Category: Transferred-From-LJ

Thursday Chum / Death of a Friend

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

It’s Thursday. Lunch. And I’m still bummed out after learning about the death of a co-worker and friend, Stuart Schaeffer. More on that later. First, a few articles that hopefully Stuart might have appreciated:

On to Stuart. This morning we had an email message announcing that Stuart had died from some unspecified sudden illness at the end of his vacation. This makes me sad. Stuart and I had been working together since he start here. He was on the DGUX evaluation team with me, and worked on a number of programs and projects. He was always a kindred spirit, and introduced me to a number of new groups, such as Big Daddy and the Austin Lounge Lizards. He was a UPPIE (that’s a yuppie without the Y), and enjoyed the latest techo-gizmos and toys. He lived on the Westside and looked down on the valley; I regret we were unable to show him VPAC—he was coming to see Bernadette Peters with us. We had a shared love of grammar and clever turns of phrases. I will truly miss having him around at work.

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Lost and Found

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today’s lunchtime news chum items are all connected by the theme of “Lost and Found”: These are all things that are either lost or in danger of being lost, and are being found again in some way:

  • AM Radio. An interesting article titled “Podcasts and the Radio Star” asks the interesting question: What role does radio have, especially AM radio, in this era where everyone can carry their favorite programs or their entire music library in their pocket or in their car (note that I’d include Internet Streaming Radio in the radio camp). The answer, I think, is simple: Radio is perfect for live productions (recorded programs can be played on your ipod) and local productions. Local news and traffic reports are one example, as is local or live talk radio. It also applies to music, with respect to the fact that live dedications, contests, and listener interactions are something that can’t be done on podcast. Cumulus Media doesn’t understand this, as they ousted Jim Ladd of KLOS.
  • Manners. For many, what made the South special wasn’t the lynchings, but the southern genteelity and manners. Well, Southern Manners are on the decline and they are blaming not only the Internet or the Northerners, but changes to society in general. But, there are those that keep trying. Think about that the next time you say “Yes, Ma’am.”
  • Streetcars. The Atlantic has an interesting article exploring why some streetcar lines survived and others didn’t. Note that many cities are exploring bringing back streetcars, often vintage streetcars, so the question is relevant.
  • Butchers. Most people are totally disconnected from their food. Meat comes in plastic trays; there’s no thought that it once was a living, breathing animal. That may be changing, as there appears to be a rebirth of the local butcher. Often, the butcher can acquire cuts that markets won’t or can’t. Makes me think back to the days of the butcher at Danish American Farms.
  • Pink Horse Ranch. This is a Bay Area one. Evidently, there was a summer camp once called the Pink Horse Ranch in the Los Altos Hills. It closed, and the land was sold to a doctor who (get this) kept it just the way it was in the 1950s. The article talks about the Pink Horse Ranch, with pictures and history and everything.
  • The Post Office. The NY Times has an interesting article on how Post Offices in Europe have figured out how to reinvent themselves.

ETA: P.S.: Today is Palindrome Day. The date is 11022011, or if you’re from Europe 20111102. This is one of only 12 eight-digit palindrome days this century. Further, the date happens to be 1001 x 11 x 1001. Cool.

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Some Scary Things

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today’s been an off-day, starting with a bad migraine. Headaches are a pain, but aren’t scary. The news, now that is scary. Here are a few frightening things I’ve seen:

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A Woman Impersonating a Man Impersonating a Woman? Who Would Believe It?

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Cross-dressing performers are such entertaining subjects, especially for musicals. Recently on Broadway we’ve seen “La Cage Aux Folles” and “Priscilla: Queen of the Desert“, and cross-dressing performances are at the heart of shows such as “Hairspray” and “Chicago“. Back in the 1980s, there was another property in the mix, “Victor/Victoria“, directed by Blake Edwards with his signature comedy touch. In 1995, the property was resurrected as a moderately-successful Broadway musical, with book by Edwards, music by Henry Mancini and Frank Wildhorn, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Frank Wildhorn. Blake Edwards, a long-time Malibu resident, died in 2010, and the Malibu Stage Company decided to remember him by producing “Victor/Victoria” this season. It opened Friday night, and we were there for the second performance last night.

