James Brown Dead at 73

"To this day, there has been no one near as funky" -- Rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy

Gordon DeBroder

I lost a dear friend this week. Dr. Gordon DeBroder was my music teacher and voice coach after high school and during college. He became a close family friend until his death on Monday after a long illness.

Gordon was a real character. I've never met anyone quite like him. He was vastly intelligent, extremely well educated (he held Master's degrees in Music and Psychology, and a PhD in Mathematics), was wickedly funny, and generous to a fault. Gordon must have given thousands of dollars over the years to friends in need. He was extremely kind-hearted.

I learned so much from Gordon, not only about music but about life as well. He was quite a mentor to me at a time when my family was breaking up and I really needed some guidance. I could always depend on Gordon for a sympathetic ear and a warm meal. We drank a few gallons of wine over the years as well!

Gordon DeBroder had friends and colleagues all over the world. Although he ran a humble piano and voice studio from his home, he was a world-class pianist who counted the great Van Cliburn among his closest associates. Gordon was always proud to receive a gift basket from Mr. Cliburn every Christmas.


Dr. DeBroder and his friend Van Cliburn

A teacher for many years, Gordon ran into to friends and former students in the oddest places. He told me many stories of traveling in Europe when he would be getting out of an elevator and suddenly an old student happened to be standing right in front of him. No matter where he went, somebody always knew him.

He also taught generations of families. It was not unusual for his younger students to grow up, start families, and have their children also take lessons from Gordon.

Gordon was a devout Christian and was deeply involved in his church. He often taught his music students on "scholarship" if they would sing in his church choir. I was one of those "scholarship" students and he never charged me a dime for all the lessons he gave me. It broke his heart when his church took away his work as Music Minister after 40 years of service. They wanted someone younger to fill his shoes. Good luck with that, you morons!

Goodbye, Gordon. Everyone who ever knew you, loved you. You will always be missed, but never forgotten.

Denver Post Obituary

DREAMGIRLS

Coming soon to a theater near you! Check out this year's Best Picture Oscar front-runner. It's a really entertaining film. I got to see an advance screening in Hollywood (for free!) and I enjoyed it a lot.

This film will be nominated in all categories: acting, costumes, music, directing, production design, etc. I don't see anything else on the horizon with as much broad appeal as DREAMGIRLS, so Oscar may shine his golden light all over this movie.

As Deena, Beyonce looks beautiful as always and she undergoes a dramatic transformation from an innocent teenage girl into a glamorous, sophisticated diva. Jamie Foxx does a fine job as Curtis, the manager of the Dreams. He has a very nice singing voice too. Eddie Murphy again demonstrates the breadth of his talent as the has-been James "Thunder" Early, and all the ensemble players are excellent.



But it is American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson who steals the show with a heartbreaking and star-making performance as Effie. Regardless of Simon Cowell's opinion, this girl can sing! Look for Hudson to collect a shelf full of awards this season.

Go see Dreamgirls! It's definitely the film of the year.

Woody Allen's Jazz Band

Had a rare opportunity to see Woody Allen perform at Royce Hall with his New Orleans Jazz Band. Woody's famously been playing clarinet in the band for years in New York. Very rarely do they go on tour so I jumped at the chance to see them, especially since the concert fell on my birthday weekend!

My pal Heidi joined me and we had a great time. The Wood-man is no Benny Goodman, but he can hold his own in the seven-piece ensemble. If you like old-school Dixie-land jazz, then check out this group if you get a chance!

What the Hell Happened to Christianity?

"So when did the focus of Christianity shift from the unconditional love and acceptance preached by Christ to the hate and condemnation spewed forth by certain groups today?"

Interesting commentary by "punk" minister Jay Bakker, prodigal son of Jim and Tammy Faye.

CNN.com: What the hell happened to Christianity?

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

I was just about to blog about how cold it is in California this week when I happened upon my friend Heidi's blog about exactly the same subject! Guess it's on everybody's mind.

Anyway, I laughed so hard reading her blog because it was like reading my very own thoughts on the matter, so I suggest you read Heidi's blog and have a quick laugh!

Daniel Craig Brings Bond Back in "Casino Royale"

Saw the excellent new James Bond film, Casino Royale, last night at Hollywood's historic Grauman's Chinese Theater with my friend Heidster. It was Heidster's first film at the Chinese and I think she enjoyed the experience.

First of all, the controversial new Bond is fantastic! Daniel Craig breathes new life into the role which had become little more than a cartoon superhero since the franchise ran out of original Ian Fleming stories back in the 1980s. Casino Royale is based on the very first Bond novel from 1953, and although the story has been updated to the present era (Bond fights terrorists instead of Communists), all the gritty realism and humanity in the books is back on the screen.

Craig's Bond is one bad-ass motherfucker who can take it and dish it out in equal measure. This Bond bleeds and he's not afraid to show his scars, both literal and emotional. Craig also has the best body of all the actors who have bared their chest in the role. He's buff and he's hot!



Like all the Bond films, Casino Royale has plenty of mystery, intrigue and spectacular action sequences and fight scenes, but they seem more realistic and deadlier than the bloated special effects extravaganzas of the more recent Bond epics. The producers claimed they were going back to basics with this film and I for one am delighted they did. I've long hoped to see a faithful presentation of Ian Fleming's original James Bond on the screen instead of the foppish dandy the character had become over the decades. Mr. Fleming would be proud of Craig's new incarnation. The character again has all the brains, brawn, and charm the world's most famous gentleman spy must have to survive his ruthless profession.

Now don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to rag on the other actors who have played Bond. I love all of them! I'm a huge fan of the entire Bond franchise and I've watched all the films dozens if not hundreds of times. Roger Moore played Bond while I was growing up so I have special fondness for his interpretation, but I thought Connery's movies (more faithful to Fleming's novels) were of much higher quality than the later films.

George Lazenby was forgettable in one of the best Bond stories, and Timothy Dalton suffered from poor scripts with no connection to the Ian Fleming source material. Pierce Brosnan brought back the series with great panache after an extended gap following the end of the Cold War. Brosnan was born to play Bond, and he would have done so 20 years ago if NBC had let him out of his Remington Steele contract.

