tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39946592012-01-30T07:46:19.547-05:00Blog About Town<b><i>Arts! Entertainment! Other! Since 2002!</i></b>David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.comBlogger33991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-22051260368773034902009-07-23T14:23:00.000-04:002009-07-23T14:24:52.680-04:00The Odd CoupleHere's an excerpt from a show my Dad enjoyed. I recently noticed that it's airing in the wee hours....Source (6:04)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-28935324519743235352009-07-22T00:23:00.001-04:002009-07-22T00:23:00.409-04:00Literal Video: "Daydream Believer"Source (2:45)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-20139552298826217672009-07-21T00:23:00.000-04:002009-07-21T00:23:00.497-04:00Frank McCourt (1930-2009)I'm pleased to see the many tributes to Frank McCourt that celebrate his contributions as a teacher as well as his more "glamorous" contributions as a writer.Here's Daniel Radosh remembering McCourt.David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-57319057890176120242009-07-20T14:23:00.001-04:002009-07-20T14:23:01.215-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!The winner of Caption Contest 197 (Drew Dernavich's plane with stiletto landing gear) is"She's a lover, not a fighter."Robert McLean (Tampa, FL)The nominees in Caption Contest 199 (Michael Crawford's snorkeler in court) are“You think Alcatraz can hold me?”Joshua Rosales (Rosemead, CA)"Go ahead, waterboard me."Lester Craft, Jr. (Basalt, CO)“Well, the menu did say ‘Choose your own lobster.’”Donna David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-38039898817097789492009-07-19T16:23:00.000-04:002009-07-19T16:29:26.933-04:00Literal Video: "Penny Lane"In the grand tradition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart."Source (3:04)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-75700867022362779912009-07-18T23:23:00.001-04:002009-07-19T16:14:24.028-04:00Give Blood, Get Citi Field TicketsI just got a postcard inviting me to donate blood and receive of a pair of Mets tickets in the process. I did this last year, and it went very smoothly.This year it seems even more relevant, considering the injuries and anemic playing affecting the Mets!The details:Donation on Thursday, July 23, 200910:00am through 5:00pmCiti Field First Base VIP EntranceFlushing, NYPeople can donate as along as David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-71942941287606895942009-07-17T20:31:00.000-04:002009-07-17T20:32:13.979-04:00Walter Cronkite (1916-2009)Icon of television journalism Walter Cronkite is dead. Katie Couric just hosted a brief tribute to him on CBS, which plans to report extensively on Cronkite's career over the days ahead. Source (3:11)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-50623936150537163692009-07-16T18:23:00.000-04:002009-07-16T18:23:01.033-04:00Charles Trenet Performing "La Mer"Song Referenced in LostSource (3:03)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-65953848774393656462009-07-15T16:23:00.000-04:002009-07-15T16:23:00.754-04:00Michael Bloomberg's Idea of a Mayoral CampaignSource (00:28)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-22827030750017630362009-07-14T08:23:00.000-04:002009-07-14T08:23:00.682-04:00While Dan Radosh Was Away......Deborah Grumet and I were among those who acted as "guest bloggers."Once again, we worked on Family Circus panels: here and here and here.And Deborah contributed excellent solo efforts here and here and here. Check 'em out!David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-52489634973954726592009-07-13T14:23:00.000-04:002009-07-13T14:23:01.047-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!The winner of Caption Contest 196 (lab professionals observing rodents attired like lab professionals)—the first caption contest with a nominee from Canada—is"O.K., let's slowly lower in the grant money.”Todd Bearson (Arlington, MA)As noticed previously, this wasn't far from my own"We've been using the Nobel Prize instead of cheese."Anyway, Massachusetts now has 10 wins, tying it with David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-81834930884101185222009-07-12T16:23:00.002-04:002009-07-13T13:25:21.297-04:00"No Sail" (1945)In Which Donald Duck Grows Beak HairSource (7:31)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-34348403820354967562009-07-11T16:23:00.001-04:002009-07-11T16:42:59.403-04:00Free Outdoor Screening: The Taking of Pelham One Two ThreeThe Original!I can't enthuse enough over the original Taking of Pelham One Two Three. I love the suspenseful plot, I love the Peter Stone screenplay, I love the gritty New York City feel, I love the David Shire score, and I love the cast, which includes Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, James Broderick, Tony Roberts, Doris Roberts, Jerry Stiller, and Lee Wallace as The David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-79319939989799512572009-07-10T00:23:00.002-04:002009-07-10T09:06:58.883-04:00Billboard SynergyHey—look what Debbie noticed—a Vivienne Tam billboard imagine "reaching" into an HP billboard! By way of partial explanation: Click here. And I suspect the Harry Potter font must connect the tech "HP" with the wizard franchise.The magic angle is on a line with the front of the Palace Theatre, so the image greets alert audience members leaving West Side Story who aren't too distracted talking David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-14690983994789018672009-07-09T10:23:00.004-04:002009-07-09T13:42:06.692-04:00Mary StuartAttend—through August 16!Are you, by any chance, prejudiced against plays about British