bostonman

Just a side note on that... I work in a college musical theatre program - and given the many pop/rock-oriented shows on Broadway and elsewhere these days, we have made sure that pure pop/rock repertoire training is part of our program. Last summer we were in the process of hiring a new teacher who would be teaching that material among other things - and we were talking about the music that students often relate to when asked to pick a pop/rock song from the past (as opposed to something in the current zeitgeist). It seems that most of them tend to go for something a decade or so in the past - a song they identify with from their early adolescent years. I remarked that it's interesting to see that happen as a general rule - just like we as adults, I think, tend to think back to the songs that defined our high school/college years and maybe a bit beyond into our post-college 20's. Everyone agreed. We all seem to put something special on whatever that musical era was for us. I graduated high school in 1982, and college in '86. And though I like a whole spectrum of music, I will say that the popular music of the 80's does hold a certain emotional resonance for me. Not that I love it all, necessarily, lol - but certain songs of that era will still being up very strong memories of that time in my life - much more than other decades. I wonder somehow if it's really more about those formative late teens-early 20's time in our lives than the music itself - but that the music provides an unforgettable soundtrack to those years? That said, though - I was born in '64, and my parents, who had a huge wonderful eclectic taste for so many kinds of music (my father had been a classical pianist and I owe my huge love of classical and opera to him - also musicals, etc) played the Beatles albums a lot when I was a kid - and I got to know those albums SO well. And maybe it's cheating to say that I identify with them, because in a way I hope we all do - but hearing the Beatles today still puts me in a very special place. I don't know if I necessarily literally identify with them - but I sure feel a parity with their music, in all its wacky wild wonderful variations. Maybe actually that's what I love about them the most - there is no one genre they fit into. Their music itself was so eclectic.

Zack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) was indeed the cutie, http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/02/Zack-shirtless-300x211.png but of course there was also the hunkier Slater (Mario Lopez): http://static.celebuzz.com/uploads/2012/07/30/Mario-Lopez-Then.jpg ...and, for those of us who might have those fantasies of helping the nerdier boys get to manhood, Screech (Dustin Diamond) had his charms too... http://cdn02.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/headlines/2015/02/screech-wasnt-invited-to-save-by-the-bell-reunion.jpg

Ah - well, yes - percentages ARE valid when used that way. Good catch.

We live in a hyperbolic world, where 100% clearly is no longer enough.

Similar with "Ice tea."

Yes - and its close cousin "forcive habit."

I'm guilty of the basic idea, though I tend to say "I hope you're doing well" or something similar, rather than the grammatical stupidity of hoping that "the email finds" - even if we all understand what's really meant. But of course the whole need to use that kind of greeting is rather superfluous - it's a meaningless way of easing into the real purpose of the email rather than a sincere wish that the person is well. It's a bit of politeness, but nothing more than that.

Also - "de nada" in Spanish (colloquial for "it was nothing") is a common response to being thanked.

This reminds me of an exchange from I Love Lucy:

I've wrestled with the overuse of "robust." I feel that it used to be a word I heard fairly rarely, and then, really only to describe a food or drink's strong flavor. Then all of a sudden I started hearing about a meeting's agenda being robust, or a program being robust, and similar things. A lot. And that use may well be appropriate, but it seems like it's used a lot more (and to my chagrin) than it used to be.

Ha! I remember studying this back in a linguistics class in college. "Um" serves the same purpose. I had a friend in college who used to end most of her thoughts with "do you know what I'm saying?" - I actually tried to get her out of that habit by explaining the above concept of fillers - and she actually got herself to stop saying it!

As a musician, "#" to me is "sharp." I don't use twitter, but I think if I did, I'd say "sharp" instead of "hashtag" lol.

Poor Jon-Erik. His name always tends to come up when I'm doing shows that involve onstage gunshots, as an extra word of caution. (He accidentally shot himself with a loaded blank gun, fooling around with it, totally unaware that even blanks are potentially very dangerous.) A huge loss.

I guess all those little football games in the backyard really paid off. Except for the time they tried it in the house and broke Carol's vase...

