DIVA CLONES

Hail to the Chief!

2008-11-06T06:38:00.002-05:00

History was indeed made the other night, as we elected the first African American to the White house. A historic moment indeed, and one that I must admit made me feel proud to be American. In the midst of all the many troubles we're encountering as a nation, to see such a man who came from humble beginnings make it to the highest office in the land is indeed an inspiration. It makes one think that perhaps those things my folks told me as a child are true, and that anything IS possible after all.

I'll admit that Obama wasn't my first choice, and that I've been critical of some of his positions (personally and politically) but he got my vote, and he now has my full support. I really hope (there's that word again!) that we can rally as a country and put some of our bitterness on hold. We need to regain the spirit of unity and togetherness, that unfortunately only seems to come when we're in peril. Perhaps instead of a crisis, a positive moment might inspire that unity, and we can again remember that despite our differences, we're in this thing together.

Wow- I actually feel patriotic...go figure!

So here's to President Obama and his family. May they bask in the glow of his exciting victory, and truly enjoy the moment.

THEN- get to work and deliver on all that promise that we see in you!

Any thoughts?

ps- On a much lighter note, if you get the chance come out and see DANCING WITH DANI this weekend at the DAC. It's been a tremendously long, hard tech week and we're all ready for a good, energetic theatre crowd! Also, check out this weeks ACE for a tremendously written article on yours truly and the show. Thanks Kim!!!

Is this REALLY the best we can do???

2008-10-09T10:23:00.002-05:00

While I agree that this is a VERY important election (we're mired down in a seemingly endless war, there's unrest world-wide, and oh by the way...the economy???) and I'm firm in regards to which candidate I'll support...I have to ask; is this REALLY the best we have???? These two? Really?
My mother, a life long conservative, called me this morning and ASKED ME WHO SHE SHOULD VOTE FOR! Yes, Ma is getting a older, but her wits are all there. She's really bamboozled on this one, and referred to the candidate of her party of choice as "a clown". As for my own choice, during the primaries he was a DISTANT third on my list. Not much to get excited about, I'm afraid.
The best that both these men can be accused of is "poor judgement". Where do I start? How bout with VP selection. In this corner, Senator Obama- agent of CHANGE. Gonna take the country by storm- no more "business as usual" in Washington. So who's my VP choice? Do I break further new ground by going with the woman who ran a hard fought campaign against me and can bring her 18 million supporters to the table?? Nope- say hello to Smokin Joe Biden- WASHINGTON INSIDER and CAREER POLITICIAN!!! So much for "change"...

AND in THIS corner- John McCain selects...Romney? Jindel? Huckabee? Hell, even Rudy G????
Nope- Gosh darnitt I'm gonna select the Gov of Alaska- a woman who barely sees eye to eye with me on anything, is embroiled in a NUMBER of political and personal scandals, and - oh by the way...doesn't appear to be very SMART!!! (Oh well, worked for W all these years, right?)

Hooooo boy! It's enough to make one want to vote for Ralph Nader again...almost.

What say you?

Cool Hand Luke

2008-09-27T11:37:00.002-05:00

WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money" — and as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario — has died. He was 83.
Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.
In May, Newman had dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men," citing unspecified health issues.

I knew this was coming, and it still hits me very hard. Newman was truly one of the first guys (along with Redford) who made me want to be an actor. Those two brilliant, and pivotal (in my life, anyway) films, BUTCH CASSIDY and THE STING made such a strong impression on me at such a young age. As much as I dug Redford's macho image, it was Newman's cool, low key persona and very realistic, genuine portrayals that really helped to shape my impression of what acting, as it's finest, is all about. Over the years, I became aware of his older performances (HUD, THE HUSTLER, THE LONG HOT SUMMER,COOL HAND LUKE, and his brilliant turn as Brick in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF) and in later years came to truly enjoy the work he did in his twilight. (NOBODY'S FOOL and ROAD TO PERDITION, especially). I was genuinely in awe of his presence onscreen, and also of the man he was off screen. A remarkably long Hollywood marriage, founding the NEWMAN'S OWN company, his opposition to the Vietnam war and his civil rights activism, not to mention that the man drove a race car well into his 70's!

There just aren't many great ones like Newman. He's truly one of the last of a dying breed. That's unfortunate, but I feel genuinely blessed to have come up in a time with his fine example of how to practice the craft of acting. He will be missed...for a long time to come.

RIP Butch...

"Autumn leaves"

2008-09-18T14:23:00.002-05:00

Well, damned if Summer isn't over already! And where the heck did it go? I tell ya...there's nothing quite like a couple of kids to make the old life clock speed up! (and if one more a-hole says to me "Then you shouldn't have had kids!" I'm gonna explode! I work damned hard as a Father, and if I want to vent a bit to the world...deal with it!!!!) There- that felt better...

Anyhoo- Fall is, and always has been, my favorite time of year. The colors changing, a slight chill in the night air, we can all start wearing long pants again, and, oh yeah FOOTBALL!!!
There's something about a crisp Autumn night that stirs up many an old memory inside of me. It makes me feel alive.

And of course, with the school year cranking back up, Fall means BUSY BUSY! Lots going on in the salt mines of late. I'm most pleased with the cast of our Fall production of DANCING WITH DANI (by yours truly- let the "self serving" remarks begin!) Actually, I've always been proud of this script, and I just felt that now was the time to mount a full production. I have a tremendously talented cast and a GREAT designer (who's a former student, no less) ...not to mention that I'm working with my old buddy Mikey again, so let the magic begin! I think all who see this piece will be very pleased with what we come up with...and don't sleep on us just cause we're only a "two year institution". I have some of the finest young (and not so young) talent in this city in my casting pool. So come November, check us out!

In the meantime, lots of other cool productions to see. CONSTANT STAR @ AGL (which some of my students have been raving about) and DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER @ Studio are both in thier 2nd week, and UK opens up a trio of student written one acts this weekend. Plus, AGl's PILLOWMAN is on the way (with Leif R.-a fellow faculty member and frequent actor in our productions ) and MACBETH @ Woodford County ( with one of my acting students in the cast! WE'RE EVERYWHERE, BABY!!!!) coming in October.

So, as Paul Stanley might scream, "lick it up!" There's some good stuff to be seen out there.

If you can pull yourself away from all the great football, that is! (TITANS ARE 2 and 0, BABY!!!!! FIRST PLACE IN THE AFC SOUTH!!! WHO-HOOOO!!!!!)

So tell me, what's your favorite season of the year, and why???
And let's have some more responses folks! I ain't doing this for my health!!!

Cheers!

"It was always summer and the future called"

2008-08-29T15:52:00.004-05:00

Greetings, all! So- a rousing Democratic convention, complete with a HUGE rock show like ending! (I get the feeling that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were watching last night saying
" Must EVERYONE crib our stuff???") and now today, MORE big news with Sarah Palin's selection for McCain's VP. So any way you slice it, some history is gonna be made! Pretty cool times we're living in, huh?

At any rate, I've been working like a Trojan today trying to get my life caught up to where it needs to be. As I was in my office listening to some "you tube" (yes, I mainly just listen- like a big free jukebox!) I came across a few songs that gave me pause. Songs that in a sense, feel like the story of my life.

I was on a bit of a MEATLOAF jag (anyone who's known me for any length of time knows of my love for the big fella!) at first. Meatloaf is interesting, and it's no secret why I love him. He's big, bombastic, theatrical, etc...but really it's all Steinman's songs that make him what he is. Jim Steinman's songs are melodramatic (and a tad cliched from time to time)...they sort of hit you in the face like a big open wound, just daring you to look away. BUT- when he's on, the man is on. One song in particular, OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR hits me very close to the bone.
Yes, it's a crappy title, and it has one of the goofiest choruses in creation, but in between is an incredibly theatrical and powerful tale, and one that I relate to all to well.
Watch for yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37GrbCUvZEM

It's also a damned fine little video, in a Michael Bay kinda way:)

Then, there's this gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcLA596zUwc&feature=related

Don't ask me exactly why, but this song is the story of my life... I think sometimes you don't choose art, it chooses you. Author Nick Hornby writing about Springsteen's THUNDER ROAD said, "It's a process something like falling in love. You don't necessarily choose the best person, or the wisest, or the most beautiful; there's something else going on." He goes on in this essay to talk of how different he is from the characters in the song, and yet the connection to the piece was so strong, he still felt it was still "about him".

Now of course these songs aren't "about" Nick and me, but that's the beauty of Art. It makes us feel a little less...alone in the world. That someone out there understands us...feels us...knows our pain, our struggles, our joy. It's a pretty cool thing if you ask me.

So it that vein, hit me with some songs that tell the "story of your life". And feel free to add the youtube link, if one exists.

"Heavy decibels are playing on my guitar..."

2008-08-18T15:31:00.003-05:00

Well, the trip down memory lane was a good one! This weekend, Fletch, Dave, Patty and I dusted off the old INTENT CITY machine and played a set at the Boro for their 20th annual BOROSTOCK show.

It was rusty in places, and I blew my voice out after the third song and sounded like a cross between Tom Waits and Phil Anselmo for the later portion of the show, but I gotta tell you folks...we ROCKED THE F****N' HOUSE!!!!

Sure we were older, grayer and a step slower, but I was amazed at how easy it all came together. And, oh by the way, did I mention that we only had TWO HOURS of rehearsal? We got LOTS of comments about how people couldn't believe we hadn't played in 15 years and we only had that short amount of rehearsal time.

The crowd was good sized, loud and very appreciative (and quite understanding about my vocal woes.) My undergraduate Theatre mentor was there and she told me afterward that I sounded fine, but that if I was one of her students NOW and I ragged my voice out that way, she'd kick my ass! There were also lots of old faces from the past. My buddy Lonesome Cowboy Bill and his pal Mark (who was up from Birmingham), our friend Helen who drove in from Jackson just for the show, my old buddy Neal who used to play in a band with me in the mid 80's...and tons more! It was a beautiful experience. And you know what it taught me? That despite what the cynics say, sometimes you CAN go home again! (the coolest moment of the night was when Patty, the bass player who's the only one of us still actively gigging, leaned over to me after we started the first song and said "Welcome back!" What a great moment!) And that I really wanna do it again!!!! How will that manifest itself? Who knows. Maybe we'll get together every six months and play a show, or maybe we'll record some. Hell, if that doesn't work out maybe I'll find some folks around here who wanna play. But I really feel that it's something my life has been missing. And now that I no longer harbour any illusions of doing this as a full time occupation, the pressure's off and I can just have fun. (I'm thinking Rick probably gets this better than most!) Of course my plate is ridiculously full, and between work, kids and all that goes with it, I may never get the opportunity to play like that again, but I am truly grateful for the privilege to have shared the stage with these men one more time. It was, as they say...a gas, gas, gas!!!

So here's to the men of INTENT CITY. Hope to see you again down the road boys. And please, as Lars (the guitarist from LAUGHING STORM DOGS) said after our set "Don't wait 15 years to do this again!"

...cause then we'll REALLY be old!

2 million points for the song reference. And as soon as we get the youtube links active, I'll post those.

AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE POLL!

"Backstage smoke is risin'..."

2008-08-14T12:26:00.003-05:00

Well, the reunion is almost here and me and the fellas are stoked! It's gonna be a real, by the seat of our pants affair, as we're only gonna get to rehearse once before we play, but as Dave (our lead guitarist) says "What we lack in talent, we'll make up for with enthusiasm and volume!"
True that, big fella!

I'll be posting a post mortem of the show early next week, then it's on to Auditions and other such Theatre and work related activities, and the rock and roll lifestyle will be laid to rest once more. What's been coolest about this thus far is reconnecting with the guys. Fletch and I have stayed close over the years, but I haven't seen Dave and Patty since before I was married, so this will be a nice event all the way around. Adult time, with two kiddies, is at a premium anyhow, and time with old friends is almost non-existent, so this is a treat. The older I get, the more I start to value not only my old friends in Tennessee and Mississippi (and spread out all across the nation) but my newer friends here in the Bluegrass as well. If George Bailey's book inscription is correct, then I am a rich man indeed!

BTW- Take a gander at the new poll. AND- for those voting in the "other" category, give me a title in a post so we can see "where your head at!"

Peace out, and LET'S ROCK!!!

X

"Cause I'm on Fire..."

2008-08-05T13:34:00.010-05:00

Dog Days!!!!

August is always a weird month for me, especially since I moved "north". As much as I come to despise the cold weather during the seemingly endless winter we have here in the Bluegrass, and as much as I pine for Summertime during those cold months, by early August, I'm usually over it and ready for the Fall cool down. When we were down on the coast, the coldest we got was about 2 weeks in February when the mercury MAYBE dipped to the low 40's. That's shorts weather around these parts! I'm also ready to get back to the ole' teaching grindstone. I've got a big year ahead of me, and I'm anxious to get the show on the road. (although, for a guy who was ""off " this Summer, I've spent a helluva lot of hours in my office advising and working. Perhaps I'm just anxious to start getting paid again for all my work! That'd be nice...)

So, lots going on. Got one baby that's about to start teething, another smack dab in the middle of potty training (and on that front, to quote John Denver "Some days are diamond, some days are stone...") who is also getting ready to start (gulp!) pre-school! God, is my boy that big already??? Damn, time flies!

But the BIG news for me is what's going down on August 16th in Tennessee! These four lads will be playing their FIRST live gig in over 15 years!!!!!

Yes INTENT CITY is back!!! My old rock and roll outfit from my undergrad daze are gonna crank up and rock the house one more time! We have a gig Saturday night, Aug 16th at the Boro Bar and Grill in lovely Murfreesboro, TN (where it all began!) as part of their 20th anniversary BOROSTOCK concert. We'll also be playing with our good friends from back in the day, the LAUGHING STORM DOGS (get it?). The LSD's go on at 10 pm and we go on at 11. Cover is free that night, so if you're in the area, haul your ass on down for some loud, cantankerous rock and roll!!

Now if only I can still play AND sing at the same time!!! I'm really excited about doing this. Call it a midlife crisis if you will (better than a corvette and a 20 year old, right honey? :) but I can't wait to do this. To my lovely wife's credit, she has been very supportive of this endeavor, and kept the eye rolling to a minimum. She's a good one, that Mrs. X!

I'll give ya'll a full report whence we return, and PERHAPS...video???

In the meantime, if anyone can guess who wrote the above lyric, you get 3 zillion points! And here's the question Du jour...how are you gonna live out YOUR mid life crisis? (or, in the case of some of our readers...how DID you??? :)

I...can't...WAIT...

2008-07-17T10:44:00.003-05:00

...to see this film!!!

This one "spoiler free" line from VARIETY's review says it all to me:

"With all due respect to the enjoyable camp buffoonery of past Jokers like Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson, Ledger makes them look like -- well, clowns."

Good on you, Heath. I will watch this film with a sense of both exhilaration and sadness, all due to Mr Ledger's performance, but watch it I shall!!! And Geek-out I shall also!!

You KNOW you wanna see it- you know you wanna write about it (SPOILER FREE ONLY!) when you do!

Hit me...

"I've had my share of sand kicked in my face..."

2008-07-02T09:58:00.005-05:00

"...but I've COOOOOOMMMMMMEEE THROUGHHHHHH!!!!"

Mark it down, baby!!! MERRY WIVES took the trophy for the 1st annual Lex Theatre Bowling Extravaganza! (Which s REALLY a continuation of the old LSF Bowl-o-rama) Of all these bowling shindigs I've been in, I've never won, so it was SCH-WEEET getting to hoist this baby! AND- my top score was a 195- my best game EVER!!! Lots of fun was had by all, and lemme tell ya...them damn LORD OF THE FLIES kids can flat out bowl! But...in the end, the night was OURS! Thanks to Trish Clark for organizing the whole she-bang, and to all our our cast and crew who showed up.

Here's what they look like- nice lookin' bunch, no?

...'cept for the fat guy in the cowboy hat! How did Brett Michael's older, hairier brother get in the picture??? Ah well...