As a student of film music, I also appreciated David Arnold's more traditional Bond score, which seemed to quote or at least allude to the romantic, lushly orchestrated John Barry themes from the classic films in the series. I've enjoyed Arnold's work on the last few Brosnan films but the music had become more electronic and pop-based to reflect the current times. The only musical disappointments in Casino Royale were the lack of Monty Norman's classic "James Bond Theme" during the film except over the end credits; and rocker Chris Cornell's theme song "You Know My Name" was hardly memorable.

As the closing credits proclaimed: "James Bond will return." I can't wait!

Read CNN's review.

2006 Nicholl Fellowship Dinner

Just got home from a fun evening with my friend Barry Dennen. He invited me to join him at the Beverly Wilshire (the Pretty Woman hotel) for the 21st Annual Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting awards banquet. This is an Academy event and not only is Barry an Academy member, he is one of the script readers for the Nicholl fellowship, the most prestigious screenwriting fellowship in the country.

We arrived in time for cocktails (I had the most delicious Belvedere vodka martini) and elegant hors d'oeuvres (my favorites were the fresh salmon sashimi and the succulent rare lamb chops -- yum!) Dinner was also spectacular: rare roast beef, baked sea bass, baked potatoes, steamed asparagus and a colorful tomato medley. Oh, and did I mention the ever-flowing Pinot Noir? The waiters left no one with an empty glass.

The food and drink were spectacular, but the highlight was the keynote speech from filmmaker Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Jersey Girl, etc.). Not only did he swear like a sailor throughout his speech, he had everybody rolling with laughter. Keep in mind these Academy events tend to be populated with stuffy seniors so it was at first shocking when Smith used the f-word in the first line of his speech! But the laughs soon followed and then every speaker who followed used the f-word as well!

Smith read a list of the last six Oscar winners for Best Screenplay and then jokingly wondered why he had been asked to deliver the keynote speech considering he's never even been nominated. Every year when he watches the Oscars on TV, he said, he sees the winner delivering his acceptance speech, and the same thought comes into his head: "I'm a better fucking writer than that guy!"

Smith warned the young writers in the audience to beware of actors who want to improvise dialogue and change the script. He told a long and involved story about a scene in Chasing Amy where the film's star Ben Affleck added a line that Smith didn't write. Smith cut the take and scolded Affleck for improvising during the shot. "If you want to make up shit, write your own damn script," Smith told him. "So Affleck did write his own screenplay," Smith dead-panned, "and he won an Oscar for it." That was, of course, Good Will Hunting.

After Kevin Smith's hilarious keynote address, the Nicholl Fellowship awards were presented and several of the presenters were notable professionals in the field. One that impressed me was Daniel Petrie who wrote the Beverly Hills Cop movies, Turner and Hooch, and The Big Easy. Not a bad resume! My favorite presenter however was the lovely actress Eva Marie Saint who exclaimed she was enjoying herself despite the foul language. "My father was a Quaker," she explained.

Barry and I sneaked out before the ceremony ended so we could make it to another party at The Lot, the old Warner Hollywood studio where I saw the JCS footage a couple weeks ago. Our sound man from Superstar, Doug Mountain, was celebrating the opening of his new post-sound facility at the studio. There were just a few people left, including Jack Nakano and Joe Gunches (the Superstar producers), and Craig Barna (conductor and music director for Superstar). We also met a handsome and talented young composer who is currently writing music for the sitcom Till Death, starring comedian Brad Garrett. This young man also wrote a song which is a current hit record in Asia by the pop diva BoA. I happen to know of BoA a lot because many of my Japanese and Korean students have mentioned her before. She is a superstar in Asia, kind of like Christina Aguilera is here in North America.

All-in-all, another fun Hollywood evening!

Don't Bother to Vote

It's Election Day here in the good ol' U.S. of A. and I for one will be exercising my Constitutional right NOT to vote this year. Why not, you ask? "Why bother?" is the more appropriate question.

Already this morning there have been problems with voting machines and poll workers who don't know how to operate the equipment. And let's not forget that the president of Diebold Corporation, the largest manufacturer of computerized voting machines, promised in a 2003 fund-raising e-mail to deliver Ohio's electoral votes to Bush in 2004. Mission Accomplished, indeed.

The United States is one of the only democracies in the world that hires private, partisan companies (3 out of 4 have close Republican ties) to tabulate votes with little or no oversight from the government. These voting machines are easily hacked and there are no paper records to recount in case of machine errors.

Since the elections in 2000 and 2004 were both completely rigged by the Republican Party (a federal judge in Ohio actually ruled that the Republicans had violated the public's Constitutional rights to have their votes counted properly), I have no faith whatsoever in the electoral system in this country. It is all controlled by greedy corporate interests who seek only personal gain.

So, you may participate today in the charade we call a democracy. Just say a prayer to those brave souls who worked and died to build this country into the most respected and admired nation in the world. And then see what a mess we've made of it.

Haggard the Homo

"He doth protest too much"

"It takes one to know one"

"You smelt it, you dealt it"

It's always fun to see a hypocritical gay-basher get caught for having gay sex, especially if that asshole happens to be an evangelical Christian minister.

Ted Haggard, married father of five and leader of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, was outed this week by a former male escort who claimed to have a three-year sexual relationship with Haggard, which included methamphetamine drug binges.

Haggard resigned as pastor and was evicted from the church he founded for "sexually immoral conduct."

MSNBC: Haggard resigns from Colorado church

It just goes to show that people who are comfortable with their sexuality don't feel the need to condemn anyone else's. Those who are repressed are usually the biggest critics and the biggest closet cases.

Don't worry, Ted. I'm sure Jesus still loves you. And your family will forgive you once you sign that big book deal. I can't wait to see the TV movie. Who do you think they'll cast as you? Tom Cruise?

Saddam Sentenced To Death

An Iraqi court today sentenced Saddam Hussein to hang for crimes against humanity. The decision automatically goes to an appeals court, but if upheld the execution must be carried out within 30 days.

Hope that doesn't disrupt the other war crimes case pending against Hussein.

MSNBC: Saddam sentenced to death by hanging

Doogie Howser is Gay

I knew it! Good for you, Neil!

CNN:'Doogie Howser' star comes out -- with pride

Will Smith is Happy

Special Hollywood treat this week. My tour boss Philip, a SAG member, gets free tickets to screenings all the time. Thursday night he invited me to a special private screening of The Pursuit of Happyness and the film's star, Will Smith, appeared for a Q&A after the film.