MSC summarizes the show on their webpage as follows: “A penniless soprano, named Victoria, colludes with a struggling gay impressario (Toddy) to disguise herself as a man named Victor, who entertains as a female impersonator known as “Victoria”- and as a result becomes the toast of Paris. Complications arise when a Chicago mobster (King Marchon), his moll (Norma Cassidy), and bodyguard (Squash Bernstein) sees the act and finds himself attracted to the star.” That’s essentially the show, although they forgot to end with the line “Comedy then ensures, and happiness is found in the end.” I could provide a more detailed synopsis, but for shows like this such a synopsis can ruin the story; instead, if you want a detailed synopsis, I’ll point you to the movie wikipage.

MSC’s production opened with a tribute to Blake Edwards by Richard Johnson, the director and producer. This included a very nice opening speech, and an attempt at a video tribute. I say attempt, because the projector was initially aimed low, and the projection screen material made things difficult to see. This was a harbinger of technical problems to come; more on that later. From what we could see, the video appeared well done; as soon as the projection issues are ironed out, this should make for a nice start of the evening.

The production then started, and as usual, we can look at it from a number of different angles: story, acting, music, and technical. So let’s begin.

The story itself is a good and funny one. It ends with a message that is as relevant today as it was when the show was first produced: that we need to accept people for who they are, and people should be free to love whomever they choose to love. The story translates well to the stage. What hurts the musical at times are weak lyrics (for which I blame Bricusse and Wildhorn), but luckily those are few. In general, this is an enjoyable study. Further, it is executed well by Richard Johnson, the director. He moves the people well and makes good use of the stage, although at times it was clear that more rehearsal was clearly needed (both in terms of line familiarity and blocking to avoid the curtain). These problems are something I believe will go away as the show continues performances, so don’t let that be a deterrant. I particularly noted the quality of the direction in a scene that cried “Blake Edwards”, when in the second act, everyone was chasing everyone, in and out of doors, under beds, through windows. This was effective and funny and is difficult to do right. This director did. This is what makes me look past the occasional rough edges: there’s a diamond here folks, and it just needs a little polishing. Johnson was assisted by Diane Carroll. Choreography was by Albertossy Espinoza (assisted by Natalie Rubenstein), who developed some very effective dance numbers for the MSC space.

A lot of this comes from the actors. These folks worked well with the director to bring these comic characters to life. In the top tier were Jake Broderæ as Toddy and Julia Hollandæ as Victor/Victoria. Broder was great. He infused Toddy with a likeable and lovable personality; you warmed to him instantly. He had an infectuous charm, and was just fun to watch. I was initially cold to Holland’s Victoria; she seemed a little old, and didn’t what I expected. But she won me over: her performances worked well, although you still would not have thought there was a man under that woman’s face. That’s an issue of small mannerisms and voice, and may improve over time. But her singing was delightful, and her comic timing was excellent.

Supporting the two leads were excellent supplemental leads: Butch Andersonas King Marchon, Kristin Towers-Rowlesæ as Norma Cassidy, and Oscar Best as Squash Bernstein. All of these actors made their characters into people and had fun with their roles (although Norma Cassidy is an exaggerated character to begin with). All sang well; all moved well; all were personable, and all were a joy to watch perform.

