Tom Tancredo for President

One of the coolest things I've enjoyed telling people lately is "my best friend's Dad is running for President." There's not many times in life when you could expect to say that to someone, but for me it's true.

I've known Tom Tancredo since I was in junior high school. He's one of the best men I've ever met: honest, hardworking, a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He's also been a U.S. Representative from the State of Colorado for at least a half dozen years now, with strong support from his district.

I really love Tom, but I don't agree with him on almost any issue. I think he is right about many things, but I'm cynical enough to think some problems cannot be solved because it's too late. For example, Tom strongly supports the "English only" mentality. Even if we stopped all immigration (legal and otherwise) immediately, the Spanish language would continue to grow in popularity in this country. Just watch any current children's program on public television and you'll see that practically every character speaks English and Spanish interchangably.

It's a matter of mathematics at this point. The white population is simply not reproducing as rapidly as the Latino population. I see this here in Los Angeles already. We're currently 50% Spanish-speaking, and 40% of our citizens were born in another country.

I don't see that many pure-blooded whites anymore, especially not the young people. Racial groups have been mixing significantly for at least a couple of generations out here so almost everyone has a little "color" in them, and that seems very appropriate and natural to me. Most Latino youngsters speak Spanish with their families and English with their classmates and friends.

Tom is right, though, about the lack of assimilation by immigrants into "American" culture. I feel like a foreigner in an exotic country in some neighborhoods of Los Angeles. You can go for blocks, if not miles, without seeing any signs in English, except the street signs. This variety can be quite exhilirating; however, I do feel disappointment at the isolationism going on, the tribal-cultural bonding amongst newcomers which is also a natural process, particularly among Asians. I have actually felt the sting of prejudice a few times, a bitter reflection on the hardship suffered by minorities.

I only wish there was more blending of cultures. At least it's happening with food: Los Angeles is rich in fine restaurants serving every cuisine imaginable to a diverse cross-section of patrons. It's not uncommon for the average Angeleno to have sushi for lunch and enchiladas for dinner. However, language differences continue to be a barrier against socialization and commerce between various ethnic groups in this community. We're a huge mosaic of cultural enclaves woven together like a tapestry across the desert.

Sadly, Hispanics continue to labor as the servant class, not only for WASPS, but for Asians, Middle-Easterners, and Jews as well. Besides farming our food, Latinos wash our cars, mow our lawns, clean our homes and offices, construct new buildings, maintain old buildings, and raise our children. Most of them ride the bus because they can't afford a car. But guess who drives the buses? The blacks.

It's an odd socio-economic caste system we've developed here. I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet, except that only very few of us are upwardly mobile anymore. Most of us are moving downward. I see more and more people living on the street every day. It's saddening and sickening.

Tom Tancredo would say sealing the borders would help solve that problem. He's probably right. I just doubt that the government or the public have the insight or the will to take meaningful action to stop immigration, even if it could be morally defended. The influence of immigrants is an important part of our cultural fiber, and it should be managed much better than it has been for the past 40 years. Our country has grown so large, so quickly, there's not much we can do at this point to change things.

Check out Tom's YouTube page and watch some of his comments about immigration, and his brilliant and scathing criticisms of Bush and his mob of crooks. Tom is completely unafraid to rip Dubya a new one. He's way more harsh than any Democrat I've heard. You rock, Tom!

Congressman Tancredo, I hope you become the next President of the United States. At least I'd know an honest man had finally won.

R2-D2, Where are you?

Some of you may have seen the USPS blue mail boxes decorated to look like R2-D2 from Star Wars. They were promoting the 30th anniversary of the first Star Wars film as well as the new Star Wars stamps. I've seen several of the boxes around Los Angeles: in Hollywood and downtown in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

There was also one near my school at UCLA. I had one of my students take my picture with "R2" and I'm so glad I did because the next day, R2 was gone! He was only there for a couple of days. I'm not sure if the post office moved that box or if someone stole him. What a cool collector's item, eh?

A Long Time Ago...A New Hope

It was 30 years ago today that my life changed forever. I was seven years old and living with my family in the small city of Lubbock, Texas. There was a new movie showing in our tiny local movie house.