So the show is down. All in all we had good crowds (not great- we never got close to the 600 they had on one night last summer) but, with gas prices the way they are, and the economy in the dumpster (Sorry Scott, if you;re reading this, but it's true!) it was a pretty respectable showing. While, admittedly, the rehearsal process sometimes was a bit tough for a Daddy with a newborn, we did lots of fine work, exploring the text and getting to the heart of the the show. And performance was an absolute joy! It was very physical, and at times rough on my aging, out of shape frame (this is the 2nd outdoor show in a row I've had to wear a knee brace to make it through!) but I had an absolute blast. Sharing the stage with two of my students, with old friends like Chris, Jimmy and Tony and new friends like Todd, Mikey and all the gals made for a fantastic ensemble. All in all a VERY good experience, and one I hope to do again...but next year, no knee brace and 30 lbs lighter! You heard it here first...

So.. something else is on my mind. I've been seriously thinking of shutting down the shop here at the Clones. I've been at it for almost 3 years and I feel like, though we've had great response, I'm not sure how many folks really frequent here and get anything out of it. SOOOO- here's your chance- If you are here frequently (or just lurk occasionally) pipe up and drop me a SAVE THE CLONES note- if I don't get alot of response, I'll probably shut it down by month's end. No pressure, I'm genuinely just interested to see who's still out there. This thing started as an adjunct to the DIVA NEWS LETTER that my boy Jason started, but it quickly turned from a USM alum medium (as very few alums use it!) to a more Lexington / regional thing. It's been fun, but with two kids and a very demanding job, I need a reason to keep going.

So there- now more than ever, LET ME HEAR YA!!!

Oh- and just for fun- 2 million points for the first to correctly ID the lyrics! Haven't done that in a while...Chuck YOU may even know this one!

FINAL WEEKEND!!! EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!

2008-06-24T10:27:00.003-05:00

(at left- Tony and Gina from AGL/EQUUS RUN'S MERRY WIVES)

So we're coming up on the final weekend of our run of MERRY WIVES. Last weekend's performances were tight, fun and very satisfying. We had very strong, receptive crowds, but more folks need to get out and see this show! I know most of our theatre locals are busy with other material, but we really need to support each other. So spread the word and haul your arses out to the vineyards and enjoy a helluva good show!

It's been a blast doing this piece. I'll post a little post-mortem after we're all done. For now, here's the query:

What is the Shakespeare role you've been dying to play (or the show you really have been dying to DIRECT) that you haven't "gotten around to"?

Lemme hear ya!!!

Friday the 13th INDEED!!!

2008-06-14T15:21:00.003-05:00

Last night, our MERRY WIVES company had a very memorable evening. AS time is short for me now (got a call in about an hour) I'll let Chuck Pogue describe the scene:

For thebrave sixty people who defied the forbidding auguries of thunderstorms and came to Equus Run last night, they got towitness...nay, got to be a part of...a rare and weirdly wonderfulnight of magical incandescent theatre.Shortly before curtain, a brief shower came down, making the stagewet and slippery. The possibility of more rain threatened and Artistic Director and Falstaff Tony Haigh had a decision to make --cancel the show or carry on.He chose to carry on in a most unusual way! The audience moved fromthe amphitheatre up to the covered patio that flanks two sides ofthe wine-tasting barn. There on a platform at the apex of this triangular space and utilizing the area in front to expand this makeshift stage, the company begin its performance, making entrancesand exits into the barn, where wine was being served to patrons.All the costumes changes were also done in the barn. Meanwhile blocking and performances were being adjusted on the run...with no one missing a beat. The Equus staff found light to focus on thestage to compensate for the early darkness brought on by the rainclouds.Halfway through the first act, the rain tumbled in such torrents, it drowned out the actors. The show was stopped...but only to move the audience a second time -- into the barn!

The crowd toted their chairs inside around another makeshift stageand the show picked up where it left off...the most amazing mingling of actors, audience, wine-sellers I've ever seen. Actors walked offstage and became part of the audience waiting for their next cue.They changed costumes right there. The audience could see Tony come off as Falstaff, whispering in a corner with his actors about sudden variations required to accommodate the changing conditions. Actors rubbed shoulders with customers coming up to buy wine. They threaded through and around chairs, figuring out to make their next entrance in the most effective way.

The ensemble was on their toes, ad-libbing with facileness, making impromptu inspired adjustments, energized by the danger and excitement of the moment. Everyone of them I talked to as they come off said, "I'm having a blast!"

The audience was having a blast too...in the moment, following the play, with the actors and their daring every step of the way...and,at the end, leaping spontaneously to their feet to give the actors an honest and well-earned standing ovation.

Thanks, Tony and your wonderful ensemble for your courage and dazzling dexterity for a wonderful night in the theatre. And thanksto the audience for their courage to go with the flow and be a partof the excitement and fun!All of them were giving a raincheck to return for another performance, but I don't think they could attend one that could surpass the specialness of this one. What a night of theatre!

-Pogue

That sums it up....one of the most incredible nights of Theatre I've had the pleasure of being a part of!

more later...

Eat, Drink and BE MERRY

2008-06-09T09:37:00.005-05:00

Ahoy, hoy!

This week, we open MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR at Shakes @ Equus Run. We have a preview Wed, and we officially open Thursday. Right now, it looks as if the weather gods will give us a good opening night, but it's looking a bit iffy on the weekend! Lets hope the rain holds off! Last year, I went out opening weekend to the show, and while a bit cloudy, it was a VERY nice atmosphere to see a show in. Very relaxed and inviting.

We have a great cast, and Tony Haigh has done a marvelous job getting us all together. (And, he's also doing a splendid job as Falstaff). If you haven't read the Herald Leader article yet as to why he's going on, here it is. http://www.kentucky.com/701/story/427546.html

And if you click onto the ACTORS GUILD link to the right, it'll take you to some cool cast and show info. I hope all of you in the area can make it out. Any of you non-KY residents who wanna make a road trip, I got spare rooms with your name on 'em!

And for another cool, winery- type event coming up, read this:

FREE TO THE PUBLIC!
on the grounds at TALON WINERY
7086 Tates Creek Road Lexington, Kentucky
Teresa Tope - (859) 246-6601

Saturday, June 14 ~ 11-7 p.m.Saturday, June 15 ~ 12-5 p.m.
Featuring:
Talon Wine
Art Vendors Sales
Food
Performing Arts
Children's Activities
and more!

Come one come all!!! It's gonna be a great weekend!!

"I'm so glad we had this time together..."

2008-05-29T21:14:00.002-05:00

Boy this one breaks my heart too!

Harvey Korman, the tall, versatile comedian who won four Emmys for his outrageously funny contributions to "The Carol Burnett Show" and played a conniving politician to hilarious effect in "Blazing Saddles," died Thursday. He was 81.
Korman died at UCLA Medical Center after suffering complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago, his family said. He had undergone several major operations.
"He was a brilliant comedian and a brilliant father," daughter Kate Korman said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "He had a very good sense of humor in real life. "

For the rest of the story go to http://tv.yahoo.com/show/28851/news/urn:newsml:tv.ap.org:20080530:obit_korman__ER:800

Korman was a brilliant comedian. I adored watching him on Carol Burnett over the years (and learned a damn site about comedy and timing in the process). One of my undergrad professors used to refer to me as HARVEY due to my propensity to crack up during a particularly funny moment early in my stage life. His work, particularly as ED in the early MAMA skits, was absolutely flawless. Just watch he and Carol at work here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJLVgPPF40M&feature=related

I've said it before, but one of the hardest things about growing older is watching those you learned from and respected pass on. But Harvey lived 81 years, and that' s a pretty good stretch in my eyes.

RIP Mr. Korman... we'll miss you...and when you're in that great variety show in the sky, try to keep a straight face!

Any memories of Harvey? Let me hear em.

"So it's the laughter..."

2008-05-27T08:21:00.006-05:00

(at left-members of the cast of MTSU's 89 production of HAIR!)

Wow...I mean really...WOW! Time goes by so freaking fast! This little shot will be 20 years old
next May! My friend Tracey posted some old shots of all of us MTSU folk after the recent
reunion. This is a shot of some of us backstage during the run of HAIR in the Spring of 89. Strangely enough, I would adopt the hippie / mountain man look a number of times after this (for plays and just cause I was too lazy to shave!) In the front row and to the right of me is one of my best friends since childhood, Dave. Dave and I met at a showing of STAR WARS (no lie!) when we were 11 and 12 respectively. We've been pals ever since (despite the occasional dust up). This means I've known him, and been friends, now for THIRTY years! Again...all I have is WOW!

This shot is a little more bittersweet. To START with, there's the ensemble. (Why is it that my response to every shot of me from the 80's/early 90's begins with "WTF am I WEARING???) Then there's also the guy to my left. This is a shot from my old bachelor bad in the boro. The fellow is one of my former roomies, and at the time best buds, Chris. Chris is no longer with us, and his passing was incredibly painful. Chris was a brilliant man, and one of the most fun people I've ever had the pleasure of being around (well, SOMETIMES he was...) and it pains me that he's not still here to share my impending midlife crisis, and that my children will never know him. I had no pictures of the two of us up till now, and I am incredibly grateful to have this one. Thanks, Trace!

I was never a big picture taker in my youth. I was the third of three children, and where their are albums full of my older siblings, there exist about three shots of me in my infancy. So I guess because of that I never valued it. My wife, on the other hand, has about a metric ton of pictures from her youth. I envy her that...and I wish I had been smart enough to buy a damned camera back then...

So here's my question to you...what were the 80's like FOR YOU??? Love em? Hate em? Don't remember 'em????

I'll post later...I have a baby to tend to at the moment!!!

"...there she goes again..."

2008-05-21T07:49:00.001-05:00

My wife has written a great post regarding Clinton's victory in KY and a wonderful reflection of the ridiculously flawed process that is Campaign 08. Go here to read...
http://fridayplaygroupconfessions.blogspot.com/

Feel free to come back here and comment.

"...we'll go dancing in the dark..."

2008-05-15T10:32:00.002-05:00

This weekend down in M'boro, my Alma mater is having a Theatre Dept reunion. I missed the last one and TONS of my old friends showed. I really regretted it. Unfortunately, I will also have to miss this one. Some of the folks I know will be there I haven't seen in over 15 years. Bummer, as I'd really like the opportunity to catch up. My undergrad friends are an interesting lot. Like many Theatre folk who go to grad school, I think my Grad friends have been closer to my heart and stayed connected to me in a much stronger way over the years. But there is definitely a special place in my heart for the folks of my misspent youth! I think of them fondly and often, even though we really aren't in one anothers lives at this point.

Life is funny...people come and go in and out of it so fast, sometimes you forget they were even there. But I believe we encounter everyone for a reason, and everyone, no matter how brief the stay in your life, leaves an impression. I miss those carefree days of my youth sometimes...and I'm thankful for them. They helped shape who I am today...

So here's to the MTSU Theatre program of yore...sorry I can't be with you guys in body this weekend, but I'm definitely there in spirit. Have a drink for me, and remember...if you drunken phone call me, do it before 10pm eastern, as I DO have kiddies in the house!

To any old alum who might be lurking, leave a post an introduce yourselves...we're a real nice bunch around here!

FILM SHOOT

2008-05-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

Hey people! I need lots of folks for a film shoot I'm helping to cast! Some roles pay, and the schedule looks like May 17th, 18th and 20th inRichmond. I only have sketchy details thus far, BUT if you think youmight be interested/available, email me at woundedeagle8@yahoo.com or leave a message here in the posting section andI'll send details when I get em. I'm looking for everything from teensto 50's, so include your age / brief vital statistics just in case Idon't know you.

Thanks,
X

"we can't even think of a word that rhymes..."

2008-05-08T18:11:00.002-05:00

Hey all- it's been awhile. I've found it increasingly hard to have time to keep posting, but now that Summer's here, I get a bit of a break, and may be able to keep this thing updated.
Soooo...school's out for me, and for the first time in a long time 'm not teaching Summer courses. Just hanging at the house doing my daily rendition of DADDY DAY CARE, and I'm pleased to say I'll be doing a role in Eqqus run's MERRY WIVES (more on that in a later post). There are, of course, lots of things in the planning stages for the job next year (the main one being DON'T GET AXED BECAUSE OF BUDGET CUTS- though there is scant little I can do about that) and me and the Missus are hoping to travel SOMEWHERE (even if only to...Tennessee! Seems that's about all we can afford lately) . I'll also be in my good friend Darren's wedding in late July, so still lots going on.

So, tell me- what's lined up for YOUR Summer? Spare me no details...

RIP Danny...

2008-04-17T21:45:00.003-05:00

(Springsteen, Federeci, Bittan in Danny's last performance)

From backstreets.com

DANNY FEDERICI, 1950 - 2008

Danny Federici, the E Street Band's organist and keyboard player since its inception, died this afternoon, April 17, 2008 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City after a three-year battle with melanoma.
The Federici family and the E Street family request that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund; more details on the Fund will be forthcoming.
The Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concerts scheduled for Friday in Ft. Lauderdale and Saturday in Orlando are being postponed. Replacement dates will be announced shortly.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Danny's family, friends, bandmates, and blood brothers; we here at Backstreets, and surely all those fans touched by his spirit, mourn with you.

God Speed, Danny. We'll miss you...

"If you see a painted sign..."

2008-04-10T09:28:00.002-05:00

TONIGHT through 4/12! BCTC's Theatre program presents THE BOYS NEXT DOOR @ 8pm at the DAC. Tickets are $7 for students and $12 for General Admission.

A little about the play:

About The Boys Next Door:
The scenes takes place in a communal residence where four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of a young “burned out” social worker. The play is mingled with scenes from the daily lives of these four, where “little things” sometimes become momentous, and often very funny moments of great poignancy. This touching show moves the audience to an awareness of how many things in everyday life we take for granted.

The cast includes Jeremy Gillett ( AGL's MA RAINEY and BCTC's Blessed Assurance) Leif Rigney and Zach Moseley (BCTC's THOREAU), Erica House (BCTC's WORKING) and newcomer Kevin Greer. We are very excited about this production. I know there's a lot going on, but if you can make time to come check us out, we'd appreciate it!

Feel free to take up valuable bandwidth with various leg-breaking sentiments.

Tramps like us....

2008-03-29T18:39:00.006-05:00

(at left- Brother Bruce and Sister Soozie tearing it up in Cincy!)

Ok, this is a straight up request from Mr. Pogue...

Last weekend I was lucky enough to get to see the Boss for the 7th time in the last 28 years. Granted, that hardly qualifies me for the title of SUPER FAN, but I does what I can for Mr Springsteen. And anyone who knows me knows of my love for all things BOSS (except the GHOST OF TOM JOAD! I agree with my buddy Ryan on that one- listening to that album feels like doing homework!)

Of all the (literally) hundreds of concert events I've been to, no one even comes close to the power of a Springsteen show. Last week's show, while not quite up to the roof-raising we've all come to expect from the E streeters, was still pretty damned good! (The Boss at half speed is better than anyone else at 110%, for my dinero!) I just wish I could explain the splendor that is the moment when the house lights come up, the Boss counts off into the mike , and the familiar strains of BORN TO RUN begin to rumble through the auditorium. It's one of the greatest thrills I've ever known... as the dude standing next to me in CIncy yelled to me over the din of the first chorus "THIS SHIT NEVER GETS OLD!"

I consider myself lucky every chance I get to see him lately, as the man is nearing 60 and CAN'T possibly do this type of show for much longer. But by God while he can, I'll find a way to get there at least once a tour.

Soooooooooo- what's the GREATEST live music experience you've ever had???

And remember- it ain't no sin to be glad your alive!

"Time doesn't wait for me..."

2008-03-18T10:33:00.003-05:00

Ok...it's official. I have the coolest little boy ever! The other day the wife was asking the Wolverine why he was talking in such a low voice (which he's noticeably been doing for the last few weeks) and he answered "I'm trying to sound like Johnny". "Johnny who?" the wife asked. You guessed it...JOHNNY CASH! If I do NOTHING else as a parent, I have at least imparted to my son a love for the coolest man to ever walk the face of the Earth.

