. I hate to say it, but I was a little disappointed. Although the ending was quite a shocker, I found that the rest of the episode was mediocre. This is not to say it was bad, but The Sopranos has had some incredible episodes in the past and I was hoping that the season opener would give us one of those.

First of all, they tried to be cute by ball busting the movie industry, slyly placing "products" throughout the whole episode. The first line of the show started out with one of the FBI agents saying, "No one ever went broke, by underestimating the taste of the American public." After that we were treated to subtle and some not so subtle "advertisements" for various American delicacies like Nestles, FedEx, the Rolling Stones (a tattoo of Mick's tongue on Janice's left teat as she reluctantly nursed her new babe) and Armani to name a few.

The directing by Mr. Tim Van Patten wasn't clear enough for me. Too many lines were mumbled and thrown away, some of them very funny. I had to watch the show a second time to catch them all. They also introduced a new character, spent most of the show dealing with his story, then he whacked himself with a noose in the garage. Why the diversion? Maybe future episodes will shed some light.

What did I like? Well, Tony weighing himself, that was damn funny. He didn't like the fact that the scale read 284 lbs. so he kept shedding clothing until it got back down to a respectable 280.
Uncle Jun and Tony's last scene was great. I won't give it away here in case you haven't seen it, but it made the whole hour worth the wait. I thought that Tony and Carmela's obsession with the Japanese food restaurant was hilarious. Of course Tony had to wreck Carmela's fantasy by going there by himself for lunch one day. The little strip act that Meadow did for Fin wasn't bad. Not bad at all. They really used the nice gams camera angle a lot with Dr. Melfi. I can't believes she wears those skirts when she sees Tony. She is frickin nuts! Bobby's train set in the garage was quite humorous. I sense an immanent loss of life for that poor goomba.

Foothill's URINETOWN is a Gas

Jay Manley worked his magic again in Foothill's winter show and staged a hugely entertaining version of URINETOWN - The Musical. The show closed on Sunday so if you missed it your out of luck. Everything about it was top notch, from the opening number to the end when the whole cast cries out, "Hail Malthus!". (Malthus was some dude a long time ago who posited that it's useless for the poor to rise up because they'd fail anyway, or something like that. ) And, because Urinetown isn't just like any other musical, in the end, it fully agrees with Malthus. It's odd that you find yourself happy and laughing at this news.

I can't say enough about this cast. The energy, talent, vocal precision and acting chops that they all showed was truly inspiring. Of course, Cathy's musical and vocal direction was wonderful. I even noticed the cast giving a tongue in cheek nod to her "DICTION!" pet peeve. Near the end of the show I heard a couple of unnamed cast members utter a few "ground-uhs". Tyler's choreography was stellar as always. The dance number in "Snuff that Girl" and its tribute to "Cool" in "West Side Story" brought the audience to a near frenzy.

Thank you all so much for giving us this wonderful gift. It's exciting to have so many talented friends.

Prediction: This show will sweep those Theatre Bay Area Critics Awards next year or I'm The Bunny.

P.S. - It's now official: SHANE Olbourne is a triple threat.

24 on Fox - Great but Ridiculous

I am totally hooked on the Fox program "24". I have been since season one. A number of people I have talked to hate the show because the premise is so stupid. There in no way in hell that so much could happen in the space of 24 hours. Or perhaps, only in hell could it happen, not on this planet.

Anyway, here are some little observations I made from last weeks show.

1. President Logan has 3 piercings in his left ear! Near the end of the two hour episode when Martha (the first lady) was forgiving him for having written her death warrant, you could clearly see them. They tried to cover them up with make-up, but were not successful. The actor's name is Gregory Itzin. Guess what? He received theatrical training at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, where he also was a company member. That explains it. He's from the CITY! He must be a wack job. I'm kidding of course, being from San Francisco myself. But come on!! A middle aged President of the United States with earrings!! We can understand blow-jobs in the white house, but not earrings. NO WAY. In the photo you can see a photo of Mr Itzin with his earrings in. He seems to be pointing at them, in fact.
   