Moving into the supporting and ensemble tier, there were a few notable performances. I particularly enjoyed Don Pitts as Andre Cassell/Juke, and Richard Van Slykeæ as Richard/Clam. Rounding out this tier were Anibel Silveyraæ (Henri Labisse/Chorus), George Fisher (Sal Andretti/Gregor), Bonnie Frank (Cosmetics Pres./Mme. Roget/Chambermaid), Diane Petersonæ (Miss Selmer), MarLee Candell (Jazz Singer / Guest 1 / Chorus / Dancer), Emilia Vitti (Flower Lady / Guest 2), Allison Williams (Chorus / Dancer), Albertossy Espinoza (Reporter / Diviant Husband / Lead Dancer), Milva Rinaldelli (Dancer), Steven W. Nielsen (Dancer / Male Dance Captain), Colby Nielsen (Dancer), Jona (Dancer), Elizabeth Bortnem (Dancer), Lili Kay (Dancer), and Ako Eyong (Policeman). In general, all of the dancers were strong and fun to watch. When I look at dancers, I look for the enjoyment and joy at what they were doing. At a few times, I noticed more focus on the steps than the joy. This is an example of a problem that was common in this production: it needed more rehearsal. The line hesitations and occasional misstarts, the focus on getting the steps right instead of enjoying the dance, and the technical problems I’ll get to in a minute are all symptomatic of underrehearsal. That’s also good news, for that means that subsequent performances will be better, and these occasional missteps shouldn’t be a deterrant.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

Musically, the performance was excellent (although, to my taste, they could have used more brass, but I always think there should be more horns). The band, under the musical direction of Scott Nagatani on piano, with David Lamont (Keyboard 2 / Flute), Matt Clark (Bass), and Danny Yamamoto (Drums) was excellent. Live music is one of the best things about live musical theatre.

Turning to the technical: it is here where we had problems. MSC has a new house curtain, and they were taking advantage of it to change scenery behind the curtain while acting took place in front of the curtain. Unfortunately, these scene changes were noisier than they should have been. This is something that will improve with practice; alas, that practice should have been before opening night. But this is what happens some times with small local production companies. It was distracting, but not major. The set itself by Ralph Romo was simple and functional—this is a hallmark of small theatres, although some (in particular REP East, seemingly do miracles on small budgets). The use of Murphy Beds was a clever way to utilize the space. The props by Nancy Little also worked well. The costumes (designed by Danielle Horn, in consultation with Deborah LaGorce-Kramer) were, for the most part, good. I was puzzled at times by the occasional bare feet on dancers wearing elegant costumes, and the odd undercostume visibility at points. The hair and makeup (by Beverly Heusser and Megan Keossaian) were good, although the actors seems to have problems with the hats at times. More problematic was the sound design of Ricardo Means, with sound effects by Terence Davis and Great American Music. I understand the sound system is new; it was introduced last year. Still, there were numerous microphone problems, feedback, microphone bumps and noise—all of which were distracting, and all of which should have been worked out during rehearsal. Again, this is the same problem as mentioned above, and should get better in future performances. The lighting design of Jamie Van Soelen was reasonably well, although the follow spot needed a pinch of work. Program design was by Carla Marlenee Bates. Marti Maniates was production assisstant. Ako Eyong was stage manager. The “Tribute to Blake Edwards” was directed by Ernie Brandon.

In summary: The MSC production of “Victor/Victoria” is a good production and has the bones for a great production. The transition will occur as this team has more performances under its belt. Luckily, the show continues through December 4, giving them time to make this spectacular by the end. Go see it; you’ll enjoy it. Tickets are available through the box office at 310-589-1998, through Brown Paper Tickets, and potentially through Goldstar Events.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: November starts with “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT on November 5. The following weekend brings “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day). I haven’t booked theatre for that weekend or the next yet, as I was waiting to see what happened with OERM and Erin’s birthday. Veteran’s Day weekend brings “Sylvia” at the Edgemar Center for Performing Arts in Santa Monica on Saturday 11/12; the following weekend brings “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center on its opening night, November 19. Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. January, right now, is completely open, although the first show of the REP East season will likely be in there somewhere. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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A Visit With an IMP

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

I love to recall the Tom Paxton quote about nostalgia: “It’s OK to look back, as long as you don’t stare.” Yesterday was one of those days, being the formal grand opening of Klienrock Internet Heritage Site and Archive at 3420 BH (Boelter Hall at UCLA), as well as being the birthday of the Internet. You did send a card, didn’t you?