So, in other news...it's been a long time since my last post, as you may have surmised. Truthfully, I've been in a bit of a funk. Whatever the male equivalent of post partum depression is, I got it. Don't get me wrong, the little one is very sweet (and a really good baby- no huge all night crying jags! THANK you Jesus!) but I've just been feeling...like crap, for lack of a better way of putting it. Part of it is the extreme sleep deprivation that is endemic with new parenthood, part of it is job stress (Budget cuts and the like...Gee, THANKS Mr. new Democratic governor!!!), part of is feeling overworked and under appreciated, and part of is just this shitty weather we've been having of late. (Could it BE any more gloomy???) But, as I usually do, I'll get over it. The sun is starting to peek out every now and again, and hey...I'm going to see the BOSS this weekend! There, see what I did? I just cheered myself up!

BTW- the little girl's name was inadvertently misspelled last time. The wife wanted to spell it "Vivienne" instead of the more traditional spelling. I thought about arguing, but hey...I ain't the one who had to push her into the world, so my better half wins that battle. She is a beautiful little girl, and I hope those of you in the area get to see her soon. You will swoon at her beauty! ...or ELSE!!!!

No real question this time...just post and let me know how you're doing and what YOU'RE up to right now.

Oh baby!

2008-02-15T21:08:00.004-05:00

OK- so lots going on and I'll have a full rundown soon, but just so's you'll know:
Wed morning (at 7:34 am) my wife delivered (naturally- AGAIN! Talk about a super woman!) a NINE POUND / FOUR OUNCE baby girl!
Her name is Vivian ("Vivi" for short) This was actually the name the Wolverine picked out for her some three months ago (where he came up with it I have no idea!) and it just grew on us. Haven't settled on a middle name yet, but it's comin.
We're still in the hospital dealing with a few post birth health issues, but anticipate coming home late Saturday or early Sunday.
We love you all, and we are both exhausted...especially the wife... mine, despite the sleep deprivation and the least timely bout of strep throat in the HISTORY of mankind, was the easy part!
That woman is amazing.

Keep us in your hearts for awhile...

"We've got a hit..."

2008-01-29T04:49:00.001-05:00

One more weekend of CATFISH MOON at Studio. Thanks to all who've come out and made this show a big hit. If you haven't made reservations, do so, as they're going fast! THanks to the cast and crew for doing such a superb job on a piece that's very special to me.

Also BOSTON MARRIAGE opens at AGL this weekend. Check it out!

Still no baby...yet.

Awful news...

2008-01-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

This one really blows me away.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080122/ap_en_mo/obit_ledger

Heath Ledger is apparently dead. I don't know why this kicks me in the gut quite so hard, but it does. Perhaps it's that he was SO young and gifted, perhaps it's his 2 year old he leaves without a Father, perhaps it's just where my head is, but damn...this sucks.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

"There's a gator in the bushes..."

2008-01-14T15:48:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

It's my first post of the new year. Got lots going on:

1) NEW BABY - any day now, the wife should be delivering bambino number 2. We can't wait to meet her!

2) NEW SHOW- Catfish Moon opens at STUDIO PLAYERS this week. Come out if you get a chance! Great cast and crew, cool set, and a REGIONAL PREMIERE!

3) NEW SEMESTER- Lots going on with the new program. I'll offer an update on our Spring doings asap! Can't wait to get revved up...

So, I hope everyone has a great year! Looking forward to 08 and the joy and surprises it will bring. If you have anything cool coming up soon, leave me a message! See you in the funny papers...

Oh yeah....and ....GO EDWARDS!!! DON'T BUY INTO THE CORPORATE MEDIA BLACKOUT!!!!!

...that is all....

"Hallelujah, Noel..."

2007-12-25T19:46:00.000-05:00

Greetings Divas!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas celebration. I know it's not "fashionable" for a good liberal such as myself to bestow Christmas wishes on anyone, but to heck with it! It's what I celebrate, and I'm gonna wish you a happy one whether you want it or not! I also have to tell, there is absolutely NOTHING in this world so wonderful as seeing Christmas morning through the eyes of a child. Santa was very generous to the Wolverine this year (not TOO generous, as we're trying to avoid making this time of year completely about "gimmie gimmie") and he has been wide eyed and over the moon all day. Whatever troubles I've been ruminating on have evaporated under the warmth of seeing my son so incredibly joyful. It is indeed a blessing from God.

If you have any glad tidings or thoughts on the new year you'd like to share, feel free. Meantime, here's our topic-

What are you MOST looking forward to in the new year?

Write it down...and Merry Christmas to all, and to all ...a good night!

"They can't stop me..."

2007-12-14T18:23:00.000-05:00

So, granted, having an (almost) three year old DOESN'T leave a hell of a lot of time for going to the movies, but we did get out to see a few this year. Of those, BOURNE ULTIMATUM was tops with me. Lots of great action, and what my Mom lovingly refers to as "spy business". Great way to spend a stress free afternoon, and the only trilogy completion of the summer that was worth watching!

(btw- I'll give honorable mention to SUPERBAD, a film that made me laugh at stuff I'm STILL ashamed of laughing at!)

So, what do you think? Those of you that actually get out of the house once in awhile...what was the best film you saw this past 12 months?

Hit it and quit!!!!

"...but all I heard was a drone..."

2007-12-07T13:52:00.000-05:00

Ok...so it's probably not TOO hard to guess what my vote for album / song of the year is (DUH!)...and a fine vote it is, despite the Grammy snubs. (Amy Winehouse and Herbie freakin Hancock??? WTF) With MAGIC the Boss reaffirms that old classic rockers needn't rest on their past glories and shows that a man nearing 60 can indeed still have his finger on the artistic pulse of a nation...but that's just me. What say you? What's the best music you heard in 2007? (and please confine it to music FROM said year, not some old 45's you dusted off and rediscovered.)

So...hit me with your best end of the year shots, people. And let's have a little more chatter out there! Not allot of postings lately...bring the meat, people!!!!

"...spread your wings to the sky..."

2007-11-30T20:22:00.000-05:00

Sigh...those famous people DO always die in threes, don't they?

First Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins (Tragic home invasion shooting- also looks like there's a break in that case...nice to see the wheels of justice move rapidly every once and awhile...)

Next, Kevin DuBrow- lead screamer of the 80's metal band QUIET RIOT (nobody's talking- sounds like maybe he fell off a wagon or two) and now THIS bombshell!

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Evel Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over crazy obstacles including Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.

Bummer of a week. DuBrow and Knievel really hit me hard! As a kid growing up in the 70's I, like most kids my age, idolized this guy! I had the action figures (with the cool motorcycle you could rev up and jump over stuff with!) and I spent many a Saturday afternoon constructing ramps to jump over garbage cans with my bike, or bails of hay with my motor cycle. (Somehow, I never so much as even got a skinned knee doing this- talk about a charmed life!)
Then, as a teenager in the 80's I adored QUIET RIOT! A lot of people look at these guys as sort of joke worthy now, but they really kicked open a lot of doors for the hard rock community back in the day. They were the first metal band EVER to have a #1 album, and amongst their early band members was one Randy Rhodes, perhaps one of the finest rock guitarists ever to grace the stage (who died a very tragic death WAY the hell too young!). These guys also were hitting it big around my Junior year of High School, so obviously this was some very seminal music for me.

It truly is a bitch to get older and watch the people you admired in your youth pass away. But such is the circle of life I suppose (cue the ELTON JOHN music and the barf bags!) Perhaps it's also the paternal thing, as the wife is about to give birth in a few weeks... nothing to make you stare your mortality right in the eyes like having a child. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, mind you...

Oh well- Rest in peace Mr Knievel... tell Kevin and Sean we miss 'em already.

* And just to keep the Q and A going (albeit in a slightly morbid direction)...what loss in the entertainment world has hit you the hardest this year?

"I've got another confession to make..."

2007-11-28T20:58:00.000-05:00

(pictured, one of my fave shows of the year ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS at AGL)

OK gang- so since another year is almost in the books, we're gonna do a few BEST OF lists!

Let's get the ball rolling in grand fashion- BEST PLAY YOU SAW IN 2007! It can be local, professional, Broadway, what have you....what was the best piece of Theatre you witnessed in the past 12 months? **NOTE- things you were in / directed/ designed for/ etc DON'T COUNT! And another thing.. this ain't just for locals. I wanna hear from you folks out in the hinterlands as well...

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOTS!!!! And just for fun, let's try to start getting these lyrics again! You people are gettin lazy on me...

"I see no sense in this crying and grieving"

2007-11-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

Hey Gang!

Follow this link...

http://www.larryneuzelphotography.com/

and it'll carry you to shots of our recent production of THOREAU.

Unfortunatley, the set wasn't 100% the night Larry showed, but they still look pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

In for my usual holiday tradition, feel free to post anything you personally feel thankful for this year.

Peace,

"The Sun is just a morning star"

2007-11-14T09:12:00.001-05:00

Greetings, one and all.

BCTC , in cooperation with AGL, presents Jerome Lawrence and Robert E Lee's THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL, Nov 15th - 17th at the DAC. Showtimes are at 8pm each night.

Tickets are $5 for students , $10 for GA. For more info, call the DAC box office.

Love to see you all out there. It's a great little show we have in store for you.

Now, if you'll excuse me , I have 1000 things left to do and a sick toddler...

-x

" 84-68!!!!"

2007-11-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

Soooo.....Tubby may have had his issues as the coach of the UK b-ball team, but to my recollection, he never got his ASS handed to him by the likes of GARDNER WEBB!!!!!!!!

Somewhere, in Minnesota, a man named Orlando is probably still enjoying a very well deserved fit of laughter!

"Look for...the union label..."

2007-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well...looks like my favorite show WON'T be returning in February after all! In case you've been under a rock, there's a writers strike. This, I'm afraid, will be the result:

"Look for lots more unscripted shows, which were not a major commercial force (if they existed at all) during the last WGA strike nearly 20 years ago. “The Real World” didn’t arrive on MTV until 1992. The first three major-network reality shows – “Survivor,” “Big Brother” and the ABC version of “Making the Band” – didn’t arrive until eight years later.
Variety reports that CBS is contemplating the first-ever spring edition of “Big Brother” – possibly a celebrity edition – to launch in March should the strike prove lengthy. The highly rated “Brother” is a particularly potent network weapon as it affordably provides CBS three hours of new primetime programming weekly. "

GREAT! Just what the world needs...ANOTHER edition of BIG BROTHER! (As if the one in Washington wasn't enough!) My question is this- Is this going to be akin to the Baseball strike of a few years ago? Is it going to drive TV watchers away in droves? Is this finally going to be the death knell of scripted TV? I hope not, but when you look at the less than stellar ratings most of these shows get anyway, then add in a potentially lengthy strike? I'm afraid many of the consumers may say "No thanks!" when these shows return. There is actually discussion I've read that perhaps one of the major networks is considering going to , and staying WITH, an "all reality format". There are also TONS of viewers who'd rather watch their shows (particularly those with a continuous story arch) on DVD or the web. I just bought Season 3 of VERONICA MARS (a DAMN fine show, btw) and I never watched a single episode on TV.

Perhaps in this day and age of so much new media and new ways of distribution, the old TV model is broken. (I've thought for years that the Nielsen ratings were an absolute joke! How many times have we seen a show die an premature death, only to have the network bombarded with MILLIONS of protests from angry fans, ALL of whom must be watching in some fashion?)I've also wondered for years why studios don't do more direct to dvd releases with shows (or shows that the networks foolishly cancel that OBVIOUSLY still have a big market, i.e. the aforementioned VERONICA, or Buffy, Alias, etc...) Perhaps a good by-product of this strike is that it might usher in a different model for creating and distributing these products. Who knows...all I know is that Howie Mandel is most likely about to get an unexpected contract extension from NBC!

I won't get into the reasons for this strike, and whether or not it's warranted (probably only one person who comes to this watering hole with a truly learned opinion on that subject), and I was raised to respect the work that Unions do in this country. I just can't help but wondering, though, if perhaps some of these folks might not be shooting themselves, and the fans of their work, in the foot .

Thoughts?

"Only love...can bring the rain..."

2007-10-24T07:59:00.000-05:00

at left, SPIKE illustrates my feelings for the majority of the 08 presidential candidates.

Well, we here in Central KY are FINALLY getting some rain (Thank the Lord!) and the the great outdoors is finally dropping to a respectable, fall like temperature. SO, it's beginning to look alot like...Halloween??? (Doesn't have the same ring, does it?) And you KNOW what fall temperatures bring to mind...PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES!!!!

So as we head into what is sure to be an intriguing political year, who do you feel has done the best job of getting their message out to the American people (via the debates or other TV appearances?) AND- has your opinion of a candidate changed as a result of said TV appearances?)

Let it roll, people!

"...the undiscovered country..."

2007-10-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

HEY ALL!

Just a quick note to remind you all to get out and see AGL's HAMLET at the DAC, running through Nov. 11th. There is a free show tonight (Thursday the 18th- you need to call the DAC box office for reservations) and a PAY WHAT YOU CAN on Sunday. So a couple of good opportunities to see it for next to nothing ( or nothing at all). Lots of board posters involved (Rick, Chuck, Adam, Laurie, etc)

Feel free to wish Ric and the gang a hearty BREAK A LEG, or leave us a stellar, glowing review on the boards...

-X

"I wasn't born for love..."

2007-10-08T11:27:00.000-05:00

JUST FOR FUN on a Monday morning...

For those of you who are Ituned- inclined...shuffle your IPOD / I tunes account and tell me the first ten songs that come up!

Here's Mine:

1) Born to Raise Hell- Cheap Trick (That's the lyric above, btw)
2) Heavy- Train
3) Can't Stop Lovin' you- Van Halen (Hagar)
4) Oye Mamacita- Los Lonely Boys
5) The Best of Times- STYX
6) I'll Wait- Van Halen (Roth)
7) What's on your mind?- Ace Frehley
8) Homecoming- Robert Randolph and the Family Band
9) Missing You - Rod Stewart (There's that ROD album again Mikey!)
10) Thank You- John Mellancamp

There you have it! What are YOU listening to???
PS- Fletch- you can list the first ten songs that come up on your satellite radio station!

More serious conversation at later in the week....

"I'm gonna watch you shine..."

2007-09-25T22:20:00.000-05:00

So...the jury is in, and this little boy is about to have... (drum roll please!)...

A BABY SISTER!!!!

Yep, the wife and I went to get the ultrasound today, and there she was- big as life. My daughter! It's amazing what these things can do. I actually have a picture of her little face! As per usual, it brought a tear to my eye. However that was short lived. as the Wolverine was in the room with us and demanded his usual amount of attention. It's gonna be an interesting ride, but one I wouldn't trade for all the tea pots in China.
The coolest thing happened as we were leaving the Doctor's office. The boy looked up at me and said "You're gonna have to take care of your baby sister!" (which for some reason he pronounces "SES-stir, as though he were an extra in an episode of THE HIGH CHAPARRAL) It just made me hyper aware of how grown up he's getting, and more to the point, how fast life really comes at you. Before I know it, he'll be off to college and I'll be an old bastard. But, such is the cycle of life.
Even though we waited, and even though it makes for a very sleep deprived existence, and even though I may never have the money to travel anywhere above the Mason Dixon line till I'm old and gray (er), I'm so thrilled that this beautiful boy is a part of my life... and I can't wait for you all to meet my daughter...heck, I can't wait to meet her myself!

Feel free to shower me with all due congratulations...

My students ROCK!!!

2007-09-21T22:59:00.000-05:00

L to R - Jeremy Brown, Sharonda Pearsall and Zack Hightower in BCTC's BLESSED ASSURANCE

Ok, so I'm really proud of all these students. Sharonda is up at NKU continuing her Theatre studies (at a damn fine program, I might add). And Jeremy Brown and Zack Hightower both received great kudos and special mention in the local media this week for shows they are involved in. Jeremy for AGL's production of MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM

(http://www.kentucky.com/182/story/178879.html) and Zack in Studio Playa's SHAKESPEARE IN HOLLYWOOD

(http://www.kentuckyconnect.com/126/story/182655.html)

Truthfully, it really makes me feel good about what I do when I read things like this. (It also plays into the greater mission of my program to get them out working in the community, not just in the school productions) They are two very talented young men, and I got lots more like 'em (men and women) in my program who I'm equally proud of. If you wanna see evidence of this, come check out THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL at the DAC in November!