Philip kindly took me to dinner, on the company. We tried the newly reopened Boardner's at Cherokee and Hollywood. The decor was lovely, but the music was heavy industrial rock. It felt like an Art Deco biker bar. The food was decent, though.

The show was at the Egyptian, an old haunt, and we arrived late enough to be left to sit up front in the fourth row, which is not the most comfortable position to watch a movie despite the steeply raked floor toward the screen. However, it was an ideal location to get up close with Will Smith, who looked slightly thinner than he usually does on screen. He wore a sharp black suit and his hair was shorn close to his skull.

Will Smith is a refreshlingly earnest and down-to-earth guy. A handsome man, he charmed the audience with witty anecdotes about his acting career and his experiences making The Pursuit of Happyness and other films from his now lengthy career. He takes acting quite seriously and revealed a lot about his artistic process.
Mr. Smith introduced his lovely wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, sitting in the audience, and recounted several stories about his adorable, scene-stealing young son who also stars in the film as Will's son. When the moderator called for the last question, Will protested that he wasn't ready to stop: "I'm gonna take some more questions. I owe it to y'all for making Wild Wild West."

The Pursuit of Happyness tells the true story of Chris Gardner, a bright and nearly homeless single father who raised his young son while learning to become a stock broker. Chasing the American Dream, Chris Gardner overcame enormous obstacles to earn a successful position with Dean-Witter and he became a millionaire.

It's an emotional and uplifting story, with excellent acting by the whole cast. The San Francisco locations shine on the big screen. See it in theaters starting December 15th. And remember to vote for Will Smith when awards season comes around!

Brian Wilson: Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary

I treated myself to a special event at UCLA last Wednesday. Brian Wilson, the legendary creative force behind the Beach Boys, celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the classic Pet Sounds album by performing the entire work live in concert.

It was so much fun! The band were awesome. They sang great and almost everybody played a multitude of instruments, including keyboards, guitar, banjo, percussion of all sorts, trumpet, horn, and saxophone, accordion, harmonica, and so on. Joining the band on stage was original Beach Boy Al Jardine. It was fantastic to hear such beautiful music performed by talented musicians in an elegant concert hall where hundreds of great artists have performed over the decades.



Royce Hall, where the show was performed, is an intimate concert hall in a beautiful historic building on the UCLA campus. The acoustics were fantastic even for a loud rock show and the view was excellent from the center balcony. The house was completely sold out and everybody was moving to the music, except for the enormous woman to my right who kept playing with her stupid glow-in-the-dark PDA. Get a clue, sweetheart.

Anyway, the show was fantastic. Well worth the 68 bucks. Now you know why I went by myself.

What Happens in Vegas...

I've gotten so behind in my posting lately, busy with work but also with fun!

The weekend of Friday the 13th of October held many exciting and agonizing moments in Las Vegas. I flew out to see my mother and sister compete in the Sweet Adelines International Competition. If you're not familiar with the Sweet Adelines, they are an international organization of women's barbershop choruses. As quirky a concept as that sounds, it's actually quite a lot of fun and many different kinds of talented women are involved.

My mother has been singing in Denver's Skyline Chorus for a decade, and my sister joined only recently. It was Sherea's first International Competition and the first trip to Vegas for both of them. My sis wrote a great recap of our experiences on her blog, so I don't have much to add. It was fun to hang with family that I haven't seen in a while, and the entertainment in Las Vegas was spectacular.

I actually hate the atmosphere in Vegas. I grow increasingly disgusted with cigarettes and tobacco smoke with each passing day. Unfortunately, Las Vegas is choked by smoke and air pollution. And the whole town is bloody expensive, to the point of not being worth the trouble. The day I paid $10.99 for a 12" SUBWAY sandwich instead of $9.99 for the 6" one was the moment I realized, "OK, I'm over Vegas."

Take a lot of money with you to Vegas and you'll have a great time! There were so many shows I wanted to see. We were lucky to get to see the updated Folies Bergere at the Tropicana (topless!) and the legendary Liza Minelli in concert at the Luxor. Tremendous fun all around. I've had a good run of seeing living legends up close lately and Liza was no exception. She's quite a talented and professional entertainer. I'd love to see her again, and I hope I can return to Las Vegas some time to see a few more shows.

This Woman is My Hero!

Check out this hilarious story!

School Bus Driver Flips Bush the Bird

David Bowie thrilled to work with SpongeBob

Rock star David Bowie recently voiced a character for an upcoming "SpongeBob SquarePants" episode. DB apparently likes watching the show with his young daughter, Lexi. Full CNN story here.



Bowie also appears as inventor Nikola Tesla in the upcoming feature The Presige starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, and Michael Caine. The film opens this October 20. See you there!


Scarlett meets Bowie backstage at The Shrine Auditorium, 2003

Awesome Weekend!

Chandelier at the Shrine Auditorium

Last weekend was one of the funnest ever! Friday night my friend and coworker Alia and I attended the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival opening night gala and awards ceremony at the historic Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles. The Jules Verne Adventures organization, which has hosted film festivals in France for 15 years and is making its American debut this month, seeks to educate the public on the beauty and abuse of our natural ecosystems by exhibiting films that celebrate the spirit of adventure and environmentalism.

Malcom McDowell hosted the red carpet event to kick off the festival and presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to George Lucas and Dr. Jane Goodall. Harrison Ford also appeared to receive the Spirit of Nature Award. Special effects legend Ray Harryhausen appeared on stage for a special commemoration of King Kong's live stage debut as "The Eight Wonder of the World" in the original 1933 film, which was filmed at the Shrine. It was fun to watch that clip again on the big screen inside the actual theater! Then the presenter revealed the original King Kong model used for the stop-motion animation in the film. Only the metal armature is left; all the rubber and hair covering the frame have been lost over the years. The model was a gift for Harryhausen.


Storm Troopers await the arrival of their creator, Mr. Lucas

I sneaked my camera in and took a few pictures which you can view here.

