EXTRA CRITICUM

RAGTIME closing this Sunday. Run, don't walk!

If you haven't yet seen the gorgeous revival of Ragtime on Broadway, you only have a few days left. What a sumptuous score! What an amazing cast. Christiane Noll is breathtaking. Go see it while you still can!

Why do we (dramatists) swallow star casting without question?

My sister’s visiting the city and she asked me if I could snag her a pair of tickets to A Little Night Music. This charming little show has always been a success and I fully expected to have to work a bit to find good seats but I didn’t expect to be faced with wall-to-wall sold-out performances all week long. Of course it’s never bad news when theatre is sold out in my book but, still, I couldn’t stop wondering if the crowds were lining up for the show or for the cast.

Our Lady J proves that audience participation isn't always an accurate measure of audience involvement

Sometimes an audience's silence says more than the loudest most thunderous applause...

Attended Our Lady J's Gospel Brunch at Joe's Pub this afternoon. For the uninitiated, Our Lady J is an immensely gifted pianist and singer/songwriter. During her set, she performed a song she had written, which is adapted from a military fight song she learned from one of her two younger soldier brothers.

The song is one of those typical military call-and-response type numbers, a la, "Left! Left! Left, right Left! My knees are shakin', my back is tight, my balls are breakin', and that ain't right! Left! Left! Left, right Left!" But this one called on us to respond with "We kill 'em all." and "Let's tear this motherfucker down!" or something along those lines.(apologies, if I mangled the lyric, but you get the gist.)

Don't light up the stage in Colorado

Law Week Colorado reports that it's now illegal to smoke in character on a Colorado stage (HT: Don't Tase Me, Bro!):

Public health concerns trumped freedom of expression in a Colorado Supreme Court ruling this morning. In a 6-1 decision in Curious Theatre v. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the high court held that the state’s indoor smoking ban, enacted in 2006, bars actors from smoking onstage as part of plays.

OK, Skeptics. Here's a little Lady Gaga video. See?

Since I posted in praise of Lady Gaga, I've gotten my fair share of email from somewhat skeptical readers of this blog. So, I think it only fair to provide y'all with some video evidence, courtesy of our own Andrew Altenburg, who shot this with his camera phone. One interesting aside: going to a concert now is surreal because there are so many camera phones, it adds a whole 'nother dimension. Know what I'm sayin'?

At last! The first honest cover letter:

Just came upon this job posting and couldn't resist penning my own fantasy query letter.

AGENCY X is looking for a candidate to work as an assistant to the co-head of the literary department. The position requires a passion for great writing and for the business of books, impeccable organizational skills, the ability to prioritize and juggle numerous projects, excellent phone manner, outgoing personality, and top-notch editorial and writing skills. Responsibilities range from answering phones and tracking contracts and material, to preparing submissions, drafting correspondence, and evaluating and editing manuscripts. At least a year of prior book publishing experience a plus.

Dear X:

Why Artist Residencies

[Cross posted at http://alifesworkmovie.com/blog/]

Last week I had the honor of being asked by Sheila Gulley Pleasants, Director of Artists’ Services at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, to screen my film Tango Octogenario to the VCCA Board of Directors and say a few words about the value and importance of artist residencies. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but it went something like this.

What a Wonderful Town! (What should I go see tonight?!)

So the rainy afternoon turned snowy and, I don't know about you all, but that just gets me in the mood for a show. And, particularly, something musical and intimate. Maybe it's the cold weather. I don't know... So I fired up the old computer and started searching around town. And, it's 6pm and I can't decide what I'd like to see more. Here's just a small sampling of what's out there tonight in this great city of ours.

The sheer variety just floors me! What should I choose?!!!

Actors Are Amazing Creatures

So when I usually post these things, I write them out and edit them first. I've never really gotten into the whole blogging thing of just pouring it out and letting the chips fall where they may. Without editing (getting it how you want it before anyone sees it), what's the point of even writing?

Now that I've written that, I will contradict myself by pouring this thought out and sending it on basically unedited. What can I say? A riddle wrapped in an enigma am I.

Last week I had a private first reading of my new play, Another Girl. It was wonderful, just talented friends and pizza and beer and a couple of invitees to keep us all honest. Again I was struck by something that continually strikes me in my chosen profession: actors are amazing creatures.

"And I had some beautiful cutlets that were cut just right ... "

If there's one thing I hate it's blanket statements. The burr under my saddle today is "voice overs don't work." Next time someone says this, I'm not going to correct them with words of wisdom such as, "I'd qualify that. Bad voice overs don't work." No, instead, I'm going to tell them to watch Kind Hearts and Coronets. No, check that, that's in black and white and English, and anyone who would make such a ridiculous proclamation probably wouldn't know Ealing Studios from East L.A. No, I'm just going to make them watch this scene from Goodfellas.

"Sydney or the bush" time for Melrose Place

Truth to tell I never quite understood that old Peanuts saw of it being "sydney or the bush" but the meaning isn't hard to fathom - put up or shut up, do or die, succeed or fail and tonight MELROSE PLACE's success or failure hinges on how well or poorly Heather Locklear is received and how well or poorly they've written her in the reboot. Known for saving the Dynasty and then the Melrose Place franchises, Locklear has a unique reputation among viewers (and probably the folks in LA who hire and fire) for being a never miss actress. She saves everything she's in from being absolute dreck - and usually everything she's in is absolutely dreck - but there's something about her that elevates the material to campy dreck - and a lot of times that's all that people really want.

Lady Gaga: "This song is about the one thing I hate more than money... the truth."

Just saw the first concert on Lady Gaga's new tour, which begins in Montreal. I was invited to attend this concert as a lark. I actually didn't really know much about her music before I went. This may be the best way to go to a concert. No expectations of any sort!

All I knew was that I was going to see a performer who has enjoyed the kind of meteoric success that encourages comparisons to Madonna.