2. How many times can one guy get his head nearly blown off and recover in a few hours? Com on!! Last season Tony Almeida got shot in the neck and nearly died. He recovered within a few hours and turned into an X-Man. Now this season, he gets the whole frickin' left side of his head smashed, and he wakes up a few hours later ready to go on a rampage. What a stud!
3. They killed my favorite character! Edgar Styles, played by Louis Lombardi is dead! The poor schmuck just missed getting into the sealed up "situation room" in time to avoid the lethal nerve gas. We could see him fall to his death through the windows of the said room. Well, actually he didn't really fall. He sort of knelt down. The poor guy weighs about 400 lbs. so falling is not really an option. Damn, I liked him. He was on a few episodes of the Sopranos in seasons past. Maybe they'll bring him back and then wack him there too.
4. I am so happy that Lynn McGill (aka Sean Astin, aka Sam from 'Lord of the Rings') seems to be meeting his demise. What an ass this guy is. Good acting Sean!
5. Kim is back. O well. At least she looks good.
   
6. Robocop is the head bad dude!! Yes, Peter Weller is back and he's bad, maybe. We'll have to wait and see. But when Jack shot his wife in the leg to get the guy to talk, that was a little much. He says, "she'll be able to walk again, don't worry, I shot her above the knee cap!" What a guy, that Jack. He shot her above the knee cap. Good 'ole Jack.
   
   

Snake!!!

While walking along the beach in Acapulco an elderly gentleman with an Argentinean accent told me that he just saw a snake swimming around in the shallow surf. He saw that I had a camera and thought I might want to snap a photo. I searched for about five minutes and found nothing. He quickly became concerned that I thought he was just a crazy old man who was seeing things. As I was about to give up, I looked down to see that I was nearly stepping on the thing! I don't know whether it was poisonous or not. Gladly I didn't find out. In my panic I somehow snapped this photo. Does anyone know what brand of serpent this is?

Fighting the Bulls

We recently returned from a vacation in Acapulco, Mexico. They still fight bulls there although the locals don't seem to be very interested. The stadium held ten thousand, and on the Sunday afternoon that we attended there were about four hundred people who showed up. Mostly the crowd consisted of friends and family of that day's bull fighters, tourists like me who paid way too much for front row seats, and various others like the little band that played the Mexican music.

Bull fighting is a strange art. It's terribly cruel and brutal. The bull is tortured for about thirty minutes before he is put out of his misery. Even the part where they finish him off takes too long. Most countries have outlawed the nine hundred year old tradition, but a few like Mexico and Spain still allow it.

When the first bull ran in that night, I immediately pictured his future: bleeding, and gasping for air, on his knees. My imagination stood in sharp contrast to the animal I saw before me: powerful, confused, scared, aggressive. My compassion for his upcoming plight was almost overwhelming.

One guy did so well that the official awarded him the ear. So he made his rounds holding the ear up with pride as the blood ran down his wrist, staining his green and gold, majestic costume.

One of the final acts of a bull fight is when the matador stabs the bull with a long sword and pushes it in deep between the front shoulder blades. Often it popped out and the boy (all but one of the matadors was about sixteen years old) had to re-stab until it took. The bull often bellowed in pain at this point. Eventually he lies down drowning in his own blood.

There is much beauty, grace and excitement involved in this game. It's not for the faint of heart. Honestly, I have had trouble falling asleep for the last couple of nights. I used to watch it on the Mexican TV channels when I was a boy in the 1970s, but there were no close-ups and I was too young to really realize what I was watching. We humans are a strange crowd.

Cheney Shoots Hunting Partner with Shotgun

Left - Terrorist Quails - Please contact the
Department of Homeland Security if you
spot these evil doers.

Actually, I heard from one of my sources, that he had intellingence that said there were some terrorists in quail costumes in the area.

Cheney accidentally shoots hunting partner

"...When spotting what he thought were quail the VP laid out a barrage of rounds he called his “shock and awe” method...."

"Over the Tavern" so long...

The show closed last night. What a great, fantastic experience it was. We had the most responsive audience of the run last night. That's a very nice way to close a show.

It was nice to see my friend MARTIN ROJAS-DIETRICH in the audience. His fantastic laughter helped loosen up the entire audience. Thanks Martin!

MercuryNews.com | 02/10/2006 | Taking theater to the people is actor-director's mission

MercuryNews.com | 02/10/2006 | Taking theater to the people is actor-director's mission

I really wish I could go this show at Stanford tonight. I think it's great when the celebrities stay committed to doing work on the stage.