Although I didn't know much about this new film (or any movies in general), my neighbor buddies had already seen the movie several times when they invited me to go with them to see it again. My dad gave me the two bucks to buy a movie ticket and my friends' mom drove us to the theater and dropped us off. It was my first time to see a movie without my parents!

We arrived a little late and the movie was just starting. The only seats available were front row center. So we made our way down the aisle and plopped into our seats just as the first scene began. A huge spaceship (menacingly called a "Star Destroyer") roared across the screen as if from above. My jaw dropped and I was completely transfixed for the next two hours.

Like most young kids my age, I became a huge fan of the Star Wars films. I saw all the movies multiple times at the theater (this was before home video, remember?) and I had a huge collection of toys, games, and memorabilia from the films. Sadly, not much of this collection remains except for one prized toy: a Yoda puppet from the second Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back.

I also had the original soundtrack album of the movie score featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Williams. I loved the music from Star Wars and listened to that soundtrack album for hours. My favorite tracks were "Ben's Theme" and the "Cantina Band" from the bar in Mos Eisley space port. Even today if I hear the music from Star Wars, I can recite every line of dialog from the film and hum practically every note along with the orchestra!

I also had a very cool record album called The Story of Star Wars, which featured music and dialog from the film along with narration to tell a condensed version of the story. I played that record ad nauseum, probably wearing out the vinyl in the process. Luckily a few years ago, I found a copy of the record in mint condition, which I had imported from Japan. A kind friend helped transfer the audio from the vinyl to CD so I could hear it since I don't currently have a turntable.

Who could have known 30 years ago what a huge influence Star Wars would become, not only on cinema but on worldwide popular culture? It has become an international, multi-generational phenomenon.

The film had a tremendous impact on me. Not only did I become a Star Wars fan, I also grew to love movies in general, and particularly film music. I also learned to use my imagination and to wonder what could be out there in the stars, "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...."

Thank you, Star Wars, and May the Force be with you!

My New Amp

I bought an amplifier for my guitar. It's my first-ever amp! I've plugged in, "gone Newport," if you will. I've had this great Ibanez acoustic-electric guitar for about a year, but I've never used it with an amp before. It sounds pretty good.

I've got some gigs coming up this summer, so I have to get used to playing amplified. Also, I've never played live with guitar and sung into a mic before, so I need to practice technique with that as well. Gosh, it's getting complicated all of a sudden.

I looked at quite a few of different amps in different price ranges and, man, there is a lot of variety available. I saw several that had onboard effects, drum machines, etc. Lots of cool technology.

But I don't know how to use any of that so I tried to keep it simple. I've already got my eye on a pedal that has all the effects and rhythm patterns. Wish me luck!

"My Name is Jimmy Carter..."

"...and I'd like to be your next President."

Run again, Jimmy! I couldn't have articulated it better. We've let our country get taken over by a bunch of religious fanatics who are seeking a holy war, thus invoking the Apocalypse.

I can't believe sweet old Jimmy Carter (a devout Presbytarian) could speak so critically of anyone, let alone a sitting President. This is truly historic.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/20/carter.bush.ap/index.html

Bill Maher and The Price Is Right

Just got back from CBS Television City (about 4 blocks from my home) where I attended a live rehearsal of Real Time with Bill Maher, the HBO comedy/political satire show.

I'm a fan of the show and often watch it on weekends at my friends' place in Burbank since I don't subscribe to HBO. I was hoping to attend a live broadcast/taping but didn't get tickets. The show goes on summer hiatus in two weeks. Apparently they usually have a "dress" rehearsal (Bill wore jeans) on Thursdays so they can work through the comedy bits and see which ones work and which should be cut before the live broadcast Friday.

At the rehearsal, Bill came out and basically did his show. He delivered his monologue; he pretended to talk live via satellite to a Congressman; he sat at the desk and conversed with guest panelists; he worked through the New Rules segment; and his final monologue closed the show. The "guests" were played by the writers and producers of the show. They each sat-in and played their roles as pundits very well. The head writer and co-executive producer, Billy Martin, warmed up the audience before the rehearsal and introduced Bill.