So if you're in the area, go see both of these shows and enjoy some great, new talent onstage. And if you go see MA RAINEY you just might catch a glimpse of an overweight, cigar chomping, crusty ole' white dude who still has some juice left his own self!

Sad news...

2007-09-06T07:47:00.000-05:00

Italian Tenor Pavarotti Dies at Age 71 By ALESSANDRA RIZZO Associated Press Writer

Luciano Pavarotti, whose vibrant high C's and ebullient showmanship made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since Caruso and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar, died Thursday. He was 71.
His manager, Terri Robson, told the AP in an e-mailed statement that Pavarotti died at his home in Modena, Italy, at 5 a.m. local time. Pavarotti had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August.
"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," the statement said.
Speaking from inside Pavarotti's home, which was guarded by police, Pavarotti's assistant Edwin Tinoco told Sky TG 24 television that Pavarotti's final days had been calm and spent at home.
For serious fans, the unforced beauty and thrilling urgency of Pavarotti's voice made him the ideal interpreter of the Italian lyric repertory, especially in the 1960s and '70s when he first achieved stardom. For millions more, his charismatic performances of standards like "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" came to represent what opera is all about.
In fact, "Nessun Dorma" was Pavarotti's last performance, sung at at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, in February 2006. His last full-scale concert was at Taipei in December 2005, and his farewell to opera was in Puccini's "Tosca" at New York's Metropolitan in March 2004.
It was the second monumental loss in the opera world in recent months. American soprano Beverly Sills, whose widespread popularity mirrored Pavarotti's, died July 2 at her home in New York. She was 78 and suffered from cancer.
Instantly recognizable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win hearts in a way Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras - his partners in the "Three Tenors" concerts - never quite could.
"I always admired the God-given glory of his voice - that unmistakable special timbre from the bottom up to the very top of the tenor range," Domingo said in a statement from Los Angeles.
"I also loved his wonderful sense of humor and on several occasions of our concerts with Jose Carreras - the so-called Three Tenors concerts - we had trouble remembering that we were giving a concert before a paying audience, because we had so much fun between ourselves," he said.
Pavarotti, who seemed equally at ease singing with soprano Joan Sutherland as with the Spice Girls, scoffed at accusations that he was sacrificing his art in favor of commercialism.
"The word commercial is exactly what we want," he said, after appearing in the widely publicized "Three Tenors" concerts. "We've reached 1.5 billion people with opera. If you want to use the word commercial, or something more derogatory, we don't care. Use whatever you want."

Good for you , Luciano. The world will indeed miss you. On the OTHER hand...

...Rock and roll singers alive and kicking ass!

2007-09-06T07:32:00.000-05:00

There are still quite a few great rock and roll singers who, at an advanced (for a rock star) age, can still bring it! Exhibit A- Paul Stanley, from a recent performance at the Rock and ROll fantasy camp (the place I'd go in a NY minute, if I had 9 grand lying around) singing the living hell outta the old IDES OF MARCH one hit wonder VEHICLE:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MYu1L8KjeiE

and how about RONNIE JAMES DIO lead singer of HEAVEN AND HELL (or as I like to call 'em BLACK SABBATH) from a recent solo NY gig:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO4u54FmoC0
This man is SIXTY if he's a day folks! And Nat's hubby Ryan said the funniest thing I've heard in awhile the other day. He said watching Dio throw the "Heavy Metal Horns" was kind of like watching John Hancock sign his name! Good stuff, Ryan!

And then there's MY personal fave, 58 year old...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gd6EhRRNJc
BROOOOOOCCCEEEE!!!!!!!!!! That song smokes.Talk about some "stuff left in the basement"! Pure, guitar driven rock and roll!

While I wound never equate these fellows with the sheer brilliance that was Pavarotti, and it's a totally different genre of music, it's kind of comforting to remind oneself that there's still plenty of greatness out there to be had...and that our old friends are still kicking it!

"I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all..."

2007-09-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

above: me...directing!

Greetings everyone.

So here's a question for you. The first in a series of many queries I'll have in regards to the program I'm building.

My recent auditions for THOREAU turned out a bumper crop of students. So many, so, that it was difficult to get them read in the time constraints/ audition environment. For a number of years, I have done a straight "cold reading" auditions with no prepared piece/callback the way alot of folks do it. My primary reasoning is that I didn't want to scare off any newcomers who might hesitate to show up if they had to prepare something (Believe me, I've found many a hidden gem at an audition where someone just decided to come just for the experience). But lately, as my program really starts to take shape (quite sooner than I expected!) I am considering more and more going to the model of "Prepared piece-callbacks" as opposed to straight cold reading.

Here's what I need. FEEDBACK. Be it from an actor's p.o.v. ("I prefer this type over that type, etc...") a Director's p.o.v. ("This is what works best for me") or just an outsider p.o.v. ("I would / wouldn't show up for this type of audition").

Give me what you got people. Too many lurkers lately, not enough participation. BRING THE MEAT, people!!!!

"Working your fingers right down to the bone..."

2007-08-20T06:59:00.000-05:00

School's back in session! Classes at the local colleges start back this week, and the HS folks are already a week in. Where the hell did the summer go???? Oh well, at least it's still in the 90's, so we can imagine it's still those hazy, lazy da...what the heck am I talking about? There were no LAZY days this summer! Haven't been for years. Sometimes I'm downright relieved when the bell starts to ring in the fall. And I've got a busy one lined up. A show at AGL (Yay! I get to do some actin'!), a show at school, AND directing CATFISH MOON for STUDIO PLAYAH's.
So lot's happening.
There is something kind of cool about this time of year (well, except the WEATHER!) . I always get a sense of that "new school year" feeling that was so pervasive back in the day. That sense of excitement mixed with utter dread. Oy! And we thought things were SOOOO difficult and challenging and that life was so complex, didn't we?Bah humbug! If only we knew what was to come....
So everyone have a good week and enjoy the beginning of a "new year" as it were. And while you're at it, drop me a post about this topic: which "start of a new school year" stands out in your memory the most and why?

Let er' rip...I'll try to post more often, but if I'm a bit lax, it don't mean I don't love all of ya's! I'm just my usual worker bee self...and then some!

"The dogs on Main street howl, cause they understand..."

2007-08-11T16:07:00.001-05:00

Yikes! Back to school has begun, and is it ever chaotic. Meetings, lesson plans, sylabi, more meetings. planning sessions, auditions, rehearsals...did I mention MEETINGS????
It's times like these that the Boss's lyric (from above) really hits home to me. Things ARE nutty right now. Not just for me, but the wife too. She's planing a HS reunion (to take place in West Tennessee, no less. These things are no fun, especially long distance) and ...oh by the way... she's pregnant too! There's also a ton of other crapola that I won;t bore you with in blog-land. Suffice it to say that if those dogs DO get it, I feel for 'em!

Anyhoo- enough about me. Here's a nice, non-taxing question for your posting pleasure. What are you top five favorite song lyrics of ALL TIME????

Easy one, no? Lemmee hear ya...

"Sing for your very right to live..."

2007-08-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

CATCHING UP!!!
I've been away from the blog a bit lately, and I feel like I'm ignoring the old girl, so here's a big grab-bag of stuff!

1- First and foremost CONGRATS TO THE TUTTLES! Mike and Erin finally had their baby boy, Alexander Lee (...and yes, I'm bettin they'll call him XANDER! BUFFY-VERSE RULES! )

No pics, and I forgot the poundage, but I'll post some when I get 'em! Congrats Mama Erin and Papa Mike! ...and lemme know how this "two kids" thing works out :)

2- Yes, the Satanic lure of the dreaded "myspace" had finally pulled me in! You can find my page at http://www.myspace.com/woundedeagle8

I know, I know...I swore I'd never sell my soul to Rupert Murdoch this way, but dammit it's ...just...too...FUN! Not only have I reconnected with old friend, AND already made a few pertinant connections, BUT I get to jam on tons of great music from the old Nashville/Murfreesboro Music scene. This scene during the late 80's / early 90's produced some stellar bands / artists. Some of the pages are more for nostalgia's sake, like my buddies in

WORD UPRISING

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=212816168

OR my alltime favorite boro band (and these guys SHOULDA been contenders, if Atlantic records had any balls!) btw- the lyric is from their song PLAY ON!

FIFTEEN STRINGS

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=165903501

There are tons of other cool artists you can link to through my page. Check it out, if you wanna hear some good, unsigned rock and roll.

3. This weekend is your last chance to catch WORKING the musical at Studio Playa's here in Lex-vegas. If you've already come, thankx a billion! Our crowds have suffered a little this summer, but I'm told most have ('Cept them Equus Run folks.."FIRSTEST WITH THE MOSTEST" is the way Gen Stonewall Jackson put it, I do believe!) and the crowds we have had have been wonderful! So a big KUDOS to those who have come, and a big "Ya'll come" to those what haven't! (Why am I suddenly writing like a tour guide at DOLLYWOOD???)

Thus brings us to our question- Is a town like Lexington BIG ENOUGH to support all the theatre offerings we had this summer? If you don't live here, chime in regarding your own hamlet and let us know what the summer theatre scene is like there. From my count here in sexington, we had no less than 9 productions within the city limits this summer. (someone correct my math if I'm wrong). ALSO- if you were involved in a show this summer, how'd it go? What was the experience like? I'll be posting some of my thoughts on WORKING right along with you!

Well....?

"People say I'm no good, crazy as a loon..."

2007-07-24T11:41:00.000-05:00

So I'm watching the CNN/ You tube debates last night (you know, where the Dems were lined up and answered questions sent by you-tubers, whilst Anderson Cooper moderated) and damned if halfway through I don;t see a question from THESE bozos! "Jackie Broyle" and "Dunlap" (l to r) who asked basically was all the talk about Al Gore getting in the race "hurtin their feelings?" I damn near soiled myself, cause you see "Jackie" and "Dunlap" are actually Travis and Jonathon, two very old friends of mine from HS and undergrad. The whole auditorium cracked up, except Joe Biden, who I THINK thought they were serious! AND they namechecked my old hood "Murfreesboro, TN"! Glad to see some old homies making the national scene...it does my heart proud, Both these gentlemen are actually grade A actors, and I've been involved in many a show with them. Actually, in an ironic twist, they BOTH played the role of Cole in KEELY AND DU, with a Davis rother in the directing chair (Travis for me at MTSU, and Jonathon for my bro Jerry in Cape Cod). Up until a few weeks ago, I didn't even know these fools knew each other, much less had an
act". Check out their website for some really funny shite! (Some of you will especially love the "Ray Stevens/Rick Rubin mockumentary!) http://www.travisandjonathan.com/

So good on ya, Travis and Jonathon...you've made our little hamlet in the boro proud! And if you guys wind up with an HBO show in a few years I WANT A PART!!!!!!!!!

Come see WORKING!!!!

2007-07-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

Aren't these people BEAUTIFUL??? Don't you want to pay a reasonable amount of money and see them, and others like them , PERFORM FOR YOU????

THEN DO SO! The show runs through August 5th. Call the Lexarts box office for ticket info, or hollar at me. Hope to see you at the theatre!

Those of you who HAVE seen the show, feel free to take up valuable bandwidth showering the cast (and the director) with praise!

"See that building..."

2007-07-11T22:02:00.001-05:00

Based on Studs Terkel's best-selling book, this musical by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) takes the everyday life of numerous American workers and creates an anthem to those who keep the country going. Tim X. Davis directs this unique collaboration between the Bluegrass Community and Technical college and Studio Players.
Working, the Muscial is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

Production Dates

July 12-15, 20-22, 27-29 and August 3-5, 2007 -->

Opening, Friday, and Saturday night performances begin at 8:00 pm.
Sunday matinee performances begin at 2:30 pm.

Ticket Prices
-->
All performances
$16.00
Students
$10.00--

For reservations please call (859) 225-0370

YA'LL COME!!!!!!

"...one needs a huggin' Lord one's on the way..."

2007-07-04T13:30:00.000-05:00

A recent exerpt from the wife's blog:

Well our little family has a major announcement. We have been keeping the lid on for the most part for awhile, but no more. We are pregnant, expecting our second child in February 2008. That is a whopper. We are excited to share the news, although i must confess i enjoyed keeping it under wraps. A pregnancy can get pretty long and we always find out really early, so a little private time is good.

So there! If you didn't know it before, now ya do! Cat's outta the bag, and all that...the Wolverine is already talking about the "baby in Mommy's tummy" with affection, but I'm not certain he grasps the concept just yet. Hell, I'm not certain I grasp the concept just yet! Having two running around at the same time is gonna be a challenge, but one we look forward to with great joy and anticipation!

Also, HAPPY FOURTH everyone! On your day off, think a little bit about the grand nation we live in and the freedoms we enjoy. And if you set off illegal fireworks, SHUT IT DOWN BY 11! Some of us gotta get up early in the morning...

"What would you change if you could..."

2007-06-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

Pictured at left is Adam Durvitz, from one of MY favorite 90's artists, the COUNTING CROWS.

Admittedly, at the time, I felt like the 90's (particularly for pop and rock) were a freaking wasteland, devoid of much worth remembering. However, compared to the music happening NOW, the 90's were a golden age! And in retrospect, there was alot more great stuff out there than I realized at the time.

So...what about it? Set the wayback machine to 199? and give me a list of your favorite 90's muzak.

And make it good, cause this is our last music list for awhile!

"God what a mess..."

2007-06-24T09:20:00.000-05:00

To my left, one of the greatest bands to ever stagger onto a stage, THE REPLACEMENTS! When I think of the 80's, it's not necessarily the Flock of Seagulls or Cyndi Lauper that spring to my mind, but more like these dudes...amongst others. What say you?

Hit me with your favorite songs/ albums/ etc from the lost decade... Now officially substituting Rick 8 for Chuck P!

Enjoy! And no one has guessed my lyrics in awhile....where's Tuttle when I need him? Come to think of it ...WHERE IS TUTTLE? Come on buddy, that baby ain't here yet...

"And where do we go from here..."

2007-06-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

Okay folks...how bout them 70's tunes?

And to heck with the top five, just go nuts! What's your favorite tunes, groups/artists, genres, etc?

BTW-I personally think the 70's were a golden age that kicked the 60's artists in their Aquarian asses!

But that's just me...

Rock on, people!

"We only danced for a minute or two..."

2007-06-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, so maybe it's that the topics have been scaring people off, or maybe folks are just too darned busy to post (not much activity at our other local theatre type site either)- either way, here's a series of fun, frothy summer-time and the livin is EEEEEAASSSSYYY questions.

Part A-

What are your FIVE favorite songs from the 1960's? Any genre, any artists, hell they can be five Herman's Hermits songs for all I care. (Did they even HAVE five songs?)

Hit me with your best shots, people...and let the summertime roll! (oops- both of those references courtesy of the 80's)

"We all find a place to start over again..." Pt Deux

2007-06-06T11:52:00.001-05:00

TAKE THAT CBS!!!

Looks like the campaigns worked and JERICHO is back next year after all (albeit only for an 8 episode mid season arch). But hell, I'll take it!

Here's a link to a VARIETY article on the hoo-hah created by Jericho fans to save the show (including sending tons of nuts to CBS executives...you had to watch the show to get that). Pay close attention to THIS part of the article, as I think it's going to foreshadow things to come.

"I really think that what has been learned here is that networks are going to have to look at numbers and who is watching their show and who is downloading their show in a different way from here on out," Barbee said. "I think they have to understand that the Nielsens are not telling the story anymore and that the 18-49 demographic they're all so keen on is online and that's how increasingly they are getting their news and entertainment."