Playbill News: PHOTO CALL: Diana DeGarmo and Others Knock ‘Em Down at Second Stage All-Star Bowling Classic

What celebs do in their spare time... go bowling!


Playbill News: PHOTO CALL: Diana DeGarmo and Others Knock ‘Em Down at Second Stage All-Star Bowling Classic

IFILM - Music Videos: David Hasselhoff: Hooked on a Feeling -

IFILM - Music Videos: David Hasselhoff: Hooked on a Feeling -

I love it when celebrities like David Hasselhoff and William Shatner recognize the fact that most of their "public" sees them as "cheese". Rather than be poor sports about the whole thing, they embrace it and take their cheese to new heights. Watch this video and you will see what I mean.

MercuryNews.com | 01/31/2006 | Most prominent female playwright in the country dies

MercuryNews.com | 01/31/2006 | Most prominent female playwright in the country dies

She was so talented and so smart. She will be missed.

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Wendy Wasserstein, the country's most prominent female playwright and one with strong connections to the Silicon Valley theater community, died in New York on Monday after a lengthy and largely unpublicized battle with lymphoma. She was 55.

Nominations List | 78th Annual Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

The Oscar nominations are in. As usual I have hardly seen any of these movies yet. They are all on my Netflix list, though. The nominies for best picture are.....

"Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
A River Road Entertainment Production
Diana Ossana and James Schamus, Producers

“Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
An A-Line Pictures/Cooper’s Town/ Infinity Media Production
Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven, Producers

“Crash” (Lions Gate)
A Bob Yari/DEJ/Blackfriar’s Bridge/ Harris Company/ApolloProscreen GmbH & Co./Bull’s Eye Entertainment Production
Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman, Producers

“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)
A Good Night Good Luck LLC Production
Grant Heslov, Producer

“Munich” (Universal and DreamWorks)
A Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures Production
Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg and Barry Mendel, Producers

The only one I've seen is "Crash". It was a very good movie. It reminded me a lot of "Magnolia". It pieced together seemingly unconnected stories and wove them together into a statement about racism. It was a good movie, but it won't be one of those movies that stick with you in your psyche for the next thirty years. I am thinking of movies like "The Godfather" or "From Here to Eternity" or "The Wizard of Oz". I don't think we have any of those on the list this year. Of course, I haven't seen them, so what the hell am I talking about?

My money is on "Brokeback Mountain" to win easily. It's probably the best cow poke movie ever made.

Oh, I am a gay caballero,
I went to see a medico,
Going from Rio de Janeiro
Exceedingly fine medico............

Nominations List | 78th Annual Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Inside Bay Area - Bay Area Living

Here's a review about "Over the Tavern". Thank the Lord it'a good.

Inside Bay Area - Bay Area Living

"Over the Tavern" Opens

We did it. We finally have opened and it's quite a relief. The audiences seem to really be enjoying the show. The kids are doing a great job. I am finding that this role is very exhausting. I am glad to have a few days off.

Chron.com | Idol's Diana DeGarmo gets a hold on Broadway with Hairspray

I just found this today. I'm very happy for her. She's a great lady and has loads of talent. - Ray


Chron.com | Idol's Diana DeGarmo gets a hold on Broadway with Hairspray

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Another American Idol contestant is heading for Broadway.

Following in the footsteps of Frenchie Davis, who appears in the rock musical Rent, Diana DeGarmo will join the cast of Hairspray on Feb. 7.

The 18-year-old DeGarmo, one of the Fox television series' most popular runners-up, will portray the heroine's best friend, Penny Pingleton, in the musical, which opened on Broadway in August 2002.

Hairspray, based on the cult John Waters' film, concerns a chubby Baltimore teen who wants to appear on a TV dance show. The show now stars Shannon Durig as the eager young woman and John Pinette as her full-figured mother.

Bus Barn presents "Over The Tavern"

Bus Barn presents "Over The Tavern"

This show has been so much fun to rehearse. If you were ever a kid, then you'll love it.

Faces of a Stooge

Faces of a Stooge
Originally uploaded by Master and Commander.

Here is what happened while I was sitting in the car the day after Christmas, waiting for my son to wake up in the back seat. Jim Carey, eat your heart out.

2005 in Review

What a great year!