royalty? Are you afraid they'll be stuffy and stodgy? I know I am!And that means that I'm often pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy plays about British royalty. I mean, the reality is that "stuffy" and "stodgy" aren't usually the kind of adjectives playwrights, directors, and producers want to see in David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-28903096747819940032009-07-08T17:08:00.000-04:002009-07-08T17:08:48.743-04:00Breaking: Governor Paterson Appoints Lt. GovernorIn a formal address to New York State, Governor David Paterson has named Richard Ravitch to fill the vacant spot of Lt. Governor.David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-71392200765584334132009-07-08T00:23:00.002-04:002009-07-08T00:34:20.088-04:00Blithe SpiritClassy Comedy Closes July 19!I say! These have certainly been the veddy best of times for me and Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit—the comic story of a man haunted by the spirit of his first wife. Back in September I saw David Lean's movie version; more recently I fulfilled my longtime desire to see the musical version, High Spirits, during its short, sold-out, Musicals in Mufti run.And just last David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-28792295930315272872009-07-07T12:23:00.003-04:002009-07-07T12:23:01.646-04:00"Black or White"Source (11:00)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-75578639668912890392009-07-07T00:23:00.002-04:002009-07-07T00:23:00.387-04:00"The Love You Save"Source (3:09)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-2208847883568263362009-07-06T15:23:00.001-04:002009-07-06T15:27:19.153-04:00Anti-Caption Contest ContinuesThe winner of Anti-Caption Contest 199 (Michael Crawford's snorkeler in court) is"Court is a depressing place, where the permanent regime reinforces its absolute power with a due process charade that no longer bears even the appearance of legitimacy."J.D.My loser:"Judge, you've got to believe me! I'm from a distant planet where everybody wears snorkel gear unless they're going snorkeling!! David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-69928657552589836592009-07-05T12:23:00.002-04:002009-07-05T12:48:19.862-04:00Paul Ben-Haim (July 5, 1897-January 14, 1984)I've been meaning to note how impressed I was by the U.S. premiere, on May 31, 2009, of Paul Ben-Haim's Second Symphony (1945) courtesy of conductor Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra (ASO).That's right: It took nearly 65 years for this work to receive a live performance in the United States. Paul Ben-Haim, born Paul Frankenburger in Munich, served as conductor of the Opera in David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-85149251848449587732009-07-04T10:23:00.001-04:002009-07-04T10:33:00.119-04:00The Speech Turns 70Seven decades ago, Yankees star Lou Gehrig—diagnosed with ALS, gave his famous "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech at Yankee Stadium.Source (2:06)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-49987929070642337662009-07-03T16:44:00.002-04:002009-07-03T19:51:20.111-04:00Breaking: Sarah Palin to Resign as Alaskan GovernorPresidential Campaign Expected Possible but Not Necessarily InevitableIt's Christmas in July for Tina Fey! Sarah Palin has announced that she will step down as governor of Alaska on July 26. That's the date of a picnic when lieutenant governor Sean Parnell will take over the responsibility of defending Alaska from the Russkies. [NOTE TO ALASKANS: Make sure there are provisions for full successionDavid Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-24073200526824348822009-07-02T14:23:00.000-04:002009-07-02T14:23:00.975-04:00The Norman ConquestsSee All Three by the Scheduled July 26 ClosingIf there's a conventional way to approach the three plays comprising The Norman Conquests, directed on Broadway by Matthew Warchus, it might be to see them in one "trilogy day" starting with "Table Manners," proceeding to "Living Together," and finishing with "Round and Round the Garden."But that's not at all how I went about it. I saw "Round and David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-70828008714782930552009-07-01T17:23:00.003-04:002009-07-01T17:23:00.807-04:00NYC's June 2009 Rainfall: The Results!So all of that rain...and what do we have to show for it? An "almost."June 2009's overcast skies dropped 10.06 inches of rain on Central Park—00.21 inches short of the 2003 record of—quick, figure it out!—10.27 inches.Oh well. Better luck next time? I should have made this a BAT Challenge....Anyway, here's the commemorative article from Ralph Blumenthal at The New York Times. And Gothamist has a David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-88449180265128480792009-06-30T17:23:00.001-04:002009-06-30T17:24:47.962-04:00Breaking: Norman Coleman Concedes MN Senate Chair to Al FrankenAlways the gentleman and a true patriot, Norm Coleman has gracefully conceded the Minnesota Senatorial election to Al Franken—nearly 8 months after Election Day!What remains to be seen: Minnesota's Republican governor Tim Pawlenty certifying Franken as the winner. And then, when/if Franken enters the Senate, we will see whether the national Senate can keep itself from imploding like New York's David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-16184903798202747872009-06-29T23:23:00.006-04:002009-07-06T15:20:50.090-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!Bring out the ticker tape! New York has retaken the lead in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest. The last time New York owned the first-place position was April '05—Caption Contest 1!So, yes, the winner