I couldn't agree more- and here's the link:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966329.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Has the "old way" of gauging fan interest in television shows, nay, perhaps even the method of even CREATING and delivering those shows, changed for good? Discuss at will.

"We all find a place to start over again..."

2007-06-03T19:01:00.000-05:00

So, as my wife well knows about me, every so often, I have me a little epiphany! The daylight bursts through the clouds, and for a moment, I get it. Well, I'm here to tell you folks, last night I got it!
I was one of the privileged few to attend the Jason and the Scorchers reunion show at the Exit In in Nash-vegas, or as I like to call it, the Mother Land. And this wasn't just the reunion of the old lineup, it was a special night. Drummer Perry Baggs (pictured above) has been waging a brave fight against kidney failure and diabetes. His medical bills have been mounting, so in order to help defray these costs, a number of small benefits around the region were planned. The Scorchers show sold out in roughly half a day. Luckily, my brother had the foresight to call and get us all tickets 5 minutes after getting the email about the show from me. I feel privileged not only because the Scorchers are one of my favorite bands (and one of the handful of truly inspiring live rock and roll acts EVER) and not only because I was able, in a small way, to help Perry pay his bills, but I feel that I was part of a truly remarkable event last night. This was no ordinary rock show, nor even an ordinary Scorchers show (which is ANYTHING but ordinary in and of itself). No, something else happened. It was one of those times when I felt that there is indeed some good and light in the world. Everyone in that room was there to help a man in dire straits, not just in a financial way, but in what I believe was a spiritual way. At least ten times though out the evening the audience loudly chanted, not the BAND'S name, but the name PERRY! There was a constant showering of love, goodwill and appreciation for all his years of fine work. I wish you all could've been there to witness the effect it had on this man. The look on his face of absolute bliss and humility and thanks and love upon hearing the crowds reaction to what may well have been his last entrance to the stage was something to behold. In this horribly superficial world we live in, it was a moment of genuine depth, and it moved me in a way that I shall never forget.

Then there was the show itself. These men who took the stage had not played together for a good while (in the case of two former members of the band who joined in the 2nd set, fifteen years! ) and there were times it showed. Glitches aplenty, dropped lyrics, missed guitar licks, etc. But for every bum note, there were 50 sublime moments. Warner Hodges guitar work in particular (check out his myspace page in my links section) was at times some of the most fierce, passionate playing I have ever witnessed. And I've seen damn near every living guitar god there is folks. Last night, not a one them would've gotten close to him. It was obvious that he, singer Jason Ringenberg and the rest of these men were playing as though their lives, and quite possibly the life of their friend, depended on it. And I promise you, if passion could cure what physically ails us, there would've been a world of healing going on in that club last night. And to watch these men,every one of them pushing 50,play for over 3 hours, pushing their aging bodies to the limit (on more than one occasion I thought someone might just keel over from sheer exhaustion) was, to say the least, inspiring. Perry himself was perhaps the most inspiring of all. He played his drum kit with all the fire and passion he did 25 years ago when I saw the bands first gig (New Years eve at a little dive in the boro called KO's- I snuck in on with my brothers license. Ah, those were the days!). He had to come off every second or third number and rest, turning the drum kit over to the Scorchers current drummer (and KY resident Fenner Castner), often times to weak to even descend from the drum riser without a hand from Warner or Jason. It reminded me not only of the strength of the human will, but also how vitally important art can be to someone. This man was willing to literally torture his body to play for this crowd. That, in itself, speaks volumes. And it made me realize something, that of course I already know. So I suppose it merely illuminated it for again. Our lives exist right here, and right now. In the moment. Ultimately, that's what it all comes down to. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't revere the past, nor keep an eye on the future. Those things are vital as well. But to truly be able to live in, and FOR, the moment is a gift of the highest order. Last night, I was reminded of that fact. I'll try not to forget it quite so quickly next time.

So yeah, it was a pretty heavy evening for me, but one filled with sheer joy and goodwill. Unfortunately, all those of you who weren't there have in evidence are the rambling postings of a man working on about 2 hours of sleep. Suffice it to say that in the future, whenever I'm engaged in a theological discussion and someone asks me to point to evidence of God, I'll just tell 'em all about Perry's benefit.

If you'd like to contribute to Perry' s medical fund, follow this link:

http://www.farmerjason.com/perry_home.htm

And now for the question du joir... what's the most moving artistic experience you've ever been involved in? Rock me, Amadeus...

MUSICIANS WANTED!

2007-05-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

ATTENTION EVERYONE!

We are in need of a guitar player, bassist, and drummer for the "house band" of the musical WORKING, which runs from July 12th through August 5th at Studio Players. If any of you know of anyone to fit the bill, drop me a post with suggestions, or email / call me if you know the number.

Don;t delay, as time is of the essence!

BTW- If you know either of these two guys pictured , they would work perfectly! If you know who they are, 100,000 points! (a little hint)

"Kickin' ass on the wild side "

2007-05-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

HEY EVERYBODY!!!! It's Memorial Day Weekend...wanna party like THESE GUYS??????

Well, you're S.O.L.-BUT if you wanna have a fun afternoon, come by the X-man's family estate at 4pm Sunday for an afternoon of burgers, dogs, kiddie pools, and Rock and Roll Music played at a respectable neighborhood volume!!! Bring the fixins and beverages of your choice, and of course, feel free to bring the younguns!

RSVP via the message boards, and leave emails and I'll shoot directions to you. PARTY ON, boys and girls!!!!!

...and actually, at the CRUE'S age, we probably WILL be partying harder than them!

"And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it"

2007-05-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

So here's a nice shot of me and one of my older bros with the little dude. We're a good lookin' bunch, us boys! Course, like everybody, we're getting older (Still got the hair though! It's graying, but as my Daddy used to say "I don't care what color it turns so long as it don't turn loose! Apologies to the follicular challenged amongst my readers...) and sometimes I get to thinking about the boy I was vs the man I am. Having kids'll do that to a fellow.

I remember a great story from about 25 years ago. I was hanging out drinking the night away with my pals ("...as one MUST..." to quote Rod Stewart) when I got on a tangent about how shitty so and so's parents treated them and when I had kids THEY were gonna have the freedom to do what they want , and explore and blah blah blah...and my friend Mike Vermilion (whom I haven't seen in WAY too long) said to me point blank "Dude...locked inside of you is a forty year old man whose kids ain't going NOWHERE!"

I, of course, balked at this...but NOW...I wonder. See, when I was that age, I never even thought I'd even get hitched, must less have kids! To paraphrase Benedick "When I said I would die a bachelor, I never thought I should LIVE till I were married..." (or something of that order) Yet , fourteen years and one child later, here I am with an honest to goodness family, job, mortgage, etc...Didn't really see that coming back then. But you know what? I wouldn't change a damn thing! (OK, the massive student loan and that late 80's mullets MAYBE...but other than that...) Still, if you'd have asked me where I'd be 25 years ago, I guarantee that Lexington KY is NOT the answer I'd have given. And quite frankly, my son probably WON'T be going anywhere till he's old enough to whip me in a fair fight...which should be in about 3 years.

So here's my question - what, in your youth did you SWEAR you'd never do, that you've actually found yourself doing?

Go Nuts...and NUTS to CBS for STILL cancelling JERICHO!!!!

I sometimes can't let go of things...

..and 287 points for the EASY lyric...specially if'n you know your Xman!

"...the guns shot above our heads..."

2007-05-15T20:51:00.000-05:00

HEROES frakin' ROCKED last night! Is it just me, or are any of you becoming less and less enthralled with films lately? Not necessarily films in GENERAL, but particularly where the "genre" (Sci-fi, comic books, etc) tales are concerned, I think the folks on the small screen do it a HELL of alot better as of late! This would almost seem like a no-brainer to me, as you have a long period of time to develop characters and let plots lines, mysteries and twists unfold (that is if the network isn't FOX or CBS and they cut you off at the knees without giving the show a chance! DRIVE and JERICHO, we hardly knew ye) But when they DO give shows a bit of room to breathe, such as HEROES, it can pay off wonderfully! This show started off with a great premise, but was a bit shaky in the dialogue department- and quite frankly, it wasn't really moving at too brisk of a clip where the plot was concerned. BUT- fast forward to about the last 8 episodes, and you've got some really great, kick ass genre TV. It culminated with last night's episode, which was one of the finest hours of TV I've seen in awhile (at least since the episode TWO weeks ago! ) Sure , they're basically just dredging up the XMEN / DAYS OF FUTURE PAST plot line, but SO WHAT? Did you SEE the last XMEN flick? SUCKED! Spidey three? SUCKTACULAR! Superman returns? SEND HIM BACK - return to suck-o! The HEROES writers can keep right on cribbing funny-book plot lines till the cows come home for all I care, cause it's damned compelling TV.

And while we're at it, have you watched LOST lately? Hey-sus on a cracker! Those boys are swinging for the fences with the second half of the season. Once again, they started out slow, but my lord they're finishing strong. Last week's epi wrapped with a gut-shot John Locke lying on top of an uncovered mass grave! THAT'S quality TV folks!

Honestly, what with LOST, HEROES, GALACTICA, and the (possibly) recently departed JERICHO , it's a damned good time to be a fan of SCI FI / post apocalyptic TV! So here's the question- what was / is your favorite SCI FI/ HORROR/post apoc./ any of that genre television show ever? And also, is there one you started to get hooked on when the network suits pulled the plug? One you're just DYING to see how it all ends? (See JERICHO, as previously mentioned a bunch! F. YOU, CBS!*)

KTA JOB OPENING

2007-05-09T15:42:00.000-05:00

FYI to all KY residents:

The Kentucky Theatre Association, Kentucky 's leading theatre organization - serving theatre at all levels - is seeking its first Executive Director.

Description - The Executive Director will work with Board of Directors to fulfill the mission of The Kentucky Theatre Association. Duties will include but are not limited to the organization and administration of the annual Kentucky Theatre Association Festival, web-site maintenance, fundraising, special programming administration, and the development and implementation of public relations programs to increase KTA membership.

The Executive Director may work from any location in or in close proximity to the Commonwealth of Kentucky but must be willing to travel to various locations for regular board meetings, committee meetings and organizational events.
Minimum of a Bachelors Degree in Arts Administration, Business or Theatre, or equivalent experience in the field is required.

This is a 1099/independent contractor position. Salary: $600.00 monthly plus compensation for travel. Hire date: Summer 2007 (Negotiable) thru December 15, 2007.

Qualifications - The candidate must be computer literate, possess strong organizational and communications skills, have knowledge of fund raising and grant writing, and have an interest in, if not a strong knowledge of, the theatre. Previous experience working for non-profits is a plus.

The candidate must be able to devote on average 40 hours/month. The fall months leading up to the November conference will demand a greater time commitment

Application - Qualified individuals should submit a letter of application, a resume, and names and contact information for three references via email to kytheatreassoc@qx.net. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.theatreky.org. Application deadline: May 31, 2007.

Post any questions you have, or give me an email shout!

-X

"Heaven knows...I'm in head over heels and it shows..."

2007-05-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

Oh Garth...it was the beginning of the end for you, wasn't it? Probably SOUNDED like a good idea. "Hey guys, I know...let's create this cool, sorta Rock and Roll alter ego, and I'll put out an album by HIM...then, I know...we'll make a MOVIE of it! Yeah, that's it! Damn...I'll finally be bigger than the Beatles!"

Didn't quite work out that way, did it Chris...I mean GARTH? The DID do a nice job of making his face look thin, though, dontcha think?

So why this trip down memory lane for you audiophiles? Cause this wound up on the top of the list of "really stupid music ideas"... check out the link at http://spinner.aol.com/photo-galleries/15-worst-music-ideas-ever-milli-vanilli-movie .

This list is a hoot so check it out (but remember, you'll probably have to cut and paste. For some reason, the links aren't live when they're in my post. Have to look into that...)

So this got me to thinking...what do you consider the WORST theatre / film ideas ever? Gimmie a list of your top five of each, and spare no quarter! Make 'em good! After my last few depressing posts, we need a little F-U-N!

Have at it....oh, and the lyric is a freebie (It's the late, great CHRIS GAINES hisself!)

"We sailed across the air before we learned to fly..."

2007-05-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

So, I'm kinda bummed...normally, as my loyal readers know, I don't bring my personal stuff with me to blogland, but today was a particularly craptastic day. And it's all esoteric stuff- nothing I can particularly touch. But it's there nonetheless.

It all started this morning with GOOD MORNING AMERICA and a story I saw about something called GRUPSTERS. Ever heard this term? Not me..till today. Among other things, these lovely folks are the "new breed" of parent who have decided to keep their hipster identities (you know the type...wearing clothes that they really have no business wearing at their age, and name dropping bands like "The Arcade Fire" and "Of Montreal"?) and not "lose themselves" in their children. "We don't want to give up our IDENTITY for our child!" You know what folks? That there is shit people without kids say. I used to say it before the beautiful little boy to your left came along. But you know what? To a degree, parenthood makes you ...well...obsolete. OK...so maybe that's to strong a word. But it certainly shifts your priorities. YOU are not as important as YOU used to be. That's what parenthood does, ideally. It robs us of our narcissism (at least, theoretically). We now have someone who (SHOULD) mean more to us than ourselves. And I'm sorry to say, but if you don't have kids you CAN'T UNDERSTAND THIS...not fully. But don't get me wrong! I come not here to condemn people who've made a choice to not have children. It's a valid, and quite frankly very mature choice to make. If you don't ABSOLUTELY want children, don't have 'em! There's plenty of rugrats in the world as it is. My best friend in Tennessee is forever going on about how people give so much shite to him and his wife about hoe SELFISH they are for not having kids! BULLSHIT! It's SELFISH to have them when you know that you really shouldn't. But I digress...

Anyhoo...in this story about these GRUPSTERS and how they don't want to "lose their identities for their children" , I heard some of the most obnoxious, selfish trash I've heard in YEARS! Like the woman who said " Oh, NO WIGGLES or BARNEY in our house ! On Saturday mornings it's DISCO music for us! And she LOVES IT!" Yeah...that's real good. Fire up some Gloria Gaynor for your 8 month old! You know why kids listen to Barney and all that other crap? They LIKE it!!!It's AGE APPROPRIATE ! To me, that's like the morons who drag a 6 year old to see Richard the third. OF COURSE he's gonna hate it, because it's OVER HIS HEAD!!!! This, my friends, is the sole reason we have at least two full generations of people who hate (or THINK they hate ) Theatre. (Much in the same way my brilliant theatre career almost never was because of a dreadfully boring LITTLE FOXES I had to endure in the 7th grade...But that's another post...) And then there was the genius who said...and BOY this one really got me..."Remember...WE aren't coming into HIS life..HE'S coming into OURS!" To quote Hank Jr "I'd like to spit some Beech nut in that dude's eye... (and the closet rednecks amongst you know the rest) What a friggin Bastard! HE didn't ask to come into the world, sparky...YOU BROUGHT HIM HERE! So it seems to me, you at LEAST owe him a "smidge" of your time!

It's tough raising kids, folks. I've worked alot of hard jobs in my life. Hell, I grew up on a working farm and was doing real physical labor while alot of folks my age were just learning to ride a bike. I KNOW hard work and I ain't afraid of it...but there IS no harder job than being a parent. But you know what? I love it! And I wouldn't trade a second of it for all the lottery winnings in the world. Do I think it's important to not lose yourself in your kids? Hell yes...if I ain't a well rounded guy, I ain't gonna be a well rounded Daddy. But do I have to adhere to old ways and habits in a desperate attempt cling to my ever fading youth, at the expense of my son? Hell no! Not this guy...

So anyway, I guess the fact that I saw all these hipsters on TV , it just made me angry, and a bit depressed. My wife and I are literally killing ourselves making what we hope is a decent, loving environment for my son and still make a decent living, and these pricks could care less...And yes, I know that's a gross simplification, and I'm lashing out at a 2 minute sound- byte, and I know it's unreasonable. But I don;t really care cause dammit I'M in a funk now! It's so much more. Those of you in the inner circle know of the "professional hoops" I'm having to jump through and how unfair that all seems, and those of you who have ever taken a gander at my wife's blog know that the IRS raped us last month... so I just got a lot on the plate, and I let it bring me down today. There's also the fact that for two years I've been trying desperately to get at least a few more of my USM brethren to join us on the blog. Hell, I MADE this thing for them, so we could all stay in touch better, but, my guess is that most of 'em just simply don't care...and quite frankly that stings a little bit. Despite my gruff exterior...etc...etc...