Ironically, the Bill Maher rehearsal was actually conducted on The Price Is Right stage at CBS. I'm not sure why they did that, but it was like a bonus experience for me because I've been observing fans of the popular game show line up outside the studio for weeks, hoping to be one of the last contestants before long-time host Bob Barker retires. (In fact, there's a prime time special dedicated to Mr. Barker on CBS tonight!)

It's so funny to be in a television studio because it's always surprising how small everything is compared to how it looks on TV. The Bob Barker stage can't be more than 75 feet across and the audience couldn't hold more than 150 people. Since they had just finished taping an episode of The Price Is Right, the crew were striking the set pieces. I caught a glimpse of the Showcase Showdown set where the contestants stand behind the score boards. All the set pieces are mounted on platforms with wheels so they can be easily moved around (and off) the stage.

With the stage bare, all that was left was the gleaming white floor and the most crowded lighting grid I've ever seen. I mean there were hundreds of different lights pointed down to the stage and at the audience. The crew wheeled in Bill Maher's desk and positioned it right in the center of the stage. There was one HD camera gliding across the floor and shooting the whole program, and Bill had two large TV monitors facing him stage right. No doubt one was a prompter and the other probably a camera feed.

The whole thing was finished in less than an hour and we made our cheery way out of the studio. Oh yeah, if you ever go to a live TV taping, leave your cell phone in the car or be prepared to surrender it before entering the sound stage. They don't take any chances these days. The security checkpoint people (just like at the airport) searched all bags and collected all cell phones before ushering each audience member through the metal detector.

One more thing: TV studios are cold! Bring a sweater or light jacket. Luckily I was prepared (I'm such a know-it-all), but a lot of tourists who had been standing outside in the hot sun nearly froze to death inside the air-conditioned studio (all those lights and equipment produce a lot of heat). One lady who often attends tapings admitted it was not as cool today as it usually is in that studio.

I look forward to seeing this week's Real Time with Bill Maher so I can compare the rehearsal to the finished product. Highlights include a funny clip package of the recent Republican presidential debate, including one quote from my friend Tom Tancredo. How many people can say their best friend's Dad is running for President?! I also enjoyed Bill's scathing criticism of Jerry Fallwell, who died this week. Bill's final monologue has some great ideas about gays achieving mainstream acceptance in America (which they have had for years in Europe).

Finally, congratulations to Bob Barker who is retiring after a 50+ year career in television. You are an American institution, Bob, and we'll all miss you. "Come on down!"

Laila Ali's Mom

We all know Laila Ali's Dad. In fact, "the Greatest" was a guest in the audience of DWTS tonight. However, I was delighted that they also introduced her mother, the lovely Veronica Anderson, whom I happen to know!

Veronica is the widow of my friend and colleague Carl Anderson, whom most of you remember from Jesus Christ Superstar. I last saw her back in August at the charity reunion we did. Since the evening's performance was partly a tribute to Carl's memory, Veronica attended the event. Here she is with the Neeley family after the show. (Second from the right, if you weren't sure!)

I met Veronica in 1996 during the JCS tour. I can't remember exactly what city we were in, but she came to visit Carl several times during the run, usually in the major cities when we had a longer sitdown. She struck me as one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen: tall, elegant and ravishing. Veronica had gone back to school to get her degree when I met her, so she often had her nose in a textbook, doing her homework in Carl's dressing room.

Although I knew that she had been married to Muhammad Ali, we never spoke of it because I gathered it was an unhappy experience. Carl couldn't bear to mention the boxing legend by name, he was so angry about the champ's treatment of Veronica. Make of that what you will.

There's no doubt, though, that Veronica looked happy and proud of her daughter tonight on Dancing With The Stars. Although it was Dad's first visit to the show, Laila revealed that her mother has attended every performance. Poor Mr. Ali sat with his family and looked very frail and astonished by the whole thing. Illness sucks.