Seriously, yesterday was the anniversary of the first communication (called a message, but it was decidedly not email) between two Interface Message Processors (IMPs) connecting UCLA and SRI. A grand party was held at UCLA, and those of us who were around for the early days of the Internet were invited back to campus for the grand unveiling. Take that, plus free parking in Lot 9, and you had me.

We drove in through Westwood. Sad, sad, sad. Loads and loads of vacant storefronts. Not a single bookstore. One famous theatre torn down; another closed. Seemingly, only chain restaurants. It is a dead student town and is sad. I really remember the days when Westwood was vibrant, back in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It will take some radical work (and radical lowering of rents) to get that energy back.

Arriving at UCLA, we went to the event. More people had shown up that the organizers expected. It was backed up into the hallway between 3400 and the elevator. This made it difficult to mingle and see who all was there, but I did recognize a few folks (WSU, DAS) and a few folks recognized me. We got a chance to listen to some interesting talks from Dr. Kleinrock (who was the UCLA lead and designer of packet switching), Mark Kampe, Charley Klein, and others. After the speeches, I got a chance to talk and reminisce with some friends (I hesitate to say old friends, as that reminds me we’re getting old) from UCLA Computer Club days. That was truly a unique institution, and I miss it.

We then walked down to Ackerman Union, and I was saddened at all the growth and change on south campus. Buildings, buildings everywhere: They’ve built a new building over the side of Lot 9; they’ve built new space where the nuclear reactor was; there’re bulding between the two halves of the 2nd Floor of Boelter. They’ve torn down Engineering I, and are have built a new Engineering V and are building Engineering VI. There’s no grass; nary a bit of free space.

I thought about what is gone and the impact of change. Of course, the Computer Club is gone; who needs an institution like that to get computer access. However, the ESUC lounge is also gone; I have no idea if the ESUC is room is gone from the rotunda. I walked up to the Math Science Addition to see what happened to the old CCN space. The terminal rooms and output bin rooms have all become offices. What had been the mainframe room is now a “technology sandcase”. Over at Ackerman Union, the place was completely redone. Gone was the Coop, the Foosball tables, the Air Hockey. In was a load of chain fast food joints. This filled up most of both the 1st and A levels. On the B level, the bookstore was totally redone, although they did have a great art pen section. It is sad to think that the UCLA bookstore is the only bookstore remaining in Westwood.

As we left, I wanted to hit Record Surplus on Pico. To my surprise, they were gone. My wife did some investigation after we got home, and the good news is they only moved: they are now at Santa Monica and Centinela. At least some things remain.

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Trying to Blend In

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

So far, our experience with the Fall Van Nuys High School non-musical production has been spotty. Usually they have been ethnic comedies (Scapino, Varney the Vampire) that no one has heard of, or classics executed poorly. This year, however, Van Nuys did something different: Two dramas in rotation. We saw one of them last night, “Latina“, by Milcha Sanchez-Scott. Van Nuys did an excellent job with the drama—much better than their comedies—and even with the normal HS production flaws, I would recommend this production.

“Latina“, at its heart, is a bilingual exploration of the hispanic immigrant experience. The lead character, Sara Gomez, is trying to embrace the American experience and blending in. She has gone the proper path: learned flawless English, gotten her citizenship, gotten a job. But she’s still sterotyped by her looks and her names, and she fears being treated as a maid, and hates losing jobs because she’s “too exotic”. She also has blended in so much she no longer stands up for her heritage when people drop into “those people” stereotypes. She works as a secretary at a domestic agency, and her coworkers and the employment pool reflect the other sides of the immigrant experience: the businessman who wants to make it in the American world, the workers with green cards who both attempt to get jobs while retaining their heritage, to the illegals who are in fear of “la migra”, and retain their fears. It is a dramatic story that draws you in because it is obviously drawn from real experience; further, I think this is an experience that will resonate with the demographically-higher-hispanic audience of Van Nuys HS (and it did, as demonstrated by the quiet during the performances).