But I AM thankful for those of you who do post. You've turned this Little site into something greater than I imagined, and I thank you for it. It's really great therapy for me, and it DOES allow me to keep in touch with great folks out the area like Mills. and D $ and Laurie Lou...so I suppose I should quit whining and count my blessings every now and then.

Rant over...I fell much better now! And I hope I haven't offended anyone with my ranting s on parenthood. If so, feel free to flame me unabashedly!

DIVA NEWS!!!!

2007-04-27T17:55:00.000-05:00

For all my USM bros and sisters, here's the DIVA MASTER'S latest and greatest! AND...while I GOT YOU HERE (heh heh) , how's about some comments on this topic? WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SUMMER??? (Lex folk and regular posters, feel free to chime in on this as well, and to greet any and all USM Divas new to the blog-o-sphere!)

The DIVA NEWSLETTER!!!
"Bakery-fresh. Thought-provoking. Sexy-hot."

Scott Stinson is now working for Trustmark National Bank's Training Department in Jackson, MS.

Check out Wendy O.'s Yoga website! www.divinesparkyoga.com

Bart Noggle is currently in a production at the Dallas Hub Theatre of "Top Gun, the Musical" playing the role of Iceman. After that closes he will be playing Oberon from Midsummer.

Check out Chris Walrath's myspace page! http://www.myspace.com/capatolaprods

Canady (Vance) Thomas gave birth to little girl Klein Addison Thomas just last week. Congrats!

FROM JOHNNY MOORE..............................

Hello Divas,My movie "Glorious Mail" that I co-wrote and directed will be screening this Sunday in Birmingham, AL at the BirminghamSHOUT! GAy + Lesbian Film Festival at the WorkPlay Soundstage at 5:00 P.M. Please let anyone you know in that area about the screening. It's a very funny movie and we won 2nd Best Feature last weekend at the 2007 Appalachian Film Festival in Huntington, WV and we hope to have a big turn out for our Gay festival premiere this weekend. Birmingham is billing it as a World Premiere, even though it is not, technically -- They don't know yet that we had sex with a straight festival last weekend... it's a long story and I will blog about it later. Also, check out the link below for my first interview about the movie with the local film critic in Huntingon. Hope y'all have a divalicious weekend and hope to see some of you at the screening!!http://www.huntingtonnews.net/local/070423-rutheford-box.html

FROM FREDDIE.............................

I am participating in a panel discussion on Sunday, April 29 at City Theatre of Pittsburgh. The panel is called "State of Play" and it is about the state of new play development in the American theatre. Other panelists include Diane Rodriguez (Mark Taper Forum), Tracy Brigden (A.D. of City Theatre), Seth Gordon (Cleveland Play House), Ted Pappas (A.D. of Pittsburgh Public Theatre), Howard Shalwitz (A.D. of Woolly Mammoth Theatre). I am also in rehearsals for Camelot at the Aurora Theatre, which will be the inaugural production in their new space and will direct a concert version of Oklahoma there this summer. In August, I break away from Golden Age musicals to direct Dark Play or Stories for Boys at Actor's Express.

The Fantasticks directed by Daryl W. Phillipy and Set Design by D. David Murphy opened on April 24 and closed April 26. This is Daryl’s last production at Southern Arkansas University. Daryl will be heading to New York City this June to participate in The Teachers Development Program at The Actor’s Center.
Daryl says,
" I will be studying with nationally and internationally known artists and teachers:
Christopher Bayes, Head of Physical Acting, Yale School of Drama
Slava Dolgachev, Artistic Director, New Theatre of Moscow
William Esper, Director of Actor Training, Rutgers University
J. Michael Miller, Founder, Tisch School of the Arts
Ron Van Lieu, Chair of the Acting Program, Yale School of Drama
This is a two week marathon-immersion acting class experience. I also recently completed a weekend intensive with Shakespeare & Company. I’m also looking forward to moving to Rock Hill, SC and buying a house. I start at Winthrop University in August."

FROM HEATHER ROEBUCK......................................

Here's an update on the film, Change 29, that I worked on.We've finished shooting the film and we are now in post. We shot about 600 hours in 5 days, with 3 cameras running almost all the time. We filmed mostly at the Gulfport Dragway on a very busy race weekend. It was totally crazy. I drove down the day before shooting the first weekend thinking I would be the production manager and running a camera when needed but ended up being the emergency assistant director due to the fact the original AD was stuck in Atlanta. Kinda funny when you think about it since I hadn't read the script and totally sucked at directing when I took George's class. In fact, I ended up working as the AD, a camera operator, the production manager, a grip, a boom operator, oh, and an actor. I had two whole lines! Can't wait to see how that turned out. Or if he keeps it in the film. I did a few other things but who knows if I will be billed for them. I don't care either way. We were under a lot of time restraints but we pulled it off. Shawn, the director is in the process of editing and looking for music for the soundtrack. Change 29 is slated to be released in November 2007, but may be later if we are accepted into Sundance. So cross your fingers for us. I created a small, quick video with some behind the scenes footage if anyone is interested in viewing it. And I'm also leaving a link for some pictures that was taken over the 5 days of shooting and the film's myspace page if you want to keep up with what is going on. I will give everyone a heads up on things as I get them. http://www2.blogger.com/http://www2.blogger.com/filmseyehttp://www.myspace.com/genofeveentertainment

In other news...somewhere, right now...Ben Craven is gettin' laid

AND YOU'RE NOT.

"Ain't it funky,now..."

2007-04-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

Anthro-Fab and Tobacco Bar Theatre Company (NYC) present

By John Patrick Shanley Directed by Dana Panepinto
Sunday May 13, 8pm
Monday May 14, 8pm
Tuesday May 15, 8pmUnder St. Marks94 St Marks Place (1st and A)
Tix $10 advance/ $15 doorLog on to www.smarttix.com or call (212) 868-4444

A fresh take on Shanley's luminous script using moving bodies and sharp tongues. A riveting look at the "big funk" that is the modern condition. Can the power of compassion and faith triumph over it? Omar throws knives for a living and muses about the state of the world. His understanding wife, Fifi, suddenly pregnant with twins, acts as a rudder for him, and often for his friend, Austin, an out of work actor, who believes the world would be a better place if everyone would do something, even one small act of kindness. He follows his own advice when he comes upon Jill, a young woman sitting in a bar...covered with grease.

featuringColleen Britt Deanna McGovern Ellen Hauck Michael Schantz Toby Knops Jesse Soursourian

The Director of this piece (Dana Panepinto) is one of my fave gals from my Grad school days at USM. She's a tremendously talented, delicious DIVA and if any of you are in the NYC area, or know someone who is, tell 'em to check this out. Wish I could be there, Dana!

Sooo...based on the title of said Shanley piece, what exactly IS the "Big Funk" we're living in now, and what has contributed to it? Go nuts, people!

John Jor...uhh...I mean JANE MARTIN show premieres @ AGL!

2007-04-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

(Pictured from Left- Former BOONIE Hayley Williams, and Lara "Sweet Brier" St. Peter in AGL's ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS)

HEY YA'LL! This week ANTON IS SHOW BUSINESS opens at AGL here in Lex-vegas. Do yourself a favor and go see it! Not ONLY is it directed by Cinncinatti Shakes' AD Brian Issac Phillips, and not ONLY does it have a stellar cast featuring some of the finest actresses here in the bluegrass, BUT it's a JANE MARTIN piece. Anyone who knows Tim X at all knows of my affinity for "Ms" Martin's works. One of my all time favorite shows, KEELY AND DU, was one of the most talked about shows of the 90's. It is also the first show I had the pleasure of directing my wife in (as Keely) and she was fan-damn-tastic! That was one of the most intimate, special pieces I've ever worked on, and it culminated with people litterally weeping in the audience...NOT crying, not sobbing but WEEPING! It was, as Mr Sartin in fond of saying, "Pure Magic!". I've also directed "Ms" Martin's VITAL SIGNS (not as good as his first all female monologue fest TALKING WITH, but pretty close) and the play I consider to be the funniest thing I've ever read MIDDLE AGED WHITE GUYS. I am desperate to direct this in Lexington when I get the chance and find the right venue...but it is, without a doubt, one of the wackiest, yet most touching pieces you'll ever see. I've been trying to get Rick to do it for years, but he won't bite. (Hell, dude, it takes place on a BASEBALL FIELD for God's sake! What more do you need????:) But I digress...

So get out and go see this wonderful ensemble piece with it's cutting edge humor, first rate production staff, and delightful cast...here's the details:

Presented by: Actors Guild of Lexington

When: Preview performances at 7:30 p.m. April 18 and 19. The show opens April 20 and runs through May 13. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.

Where: Downtown Arts Center, 214 E. Main St.Tickets: Regular performances: $24 general admission; $18 ages 65 and older; $15 students. April 19 preview is $20 general admission; $14 ages 65 and older, $12 students. April 18 and 22 are pay-what-you-can performances.

Phone: (859) 225-0370. Online: www.actorsguildof lexington.com

Sooo...question for today is: What is the FUNNIEST play you've ever read/seen/been involved with?

"So move b^h, get out the way ho..."

2007-04-13T08:34:00.000-05:00

Comments?

"This is my story..."

2007-03-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

DATELINE LEXINGTON!
Join Bluegrass Community and Technical College
in partnership with Actor’s Guild of Lexington as it makes its
Theatrical début with the Kentucky premier of Laddy Sartin's BLESSED ASSURANCE.
April 4th and 5th at 8:00 PM in the Downtown Arts Center, Lexington.
Tickets: 859-225-0370
BCTC students, faculty, and staff- $4.00
General Public- $10.00
A reception for playwright Laddy Sartin will be held Thursday, April 5th at
7:00 PM in the reception area of the Downtown Arts Center.

It would mean a great deal to me if one and all could come this new endeavor. We have put a lot of work into getting this baby off the ground, and we really need support. The idea behind this Theatre program is to not only serve the BCTC student popualation, but to serve as another perfoming group for the Lexington community. We have big plans afoot, and are really looking forward to a great kickoff with this premiere production. A special thanks to the folks at AGL and Lexarts for all their help and support.
So please spread the word and come check out what we've got in store for you. We have a great cast and a dynamite production crew. I think you'll be glad you did!

...feel free to use up valuable bandwidth with well wishes and good karma!

...and 1,000 points for the obvious reference (unless you're a heathen!)

"Take me away...I don't mind..."

2007-03-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

"SHERMAN...set the wayback machine for..."

Anybody remember these guys? LOVED these cartoons (and their related family- Bullwinkle, Fractured fairy tales, etc)

Lately, I been thinking about the past quite a bit. I tend to be a fellow who likes to reminisce on the "good old days". On reflection though, I usually realize that those days weren't so good, and that there is no better time to be me than right now. But nevertheless, I can't help but think back to "simpler times" in my life. One of the things that takes me back the quickest is the music. A song can slingshot me back to a particular time and place faster than Doc Brown's flux capacitor! (There's a lyric hint*) That's the nice thing about music, and Art in general I suppose, is it's power to not only transform us, but to transPORT us as well.

But enough rumination and pontificating! I'll leave that to ya'll...

What do you consider the greatest period, or "golden age" of :

A) Music

B) Theatre

C) Film

"Get on it, Sherman!"

"YES SIR, Mister Peabody!"

"Come on sister have yourself a ball"

2007-03-14T13:03:00.000-05:00

FOR SPORTS GEEKS ONLY!!!!

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR, folks! So lets just cut to the chase and get right to it!

Gimmie your :

a) Final 8

b) final 4

c) final game and ultimate winner

d) biggest upset!

e) odds that UK will have a new coach next year!

LET'S DANCE!!!! BTW- 64 points for the reference....

"But I got to missin' your Mama..."

2007-03-04T16:19:00.000-05:00

Well, SETC is almost here and I can't friggin' wait! I'll be doing a workshop (Outdoor Drama Survival Skills) with DIVA Darren Van Halen and Rick8 of AGL fame, doing my thing with the auditions committee and the Leighton Belew scholarship, going to a shit-ton of meetings and workshops, and trying to save a few moments to see some of the people I get to see once a year. I also may have a drink...or 20!

These past two weeks have seen me reach heretofore unattained levels of stress and I truly need a bit of a break. But I'll do what I always do at SETC- I'll work- I'll network-I'll help out my students (or in this case any former students, as none of my current ones are going this year. New program, and all...) -I'll try to learn something I can take back to the classroom, and I'll fret and kvetch the whole way about money. And while being away from the office will definitely be good for my state of mind...being away from the wife and kid, that'll be good for about 8 hours, then I'll start missing them both something fierce, and call home 6 times a day to make sure he and the missus are both OK. Then I'll start stressing about work again...

That's just who I am, though, and I guess that's who I'll always be. I always seem to want "a break" till I get it...then I don't know what to do with myself. I've had to work so hard and for so long, that I just don't really remember how to decompress...I think I might need to work on that at some point. Until then, I guess I'll just hope for a good, productive trip...and a few close, well stocked, Atlanta bars.

BTW- the image is an SETC image from their site... the backside belongs to one Teza Garland, a great, talented gal, and a former BOONEie by association...

Enough of my griping. What I wanna know is this- tell me about the best time you ever had at a "Theatre conference" (be it SETC, ACTF, URTA, UPTA, USITT, TCG, or any other letters...or hell, even if it was a state HS festival from your youth. My big brothers can tell some WHOPPERS about those trips...) The definition of "best" is up to you.

LET 'ER RIP!!!

"All for one..."

2007-02-25T16:45:00.000-05:00

This was, without a doubt, one of the best times I ever had onstage! Me, Eric Johnson and Tom Phillips playin' the HELL outta the THREE MUSKETEERS at LSF in the summer of 02. It was also one of the most challenging. My 36 year old, outta shape ass running , jumping and wielding a rapier and dagger for two non-stop hours- let's just say it kicked my ass like Bruce Lee!
But FUN??? HELL YEAH! The most fun moment? A 4 minute fight scene where the Musketeers take on the whole French army, and...GET KILLED! Then, Alexander Dumas (righteously played by Mike Friedman- who had some experience kicking my ass when I was a Boonie) comes out and says "Nope! That won't work...RUN IT BACK!" And we do the whole friggin thing in reverse! Standing ovation every night! But as tough as anything I've ever done onstage...
So, since I'm thinking alot about physical theatre (I teach a movement class next semester) what is your most physically demanding role and why? Sorry, gang, but I guess this one is for actoids only...

Groove me, babies!

"Well the night's begun and you want some fun..."

2007-02-21T20:20:00.000-05:00

So this is what I would be doing right now if I had a spare..Oh, I dunno...ten grand? And a week off in February. I'd have my ass out in LA at the ROCK AND ROLL FANTASY CAMP, where me and all the other middle aged Rock Star wanna Bee's would be up onstage rocking out with PAUL STANLEY (among others!) The deal is, you pay a measly 10 G's , you get assigned to a Rock and Roll Camp counsel er (someone who is, in all honesty, a washed up rock star of yore) , you work up a set with said rock dude, followed by a chance to get onstage with a real heavyweight (last year Roger Daltry- this year Mr. Stanley) and live out all your rock star fantasies. Seriously, dudes...gimme a little more disposable income, some vacation time and I'm THERE!

I'm pretty lucky: When I was in college, I got to sort of live out my rock and roll yearnings by playing guitar and singing with a club band that, all though we weren't top tier, we did pretty well for ourselves. I got to get my jollies out onstage, sew some wild oats, and bide time till I went into my "stable" career choice...THEATRE! But honestly...that time I had with my band from 89-93? Wouldn't trade it for a million bucks...