Saturday included a quick drive down to San Diego with my friend Heidster to attend a San Diego Women Film Festival screening of the documentary she and our friend Heather made last year. The film is titled The First Timer's Club and it features interviews with 30 demographically diverse women about the experience of losing their virginity. It's quite a clever film and the three of us enjoyed seeing it despite poor attendance and technical glitches with the DVD. Good thing the girls had brought two spare copies!

Afterwards we met Randy and the boys at Starbucks to relax and celebrate. Randy and Heather's kids are so cute and smart, and they are growing up so fast. Gabriel, who just turned four, recently found out that his favorite Uncle Scottydude used to live in his room! Heidi and I made our way back to Los Angeles in record time thanks to a surprisingly low volume of traffic for a Saturday night. We also relished the opportunity to use the carpool lanes on the freeway.

Earlier in the evening I received an exciting phone call from Barry Dennen, the original Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar. Barry phoned to invite me to the Roger Waters concert at the Hollywood Bowl the following evening. It was such an exciting experience I had to give its own blog entry which you can read below.

So anyway, how was your weekend?

Roger Waters at the Hollywood Bowl

I was extremely fortunate to be invited by my new friend Barry Dennen to attend the Roger Waters concert at the Hollywood Bowl Sunday night. Barry’s friend Nettie happens to be married to Pink Floyd’s drummer Nick Mason and she gifted Barry with some sweet tickets right up front. I picked up Barry at his house in the hills behind the Bowl and we brought some snacks and a bottle of wine, which we carried in a plastic bottle to avoid detection.

The traffic was jammed outside the Hollywood Bowl and thankfully Nettie had provided valet parking for us. When we showed our valet pass to the traffic cops they stopped the other cars and let us proceed against traffic into the valet parking area. First class, huh?! The valets took our car and we walked down the hill into the VIP entrance. The security guard checked our bag and asked what was in the plastic bottle. Barry replied, “Grape juice.” “Enjoy your evening sir,” said the guard.

We made our way inside and an usher escorted us to our box seats in the front section of the Hollywood Bowl. The show had already started and the music and crowd were pumping. Pink Floyd has a dedicated following of enthusiastic fans who like to get stoned and listen to the band’s music and let me tell you the air at the Hollywood Bowl was clouded in pot smoke. Not only did I get a contact high from all the second-hand smoke, I may have developed a case of black lung.

Roger Waters played bass and guitar for Pink Floyd and became the major creative force behind the band's biggest 1970's hits. At Sunday’s sold out concert (his third and final night at the venue) Waters performed a mixture of songs, mostly Floyd classics and rarities, plus a beautiful and moving new song about his experience as a young man traveling in Lebanon when a kind Arab family took him in as their guest. The highlight of the evening was the performance of The Dark Side of the Moon, the group's 1973 monster hit that continues to be one of the top selling albums every year. Original Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason appeared on stage to join the band for Dark Side.

For the duration of the performance, there were stunning video projections -- abstract psychedelic images, pictures from space, animations and photo montages -- on a huge yet crystal-clear screen behind the band. Late Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett’s face appeared during a moving rendition of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. Video cameras provided close up views of Waters and the other players on the Bowl's overhead video screens. It was cool to see close-ups of the guitar solos. The show also featured several explosions and bursts of flame reaching sky high behind the band and also above the band shell of the Hollywood Bowl. At the finale of Dark Side a huge crane above the band shell lifted high a smoking triangular prism with a beam of light diffracted into a rainbow, like the iconic Dark Side of the Moon album cover. Oh, and did I mention the fireworks at the end of the encore "Comfortably Numb"?

Yes, Mr. Waters likes to put on a show for his audience. The show was very political and topical throughout, with many references to war, dependence on oil, corporate greed, political corruption, racism, and pop culture. At one point in the middle of the show, a man dressed in a blood-stained butcher's smock and wielding a knife appeared from the wings of the stage holding the strings of a huge inflated balloon of a pink pig floating above him like some Macy’s Thanksgiving Day perversion. The pig was decorated with graffiti and political slogans such as "Impeach Bush". Surrounded by a strong security detail, the butcher paraded with his pig through the delighted Hollywood Bowl audience, from the expensive front box section where we sat, all the way up to the top bench seats. There were huge cheers and many flashes of camera phones during that part.

The sound design was also spectacular. The show was advertised as having "quadrophonic surround sound" and the surround effect created great moments of swirling keyboards and echoing sound effects. My favorite sound moment was during the Dark Side song "Brain Damage" with the line "the lunatic is on the grass" and the creepy, crazy laughter from the album came from behind us and bounced around the entire venue. Awesome!

Waters played bass guitar and led the band, switching a few times to acoustic guitar for some of the quieter numbers. He rarely spoke to the audience but sang well and did a great job of communicating his music through gestures and facial expressions, and he developed a rapport with the audience by making eye contact both personally and via the video cameras. He also spent a lot of time rocking with his bass guitar at the front corners of the stage in front of the amplifier stacks. It made for some classic rock moments during the band's longer jams.

As if the performance itself weren't enough, Barry's friend Nettie also provided us guest passes to the band's VIP party after the show! We made our way through the crowds leaving the theater (I passed by Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn looking for the party) and proceeded to the artist's entrance. A security guard escorted us through the gate and into the small VIP lounge where a crowd of friends and admirers were partying and congratulating the band. It was fun to laugh and mingle with some interesting and polite people, and quite of a few of them were famous.

Oscar-nominated actor Geoffrey Rush stood outside the entrance chatting with some blokes. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason greeted us at the doorway and we spoke a few minutes with him. Comedian Gary Shandling shuffled nervously near the bar at the back of the room. I almost didn't recognize him -- he had a bad haircut and too much cosmetic surgery. I wasn't sure it was really him until I moved in front of him and heard him talking on the phone. Rosanna Arquette swam through the crowd looking for Nettie. About that time I got bumped from behind by a man who was affectionately playing with his pre-teen son -- it was Val Kilmer!

There were many Britons there and English accents filled the air. Barry and I talked a long time with the gorgeous and adorable Nettie Mason, who is tall and thin and resembles Elizabeth Hurley a bit. One of Nettie's best friends was also there and she had just been certified as a submarine pilot the day before. She was very attractive and definitely has a thing for younger men: "I like anything that's dangerous, darling." Schwing! We also spoke with a handsome director from Scotland named Guy and his lovely American girlfriend, who looks like a movie star but is instead a child psychologist. Everyone was so charming and polite.