of Caption Contest 195 (Danny Shanahan's housewife confronting haloed man with stigmata and tiny cherubim in doorway) is"Which part of 'till death do us part' didn't you understand?"Caroline David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-56980248255680564562009-06-28T15:23:00.000-04:002009-06-28T15:23:01.773-04:00Total Eclipse of the HeartPrepare for Total HilarityThanks to Matt for the lead!Source (5:33)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-32832203280157380702009-06-27T15:23:00.000-04:002009-06-27T15:23:00.647-04:00Pure Confidence at 59E59Energetic Run Scheduled to Reach Finish Line on July 3Carlyle Brown's play Pure Confidence draws on the peculiar history of jockeys in the United States: As this Smithsonian article by Lisa Winkler puts it, African Americans, including slaves, came to dominate horseracing (including the Kentucky Derby) over the course of the 19th Century, but racial discrimination forced many out of the saddle inDavid Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-42468128824973357662009-06-26T15:23:00.011-04:002009-06-26T15:53:43.997-04:00Obligatory Michael Jackson PostWith Obligatory Farrah Fawcett MentionI found out that Michael Jackson had died when I showed up at Joe's Pub to see the latest Loser's Lounge event: Neil Young vs. The Eagles. The people at the box office, preoccupied by rumor-hunting on their computer, had just found some reliable news reports. Inside Joe's Pub, I met up with my friend Mary, a big Michael Jackson fan, and started breaking the David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-26671622554380580052009-06-25T22:23:00.000-04:002009-06-25T22:23:00.409-04:00The Windmill Movie at the Film ForumConsider Seeing It Before the Run Ends on June 30The "block" in "creative block" can be a terrible thing to experience, but the "creative" component can still be...well, rife with creativity. The non-fiction film The Windmill Movie offers insight into the agony as well as the ecstasy of pursuing an artistic path even if it leads into a frustrating dead end.Filmmaker Alexander Olch created The David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-41762135601581619952009-06-24T15:23:00.000-04:002009-06-24T15:23:01.016-04:00Brighton Rock at the Film ForumCatch It While You Can!The Film Forum's extensive journey through the alleyways and corridors of film noir continues with its current run of John Boulting's Brighton Rock (1947), which ends Thursday—so you can't say I didn't warn you! (Incidentally, I don't think it's on DVD in the US yet.)Over the years, Bruce Goldstein's noir programming has emphasized fare from the United States and France, David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-51276864122790322092009-06-23T13:23:00.005-04:002009-06-24T10:47:14.532-04:00Henry Brant's Orbits at the GuggenheimAn Out-of-this-World Performance!It was a minor thrill to join the long line of people braving rainy weather outside the Guggenheim Museum to experience the East Coast premiere of Henry Brant's Orbits: A Spatial Symphonic Ritual (1979) on Sunday night. Like many others, I was shut out of the 7:30 performance, but I withstood the rainfall to enjoy the 8:30 performance. I hope that no one was David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-152951495912024292009-06-22T11:23:00.003-04:002009-06-22T11:46:50.737-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!O Canada! I think that, somewhere along the line, someone must have changed a Caption Contest rule, resulting in the very first Canadian Caption Contest candidate!You see, the nominees in Caption Contest 196 (Phil Noth's lab workers observing lab rodents in lab suits) are"O.K., let's slowly lower in the grant money."Todd Bearson (Arlington, MA)"Relax, for them it's publish and perish."David BurnsDavid Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-1818563744352491682009-06-21T17:23:00.000-04:002009-06-21T17:23:00.569-04:00LisztomaniaOkay. Here's the original, from the band Phoenix.Source (3:26)And here's the Brat Pack mashup.Source (4:02)And here's the Brooklyn Brat Pack mashup reboot.Source (4:16)BONUS Here's a trailer for the crazy Ken Russell movie Lisztomania!Source (1:05)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-53559883219529771492009-06-20T13:23:00.003-04:002009-06-20T13:29:44.751-04:00Coming Soon: 80 Trombones at the GuggenheimSounds Promising!Free performances of Henry Brant's Orbits—a "spatial symphonic ritual" calling for 80 trombones plus sopran(in)o and organ—are scheduled for the great spiral at the Guggenheim Museum on Sunday night at 7:30 and 8:30 pm.This could be pretty good! Brant, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize in music who died in 2008, devoted his career to the exploration of spatial music—how sounds don'tDavid Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-49668368834218028732009-06-19T00:23:00.004-04:002009-06-19T00:23:09.055-04:00The WizRecommended!Having talked through a performance of The Wiz during its Broadway run in the 1970s and more recently suffered through a trashy-looking VHS playback of the tedious Hollywood version, I am happy to report that the current revival of the show at City Center's Encores! shut me up and kept me almost giddily entertained at Wednesday night's pre-opening preview.A funk-and-soul-inflected David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-22283079875800217212009-06-18T14:23:00.001-04:002009-06-18T18:55:45.892-04:00listenYour Feedback is Welcome!I prepared this short video with WNYC's Uncommon Economic Indicators in mind. What do you think? Be fair, but please—as Elvis sings—don't be cruel.Source (approximately 