Laila Ali is an undefeated World Boxing Champion in her own right, plus she's a hell of a dancer. Her best asset is her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who is one fierce dancer! I think it's a very close competition between Laila, Apolo, and Joey Fatone, but my favorite has to be Apolo because he is so adorable and his partner Julianne Hough is a hottie and an awesome dancer. Apolo and Julianne are the cutest couple ever!

I Love Dreamgirls

I may be totally queer, but I love the film Dreamgirls. I just watched it again on DVD and loved it even more than when I saw it on the big screen at the Cinerama Dome back in December. It's almost a modern opera, with high drama, intrigue, romance, treachery, death, and balls-to-the-wall kick-ass singing by all the stars.

The movie features excellent cinematography and production design, and the costumes are great -- very evocative of the period. The acting is also brilliant, particularly Jennifer's Hudson's breakout, Oscar-winning perfomance in the pivotal role of Effie. She really made a good film great. Her voice is so perfect, my eyes start to well up every time she sings.

I'm amazed this film wasn't a bigger hit. It seems to have something for everyone, so give it a shot if you haven't seen it. You might be surprised how much you enjoy it!

Dancing With McCartney

Does Paul McCartney watch Dancing With The Stars? I'd be curious to know what Sir Paul thinks of his ex, Heather Mills' performance on the show. So far she has done quite well with her partner, Jonathan Roberts, and they've certainly made a big deal about her prosthetic leg and the challenge that poses to ballroom dancing.

Would Paul be a good sport and wish Heather well and be pleased for her success, or would he bitterly curse her name every time her face appeared on national television. How dare she get all that exposure!

You can watch Dancing With The Stars or any ABC prime time show for free at abc.com.

Sanjaya Was Robbed!

I demand a recount! I cannot believe the American public would vote Sanjaya off the show. Actually, yes I can. In fact, I agree with them. Sanjaya was cute and adorable, but he couldn't really sing. And now that it's down to the bottom six singers, the cream has risen to the top.

Farewell, Sanjana. But be not afraid, for we still have Apolo to route for!!

No Olympics for LA

Los Angeles lost its bid to host the Olympic Games. Chicago was picked to represent the United States in the international bidding. Too bad for us, but hopefully Chicago can make a go of it.

Peter Ueberroth, the chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee (and former media heavyweight in this neck of the woods), made an interesting comment about the quality of leadership in both cities:

"It was a very tough decision. If I had all the power — and sometimes people accuse me of that — I would take the map and merge the two cities, because I'll tell you what: If you could take the mayors of these two communities and have them run our country, we would all be better off."

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/6675988?MSNHPHCP&GT1=9331

I Bought My Car

After all, I decided to keep this cute Honda CR-V and I bought out the lease, for a very good price for a car of this quality. There are times when it is handy to have a vehicle, especially a "utility vehicle." So I won't be stranded, just in case of a tsunami or God knows what.

Only 36 payments to go and she's mine!

Fumigation Time!

It's been ages since I've posted, but some of you know my apartment got fumigated a couple weeks ago. That's my place in the photo, bagged and tagged. Me and Hissy had to be out for 48 hours, so I spent the night in a motel one night and crashed on a friend's house the next, but I couldn't take Hissy to those places so she spent time at Aunt Heidi's.

That was interesting because Hissy doesn't really get along with other cats and Heidi has two cats in her apartment, but they all seemed to get along OK under the circumstances. We're back home again now and things are returning to normal, termite free!

Public Transportation is Good

Some of you know that I have been experimenting with using the public transportation system in Los Angeles. Now before you make your "do you speak Spanish?" jokes and your snide "aren't you afraid of catching head lice?" remarks, I must tell you that after a trial month, I'm very pleasantly surprised with the results so far.

Have you seen the film An Inconvenient Truth? Everyone needs to see this Oscar-winning film, but more importantly, everyone needs to do something towards solving the global climate crisis. As an educator, I felt a personal responsibility to serve as a role model for the young people who learn from me. Since I live only a block from the bus stop, I decided to try commuting to work on the bus.