First it was Sweeney Todd at Foothill Music Theatre.
Then it was the One Act Festival at Foothill.
Directing Pear Slices at the Pear, that was great.
Then Brigadoon where I got to play Jeff.
And finally, the theatrical experience of my life so far, West Side Story at AMTSJ.

I feel very fortunate.

I hope you have a wonderful 2006.

Rain

A week up in the mountains and it rains and rains and rains. We stopped rehearsing Over the Tavern for a week because of the the holiday. I really want to get back and get into it again.

I can't believe it's almost the year 2006. The older I get, the faster the years just whip by. It's quite surreal.

I really wanted to be in Gypsy at AMTSJ but I didn't get cast. It's one of my favorite shows.

Bus Barn Stage Company

Ray will play role of Chet Pazinski in the play, OVER THE TAVERN, by Tom Dudzick.

This intelligently irreverent comedy about growing up Catholic in 1950’s America was written by the same author who brought GREETINGS! to the Bus Barn stage in 1999. OVER THE TAVERN is a beguiling and hilarious tale as seen through the eyes of Rudy Pazinski, a precocious 12-year-old boy who’s starting to question family values and the Roman Catholic Church.

"Absolutely enchanting … a little bit of heaven!"(Chicago Tribune)
January 19 — February 11, 2006
Buy a Ticket
Directions

AMTSJ 2005-2006 Season

Some very cool hi-res publicity photos for various Bay Area theatre companies including Theatreworks, 42nd Street Moon, AMTSJ, Aurora Theatre and others.

AMTSJ 2005-2006 Season

Our Amazing Set

The set of Westside Story was really quite incredible. It looked as good as any Broadway set I've seen.  

Me and JoAnn

Here I am with Joann M. Hunter, one of the most talented people I've ever known. She was our Anita. 

Diana and Me

Now when Diana is a big time movie star and I'm old and gray, I can brag to my grandkids.  

Recovery

Whenever I finish the run of a show, the next day I almost always feel completly and utterly exhausted. That's today's general feeling.

What a great experience this has been to be a part of this rendition of Westside Story. I will always remember the people I met and the hard work that we all committed ourselves to.

A Review by a Elisa Camahort - AMTSJ's West Side Story (starring Diana De Garmo)

Review of Westside Story by Elisa Camahort

AMTSJ's West Side Story (starring Diana De Garmo)

Hi Res Photos of Westside Story at AMTSJ

Here are the pictures that the PR firm took for the show. They are really very good.

AMTSJ 2005-2006 Season

MercuryNews.com | 11/01/2005 | We just met a girl named DeGarmo

More on Westside Story and of course Amercian Idol....

MercuryNews.com | 11/01/2005 | We just met a girl named DeGarmo

Westside Story at AMTSJ !

Rehearsals having been going great! This cast is the most talented group of people I've ever worked with. I used to wonder how any theatre company could get a musical ready in two and a half weeks, but I don't wonder anymore. After this experience at American Musical Theatre of San Jose I am witnessing first hand how possible it is.

I'm so excited about this show. If you can, come and see it. I really think you'll have a great experience. It runs from November 1 to November 13, Tuesday through Sunday.

Ticket Information

Playbill News: "American Idol" Finalist To Star in West Side Story in California

Getting some good press!!

Playbill News: "American Idol" Finalist To Star in West Side Story in California

RAGTIME - Go See It

I went to opening night of Ragtime at Broadway by the Bay last week. It was great to see a bunch old friends perform my favorite musical of all time with such passion. Tim Reynolds was amazing as Tateh. I just finished working with him for months in Brigadoon and he transformed himself so much I barely recognized him.

It's a spectacular show. Go see it!

Aida at Bus Barn Stage Company

When Aida opened on Broadway, despite its enormous success, and the Tony Award for Best Musical, it was generally panned by most of the critics. I didn't see the show on Broadway, but I suspect that the reason it was so hated by the critics is that it was "Disneyfied". From what I've read it seems that the Aida was staged as a replica of the majority of the Disney animated films: silly, slapstick, and shallow.