00:59)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-85653416720480063382009-06-17T11:23:00.000-04:002009-06-17T11:23:01.047-04:00PGA Meets WPA at Bethpage State ParkThis year the PGA Tournament is back at the notoriously challenging Bethpage Black golf course at Bethpage State Park. This is a rare example of a PGA tournament taking place at a state park—and the park, including its golf courses, is apparently part of the legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal administration.According to this web page:The five courses at Bethpage State Park--Bethpage David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-30220638393061974042009-06-16T11:23:00.000-04:002009-06-16T11:23:01.148-04:00Tony Awards 2009 Simulcast in Duffy SquareIn case you were, like, on Mars or maybe at Radio City Music Hall last Sunday, you might've missed the Tony Awards simulcast in Duffy Square (a.k.a. North Times Square, or right by the TKTS Booth). Below is some footage of the simulcast of the Creative Arts Tony Awards featuring Laura Benanti and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Apologies for the audio degradation. Sound! Sound! Can I have someone on soundDavid Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-81545971484205138132009-06-15T11:23:00.000-04:002009-06-15T11:23:00.716-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!The winner of Caption Contest 193 (Victoria Roberts's man and woman with attached marionette controls) is"Free will is overrated."Nahomi Harkavy (Greensboro, NC)This enables North Carolina to claim the seventh-place position, with seven votes.The nominees in Caption Contest 195 (Danny Shanahan's angry housewife confronting disheveled man with stigmata and cherubic escorts) are"Don't give me that David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-23188372716052625272009-06-14T22:23:00.001-04:002009-06-14T22:23:00.421-04:00Alaska Governor Morphing into Church Lady!Calling Dana Carvey! After David Letterman made jokes about Sarah Palin's daughter being accosted by Eliott Spitzer and Alex Rodriguez, the Alaska governor embarked on a new campaign, trying to spin the remarks as attacks on her 14-year-old daughter Willow. Letterman admitted the jokes were the type of comedy he wasn't very proud of, but also claimed that they referred to adult Bristol—not David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-65129191033235320392009-06-13T08:23:00.001-04:002009-06-18T23:10:51.232-04:00Bubble Battle NYC 2009Online World Premiere Exclusive!UPDATE JUNE 18, 2009 Improved upload follows.Video by David Marc Fischer (3:44)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-91455380575469547082009-06-12T08:23:00.002-04:002009-06-12T08:46:47.387-04:00This is Not a Review of Twelfth NightI think that, technically, I'm not supposed to review Shakespeare in the Park's star-studded Twelfth Night because the previews just started. But...I did see it fresh out of rehearsal on Wednesday night and greatly enjoyed it—as did Trapezia and many other attendees who laughed heartily at the play's many comic episodes—so I encourage you to go scurry over and see this production, which David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-17392018541012398192009-06-11T23:40:00.001-04:002009-06-11T23:41:37.738-04:00Message from the United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumDear Museum Friend,There are no words to express our heartache and shock over yesterday’s tragic events, which took the life of Officer Stephen Johns, who died heroically in the line of duty. Officer Johns was a loyal and devoted member of our Museum family, serving on our security staff for six years. Our hearts and prayers go out to his entire family. We closed the Museum today in honor of David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-9762959017516809612009-06-11T00:23:00.000-04:002009-06-11T00:23:00.506-04:00Get the MessageWorld Premiere Exclusive!Source (00:15)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-73083924792480116152009-06-10T00:23:00.008-04:002009-06-12T08:52:26.444-04:00Coming This Weekend: High Spirits!I've spent years hoping that Encores! would bring back the Noel Coward musical High Spirits (based on Blithe Spirit), but it looks like Musicals in Mufti got the jump on the City Center revivalists—and I'll take it.The production, to be performed this weekend, features Carol Kane as well as ... I'm a fan of both the British and United States cast albums (and I was weaned on Petula Clark's cover David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-47617061982536356362009-06-10T00:23:00.007-04:002009-06-11T02:00:34.463-04:00Now Playing: Twelfth Night in Central ParkNow is the Time to Get in Line!Shakespeare in the Park's Twelfth Night is now underway—through July 12! So prepare for miserable line experiences unless you want to pay for these free performances featuring Anne Hathaway as well as Michael Cumpsty, Raúl Esparza, Audra McDonald, David Pittu, Jay O. Sanders, Stark Sands, and Julie White.Once again it's possible to get in a virtual line, so good David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-43499421558718302302009-06-09T00:23:00.000-04:002009-06-09T00:23:00.142-04:00Happy Birthday, Les PaulElectric guitar innovator Les Paul turns 94 today—and only last week I enjoyed seeing him perform his Monday night gig at Iridium.Mellowness prevailed throughout the set, as Paul and his trio made their way through numerous standards including "Night and Day." There wasn't much flashiness to the performances—instead, the gig was mainly about a bunch of musicians and clubgoers simply enjoying