Barry and I ate delicious hors d'ouevres and drank a couple glasses of hearty red wine. We had fun meeting a lot of different people and we congratulated the band members and the beautiful black backup singers for a wonderful performance. After seeing so many famous and beautiful faces, Barry commented, “If you sucked all the Botox out of this room, you could float a ship on it!”

Finally, Roger Waters arrived and the well-wishers surrounded him. I waited for a while until the crowd had subsided then made my move. He had just finished autographing someone's concert ticket when I touched the side of his left arm and told him how much I had enjoyed the concert and what a thrill it was to meet him. He smiled warmly, shook my hand, and thanked me. It was a fun moment.

Barry and I said our goodbyes and made our way outside to the parking lot. The crew were furiously dismantling the stage equipment and loading it into several big rig trucks. As we walked toward the valet parking to retrieve my car, an attractive young black man posing nearby called to me and asked if I enjoyed the show. He approached to talk with us and we shared our favorite moments from the performance (he and I were both impressed by the inclusion of "The Final Cut"). He seemed to recognize me and asked who I was and if I was a musician. I told him my name and gave him my guest pass so he could get into the party.

The car arrived and we made our way around the block to drop off Barry at his home. I made my way down the hills of Hollywood to my Melrose apartment. It was quite late and I had to teach in the morning. By the time I got home, the wine and the excitement of the evening really began to hit me and I felt quite drunk and sick. The hangover this morning was no fun at all -- but it was well worth it!

Another Good Reason to Smoke Pot

CNN: Marijuana Reduces Alzheimer's Risk

Summer of 2006

But asked whether he is prepared to discuss his sexuality, Spacey leans forward and says very clearly and succinctly: “No, sir!”

Police Shoot Suspect 68 Times

File this one under Professional Restraint:

MSNBC News: Accused of killing deputy, suspect shot 68 times

Willie Nelson's Hollywood High

I had the extreme pleasure last weekend of attending American legend Willie Nelson's sold-out concert debut at the Hollywood Bowl. Willie strolled on stage with his hair in a braided pony tail stretching down to his waist and played his beat-up, old guitar Trigger and gently sang a 30-minute introductory set with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, then returned to the stage in his red bandana after a short intermission for a rockin' two-hour set with his traveling family band.

It was incredible to be reminded of how many great songs Willie Nelson has written in his nearly 50-year career. He sang almost all the audience favorites and even included a few lesser known songs for hardcore fans. I loved all of it, even though I attended the show alone. I had plans to meet up with my friends Ben and Sirena, who had tickets in a different section from mine, but I was never able to connect with them. It didn't matter, though. I had my little cooler with my beers and snacks and I had a great time.

Incidentally, Willie still likes to party quite a bit. He just got busted for possessing a pound and a half of pot, plus mushrooms, on his tour bus. No wonder he always wants to get "On the Road Again"!

Oops, She did it again! Britney gives birth

Britney Spears gave birth to her second son yesterday, two days before her first son's first birthday! Two kids in less than a year? That's what I call turnaround.

Britney's husband K-Fed is 28 years old and now has four children: two with Britney and two from a previous relationship.

CNN article

Steve Irwin killed by stingray

"Instant Karma's gonna get you..."

Crikey!

CNN: Stingray kills 'crocodile hunter'

I'm an Emmy winner!

Well, not really, but I did get to hold one at a party a few months ago. I've been waiting for the actual Emmy awards to post this picture (with thanks to Heidster for taking the photo).

I remember the statuette feeling much more awkward to hold than an Oscar. The figure's wings are sharp lightning bolts that will poke you in the eye if you're not careful. I don't think I really want to own an award that could do me bodily harm.

Having held an Oscar and an Emmy, all I need now are a Grammy and a Tony.

(Incidentally, I didn't watch a minute of this year's Emmy Awards ceremony. Did I miss anything?)

Bruno Kirby dead at 57

Leukemia sucks! And why always so young? It got Carl Anderson at age 58.

CNN.com: Character actor Bruno Kirby, 57, dies

JCS Day Five: Show Time!

Hallelujah, we made it! It was a hell of a task, but we pulled off a high quality production in only four and a half days of staging! It's a miracle this thing came together, considering the short time frame and the fact we never had the full cast together until the dress rehearsal on the afternoon of the performance. Ah, you gotta love show biz.

Although the performance was not perfect (it never is), the audience was spectacular and they cheered and screamed throughout the show. We spotted a few celebs in the house, including Harrison Ford, Geena Davis, Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber, and Wayne Brady among others. There were also a few of the TEDHEADS, fans of Ted's and the show. They did a great job of pumping up the crowd.

The show was recorded on HD for possible release on TV or DVD. I do hope something comes of it because I would love to see how it looked. Gary Goddard performed an amazing miracle of getting this production together in just a few weeks. It sure is exciting to work with some of the best artists in the business.


After party at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre

After the show, there was a huge party upstairs in the theater for the cast and crew and the VIPs who had shelled out all this money for the charity. I learned there were more than 70 VIP tickets that sold for $1000 each. By the end of the evening when most folks had left, I was feeling tired and I knew I had to get up early to teach English at UCLA so I decided to say my goodbyes. Then our director Gary invited all the cast over to his Beverly Hills home to continue the party! Oh god, I was tired but I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that so I went and it was very fun. He has a very lovely home with a large living room and a patio and pool, perfect for entertaining.

The Neeley family arrived after posing for hundreds of photos at the theater. Ted is so good about that. I remember our tour bus waiting for hours after each show until he finished signing autographs and talking with his fans. He's such a generous and thoughtful man. Jack Black is also a really cool guy and very good to his fans: he signed hundreds of autographs and took dozens of pictures.


Jack Black and me

It was great to catch up with Ted's lovely wife Leeyan and his charming kids Tessa and Zachariah. I couldn't believe that the family remembered me, especially the kids. I hadn't seen them in ten years. Tessa has grown into a stunning young woman, and Zach is so big! I didn't even recognize him at first. The last time I saw him, he was a little nine-year-old kid playing with his Power Ranger action figures or whatever boys play with at that age.