At first I had reservations about it: how often does the bus come? Will it be on-time? How many times will I have to transfer lines? Will the bus ride fit my schedule? All my worries proved unnecessary. The bus ride takes only a few minutes longer than driving and the bus stops right in front of my work place. I don't have to deal with traffic, parking, or the rising cost of gasoline (we're up to $3 a gallon again). And best of all, I have at least an hour a day to myself when I can catch up on my reading, take a nap, or just space out for a while. It's been great!

It has also increased my physical activity since I have to walk to the bus stop. I take a slightly alternate route on the way back which includes a longer walk -- about 8 blocks -- to my apartment. I've even experimented by getting off a few blocks earlier to increase the walking distance for more exercise. Now I can walk a brisk mile or two without even breaking a sweat. It's really an enjoyable lifestyle. Besides the work commute, I've used the bus to go shopping, run errands, even to go the opera downtown. And I've seen a lot more of my neighborhood and my city than I ever did driving a car.

They say that nobody walks in LA, and that even fewer people ride the bus. What they mean is no white people take the bus. That's simply not true on either account. I've seen the complete range of nationalities, age, and social classes on the public transportation system, and more and more people are choosing an environmentally responsible approach to their daily transportation and leaving the traffic headaches behind. If you're going to sit for an hour in a slowly moving vehicle, wouldn't you rather leave the driving to someone else?

Los Angeles recently earned an award for Outstanding Public Transportation System, and though I was skeptical at first, I'm not now. This system works and it's the right thing to do. Once people realize the benefits to society, the environment, and personal health, I think this city will change its reputation as the smog and car capital of the world. Go Metro!

Tannhauser at LA Opera

So my new favorite thing is to buy $20 rush tickets for the L.A. Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Last night I scored big time with an excellent seat, third row center! Not only could I have practically reached out and touched the back of the conductor's head, I could also make eye contact with the singers on stage! Now I know how the other half lives.

Wagner's magnificent Tannhauser created quite a spectacle early on because of the explicit eroticism of the Bacchanale sequence in the goddess Venus' domain. My God, they found some absolutely beautiful young dancers to strip naked and writhe around stage humping each other. It was glorious: boys humping girls, boys humping boys, girls going down on one another, simulated blow jobs, groping, kissing, nuzzling, and oh yeah, more humping! It was quite graphic and extremely erotic. Talk about schwing!





After that opening scene, the real drama began and I really enjoyed hearing the music and seeing this spectacular production on stage. Some people love Wagner, others hate him. I don't know his work well enough to form a complete opinion, but so far I love him. The colors he created musically and the never-ending melodies full of chromatic harmonies...Wagner truly defined the Romantic period.

I sat next to a charming older woman who engaged me in conversation during the intermissions (there were two -- it's a long-ass opera!). She reminded me a bit of Carol Channing, just because of the sound of her voice and some of her mannerisms. She also resembled Channing a bit, except with dark hair. Perhaps they go to the same plastic surgeon? I don't know how old this woman was; she looked quite good facially, but her wrinkled and spotted hands spoiled the illusion. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to enjoy the music with someone who apparently frequents LA Opera -- she's seen dozens if not hundreds of performances there -- and we shared similar opinions on the performance of Tannhauser.

If you're a Wagner fan, you must check out this production; and if you're new to opera or just want to test the waters, I also recommend this production. The story is much easier to understand than some other operas, and the music is majestic and memorable. It also helps to attend the pre-concert lecture by our excellent new maestro, James Conlon. He's like our resident Leonard Bernstein, a man dedicated to educating the public and sharing this great cultural heritage with the world.

I can't wait till the next performance!

My Oscar Picks

For the 79th Annual Academy Awards, I predict the following winners in the major categories. These are my guesses for how the Academy will choose, not my personal choices because I haven't seen all the films nominated. It is surprising to see that no film swept the nominations. It's going to be a very mixed night.

Actor - Leading: Forest Whitaker (though I hope Peter O'Toole wins)
Actor - Supporting: Eddie Murphy (I love Eddie, but I'd love to see Alan Arkin get it, too)
Actress - Leading: Helen Mirren
Actress - Supporting: Jennifer Hudson
Animated Feature: Cars
Directing: Martin Scorsese
Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
Foreign Language Film: Pan's Labyrinth
Original Score: Pan's Labyrinth
Original Song: "Listen", Dreamgirls
Best Picture: The Departed (I'd pick Babel)

Good luck, players!