David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-77870720801502283782009-06-08T23:23:00.000-04:002009-06-08T23:23:00.698-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Recap/Anti-RecapBoth the Caption and Anti-Caption Contests are taking a breather, which means that this is a fine time to note the June 1, 2009 item "Chicagoan Larry Wood wins New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest for record third time" by Steve Johnson of The Chicago Tribune, which observes that "Blog About Town, which has been tracking the contest, lists Wood, Gable and frequent finalist Lynn Tudor of New York David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-40818736496164616522009-06-07T19:58:00.065-04:002009-06-08T21:54:41.535-04:00Liveblogging the Tony Awards 2009Welcome to the 63rd Annual Tony Awards—also known as the 19th Annual Law & Order Reunion!The Tony people dispensed with a bunch of "tech" awards between 7 and 8, with a crowd watching near the TKTS booth in Duffy Square.The CBS Broadcast started with Elton John performing a song that must be from his show Billy Elliott. Only after that did my prediction come true: West Side Story's ensemble David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-6716526122078236082009-06-07T09:23:00.000-04:002009-06-07T09:23:01.268-04:00The Tony Belmont StakesMyra took Part I (way to go, gal!), but there's still (a little) time to compete in Part II!David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-34682692949619526572009-06-06T23:53:00.002-04:002009-06-06T23:55:30.895-04:00Going Soon, Coming SoonJust thought I'd dash out a couple of theater notes.Going Soon! I'm amazed that Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour premiered 75 years ago! Despite its age, it's surprisingly fresh—a good thing for theatergoers as well as actors, but of course also kind of sad because homophobia and the other plagues that it touches upon are still too much with us. The play has to do with a girl's David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-91225255948138177942009-06-06T00:23:00.000-04:002009-06-06T00:23:01.035-04:00The BAT Challenge: The Tony Belmont StakesThere's still time to play, but hurry! Part I (closing up today!) is here; Part II (closing up tomorrow!) is here!!David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-46568245347623188512009-06-05T16:23:00.002-04:002009-06-05T17:17:49.694-04:00Spelling Bee Follow-Up: Kavya K-R-U-S-H-E-S Kimmel!Last night Jimmy Kimmel hosted 2009 National Spelling Bee champ Kavya Shivashankar in a kooky spelling bee where the main obstacle was the, um, unusual pronunciation of "pronunciator" Guillermo the Spelling Bee. But the other clues, such as sentences and word origins, were hard to figure, too.In the face of such difficulties, Kavya kept her komposure and, after vainly pleading for the David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-15980577601953125182009-06-05T00:23:00.001-04:002009-06-05T00:23:00.520-04:00The BAT Challenge: The Tony Belmont StakesThere's still time to play! Part I is here; Part II is here!!David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-39518388578524958432009-06-04T00:23:00.003-04:002009-06-04T00:23:01.020-04:00Remembering the Pro-Democracy Demonstrations of June 1989Twenty years later, the Chinese government still tries—and fails—to suppress the inspiring memory of the Tienanmen protestors and their allies at home and abroad. Here is an article touching on the continued persecution of people connected to the demonstrations.Here's to a better, more democratic government in China. May it come soon!David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-84396032782385697482009-06-03T12:23:00.002-04:002009-06-03T20:53:02.226-04:00The BAT Challenge: The Tony Belmont Stakes, Part IIFor this second part of The Tony Belmont Stakes, see how many Tony winners you can predict. As usual, anyone can play—just leave your guesses in the comments section and use the ol' distinct moniker so we can tell you apart from the rest of the competitors. To select the winners, feel free to copy, paste, and delete your way through this list. Cut-off time for your selections will be 5pm EST on David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-78711992548005738982009-06-02T14:23:00.000-04:002009-06-02T14:23:01.370-04:00The BAT Challenge: The Tony Belmont Stakes, Part IIn honor of Tony Belmont—the beloved "Old Broadway" personality who was such a familiar presence at the track that she had both a high-profile horserace and a prestigious theater award named after her—this week's challenge will be in two parts: one for the horserace and one for the show.First, the horserace. As you might know, the stage was set for Kentucky Derby winner Mine that Bird to run David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-80255733435822188632009-06-01T08:23:00.004-04:002009-06-03T10:39:12.857-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Anti-Caption Contest Continues!Hooray for Lawrence Wood—yet again! The Chicagoan just won Caption Contest 192 (Jack Ziegler's talk show behind bars) with "I'm just curious—what's your excuse?"I believe that makes him the first three-time winner of the weekly competition! The nominees in Caption Contest 194 (Leo Collum's slick businessman addressing man crawling through desert) are:"First, we discuss my percentage of any water David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-12906267640585889902009-05-31T08:23:00.003-04:002009-05-31T22:51:29.412-04:00Kavya's Climb to the TopHere's a good AP write-up on last week's spelling bee. Continuing the coverage here at Blog About Town, I thought it might be interesting to see how top bee finisher Kavya Shivashankar's winning words stack up against those of her two closest competitors this year.KAVYA SHIVASHANKARdisciples mesophilic ergasia kurta escritoire hydrargyrum blancmange baignoire huisache ecossaise diacoele David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-44187836410880486762009-05-30T00:23:00.005-04:002009-05-30T00:28:22.525-04:00The Investigator Turns 55Fifty-five years ago the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) broadcast the controversial radio play The Investigator.