The Neeley family with Veronica Anderson, Carl's widow

I finally made my way home after 4:00 AM. You know driving in LA is so much nicer when there are no other cars on the road -- I made it home in less than ten minutes! My alarm roused me two short hours later and I made it to work on time. Then I came home in the afternoon and crashed on the couch for a little while, but honestly I didn't get much rest since I was still wound up from the previous evening's excitement. Reality came crashing back to me when I headed out to do my laundry at 9pm. Ugh.

It was a very emotional experience to go on this wild ride, but I must admit a great sense of relief having completed the process. What I loved most was reuniting with my dear friends from the A.D. Tour, and bonding with new friends and colleagues such as Gary Goddard, Yvonne, Barry, and the outstanding company of actors and musicians in our ensemble.

I don't know what's next for Scottydude's professional performing career. Working in the theater again certainly has reignited my creative energies. Our music director Craig Barna suggested I audition for the national tour of Camelot with Michael York which Craig is doing. I might give it a shot since he told me I could get an appointment with the casting director instead of dealing with the cattle call.

More than anything I would like to perform in Jesus Christ Superstar. I don't know why, but there is something about that show and the music that really moves me. It is a timeless story that will endure for generations to come. As Ted told me as he hugged me goodnight, "We'll do it again." I can't wait!


Scotty and Teddy

JCS in Hollywood: Day Four

The countdown is on! It's one day before the show and we still have much to prepare before the performance. Ben Vereen arrived in the afternoon and worked on stage for a couple hours with director Gary Goddard and our Caiaphas and Annas, Chris Carey and Larry Friedman. We also worked through the Last Supper with Ben and Ted.


Scotty with Ben Vereen

Ben seems like a nice fellow, very talented, but it was surprising to note that he doesn't really know the part! Sure he played Judas on Broadway, but that was 35 years ago and he hasn't touched the material since. Our Judas cover, Chuck DiMaria, was shadowing Ben on stage and feeding him every line during rehearsal. Ben left during dinner break to go rest at the hotel and to study his script.


Gary Goddard, Barry Dennen, Ted Neeley, Ben Vereen

Outside the theater, beautiful show posters were displayed with every cast member's name and photo included! They look really great and I'm sure they were very expensive. Gary Goddard does everything first class. For a few minutes most of the cast was outside taking pictures and then a few media photographers and fans saw us and it turned into a real photo shoot of the cast on the red carpet!


"Look Ma, I made it!"


Da Boys and the paparazzi

Gary also gave us each a show poster and a souvenir program for the show, and my goodness they are so cool. The program has photos and bios of everybody involved in the production, plus a memorial page for Carl Anderson. It's a wondeful keepsake. All the cast members signed one another's posters; these will look great framed.

Inside the theater, the set has really come together. It looks beautiful with all the lighting and dressing. The crew has been working 24-hour days non-stop to get everything just right. We also have big TV cameras at the back of the house and on the balconies. They will record the performance in HD with direct sound and video feeds to the trucks outside. Then they can mix it down for the DVD release. Gosh, I hope they really do that 'cause it would be cool to have this recorded, especially since none of my friends or family will be at the performance.


Gary directs "Damned for all Time" on stage

During the afternoon staging rehearsal, I was positioned downstage when I suddenly saw the theater manager positioning a very elderly man in a wheelchair right in front of the stage just a few feet from me. This frail old gentlemen seemed very interested in observing the action on stage and he had several assistants around him with water and snacks, making sure he was comfortable. The old man looked vaguely familiar and then I recognized him as Ricardo Montalban! Of course - he wanted to see what was happening in his theater.

During a break in the action I sneaked down to take a picture with him. I told him my favorite movie of his was the Planet of the Apes movie he did. "Oh yes, I remember that one," he replied in his familiar Spanish accent. He was a very kind gentlemen and gladly posed for pictures and signed autographs for people throughout the afternoon. I was surprised that he stayed for several hours, sitting and watching everything. The house manager told me later that Sr. Montalban really enjoyed himself. He felt invigorated by all the activity. It made me sad to think that this once vital actor/singer/dancer from Mexico City who has performed in hundreds of movies, TV shows, and stage productions is now reduced to an elderly invalid. Getting old sucks.


Scott meets Ricardo Montalban

One very cool addition to the production today was the musicians. We rehearsed with the rock band in the evening and they sound awesome. I'm delighted that our old guitarist from the A.D. tour, Kim Norton, is playing the gig. Kim knows the show so well, I noticed at one point didn't even have the right music on his stand while he was playing! The band is actually upstage of the set so the actors have to be very careful not to disturb any equipment or instruments as we make our entrances and exits. The conductor and musicians got quite frustrated though since their music stand lights are controlled by the lighting designer and he kept dimming them during scene changes. "We can't see the music!" screamed the conductor many times during the rehearsal. I can't wait to hear the full orchestra with strings and brass on Sunday.


Scott hangs with Yvonne Elliman

During dinner break, I had a chance to hang out with Yvonne Elliman, our Mary Magdelene. Yvonne is such a clown and she had us all in stitches. She's also quite a flirt! She introduced us to her lovely daughter Sage, whom Yvonne obviously adores. Sage has completed a Master's Degree and is planning to go for her PhD. Yvonne told us that as a little girl Sage loved school and would come home and finish her homework and then ask her mommy for more! Smart young lady.


Jack Black as Herod

The evening rehearsal saw the return of Jack Black as Herod. He ran through his number about four times and all the cast sat in the house to watch him work. All I can say is: genius at work. Jack is amazing and hilarious at Herod. He is perfect and his scene will undoubtedly steal the show. If you don't know the show, Herod's Song sounds like an old ragtime vaudeville burlesque number with Herod mocking Jesus and taunting him for performing miracles. At one point, Ted was away from the stage so Larry Friedman, Ted's cover, stepped in and Jack played the whole number to him! Larry said later, "I can't believe that actually happened -- Jack Black was right in my face!"


Jack Black as Herod gets close to Jesus

Gary finally finished blocking all the scenes late in the evening, and then we tried a full run-through. It was rough, but we got through it and the cast members haven't done the show before got a better sense of the overall picture. It was so funny, after each scene I'd have about four or five people come up to me backstage and ask, "What's next?" Luckily, I could always tell them the right answer. This is exactly why Forbes and Ted needed me and other Superstar veterans: to help the newbies along.