Barbara Cannon and her creative team including Michael Spector (co-director), Michael Langham (musical director) and Shannon Stowe (choreographer), have created the Aida that I suspect Sir Elton John and Mr. Tim Rice intended. The directors cast the lead roles perfectly. Aida the Nubian princess, played by Jennifer Oku, is magnificent. Her vocal range, purity of sound, coupled with her ability to switch from operatic grandiosity to sweeping rock vocals sent chills down my spine. Robert Brewer plays the role of Radames, the Egyptian warrior-prince. Mr. Brewer exudes the power and virility required in the role and his singing and acting are flawless. Together, Brewer and Oku show a touching multi-layered understanding of love, responsibility and personal sacrifice. Jason Arias' as Mereb will make you laugh out loud. His comic timing and vocal artistry are excellent. Keite Davis as Amneris, displays her comic witt, her beautiful voice, and the depth of character required for the role.

Shannon Stowe has staged some truly sublime moments through intriguing dance and movement. She uses the talents of her dancers, particularly Michael Saenz and Lori Martinez, very well. Mr Saenz is a very gifted dancer. I hope he doesn't up and move to New York.

The rest of the cast is magnificent as well. Tomas Theriot as Zoser deftly plays the power and Machiavellian intent of his character. Shane Osbourne as Amonosro is a commanding presence in his short but very memorable scenes. John Aney as Pharaoh combines the fact that he is dieing and his diminishing power as king with excellent acting agility.

Aida runs through October 1. Don't miss it.

At Least 160 Die in Iraq al-Qaida Bombings

Al-Qaida and its philosophy is beyond anything I am able to comprehend. How on earth do they think that they are justified in their actions? Today's happenings have filled me with a simmering anger. Today they suicide bombed like never before. This particular one makes me exceptionally sick:

In what was believed to be a new tactic, the bomber set off the explosive after calling the construction and other workers to his small van and enticing them with promises of employment, a witness said. At least 112 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded, according to Health Ministry officials. Twisted hulks of vehicles blocked the bloodstained main street in Kazimiyah's Oruba Square.

In this particular incident we have a couple of hundred guys looking for a way to make a little money so that maybe they can afford to buy enough food for their families this week. One may have been hoping to make a dollar or two moving a pile of gravel, or putting on a mud roof. He may have already been waiting for a couple of hours that morning almost ready to give up, ready to return home penniless once again. He may have secretly longed for the days when Saddam ruled the country, at least then he had steady work.

Suddenly, down the drive appeared a small van. It stopped. A smiling Iraqi man rolled down his window and said something to the nearest worker. He became very animated and called everyone to the van. "He says he can keep us all working for a week, digging a foundation for a new refinery." Filled with joy, our Iraqi man quickly makes his way over to the van along with the 111 other hopefuls.

As they all gather, perhaps the man driving the van starts explaining to them how much they will be paid per day and exactly what it will involve. Stragglers inch closer to the van window to hear the details. The driver speaks very quietly, so that to hear they must get very close to the open window. Then mid-sentence, the Iraqi driver reaches in his pocket, pulls out a cigarette and pulls the lighter from the dashboard. None of the men realize that the lighter is attached to a wire which is attached to a detonating device. This device, within milliseconds of the tiny electrical charge initiated by the removal of the cigarette lighter, sends 100 watts of power surging through 500 lbs. of crude explosive strapped to 10 old Soviet artillery shells. All these explosives are in the back of the van covered by an old blanket. Our Iraqi worker hears a sizzling noise, a deafening explosion, and he realizes that he no longer has limbs. He sees blood flowing out of the area where his left leg used be attached to his torso. He rolls on the ground for a few seconds. He's gone.

At Least 160 Die in Iraq al-Qaida Bombings - Yahoo! News

Clamperland Diaries

One would think that Clamperland would be free of governmental red tape. After all Clamperlanders believe that simplicity is best. So, when I went to Clamperland's County Office, I thought that my little problem could be fixed in a matter of minutes. Boy , was I wrong. It just goes to show you that in Clamperland, life is never boring. And as the grumpy fifty-something woman behind the counter educated me, "Yes, young man, life is a learning experience." For some reason I felt the need to snort. But instead, I just shrugged and left, determined to defeat the Clamperland bureaucracy.

"She sure didn't want to give me any dang help," I said, with as much of a country boy twang as I could muster. "It's always best to try and sound like a local," I thought.