`Written by suspected Canadian communist Reuben Ship after the Immigration and Naturalization Service threw him out of the United States in 1953, this satire on McCarthyism sent shockwaves south of the border, where recordings gained an "underground" following and the David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-61276265912037929042009-05-29T19:23:00.000-04:002009-05-29T19:23:00.501-04:00Loser's Lounge: The Eagles vs. Neil YoungUm, no contest? (Actually I'm surprised it isn't Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. Neil Young, or Young vs. Crosby, Stills, and/or Nash.) Anyway, see and hear for yourself at Joe's Pub:Thu 7:00 pm June 25, 2009 Fri 7:00 pm June 26, 2009Fri 9:30 pm June 26, 2009Sat 7:00 pm June 27, 2009Sat 9:30 pm June 27, 2009Source (4:54)Source (2:06)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-4934070713298691262009-05-28T22:11:00.008-04:002009-05-28T22:32:33.849-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 15 and Finish!Aishwarya Pastapur gets menhir—a word I've known since reading Asterix comics as a kid! She doesn't get it, but she still has hope if the other spellers don't come through. But that's unlikely, IMHO. She's between a rock and a hard place.In an almost ironic occurrence considering that Aishwarya is an old friend, Kavya Shivashankar succeeds with phoresy.Tim Ruiter gets an arguably easy word: David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-64268719887919686802009-05-28T22:06:00.002-04:002009-05-28T22:11:26.606-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 14Aishwarya Pastapur wears guayabera with pride.Kavya Shivashankar finishes off isagoge.Tim Ruiter shows remarkable control on sophrosyne.David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-69541459094323935032009-05-28T22:03:00.002-04:002009-05-28T22:06:22.299-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 13Ashwarya Pastapur owns antonomasia.Kavya Shivashankar follows up on her escritoire with bouquiniste.Tim Ruiter holds his oriflamme aloft.David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-37082785421690080082009-05-28T21:53:00.003-04:002009-05-28T22:02:59.272-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 12Kyle Mou spells schizaffin with an o instead of an a—ding!—and earns a standing O in the process. He could make a comeback if the other spellers fall as well.But no. His teammate Aishwarya Pastapur charges through wisent.This ensures Kavya Shivashankar her best showing ever. And she spells diacoele correctly.Tim Ruiter trimphs over reredos.Now we are three. Time for championship words as the bee David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-90398378660448345992009-05-28T21:39:00.007-04:002009-05-28T21:53:14.555-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 11Newbie Ramya Auroprem sadly spells amarevole with an i instead of an o. Ding! Well-done, of course.Kyle Mou offers a glowing performance of becquerel. Aishwarya Pastapur gets a cheesy word—Caerphilly—and refuses to crumble. Illinois remains strong!Kennyi Aouad spells palatschinken with a double l and falls flat as a pancake—but only in the figurative sense. He had a great run. Ding!Kavya David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-47342942556010451592009-05-28T21:21:00.006-04:002009-05-28T21:38:55.608-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 10Get ready for some impossible words—if not in this round, then very soon.Ramya Auroprem muscles through iliopsoas—excellent!Kyle Mou spells oeillade in the wink of an eye.Aishwarya Pastapur seems to run into trouble with xebec but sails away with it and advances Scrabble in the process.Kennyi Aoaud spells relief g-r-i-s-a-i-l-l-e.Kavya Shivashankar continued to blossom with huisache. I almost David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-11959128031251493662009-05-28T21:04:00.008-04:002009-05-28T21:20:58.522-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 9Julio Cortázar fans rejoice: Ramya Auroprem cold-bloodedly stomps out axolotl.Note that the top two Illinois spellers remain in this round. Kyle "Laid Back" Mou makes a persuasive case for plaidoyer. Aishwarya Pastapur dances off with goombayKennyi Aouad lives up to his build-up by spelling hypallage.Look for the way the backdrop bee's eyes line up behind Kennyi's head (and possibly the heads of David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-47985965774920558572009-05-28T20:33:00.012-04:002009-05-28T21:04:39.138-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 8I don't know what Shawn Johnson is doing on this show, but perhaps she can provide insight into what it's like for young people to be so intensely involved in this kind of thing. Nah. She's got some kind of a connection to a bee official.Ramya Auroprem spits out geusioleptic.Conchyliated conquers Serena Skye Laine-Lobsinger. And that's it for Florida. Good going, Serena!Kyle Mou gets lucky, I David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-30537661595377402332009-05-28T20:02:00.011-04:002009-05-28T20:44:35.730-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 7National coverage begins with another ski word: avalement. How