*Incidentally, in the picture above is the Oscar won for Sound by The Alamo (John Wayne's version). I could tell you where I took that photo, but then I'd have to kill you.

Oscar Sunday 2007

OK, here we go again. I can tell you this year I'm pretty much over the Oscars, at least the whole behind-the-scenes production of the television ceremony. There's obviously a tremendous amount of money to be made from it; otherwise, the Academy wouldn't go to so much trouble.

Actually, it's those of us who live and work in the Hollywood community who go through all the trouble. You can imagine how inconvenient it would be to have a major traffic artery closed for a week, but how about every street within a square mile? This picture shows the extent of the street closures today.

The Hollywood & Highland complex is a huge retail/restaurant/entertainment complex (including the Kodak Theater) which encompasses two full city blocks. I live about two miles southwest of this place. Today I avoided dealing with traffic and lack of parking and took the bus as far north as I could get (Sunset) and walked the rest of the way into the seige.

I wish I had taken photos of the police barricades blocking the streets for blocks and blocks. It looked like a preparation for war. There were cop cars and parking enforcement vehicles everywhere and the last few civilian cars quickly got towed away. Helicopters buzzed overhead. Police officers and security personnel were everywhere. It was more security than President Fuckhead gets when he's in town, I can tell you that! Now I know that security was somewhat heightened because of Al Gore's presence. Hell, half of Hollywood is hoping he'll jump back in the ring for 2008.

Finally I made it to the tour office only to realize I hadn't brought my store keys -- attached to the car key, and no need for that today -- and the store was locked. No worries; the boss left a note taped to the door that they were walking the tour route one last time to double check and would be back presently.

The other three guides arrived and we stared in wonder and disdain at the crazy scene on Hollywood Boulevard. A guy dressed like The Rocketeer held an American flag over his head. Now, we're used to seeing people in costume on Hollywood Boulevard. We call them "the characters" and they all earn tips by posing for photos with tourists. That Rocketeer guy is not one of the regulars -- none of us had ever seen him before!

Luckily our tourists arrived on time at the rendezvous down on Sunset. We pulled the three coaches into the In 'n' Out Burger parking lot by Hollywood High School. The 100 or so tour participants piled out of the buses and we made our way back up the hill into the fray. Actually, things were pretty quiet that early. It was pretty quiet inside the secure zone (we passed through security twice along the route).

The tour went OK and even though we couldn't see much of anything, the tour guests had a great time and got into the festive spirit of the occasion. Afterwards, I made my way out through the gathering throngs of people lining up hours early, hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite celebrities arriving at the red carpet.

At home, I enjoyed viewing the show on television -- definitely the best view available -- and I guessed 14 out of 24 awards correctly.

W. E. DeSpain

Heard some sad news yesterday that my favorite Uncle Gene died in a car accident near his home. Apparently a big truck broadsided his car and killed him instantly. He was 80 years old.

Gene DeSpain was the nicest man I ever met, and he became a huge influence on me in my formative years. My sister and I used to visit my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Gene for a week every summer when we were kids. We'd fly down from Denver to San Antonio, where they lived. They had a beautiful house which was palatial compared to my family's home, and I remember vividly the summer when they installed the swimming pool in the back yard. It was like heaven!

Besides hanging at the pool, we always took a drive to my Uncle's ranch outside of the city. He had over 200 acres of land with open fields, big trees, and several ponds called "tanks." My Sis and I rode horses, hunted snakes, and generally enjoyed the hell out of ourselves. I can still hear Uncle Gene shouting "Rocky!" to call in his favorite horse when we arrived at the ranch house. He even gave my sister her very own horse named Burt. My favorite summer trip may have been the year we took the boat down to the coast at Port Arthur and Corpus Christi. Piloting that boat and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico was a great time for me.