The only major component still missing is Clint Holmes as Simon Zealotes. He has only one solo number in the show, but it's a big one with a lot of movement and choreography. I sang the song during the run-through -- damn, they should just give that solo to me! I also helped conduct the cast during the chorus numbers since without video monitors we can't see Craig Barna conducting since he's behind us upstage. Shoot, I could do this whole show by myself, couldn't I? (hee hee)



Not to toot my own horn too much, but I had a realization last night on my way home: I'm a pretty talented guy! I can sing, act, and move on stage. I understand stage production, I read music, I'm a conductor, and I'm a pretty nice guy, to boot. Shit, what am I doing teaching English?! I hope Gary Goddard recognizes my talents and remembers me for future productions. He is one of the most talented and successful artists in the entertainment industry, a good guy to know in this business.

It's been a long time since I've had these creative juices flowing and I really miss it. Teaching English is a fine job, but it does very little to feed the soul. Perhaps something will come of this to inspire me back into peforming more regularly. Ted has already connected me with some of his friends who run the successful Rubicon Theater in Ventura and they said they would love to have me on their team. That's a real nice thing to hear in this town.

Well dear reader, there's not much left to say. Tomorrow, the show!

JCS in Hollywood: Day Three

The Ricardo Montalban Theatre marquee

Another whirlwind day in Jesus-ville. Today we had the addition of Deep Voice Guy, Chris Carey, who was born to play Caiaphas. It was so funny at the afternoon music rehearsal when we practiced the "Jesus Must Die" number and Chris opened that basso profundo mouth of his -- all the kids in the chorus nearly fell out of their chairs with surprise! I'm so used to hearing Chris sing the role that I had forgotten what a shock it is to hear that deep, deep voice.

We rehearsed music for a couple of hours in the afternoon, then there was a one-hour break when Jack Black secretively arrived for his private rehearsal on stage. You would have thought the President was in the house or something because all entrances to the auditorium were blocked by velvet ropes, chairs, and burly stage hands keeping everyone out. Signs were posted reading: Absolutely NO Admittance. I guess some people take themselves too seriously.

During the break, Larry, Chris, Chris' friend Trish and I walked down the street to get a sandwich at Caffe, Etc. It was really delicious food -- now I know why their sandwiches cost $10 a pop!


Larry, Chris, Ted, and myself

Back at the theater, Jack Black surprised us by popping upstairs to the rehearsal room to meet the cast. Turns out he's a pretty nice guy. He was rather humble and softspoken, and he looks exactly like he does in the movies: longish hair, scruffy beard, and chubby belly. Ted told me later that Jack requested a private rehearsal because he was so nervous about making mistakes in front of the cast. I guess it's difficult when you become a big star because everybody expects greatness from you at every moment. As a kid, Jack participated in the YouTHeatre organization, which is the beneficiary of this charity performance, hence his involvement.


A young Jack Black on stage for YouTHeatre

The cast was sent on dinner break from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, but just as I got home and was about to nod off on the couch for my afternoon nap, the telephone rang. It was our stage manager Phil Rahn asking if I could come back to the theater because the director, Gary Goddard, wanted to work with me, Ted, Yvonne, Barry, and a few others. Well certainly I snapped to attention and rushed back to the theater.

Unfortunately when I got there, no one else was around except Ted. So Ted and I went up into the balcony and sat down together. It had been so long since we had had the opportunity for a nice, private chat. We talked about the show and the upcoming tour he's preparing for. He was frustrated with the tour production company because they hadn't hired any of the people he recommended for the cast or crew, mostly because the company didn't offer enough money for people to leave their day jobs.

Ted also spoke about his wife and kids. They came with him from Houston to see this production, and in fact I saw them at the theater later in the evening. My god, I couldn't believe how much the kids had grown! The last time I saw them, ten years ago, they were both little kids. Now they are beautiful young adults. I can't believe how tall Ted's son Zach has grown. The kids want to go to school here in California, so Ted is seriously considering moving back here.

Finally Ted called Gary on his cell phone and said, "Scotty and I are sitting in the house. Are you ready for us yet?" Gary was on stage with Yvonne Elliman, who had just arrived and was singing with the musical director (the excellent Craig Barna), so we went down and Ted introduced me to her. She's a funny and charming lady and we had a nice meeting together. After Yvonne sang her solo, we practiced "Peter's Denial" and and as Gary promised, I get to be Man by the Fire: "But I saw you too/it looked just like you." Barry Dennen was also there so I snapped some pictures.


Barry Dennen and Yvonne Elliman


Scotty Spalding and Barry Dennen

The evening staging rehearsal got started over an hour late, but we finished most of the second act. I'm proud to say I'm on stage singing and moving in every chorus scene. We had a nice moment with Ted during the lepers scene when we all grab at him and drag him down and beg him to heal us. Ted really gets into the part at times and his body was quivering with energy during that moment leading up to his scream, "Heal yourselves!"

Afterwards, he asked the cast to sit close with him on stage and he told us in his soft whisper of a voice how much he depends on and appreciates the emotional and physical connection between the performers on stage. Ted's a touchy-feely kind of guy and a real sweetheart, and in that moment he bonded with the cast. Everyone was instantly smitten with him -- it was a classic Neeley moment. Like one of the young chorus girls told me later, "He's so cuddly!"

I started to get a little choked up at two point during the evening. The first time was when Yvonne and Ted were on stage for "I Don't Know How to Love Him." I was standing in the wings next to Barry Dennen, and we were both watching and listening to Yvonne sing to Ted and I suddenly thought, "Is this a dream?" This music and these people have been such a strong part of my life for so many years; it was a surreal experience to be standing in the same space with them instead of watching them on screen or listening to the records.

I also felt the tears welling up during the Last Supper, during which I play one of the Apostles. Gary has staged it nicely so that as we sit down for the meal with Jesus, we recreate the poses Leonardo da Vinci used for his painting of the Last Supper (I'm third from the right). I think they did that in the movie too, right? It will be a really nice moment for the audience. I started to get really sad when Ted started singing about "the end" and then his argument with Judas ensues and I flashed back to all those great moments between Ted and Carl during this scene. I was often on stage as an apostle during the tour and it was always an emotionally-charged moment because those two guys really let it rip.