"Oh, you had to deal with Pig Lady," he said with a Texas twang. Clamperlanders have Texas twangs even though most of them have never left California. It must be because their ancestors came from Texas or Kansas or one of them thar places. Or maybe they just listen to lots of country music.

His name was Fred. He looked like a computer nerd from Silicon Valley, but I had the distinct impression that he never ventured out of Clamperland. His desk was in the back of a real estate office occupied by two bleach blond women who both looked at me like I was a Martian when I barged into the office.

Fred was a piler. He had piles of papers and books everywhere. He had little horn-rimmed glasses and a hair cut that made him look like Bill Gate's younger brother. He handed me his card. His title read, Assistant Paralegal. "Assistant to who? " I wondered. Why would two underworked real estate agents need an Assistant Paralegal. My intuition told me that he must have earned his "degree" through a correspondence course.

"Pig Lady?" I said.

"Yep, that's what we call her - Pig Lady, because she looks like a pig and she acts like a pig."

"Oh," I mused. "I guess when you mention it, she did look sort of like a pig, and she was kind of grumpy."

"Yehhp," he said. "You know, I'll tell you something." He leaned forward from his desk, his eyes looking both embarrassed and naughty. Looking around, first right, then left, he made sure that no one was listening. "Last year, she-," hesitating he made one more check around the office. He seemed downright chagrined to tell me what he was about to tell me, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Wo," I thought. She must have been an axe murderer or at least she was having an affair with the mayor.

Whispering, "Last year, they put her on what they call them - ," silence, "them ANTI-Depressants. It's the only time I ever seen her smile."

Stunned, I had the look of a surprised raccoon. "That's it!" I thought. Then the laughter came. I couldn't stop. "Well," I said, "they should have kept her on 'em, I guess."

"They sure should have," he said. "They sure should have."

About three hours later, after wading my way through the intricacies of real estate law in Clamperland, I returned to the County Records Office, the domicile of the fabled Pig Lady. As I waited at the counter, the same middle-aged woman that treated me like a buzzard on a shit wagon that very morning, suddenly appeared before me - twelve inches from my face. When I first heard the name Pig Lady, I kind of thought it was mean. But now as she stared at me with those steely blue eyes, I realized that she truly did look like a pig. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against pigs. I think they're kind of cute - that cute upturned little snout, those doe eyes, those perky ears.

The Angry Inch

What happened in New Orleans is nothing more than sad. I am not in the mood to criticize or place blame. It's just sad.

Gas is at $3.00 a gallon now, but I don't think it stopped anyone from driving today, at least not in the Bay Area. I drove from Palo Alto to Angels Camp this afternoon. Normally leaving at 3 P.M. relegates one to driving at a snail's pace until you hit Escalon. But being that it was Labor Day, heading east in the afternoon meant free sailing all the way. But heading west, from Manteca to the Livermore, there was a line of cars that appeared to be moving no faster than 2 mph. As I rambled down the highway, screaming to my Hedwig CD, I rejoiced in my freedom to cruise along at 80 mph. Watching the other cars in the opposite lane plod along, gave me a crazy sort of joy. "Six inches forward, and five inches back, I got... I got my angry inch..."

Hurricane

Donate to the RED CROSS and Help The Victims of the Hurricane

Hurricanes need to be named more accurately. Katrina somehow makes me think of a Russian ballerina flitting prettily across the meadow. They should have names like "Bone Crusher" or "Clubber".

For the last couple of days I find myself having sudden sensations of breathlessness. I have to consciously take a breath to alleviate the feeling. I thought that it cold be asthma, so I took a couple of puffs on my inhaler. But the feeling didn't go away. I realize now that it's a case of post-hurricane stress syndrome. Watching on TV the images of all those poor, sick, suffering people with no one coming to their rescue has really taken a toll on me. You see them on your screen, you want to help, you want our government to help, but nothing happens. You think, "this is the United States, where are the helicopters? "

I read this morning that the people at the Civic Center are starting finally to be rescued. I hope that we take good care of them when this is all over. I really fear that we won't. It's the United States, we are capitalists, and the poor must fend for themselves.

I remember watching a documentary about Chernobyl. The Soviet Union ordered every bus within in the region to the city to evacuate the people. The whole place was emptied within a matter of hours. In New Orleans, one had to have a working automobile and money for gas to get out. That means one had to be a member of the middle class. Once again the poor were left behind.