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 →
[Hat tip: Althouse.] Here’s a fascinating look at the world’s oldest photos. They’re probably older than you think: But they’re not older than I’d think. That’s because my mother has in her possession a bunch of family photos from the … Continue reading →
The following is a long video. You might want to watch the whole thing, or only a portion. But either way you’ll get an introduction to a gifted and exceedingly quirky individual: dancer Moses Pendleton, New Englander, scion of the … Continue reading →
“I thought people wrote ballets”:
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 →
I’ve just discovered a not-so-well-known dancer named Melissa Hough, who used to dance with the Boston Ballet but is now a member of the Houston Ballet. Hough reminds me of retired ballerina Cynthia Gregory, who used to dance with American … 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 →
…experiencing a lull in their interest in the 2012 election? I am. I have little doubt it will spark up again. But the idea of comparing the latest of Perry’s gaffes to the latest of Romney’s flipflops to the lastest … Continue reading →
I’ve finally gotten around to watching the first few episodes of the TV series “Mad Men.” I’d heard it was set in the early 60s—an era I remember well, although from a child’s eye view—and so I was predisposed to … Continue reading →
First there was Maya Plisetskaya at eighty. Then the other day I came across some recent photos of the dancers Carmen De Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder. I’d completely forgotten about them—although I saw both perform long ago—and to be honest … Continue reading →