does Ramya Auroprem handle it? In a word: swoosh!Next up: Serena "Ms. Effervescent" Laine-Lobsinger. She gets a word I know—omphaloskepsis—and nails it on the button.A commentator [Paul Loeffler of ESPN] names Sidharth Chand and Kavya Shivashankar as the favorites.Here comes Kyle Mou, who ices pogonip.Dr. Jill Biden (Mrs. VP) is in David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-54320932175142861572009-05-28T16:23:00.001-04:002009-05-28T16:23:00.382-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: FinalistsHere they are—seven female, four male!Californian Ramya Auroprem is a teacher of Tamil.Returnee Serena Laine-Lobsinger of Florida says her favorite author is Jane Austen.Third-time returnee Kyle Mou, of Illinois, tied for tenth place last year; he's blogged about his involvement this year.Third-time returnee Aishwarya Pastapur, also of Illinois, is a math whiz.Third-time returnee Kennyi Aouad of David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-17167027938041676462009-05-28T13:23:00.008-04:002009-05-28T14:16:22.494-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 6Yes, there is a Round 6 this afternoon. So far Illinois retains its twosome.UPDATE Serena Laine-Lobsinger remained a leader with imprimis. And third-time returnee Neetu Chandak of Seneca Falls has emerged as New York's last hope in this race, persevering with dauerlauf.UPDATE Ohio lost a speller, ceding the game of the states to Illinois.UPDATE Among those still in the bee are Kennyi "Mr. David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-62153502878188521862009-05-28T12:03:00.007-04:002009-05-28T13:13:58.281-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 5 Massacre!Sigh. Tough times. Once again, the Canadians didn't make it past Round 5.I am, however, hopeful for the Florida delegation.UPDATE Flashback to last year's Round 5UPDATE Serena Laine-Lobsinger kept this a contest and extended the Florida delegation's stay with the fabulous hircocervus.UPDATE Kennyi "Mr. Joviality" Aouad found the key to voussoir, Kavya Shivashankar got comfortable with kurta, and David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-33910340465190137462009-05-28T11:23:00.005-04:002009-05-28T11:39:13.691-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 4So far the spellers in this round are doing very well. Oceanside's Zachary Zagorski fabricated another win with toile while Kavya Shavishankar and Sidharth "Mr. Busy Bee" Chand pulled themselves together to spell ergasia and sobornost, respectively. And Kennyi "Mr. Joviality" Aouad continued to charm even as he refused to be bloodied by thyrocervical.But Michael Sun of Paramus mispelled David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-87503508758484878242009-05-27T19:23:00.003-04:002009-05-27T19:31:00.012-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: SemifinalistsOnly 41 spellers survived the first three rounds to duke it out on Thursday.Neither of the Big Apple spellers made it, but Zachary Zagorski of Oceanside is in, as is Michael Sun of Paramus.Their formidable opponents include Kavya Shivashankar and Sidharth Chand as well as Kennyi "The Giggler" Aouad, Keiko Bridwell, Neetu Chandak, third-grader Sriram Hathwar, Josephine Kao, Kyle Mou, Mouctika David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-23480881790013022082009-05-27T16:32:00.001-04:002009-05-27T16:48:13.481-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 3The difficulty level went up noticeably in this round, which can be viewed as the filter that separates the studiers from the others. Locally, Thomas Harkins chalked up another win with misogynist but Talia Weisberg was nipped in the bud by glomerulate. Zachary Zagorski did fantastically by urisk while Joshua Casquejo took Pelham for a rebound from his Round 2 setback.Kavya Shivanshankar David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-74308923808775497382009-05-27T13:23:00.001-04:002009-05-27T13:23:05.484-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 1 Test RevealedHere are the words, from thorough to onychorrhexis. All the contestants had a shot at spelling these before entering Round 2.David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-60309217832153622822009-05-27T11:23:00.002-04:002009-05-27T11:23:00.300-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Round 2Our local talent did pretty well in Round 2, which is still ongoing.Thomas Harkins vulcanized illogical, Talia Weisberg built up prefabricate, and Zachary Zagorski dug indignant. But Joshua Casquejo was floored by parquet, so he could be in trouble.Also of note in this round: Multiple returnee Kavya Shivashankar retained her following with disciples and returnee Sidharth Chand took control of David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-67552449529247449292009-05-27T09:23:00.003-04:002009-05-27T09:37:31.917-04:00National Spelling Bee 2009: Local HeroesWelcome to coverage of this year's National Spelling Bee! Representing the Big Apple are Brooklyn's Thomas J. Harkins......and Manhattan's Talia Weisberg.Other area notables are West New York's Joshua Casquejo......and returnee Zachary Zagorski of Oceanside!David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-37110491543600572392009-05-26T21:23:00.001-04:002009-05-26T22:47:08.222-04:00It Pays to AdvertiseI tend to identify screwball comedies with movies of the 1930s and 1940s, but a recent return to the Metropolitan Playhouse made me realize that the roots of the genre extend at least as far back as the 1914 play It Pays to Advertise by Roi Cooper Megrue and Walter Hackett. The comedy, which follows a slacker soap heir who builds up a fake company through