In the comments section of this thread from a while back, a number of people praised the old Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, and especially the charms of amateur productions. I’m in complete agreement. The librettos may be outdated in many … Continue reading →
…I missed this the first time around: Certain events of Michael Bublé’s early life and teen years, detailed here, give strong clues as to why he may have invited this kid onstage, and why he got so very excited when … Continue reading →
I’ve become a teeny bit obsessed with the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel,” while indulging in one of my favorite procrastination habits—watching YouTube videos. Now, the musical “Carousel” was stupid in a lot of ways, especially the movie version. I … Continue reading →
So now it’s Gingrich who’s up in the polls, at least somewhat. It seems to be his turn. Sometimes the Republican candidates remind me of a jazz combo (although not an especially mellifluous one): In between these statements of the … Continue reading →
Perry’s attempt at damage control was to appear on the Letterman show and joke about his lapse. It may be the best approach at this point; we’ll see whether it actually works: What strikes me about the whole thing is … Continue reading →
(1) Shirley Jones was named after Shirley Temple. (2) Gordon McCrae took over the role of barker Billy Bigelow from Frank Sinatra in the movie version of “Carousel” . (3) Meredith Willson, who wrote “The Music Man,” was a graduate … Continue reading →
Time treats people (even rock stars) differentially. Some look great: Billy Idol, Bret Michaels (who’s a mere 48, though, so it’s not a good test), and Bruce Springsteen. Pat Benatar looks better than in her youth, and David Bowie looks … Continue reading →
The state of Maine has raised its top speed limit to 75, but the new figure only applies to a 110-mile stretch of highway way up north (or downeast, whichever you prefer). That means it will probably affect about three … Continue reading →
One of the things that most fascinates me here (aside from the obvious virtuosity of Horowitz’s flying fingers) is the remote quality of his face. It’s as though he is observing his fingers from a greater distance than usually separates … Continue reading →
The storm hasn’t really been all it was cracked up to be here. But tis enough, twill serve—in other words, there’s a power outage where I live. I’m sitting in a coffee shop right now, plugged into one of the … Continue reading →
NY Times columnist and Obama admirer (“Obama is smart, decent and tough, with exactly the right instincts about where the country needs to go”) Thomas Friedman no doubt means well towards Obama. But this analogy is quite unfortunate: But lately … Continue reading →
This piece by Seumas Milne in the Guardian is typical of the way the left looks at the riots and their causes: …[W]here exactly did the rioters get the idea that there is no higher value than acquiring individual wealth, … Continue reading →