So here's the question for today: what is something that you've ALWAYS wanted to do, but have never had the where-with-all, time ,money, ability,etc to do?

Rock my world, people!And remember, if it's too loud...

"I live my life like there's no tomorrow"

2007-02-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

VAN F****N' HALEN!

No offense to Sammy Hagar (as I love me some Sam) but I've been waiting over 20 years to get to see these guys together again...and what do they do? Take away their original Bassist (Michael Anthony) and replace him with a TEENAGER!!!! (The kid on the far left is none other than Eddie Van Halen's son..WOLFGANG...I kid you not. That's the kids name! Good looking kid, though! Luckily he got his Mommy's DNA...) Makes me wanna puke...and yet, I'll probably lay down my hard earned jack to see them, should they play a shed near Lex-ville...You gotta admit, Diamond Dave looks fabulous! Tanned and rested and ready to rock! Eddie? Once again, he goes to a photo shoot looking like an aging, homeless skate punk...oh well- can't win 'em all!

But it's got me to thinking about nostalgia...is there an artist (musician/group, actor, whatever) from your youth that you'd like to come out of retirement (or the grave- the ULTIMATE retirement home) and perform again?

Do it.....DO it!!!!

"My make-up may be flaking, but my smile still stays on"

2007-02-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Howdy, ya'll. It's been a red letter couple of weeks for me, let me tell ya! I've had to shell out enormous amounts of cash on my car... bills keep piling up...I've been buried in work... It's cold as shit, so naturally my son has horrible cabin fever (as do I!) and NOW to boot, the poor little guy has a rotten cold (after just getting over the flu a few weeks ago!) Life, it seems, is a bit tedious of late. BUT, I know it will get better. Always does...It's times like these that I try to count blessings and be thankful for all the good things (and they ARE many)...but BOY HOWDY it gets tough to do that sometimes.

On the bright side, I have entered into a really positive rehearsal process with my cast at school, my classes are going well, and I actually feel re-energized as a teacher. My classes, for the most part, are large and attentive, with some very talented and interesting folks. The wife and I have discovered the joy that IS VERONICA MARS (do yourself a favor and rent or buy the DVDS) AND...ATLANTA HER I COME!!! I GET TO GO TO SETC IN TWO WEEKS!!!!! Much to the chagrin of my long suffering better half...but I'll make it up to her someway...

So, with all that in mind, how about a new querry? If you were running a Theatre, what would your DREAM SEASON of plays be? Lets say, hypothetically, you are allowed six shows to produce. Any genre, any era, anything you like. Com'on people...light a fire under me. I need it!

AND let me know if there is anything show or audition-wise you'd like me to add to the front page. Be glad to hook you up. Also give me a shout as to what you think of the new look to the Clones. I'm here to serve, people!

"Oh make me over..."

2007-02-10T19:49:00.000-05:00

HEY GANG!
Thought it was time for a new look to this ole' thing...
In the future, I might even add a PICTURE of myself, or something...one never knows how fancy-smancy I'll get.
So, to celebrate this new look, here's a new discussion.
All the talk over poor Anna Nichole in the past few days has been a tad disturbing to me. The woman is dead, and yet that actually seems to be an afterthought compared to all the hoopla swirling around. It's enough to make one vomit, imho. The obsession with the private life of celebs has, to coin a well used phrase amongst geeks like myself, "jumped the shark".
SOooooooooo...
What do you consider the most disturbing trend in either;
a) Theatre
b) music
c) film / tv
d) all of the above

Take your pick, and whack a mole!

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

2007-02-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

I ask you...is this NOT the funniest commercial ever????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em-b0wQzQ-0

AND - check out this alternate take....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_pnQ-zrzSQ&mode=related&search=

-So- since it's SUPER SUNDAY coming up, and we know what THAT means (COMMERCIALS FROM HELL!!!) What;'s your favorite commercial ever?
Ok- I know this is a fluffy one, but what the hell? I need something light and fun right about now....

-x

"I will begin again..."

2007-01-18T13:27:00.000-05:00

So, a belated Happy New Year to all!!!! 2007 is here (can you believe it?) and we're already off to a flying start. There are some really cool things happening in the area:

Tonight (Thursday the 18th) at AGL- a conversation with Director Benny Sato Ambush, starting at 7pm at the Downtown Arts center. This is the first in AGL's AGL's "Conversations with..." series. Admission is free.

Also, opening tonight PRIVATE EYES at Studio Players, here in Lex Vegas. The show runs through Feb 4th, and features frequent CLONES poster Bob Singleton, Allie Darden-Tipton, the lovely Hayley Williams,Mike Van Zant and Marianne Matthews.

January 25th and 26th-Bluegrass Community & Technical College’s theater program will hold an open casting call for its first production of Laddy Sartin’s Blessed Assurance. Auditions will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2007 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the Student Center on the Leestown Campus, 164 Opportunity Way, Lexington. A second audition will be held on Friday, January 26, 2007 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on the Cooper Campus, 470 Cooper Drive, Lexington. (in the auditorium in the OSWALD building)
For more information, contact me, Tim Davis, Theater & Film Program Coordinator at (859) 246-6672.

These auditions are open to the public, as well as any BCTC studnet or faculty member. So come one, come all!!! We are very excited to produce this Kentucky premiere of South Carolina based playwright Laddy Sartin's play AND- Opening night, Laddy himself will be in the audienceto partciipate in a talk back! Show dates aren't until the first week of April, so more later! (I know all youse former USM Divas are familiar with Mr Sartin's name and/or work. Golden Eagles rule!!!!!)

Sooo....the query today is a simple one: What, if any, New Year's resolutions have you mad, and what are the odds that you'll keep em? I would remind all of you, btw, that my wife and I went for an ENTIRE YEAR (2006) without eating ice cream of any kind, which if you know us you know how difficult that must have been!
So chime in, and good luck!!! 2007 points for the EASY reference...

"...but I'm free from the chain gang now..."

2007-01-03T16:40:00.000-05:00

Seems like I'm posting too many obits lately, but unfortunatley, here's another:

Michael Thompson founded Moveable Feast in 1998. The organization provides hot meals for victims of HIV and AIDS. Thompson was alsoactive in area theater groups.Michael Thompson, a Lexington actor and longtime survivor of AIDS whohelped nourish thousands of Kentuckians with the same disease, diedMonday. He was 51 and had been suffering from cancer.Mr. Thompson founded Moveable Feast, which delivered hot meals topeople in Central Kentucky suffering from HIV and AIDS, in 1998. Hegot the idea after nursing a destitute artist with AIDS who starved todeath just a few blocks from Lexington's city hall, said fellowactivist and friend Robert Morgan.

I had the absolute pleasure and privilege of knowing and working with Michael here in Lexington. We worked together at the LSF back in 02 and 03. He was a kind, sweet man with a good soul. I will miss him, and the community will miss his talent and his great charity. Godspeed, Michael...

If you knew Michael and would like to post something, or you have a good story involving him, feel free to write away.

"Hallelujah, Noel...be it heaven or hell..."

2006-12-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

Seasons Greetings, all. Hope everyone is getting stoked for a great Christmas season (or whatever pagan-type ritual you might choose to celebrate). We are headed off to sweet home Tennessee here in a few days, so this'll be my last post for a week or so. I'll try to get one in for the New Year if possible (and if Santa brings me a new computer!)
So, let's have our annual holiday wishes/ holiday shout outs to family, friends, strangers, government officials...whatever! Tell us what YOUR Xmas wish is this year...
If you have some seasonal tidings, post 'em! Don't be shy! And to any and all USM Divas lurking, speak up! I miss you guys...and...let me know what your up to, AND...what you'd think of the possibility of organizing a USM Theatre reunion in the next 12 months or so.
So let's hear from one and all on this holiday season... and a hearty 2000 points for the reference...which I also used last year!

God bless and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all...

...and ps...where the hell is Chuck Pogue lately?????

RIP Peter Boyle

2006-12-13T16:45:00.000-05:00

File this one under "huge loss"...

Raymond' dad Peter Boyle dies in NYC
By DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Writer 43 minutes ago
Peter Boyle, the actor who transformed from an angry workingman in "Joe" to a tap-dancing monster in "Young Frankenstein" and finally the comically grouchy father on "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died. He was 71.
Boyle died Tuesday evening at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He had been suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease, said his publicist, Jennifer Plante.
"It's like losing a spouse," Doris Roberts, who played his wife on "Raymond," said in a statement. "I'm going to miss my dear friend, so unlike the character he played on television. He's a brilliant actor, a gentleman, incredibly intelligent, wonderfully well read and a loving friend."
A member of the Christian Brothers religious order who turned to acting, the tall, prematurely balding Boyle gained notice in the title role of the 1970 sleeper hit "Joe," playing an angry, murderous bigot at odds with the emerging hippie youth culture.
Briefly typecast in tough, irascible roles, Boyle began to escape the image as Robert Redford's campaign manager in "The Candidate" and left it behind entirely after "Young Frankenstein," Mel Brooks' 1974 send-up of horror films. The latter movie's defining moment came when Gene Wilder, as scientist Frederick Frankenstein, introduced his creation to an upscale audience. Boyle, decked out in tails, performed a song-and-dance routine to the Irving Berlin classic "Puttin' On the Ritz."
It showed another side of Boyle, one that would be best exploited in the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," in which he played curmudgeonly paterfamilias Frank Barone for 10 years.
"He's just obnoxious in a nice way, just for laughs," Boyle said of the character in a 2001 interview. "It's a very sweet experience having this (success) happen at a time when you basically go back over your life and see every mistake you ever made."
When Boyle tried out for the role opposite series star Ray Romano's Ray Barone, however, he was kept waiting for his audition — and he was not happy.
"He came in all hot and angry," recalled the show's creator, Phil Rosenthal, "and I hired him because I was afraid of him." But Rosenthal also noted: "I knew right away that he had a comic presence."
Patricia Heaton, who played Boyle's daughter-in-law on "Raymond," said in a statement, "Peter was an incredible man who made all of us who had the privilege of working with him aspire to be better actors. ... he was loved by everyone that knew him and loved by his many fans who cherished his talent."
Boyle had first come to the public's attention more than a quarter century before, in the critically acclaimed "Joe." He met his wife, Loraine Alterman, on the set of "Young Frankenstein" when she visited as a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine and Boyle, still in monster makeup, asked her for a date.
On television, he starred in "Joe Bash," an acclaimed but short-lived 1986 "dramedy" in which he played a lonely beat cop. He won an Emmy in 1996 for his guest-starring role in an episode of "The X Files," and he was nominated for "Everybody Loves Raymond" and for the 1977 TV film "Tail Gunner Joe," in which he played Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
In the 1976 film "Taxi Driver," he was the cabbie-philosopher Wizard, who counseled Robert DeNiro's violent Travis Bickle.
He did dozens of other films, including "T.R. Baskin," "F.I.S.T.," "Johnny Dangerously," "Conspiracy: Trial of the Chicago 8" (as activist David Dellinger), "The Dream Team," "Monster's Ball," "The Santa Clause," "The Santa Clause 2," "While You Were Sleeping" (in a charming turn as Sandra Bullock's future father-in-law) and "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed."
The son of a local TV personality in Philadelphia, Boyle was educated in Roman Catholic schools and spent three years in a monastery before abandoning his religious studies. He later described the experience as similar to "living in the Middle Ages."
He explained his decision to leave in 1991: "I felt the call for awhile; then I felt the normal pull of the world and the flesh."
He traveled to New York to study with Uta Hagen, supporting himself for five years with various jobs, including postal worker, waiter, maitre d' and office temp. Finally, he was cast in a road company version of "The Odd Couple." When the play reached Chicago he quit to study with that city's famed improvisational troupe Second City.
Upon returning to New York, he began to land roles in TV commercials, off-Broadway plays and finally films.
Through his wife, a friend of Yoko Ono, the actor became close friends with John Lennon. "We were both seekers after a truth, looking for a quick way to enlightenment," Boyle once said of Lennon, who was best man at his wedding.
In 1990, Boyle had a stroke and couldn't talk for six months. In 1999, he had a heart attack on the "Raymond" set. He soon regained his health, however, and returned to the series.
Despite his work in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and other Hollywood productions, Boyle made New York City his home. He and his wife had two daughters, Lucy and Amy.

I had no idea he and John Lennon were pals! How cool is that?
Hit us with your favorite Boyle screen moment in memory of this wonderful talent that has left us all too soon.

___

All the trouble went away, and it wasn't just a dream"

2006-11-30T15:49:00.000-05:00

So, tonight is our first preview performance of HOLIDAY MEMORIES at AGL. For a nice photo and a brief blurb, check out Lexington's own Rich Copley's site:
http://copiousnotes.typepad.com/

I'm as excited about this show as I have ever been about any piece I have worked on. It is technically beautiful and the acting is top notch. But don't take MY word for it...come check it out.
"Actors Guild of Lexington continues its 23rd season with Truman Capote’s heartfelt remembrance of youth, Holiday Memories, adapted by Russell Vandenbroucke. A sweet and wonderful look at the holiday season as only Truman Capote can provide. Holiday Memories takes two short memories of childhood by Capote, “The Thanksgiving Visitor” and “A Christmas Memory” and fashions a compelling tale of friendship, love, and fruitcake set in the southern Alabama of the early 1930s. Buddy (Shayne Brakefield) may be a lone child in a house of elderly adults, but having a child-like and loving aunt as his best friend opens him to holiday adventures and the simple lessons of the heart. Directed by AGL Associate Artist Tim X. Davis (Side Man, The Importance of Being Earnest), Holiday Memories also features Carmen Geraci as Truman, Lisa Osterman as Miss Sook, and Dave Dampier and Marcie Crim in a variety of roles. A holiday treat for the entire family, Holiday Memories celebrates love, family, and friendship and will have you calling your grandma to wish her a happy holiday season!

Previewing November 29-30, Holiday Memories opens December 1 and runs through December 23 at the Downtown Arts Center, 141 E Main Street in Lexington."

In the spirit of all things Holiday... what's your top five favorite Christmas/Holiday songs? These can be standards, religious, show tunes, rockers, whatever...

Gimmie, gimmie... and btw...if you're involved in the show, no points awarded for the song lyric. Let's leave it to the civilians...

"If the sun refused to shine..."

2006-11-20T13:06:00.000-05:00

So we cracked 100 posts! Not bad! Of course, I think we had about 4 people doing the most of the posting, but HEY, it's not how you get there but THAT you get there, right?
Anyhoo...since we've all been so danged fired up lately, lets take 'er down a notch, what do you say?
Since it's the kickoff of the holiday season, lets have our annual "what I'm thankful for" postings. Chime in and be counted. Don't be shy...when I did this last year we only had 17 posts. We can do better than that, people. Despite all the turmoil in today's world there is still a LOT to give thanks for. Feel free to be as mushy as you want! After our last few round of commetns, we could use a little positivity right about now, no?

AND- to get back to the points game...7,500 points for the (slightly obvious) reference...Fletch, if you get here fast enough, this one should be yours in a walk!

"The rest is slience...

2006-11-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

"Whose wine, what wine, where the hell did I dine?"

2006-10-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

GREETINGS all!
As promised, here is a link to my interview with Tee and John at the dumbshow:
http://dumbshow.mirroruptonature.com/

Despite a few hundred "uhms" and the fact that I was distracted by my son's antics throughout the entirity of the interview, it didn't come off half bad!

AND- if you listen to the interview, go ahead and listen through the rest of the podcast as I'm gonna base my question around their conversation on this topic:
Have Theatres lost touch with their audiences? OR have the audience lost touch with them?
What do you think? Even if you don't check out the podcast, give it a go...we want YOU!!!

"And when you smile for the camera..."

2006-10-12T16:05:00.000-05:00

From my good buddy Jeff Day:
I have been working on creating a Film Acting Class in Lexington. So, I have developed a website which describes the process in detail.It's called.. THE FILM ACTORS LAB - Lexington, http://www.thefilmactorslab.com.It is an Intensive Film Acting Training with an Indie-Film Experience. The class format is a repeatable 4-week cycle offering the actor the full experience of taking a scene from rehearsal through shooting in the compressed time frame often encountered in film. During each 4-week cycle scenes will be read (Cold Reading Technique), blocked, shot and edited and reviewed. Each class memeber will recieve a DVD of their work in order to monitor thier process.If you are interested, check out my website. Contact me with any questions.