advertising, was a hit on Broadway that David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-11684264445047954772009-05-26T08:41:00.000-04:002009-05-26T08:41:33.699-04:00Breaking: Sonia Sotomayor to be Nominated for Supreme CourtNBC is reporting that Bronx-born federal justice Sonia Sotomayor will be President Barack Obama's first nominee for the Supreme Court.David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-41257193630419953702009-05-25T20:23:00.000-04:002009-05-25T20:23:00.621-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!The winner of Caption Contest 191 (Farley Katz's cat and some other critters jumping off a cliff) is"I'm just curious—what's your excuse?"Pinghan Chua (Alexandria, VA)The nominees in Caption Contest 193 (Victoria Roberts's man and woman rigged like marionnettes) are:"Free will is overrated."Nahomi Harkavy (Greensboro, NC)"This was so much more awkward before Craigslist."Julie Gautreau (Knoxville,David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-19490423316289313052009-05-24T21:23:00.000-04:002009-05-24T21:23:00.274-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthFINALESource (7:27)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-5673838247829397342009-05-23T21:23:00.000-04:002009-05-23T21:23:00.518-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthPART VIISource (10:00)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-64547183581283228832009-05-22T21:23:00.000-04:002009-05-22T21:23:00.246-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthPART VISource (9:31)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-15977459456028842402009-05-21T21:23:00.001-04:002009-05-21T21:23:00.569-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthPART VSource (9:56)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-35871369293187666832009-05-20T21:23:00.001-04:002009-05-20T21:23:00.974-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthPART IVSource (9:56)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-64993813181837155392009-05-19T21:23:00.000-04:002009-05-19T21:23:00.410-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthPART IIISource (9:47)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-72922235412160526772009-05-18T21:23:00.000-04:002009-05-18T21:23:00.381-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthPART IISource (9:56)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-44939458239313878612009-05-18T12:23:00.004-04:002009-05-18T12:23:00.564-04:00Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!The winner of Caption Contest 190 (Robert Leighton's head-in-the-sand ostrich statue on Wall Street) is"I think the head's in the wrong place."Steve Punch (Danville, CA)So California regains the lead!The nominees in Caption Contest 192 (Jack Ziegler's celebrity interview on set behind bars) are:"Both the movie and I will be released this summer."Lawrence Wood (Chicago, IL)"This is fancy David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-43240651116493835292009-05-17T21:23:00.001-04:002009-05-17T21:23:00.585-04:00Special BAT Event: The Phantom of the Open HearthPART IJean Shepherd is surely best known today as the creator of A Christmas Story. But to me he's the storyteller behind The Phantom of the Open Hearth, which aired on the PBS series Visions in 1976 and told the story of Ralphie at the time of his high school prom.Come join me now as we travel back in time to see Jean Shepherd's The Phantom of the Open Hearth, brought to you courtesy of YouTube.David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-36723791839545910362009-05-16T12:23:00.000-04:002009-05-16T12:23:00.452-04:00And Now for a Word from Ed SullivanSource (1:37)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-59417911243065492652009-05-16T00:23:00.002-04:002009-05-16T01:06:35.613-04:00Recommended: RuddigoreGilbert and Sullivan put a smile on the horror genre in Ruddigore, which receives a resourceful revival with skillful singing at Theater Ten Ten on the Upper East Side through May 24. 2009. The production can also be seen at 8 pm on May 30 at the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter, New York.The production's big challenge is overcoming its church basement performance space, which has the David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-49596682440006285892009-05-15T11:23:00.001-04:002009-05-15T11:23:01.073-04:00And Now for a Word from Rivers CuomoSource (4:00)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-71415201207783730622009-05-14T15:23:00.001-04:002009-05-16T01:05:49.292-04:00Distracted? Recommended!After making many efforts, I finally saw the play Distracted this week, days before its scheduled closing on May 17, 2009. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth considering.Written by Lisa Loomer, Distracted is a "fast-paced and disarmingly funny look at parenting in the age of the Internet and Ritalin," as producer Roundabout puts it. The story revolves around parents (Cynthia Nixon and Rick David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-21745921614206873972009-05-14T12:23:00.000-04:002009-05-14T12:23:00.837-04:00And Now for a Word from Greg Kennedy and Michael WilliamsSource (2:51)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-64449572219315105052009-05-13T12:23:00.000-04:002009-05-13T12:23:03.274-04:00And Now for a Word from Rod StewartSource (4:38)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3994659.post-3555282095168826552009-05-12T11:23:00.000-04:002009-05-12T11:23:00.330-04:00And Now for a Word from Ric OcasekSource (4:25)David Marc Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588125246383851752noreply@blogger.com0