I miss Carl a lot, but I'm eager to see what Ben Vereen will bring to the role. I don't think Ben's performed the part since the original Broadway run more than 30 years ago. He's supposed to join us Saturday, so stay tuned!

JCS in Hollywood: Day Two

Thursday was another whirlwhind 18 hour day for yours truly. After teaching my morning class at UCLA, I had to run out at noon for a costume fitting at Universal Studios. It was my first time to be on the actual lot, not just the theme park. The costume department is housed in the appropriately named Edith Head building.



Although I wanted to drive around and explore more of the studio lot, my presence was expected at rehearsal so I quickly made my way over the hill to the theater in Hollywood. The afternoon was spent in a music rehearsal. There are a few lyrics which are different from any version of the show I've been aware of, particularly in the Temple scene and in the Trial Before Pilate.

In the Temple, the last verse before the instrumental break has been replaced by a completely different lyric: "What you see is what you get/No one's been disappointed yet/Don't be scared, give me a try/There is nothing you can't buy."

And in the Trial, just after Pilate's line "He's a sad little man/not a king or god/I need a crime" the chorus suddenly breaks into a syncopated spoken section: "Kill him/he says he's god/he's a blasphemer/He'll conquer you/and us and every Caesar/(random shouts)/Crucify him." Then Pilate continues, "Behold the man/behold your silent king..."

Whacky, huh? I think it sounds stupid, but maybe that's just 'cause I'm not familiar with that section. Is it from the Broadway verion? Perhaps the movie? They did add some different things for the movie. In fact, we are singing the extra verse in Hosanna where Jesus says something like, "Sing out your song, but not for me alone..." and I can't remember the rest of it. That was written for the movie, I think. Oh well, it just means I have some new lyrics to learn, but more likely I'll just be lipsyncing in those new parts!


Music rehearsal with the Priests

I sang Pilate's lines for the Trial music rehearsal, but Barry Dennen arrived for the staging rehearsals and he did a fine job. He's a surprisingly small man, but he's very sweet and I had a chance to chat with him several times throughout the day. I reminded him of the time we met at the Egyptian Theater for the JCS movie screening.

During the evening rehearsal, Teddy arrived and walked on stage to give me a big hug. He rubbed my cheek with his hand and said, "Scotty, I'm glad you're here." HE's glad?! That's just the kind of generous, loving man Mr. Neeley is. Watching him mill amongst the cast with greetings and hugs for everyone, it struck me anew what a unique individual he is -- so warm and kind. He truly embodies all the great things about the character he plays.

Ted's a very nervous flyer and today was doubly bad because of the terrorist plot foiled in London, which has made airport security even more oppressive than before. Ted phoned the producer and said he was going to skip the flight and drive to L.A. from Houston instead. It's a three day trip, which would have placed his arrival just about show time on Sunday! Rather than risk it, they hired a private jet to bring to Ted to Burbank airport. He was much happier with that, I'm sure.

Ted didn't rehearse this evening, but he did meet with the producers and went for his costume fitting. Larry stood in his place and wowed the cast with his pyrotechnic vocals. The man can sing REALLY high! We rehearsed the Temple scene and the Lepers all evening and finally broke a little after 11:30pm. It was so hot in the theater, everybody was drenched.

It's a little scary to think we haven't even finished blocking the show and we go on in two days' time. Our director Gary said we'd finish blocking on Friday so that we can add the stars in Saturday and Sunday. I'm not sure when Jack Black is arriving, but I've already heard negative things about him, or more specifically his representatives. Don't know many details but it seems some diva-esque attitudes have been copped: insisting on a private rehearsal before joining the cast, and something about balking over the contracts regarding video and audio recording of the show. The cast signed contracts for that yesterday. Seems Universal wants to film the performance for possible distribution on CD and DVD, plus a PBS broadcast. That may be in jeopardy if Jack or any of the other stars decide not to sign.

I'll keep you posted, dear reader! In the meantime, enjoy some pics I took with my new camera.


Larry Friedman (Annas) and Phil Rahn (stage manager)


The stage


The cast gets psyched for the Simon Zealotes number


Who's that sweaty guy?

JCS in Hollywood: Day One

Today was my first day of rehearsals for the special one-night-only performance of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. The cast is mostly young and hot (I love LA) and pretty talented as far as I can tell.

I was expecting a music rehearsal today, but in fact the music director is out of town until tomorrow. There was an earlier music rehearsal last weekend before I was cast, so today was a staging rehearsal. We got through most of the first act of the show, skipping a few sections that will depend on the star actors in the lead roles. Most of them won't be here until closer to show time....which is only four days away!

Today I was reunited with a couple guys from the national tour I did ten years ago. This afternoon I saw Chuck DiMaria, who was our Judas replacement when Carl Anderson was away from the show. And this evening Larry Friedman, our wonderful Annas and Jesus understudy, arrived with his lovely wife Debbie. Larry is a darling man and we were quite close buddies during the tour, even roommates for a while. We laughed all evening remembering some of the funny stories from that time.

Things will get even better tomorrow when Chris Carey, our Deep Voice Guy who plays Caiaphas, arrives. I think Barry Dennen, as Pilate, arrives tomorrow as well. It's pretty crazy to put together a show in only a few days, especially when we won't have the full cast together until show day. It's pretty exciting, though.

I like our director Gary Goddard. He's a very talented man and he obviously loves this show. I think he likes me too, 'cause he's keeping me on stage and up front for most of the stage blocking so far. Because I joined the show after it was cast, I wasn't assigned any particular roles, but Gary told me tonight I can do the "Man by the Fire" character who recognizes Peter after he denies his association with Jesus.

The set design is really cool. It's all welded iron railings with stairways and platforms reaching three levels high. They're also adding video screens to show clips of the original movie during some of the sequences. This is turning out to be a rather involved production, all for one night, and I think it could be a really good show. Besides the talented cast on stage, we will also have a 30-piece orchestra playing Sir Andrew's original orchestrations, and the producer announced today that we will be joined by the choir from the Agape Church, Carl's house of worship. I attended his memorial service at Agape and the music was incredible.

I'll post some pictures here in the next day or two. I bought a new digital camera just for that purpose. It's after 12:30 AM so I must get to bed....another long day tomorrow!