The acting, for the most part, was spot-on and not overdone—which is rare for a high school production. In fact, I can’t really think of areas that were overacted; the problems were more the occasional line hesitations and pauses. Those aren’t a big deal; these actors have a lot on their mind, what with college application season being in full force. The directing, by the drama teacher Randy Olea, was actually pretty good: he made actors who don’t know spanish sound hispanic with few problems (although at times, I was wondering why they were talking about so many “jews” on stage). But they got the language right, they moved in a believable fashion, and they presented their emotions in a believable, non-overdone fashion, which is all one can really ask for.

Some of the performances were really excellent. There are a few folks I’d like to highlight. As the lead Sara/Sarita Gomez, Priscilla Legaspi was excellent—believable, and vivacious and all-together a delight to watch. Also strong was Quest Sky Zeidler as Don Felix Sanchez. I’ve seen this young man grow in skill from his days at Nobel Middle School, and he’s turning into a fine actor who did a great job as the grasping businessman. Quest may believe this is yet another wicked role, but it is really a valid portrayal of how many businesspeople will try anything to get success in America. Erin Geronimi was strong as Clara, and I also enjoyed the performances of Kim Reyes as Maria, Denisse Rodriguez as New Girl, and Jade Field as Alma.

Rounding out the cast were Vivian Cermeño as Evita and Little Sarita, Gabriel Dominguez as Mr. Levine, Michael Hill as Mr. Camden, Ariel Kostrzewski as Mrs. Holmes, Taylor Morris as La Cubana, Melodie Muñoz-Lestrade as La Chata, Flazvia Ponce as Lola, Alex Reynoso as Father Ignacio and Mr. Harris, and Priscilla Zambrano as Doña Eugenia. Henry Etchison, Maya Hallowitz, Flavia Ponce, and Alyia Yates served as stage managers.

Turning to the technical. The set, develoed by Mr. Tom Kirkpatrick and his students, was relatively simple: two rooms, a number of props… but it was sufficient to convey the locals and to be quickly turned around for their other production. Sound and lights were provided by Mr. Marque Coy and his students. The sound had problems at times, but this is a known problem with the microphones that the school has, and the actors who are not fully trained in how to use them best. Lighting was adequate for the task, although there were a few miscues. Charlie Glasser and Clarissa Tanglao were technical stage managers, with Kenji Kang and Sierra McDuffee doing sound, and Kevin Vasquez, Kacie Rodriguez, Glory Smith, and Joseph Tafur doing lighting.

If there is anything I fault the Van Nuys production team on it is publicity and program. This production is not well advertised: there should be posters in local businesses, as well as announcements at local middle schools (to attract students to the magnets). It should be clear on the school’s website, and have easily findable pages on Facebook. It should also have a stronger program: there should be advertising sold in the program so that local businesses can (a) learn about the production and (b) support the school. They have done this for the yearbook and sports programs; it should be in the drama program as well. The program should also provide additional information on the show itself—in particular, identifying the author, the rights management company, and when the show was first produced (or notable LA productions). There’s also no reason a mechanism such as eventbrite shouldn’t be available so that tickets can be purchased in advance; using Goldstar would be even better, as the production would gain advertising as well.

I strongly recommend that you go see “Latina“. The price is right—$8. There are two more performances: Thursday, November 3rd and Saturday, November 5th at 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm) at Van Nuys High School, Running in alternation with “Latina ” is “The Heidy Chronicles“, which has performances on Saturday October 29th and Friday November 4th, same times.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Tonight brings “Victor Victoria” at the Malibu Stage Company on Saturday. November will start with “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT on November 5. It will also bring “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day, but we’re not sure about the weekend yet). Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. Also of potential interest, if time is available, are “A Sentimental Journey: The Story of Doris Day” at the El Portal (Nov 2-20), “Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant” at the Secret Rose (9/30-11/20; Theatremania has $10 tickets with code “PREGNANT”); or “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center (11/19-12/16). Not of interest is “South Street” at the Pasadena Playhouse, given the reviews. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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Friday Clearin’ O’ The Links

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Well, its the end of another busy weeks. I have accumulated a few interesting links I would like to share, now that I’m taking a late lunch break:

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