I think Robbie (Don Grady) was originally the middle one, but as the show went on and Ernie (Barry Livingston) joined the cast, Robbie became the oldest. Chip (Stanley Livingston), the then-middle boy, wasn't bad on the eyes either. I looked this thread up because there's been a cable marathon of My Three Sons this weekend, and I've been watching some of it. I haven't really seen this show much since I was a kid, and it's really funny how much its gosh-darn buttoned-up earnestness has NOT aged well, lol. (Granted, that's true of most shows of its era.) Especially with young Robbie living with his wife in the house along with everyone else. (Robbie and his wife Katie of course share a room and a bed, and the 2 younger brothers also share a room, despite a rather large age difference.) Sure, shortly after this sitcom ended, we'd have Michael Stivic moving in with his wife and her parents to form one of the most classic quartet of TV characters ever, but even by then, there was a lot more openness about sexual mores. Even though I have noticed moments of Robbie and Katie snuggling or lying together in bed, the way it's treated seems oh, so chaste, lol. In this rather twee world, it's hard to imagine Robbie and Katie even being naked together lol, let alone "doing it." But - that's how TV was back then, lol. (And, the couple had triplets before the end of the show's run.) That said, the show does have a lot of charm.

I will certainly vouch for Chenoweth's talent, energy, commitment, professionalism, and popularity (no Wicked reference intended, lol). And I wouldn't mind hearing her sing Dolly's songs. But I don't want to hear her squeaking her way through the script. (I know that at this point in her career there would be no point in her playing roles such as Minnie Fay or even Ernestina - but I think she'd be better there than as Dolly.)

I finally listened to the new cast recording. Gavin Creel sounds wonderful as Cornelius. Despite some questions of contemporary styling, Kate Baldwin makes for a nice Irene. Midler, frankly, is very disappointing. She sings everything basically fine (some odd rhythmic choices notwithstanding), but it's generally very workmanlike, nothing more. Glimmers of joy here and there, but generally she's just "hitting her marks." Not a star turn whatsoever. But really, most of the album feels that way to me - the sound of the recording in general feels like no one (including the orchestra, who play the notes just fine, but...) was particularly excited to be in the recording studio. And when the ensemble comes in with those wonderful harmonies in "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" (one of my favorite parts of the score), it sounds like they all must have better things to do. (I was thinking they sound a bit like the Ray Conniff Singers might have sounded at 6am, lol. Smooth and precisely drilled, but dramatically uninvolved.) Give me the irresistible energy - the "full of shine and full of sparkle" - of the original Channing recording any day. This one - it's a little lumpy, but it doesn't ring. (And by the way, why does Midler meddle with some cheap channelling of Channing in "march, march march" in the Motherhood number?)

The only "soundtrack" IS the one with Streisand. The others are not soundtracks (which is a term properly only used for film), they are cast recordings (the term properly used for a recording of a stage version of a show).

Mr. Miniver, as I remember from his past posts out here, rarely if ever has a kind word about any show or performer. In the meantime, Mr. Teachout has given one of my productions, and my work specifically, a very positive review. And I'll take it.

I have heard that Pierce is quite good. But I tend to think that Ben Platt has a better chance for the Tony. We shall see...

One of the local sports radio stations in Boston was covering this issue on Wednesday morning -- an ex-criminal close to Hernandez who would occasionally call into the morning show called to suggest that the suicide was (not may have been, but most probably was) due to his fear of being outed. At that time, even the hosts of the show weren't convinced (I thought it might be a stretch too), but maybe it was the case after all? I feel little to no sympathy for Hernandez' actions, but I do lament that he felt he had to hide his feelings for men so much that it may have not only driven him to murder, but to suicide as well. A real loss all around.

From what I know, Mostel (and Rooney) were less predictable. I remember reading that Mostel would come out and give the latest sports scores, etc. I'm. It sure he had specific bits he did every time. In the Nathan Lane revival of Forum, there was a planned ad lib routine where Lane would do a speed-thru of the opening of the show for latecomers.

I understand Mostel did it during A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum as well - as did Mickey Rooney on a tour of that show.

I hear through the theatre chat boards that Midler is ad-lobbing to the audience A LOT in the way that Beethoven mentions in his post. I know the audiences seem to eat that up, but it sounds to me like she's overusing the privilege lol.

So - he contacted me the other day - must have seen that I was looking at his profile lol. Decided I'd go for it. (I'm actually even wondering if he ever got the email I sent him some months back - he may not have.) He's a really nice, sweet guy. He had no problem accommodating a fantasy I wanted to play out, and he played the part very well. He's got a lithe body with some definition and beautiful assets down below as well. Affectionate as well. He says that business is slow for him right now, so I'd encourage anyone interested to try him out.