So if you Lex types are interested, check it out...

In other news:
-Just had my auditions for HOLIDAY MEMORIES at AGL. The show opens Nov. 29th and runs through December 24th. I'll post a cast list here in a few days, but I have a dandy group to work with and I'm way excited about this project. If you're in the area, come on and check it out!

- Looks like the Tonda Fields directed LONE STAR w/ Shayne Brakefield and Jack McIntyre that got so much great buzz will be playing at the KTA Community Theatre Festival, Saturday Nov. 11th (I believe it's in the 8am early morning slot- Shayne, if you read this, correct me if I'm wrong) For more info on the fest itself, go to www.theatreky.org

- Steve Martin's THE UNDERPANTS opens at AGL on October 19 and runs trough November 12th. Check it out, particularly to see the Lexington re-introduction of one CHarles E. Pogue, a frequent flyer here at the Clones. The show has a great cast, and also features Pete Sears, Haley Williams and the great Gene Arkle amongst others.

For today's question:

Who's your ideal presedential candidate in 2008, and why?

Feel free to take up valuable bandwidth discussing.....and, oh yeah, 79 points for the reference!

"I've seen the Mona Lisa, I've heard Shakespeare read real fine..."

2006-10-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

And on THAT note...time for a new posting!
Happy Friday to all...a few things:

- Tonight at midnight, for all you Lex folk out there, there is a premiere of a locally made film called EDISON DEATH MACHINE at the Kentucky Theatre. One of my Theatre students here at BCTC is in the film, and if you get the chance, go see it!

- Tonight, at the DAME here in Lex, one of my all time faves (and former Mr Rosanne Cash) Rodney Crowell is playing a show at 9pm. If you wanna see some great rootsy, American music, check him out. I probably won't, as concerts and 2 year olds don't generally mix...AND GLACTICA season III premieres at 9pm!!!! Hot damn tamale!

- Next Monday and Tuesday, I'll be having auditions for HOLIDAY MEMORIES by Russell Vandenbroucke (Uof L's Theatre dept. chair). GREAT little script, based on two Truman Capote short stories. Just re-read it again this morning, and damned if I idn't get teary eyed! Anyhoo- here's the o-fficial audition announcement:
Actors Guild of Lexington will be holding auditions for Truman Capote'sHoliday Memories, adapted by Russell Vandenbroucke, on Monday October 9and Tuesday October 10 (7-10 PM both evenings). Director Tim X. Davis is seeking 3 men- varying in age from 20-50's, 1 woman- 40's-60's and1woman- 20's-40's. Auditionees will be asked to read from the script. Perusal scripts are available at the AGL offices or can be emailed toyou by emailing Rick St. Peter at rstpeter@actorsguildoflexington.org For more information, contact Rick St. Peter at 859-233-7330.

You can also holla at me if'n you want some info. All of youun's what are local come on out and audition fer me! The show opens November 29.

- Next week, I'll be doing an interview for the INEXPLICABLE DUMBSHOW podcast concerning the new Theatre program I'm coordinating here at Bluegrass Community and Tech. College. I'll provide the appropriate link when said interview comes out.

- Big shout out to Mississippi Diva John E. Moore for getting some great work lately, including a two episode arch of PRISON BREAK on FOX, and a role in the new Costner/Kutcher film THE GUARDIAN. GO, Johnny Go!

AND for the topic du'jour... with the Fall movie season (i.e. Awards contenders!) in full swing, what impending film are you really jazzed about seeing and why?

Enjoy!

"If I give my love to you, you'll surely give it back"

2006-09-25T13:23:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been one helluva weekend!
Friday evening it started raining,and raining...and it KEPT on raining. Between one and 3 am it's estimated that about 8 ins. of rain fell in the Lexington area. And guess where most of it seemed to wind up? In the BASEMENT OF MY NEW HOUSE! And...since we've only been there for a few weeks, guess where most of our unpacked boxes with most of our stuff were? You guessed it!!! THE BASEMENT! Needless to say we lost alot of stuff. Some junk, some replaceable, some downright priceless...it's really a pisser to have to throw a good chunk of your life into garbage bags and hoist it out the back door like so much trash. I , unfortunately, had to do the same thing two years back when I moved my ailing mother out of her house and into a small apartment. Loads of my childhood memories went into the garbage dump cause I didn't have the time, space or energy to save it. Except for two very small, very carefully selected memory boxes which I kept and brought home to Kentucky...anyone wanna guess where those boxes were stored last friday at 3am?
Actually, alot of stuff did survive, and thank God we are all safe (as opposed to the poor 8 souls who lost their lives needlessly in this flooding.) But we do not yet know the extent of the damage to the drywall and structure of the home. And it looks like our insurance company (won't say the name) may not be giving us their "good hands" to help out with this mess. We are pursuing other options, though. The city, sewer and water, etc... and since this mess may be considered of the "disaster" variety (as an example, our entire street had pretty much the same damage we did) we may luck out on the insurance thing. But with all the chaos we've been going through with the move, new job and general disorder of raising an almost two year old, we just damn well didn't need this...

Anyhoo...pity party over and back to work. Hope you lex- folk are all unharmed from the storm, and that you're enjoying a few days of dry, beautiful, fall-like weather. A big storm like this really makes you appreciate such things. And it also makes me REALLY feel lucky that my wife and I left the Gulf Coast for Kentucky those 5 years back. If not, I'd probably be worried about a hell of alot more than a soggy basement. BTW- even if you ain't a Football fan (and why SHOULDN'T you be???) watch the Monday night game on ESPN tonight to see the Saints first home game in the Super Dome since the destruction of Katrina. I can't wait to see it. All the enery and life just pulsating through the stadium. The resilience of those folks is very inspiring to me. And yes, it's just a damn game, but it's more than that in this instance. It's a dying city standing up and saying that they will NOT go quietly...that even in the toughest of circumstances you can still celebrate life and the incredible spirit that still prevails in this country. Someone mentioned to me in conversation the other day how they should tear the dome down because of the images of Katrina and how people died there in that storm, but as Mike Greengerg said on ESPN," Think of how many people LIVED and survived because the dome was there." Makes one think...

And as I close, Eric Clapton's LET IT RAIN comes onto my radio station...oh Ironos, goddess of Irony...you STILL slay me with your wit!

Peace and Love,
X

"Who pays for paradise?"

2006-09-25T13:23:00.000-05:00

YET ANOTHER cool podcast...

2006-09-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

http://dumbshow.mirroruptonature.com/

Our own lovely and talented Rick St. Peter is the latest interviewee of the dumbshow podcast.
Check it out!

And , I'm going to steal an idea from our own Chuck Pogue who postedTHIS question on BO's yahoo site:

Actors, what five roles would you like to play?Explain why, if so moved. Only restriction: Try to keep desired roles roughly age appropriate...no 25 year old Lears; no fifty year old Juliets.So Directors/Designers can play along...which five plays would like to direct/design?Explain why, if so moved. Only restriction: no plays that you're about to do or that you've done in the past.If you do all of things things, answer all questions, if you like.

Thanks Chuck...the royalty check is in the mail...

Cool podcast!

2006-09-11T14:08:00.000-05:00

Check this out:

http://dumbshow.mirroruptonature.com/

My buddies John Mauldin and Tee Quillenhave a nice Theatre themed podcast called the inexplicable dumb show! On episode IV, they have a nice interview with my big brother, and AD/founder of the Burning Coal Theatre COmpany. Any of you who want the lowdown of starting a small, professional theatre company should listen up. It's pretty cool!

"It's a sad man, my friend who's livin' in his own skin..."

2006-09-08T16:13:00.000-05:00

So happy frakin' friday to you all! And for all you Battlestar Galactica Junkies, it is a happy friday indeed, as SCI Fi has this week released the first of ten "webisodes" that will connect seasons 2 and 3. If you wanna check em out, head over to scifi.com OR you can check 'em out on you tube.

For me, it's been a helluva week. Trying to get everything settled in the new casa, dealing with a baby who's a bit confused as to why we're not in our old apartment anymore, tons of work for the impending KTA festival in November, and being swamped by work at my new job. BUT- hell, I can't complain... I like it like this. Who was that poet who said something about burning your candle at both ends? Well, it IS a lovely light, my friends. Trust me on that...

So as I slowly dig myself out of a pile of beautiful disarray, here's your topic.
Tell us about the music you are listening to now (could be something new or something old you've recently discovered or RE-iscovered) Either choice will suffice... a nice lught, non-threatening topic for a beautiful late summer weekend!

127,000 points for the reference...for reasons only me and the wife know!

"Put me in, Coach!"

2006-09-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

Greetings, all and a happy friday. Joy and I, along with my very cool in-laws, are moving into our new house! So, now I'm a home-owner...I had a really zen moment last night while moving some boxes in. I was standing in my backyard (which is really nice) and I said to myself, "This is MY backyard!" How bout that, huh? For those of you what are local, we'll probably have a house warming par-tay within the next few weeks. Stay tuned to this channel!
Anyhoo...gonna be a few days for all the stuff is in order, so I may be out of the loop for a bit. Thus, I'll leave you with this to ponder:

In honor of Andre Aggasi's awesome run at the US Open thus far...What's the GREATEST sports moment you've ever witnessed? Any sport you like (except soccer...not on MY blog, dammit!) whether you were actually there or saw it on the tube. Tell us about it...describe it...relive the moment!
No points for the reference...just too damned easy...

"Shut 'yo mouth!"

2006-08-28T13:50:00.000-05:00

So here we are in the home stretch of the dreaded "house closing", and naturally, snags have arisen! And naturally, they are though no fault of ours, which makes it doubly irritating, but I'm sure they will all be worked out by week's end and we'll be luxuriating in our lovely new casa! (I hope!!!!)

Anyhoo...in the tradition of ESPN's MIKE AND MIKE in the morning, I would like to institute a new feature to the CLONES we like to call JUST SHUT UP!
Nominate whomever you want for the award, and tell us why you want them to JUST...SHUT ...UP!!!!!
BTW_ please don't make this someone we KNOW, but instead pick on someone in the public eye (i.e. celebrity, poitician, ball player, etc...). We like to keep the blows ABOVE the belt here at DIVA CLONES....

SO, my nominee? The Honorable RAY NAGGIN, who said to a New York reporter this week, and I loosely quote "You guys in New York can't get a hole in the ground fixed and it's five years later"...what a swell, sensitive guy!!!! Yeah, I ain't giving Washington any free passes when it comes to Katrina clean up, but come on Ray! Apples and oranges, man...

So who gets YOUR vote? Lemme hear from you!

"There's nothing better we could do, than live forever..."

2006-08-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

Hey gang. Sorry bout the long time betwixt posts, but I've been slammed lately. Lots of new things: new job, new class I'm adjuncting at Asbury (directing) , new HOUSE, a 20 month old who's doing new things daily (and is quickly developing a vocabulary to exceed mine...) so LOTS of newness...but new is good. CHANGE is good. It's what keeps life fresh and interesting. But it can also be scary. Joy and I have been through lots of changes in our 13 years together, and we've rode them all out together and come out the other side better for it. "She's a great partner to go through life with...I tell you what!" (ala Hank Hill)
So, if I don't post as much in the next month or two, don't give up on us, baby...we'll be around...for now, riddle me this.
What cast experience was your greatest? What I mean is this: perhaps it wasn't the best show, or the most well received, but what cast did you have your greatest experience with. Were you particularly close? Did something happen to bring you together in a way that was atypical of other theatre experiences? Did you just PARTY a whole hell of alot? Sleep with four or five members of the ensemble? Whatever floats your boat...lemmee hear from you.
403 points for the reference. It ain't too tough if you're an 80's child...

RIP Bruno Kirby

2006-08-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

This is sad...I had no idea he was even ill...
© AP
Bruno Kirby'City Slickers' Actor Bruno Kirby DiesAug 16, 6:39 AM EST
The Associated Press
Bruno Kirby, a veteran character actor known for playing the best friend in two of Billy Crystal 's biggest comedies, "When Harry Met Sally" and "City Slickers," has died. He was 57.
Kirby died Monday in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, his wife Lynn Sellers said in a statement Tuesday. He had been recently diagnosed with the disease.
"We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Bruno's fans and colleagues who have admired and respected his work over the past 30 years," his wife said. "Bruno's spirit will continue to live on not only in his rich body of film and television work but also through the lives of individuals he has touched throughout his life."
Born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu in 1949 in New York City, he was the son of actor Bruce Kirby. His early work included the 1971 film "Young Graduates," as well as appearances on the television show "Room 222" and the made-for-TV movie "The Summer Without Boys."
In 1974, he scored a role in "The Godfather: Part II," which won several Academy Awards, including best picture. In the film, Kirby played young "Pete Clemenza," following Richard S. Castellano's role in the first installment.
Over the next few years, Kirby made various TV appearances, including "Fame" and "Hill Street Blues," before landing the role of "2nd Lt. Steven Hauk" in Robin Williams' "Good Morning, Vietnam."
That was followed two years later by the romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally," in which Kirby played Crystal's best friend. In 1991, Kirby once again appeared as Crystal's cheery friend in "City Slickers," — along for a mid-life adventure driving cattle on a dude ranch.
He also appeared in 1997's "Donnie Brasco," and recently in an episode of the HBO hit series "Entourage."
Along with his wife and father, Kirby is survived by his stepmother Roz Kirby, brother John Kirby and stepbrother Brad Sullivan.
No information on funeral arrangements was immediately available.

Another passing of a wonderful character actor. RIP, Bruno...

"For that lean, mean, mean green"

2006-08-09T12:44:00.000-05:00

So happy hump day all! Hope everyone's having a great week so far. I have now officially started my new job. I am the coordinator for the new Theatre and Film program at Bluegrass Community and Technical college here in Lex. I'll miss K-state, as I had some really good years there and I am damned proud of what we were able to accomplish there. Now I turn that program over to Jack Parrish, whom directed me in ART a few years back. He came highly recommended courtesy of Rick8, thus I have all the faith in the world that he'll take care of my baby...but I gotta tell you, it's REALLY nice not to have to make that commute every day to Frankfort! Hoozah! Maybe now I'll only have to spend ONE hundred dollars a week for gas! Won't that be a joy? And speaking of Joy, she, the little wolverine and I are MOVING! Yes, we finally done went and bouught us a house! We should have it all signed sealed and delivered by the end of the month! We are very excited, as we really HATE living in an apartment at this point in our lives! It's a very exciting time, and for those of you in Lex town, we'll be having a nice big open house party sometime in September. Stay tuned for more info...
..and SPEAKING of large outlays of cash...I need to pick the brains of those of you with any financial acumen. I am looking for funding sources for my new program. Any ideas? Any thoughts on how to raise/get some good working capital for this exciting new program? Gimmie your thoughts...(D$ and Darren, love to hear any ideas you may have used in the past as well! And most definitely if Steve K is lurking, shoot me some ideas...)
2 million points for the reference...I bet even CHuck knows this one!

"Hammer of Justice Crushes You... overpower"

2006-08-04T23:09:00.000-05:00

Laura Salmon was my friend. Tonight she finally recieved some justice...

http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/NEWS01/60804007

It's about fucking time! For any of you that know the PEANUT GALLERY script, a large portion of that is for her.

I've been drinking a little tonight, so I'll sign off before I say something stupid...like how much I love all of you and cherish your friendship.

22 points for the reference...that's how many years Laura's family had to wait for this day...

ONE FROM THE REQUEST LINES!!!!!!

2006-08-03T08:34:00.000-05:00

From MISSY J.

"Hey Tim, it might be fun to see what other icky jobs people have had to endure under that "other duties as assigned" clause that's in so many theatre contracts."

We here at Diva Clones HEAR and OBEY!!!!

Go for it, gang...and all former BOONIES speak up loudly!!!!!