Uncle Gene was very intelligent and well-mannered and he became a powerful role model to me. He rarely watched television, but constantly read books and magazines about history, business, and golf. He stayed fit mentally and physically. He taught me how to drive a car, how to hit a golf ball (he was an avid golfer with a 2 handicap), how to enjoy a cold beer on a hot day or a glass of wine with dinner, and how to treat a lady with the proper respect. My Dad taught me how to be a man, but Uncle Gene taught me how to be a gentleman.

Uncle Gene knew everyone of importance in San Antonio. People recognized and greeted him everywhere we went. He had many friends and business aquaintances, and every maitre d' in town said, "Welcome, Mr. DeSpain!" when we went out to dinner. I'll never forget one hot day we went for lunch at a local cafe and happened to run into some aquaintances at the restaurant. After exchanging pleasantries, we sat down and Uncle Gene cringed in embarrassment for being spotted in public wearing short pants! He was very reserved that way.

Uncle Gene was the Vice President of the Holt corporation, the largest dealer of Caterpillar construction equipment in the United States. We got to visit the plant one time and see the big tractors in action. I was too young to drive one, but my cousins Tim and Tracie climbed aboard to handle the huge machines. Typical of his generation, but very rare in mine, Uncle Gene started at Holt as a young man and worked his way up the corporate ladder all the way to the vice presidency. He retired after 40 years of service, for which the company gave him a 40-foot Winnebago as a retirement gift. My aunt and uncle traveled all over the country in that RV (affectionately dubbed "The SanGee"). They loved to visit family and go on golfing trips.

Because of his connections in the construction industry, Uncle Gene knew a lot about the buildings and developers of downtown San Antonio. I'll never forget the time we took a horse-drawn carriage tour of downtown and the tour guide apparently told us some wrong information about a particular building and its developer. Uncle Gene politely corrected the young man, explaining "I know the man who built that building; he's a customer of mine."

I hate to think I'll never see him again, nor hear his funny way of speaking. Every time we met, he'd say the same thing: "Scotty, you're too thin!" And he always referred to my Aunt Sandy as "Sugar." He was generous to a fault and had little patience for fools. We all idolized him for taking care of my aunt after her unhappy first marriage and divorce. Years later, after my Mom divorced, she always said, "I hope I can find me an 'Uncle Gene' someday." We should all be so lucky.

A Night at the Opera in Mahagonny

The Los Angeles Opera's production of Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny is so much fun, it makes you sick. This 1930 German Expressionist theater piece, banned by the Nazis, tells the story of a group of depraved outlaws who end up stranded in the desert and decide to create their own sin city named Mahagonny (pronounced Ma-ha-GO-nee, if you weren't sure). They even put up their own "Welcome to Fabulous Mahagonny" sign, an exact replica of the famous entrance to Las Vegas.

The group succeeds in luring gold-rich miners from Alaska into staying in Mahagonny and spending their money on women, booze, glutony, and boxing to the death. It's all fun and games until everybody runs out of money. Then the town falls into utter misery, execution style. In Mahagonny, the worst crime possible is to not have any cash on hand: "In the whole human race there is no greater criminal than a man without money."

The big treat were the stars of the show: Audra McDonald and Patti LuPone, both legendary aritsts in the world of musical theater. Audra McDonald became the first person to earn three Tony awards before age 30, plus she earned a fourth for 2004's A Raisin in the Sun. Patti LuPone won a Tony for Evita and has been honored many times for her work on stage and screen, including the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd on Broadway. Both performers make their LA Opera debuts with this production at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Audra McDonald shatters her wholesome Broadway image with her saucy turn as Jenny Smith, the hottest and most expensive piece of ass in town. Ms. McDonald not only possesses the best voice of her generation, she burns up the stage in her sexy bordello bodice and six-inch high heels. Every note from her was pure gold and I wanted to hear her sing more songs than her part allows -- and she's the lead!

I felt chills every time Patti LuPone sang a note. Her distinctive tone is etched in my brain from her performances in Evita and Anything Goes and every other incredible thing she's done. I would have killed to see her in Sweeney Todd. Having conquered Broadway for decades, she recently started singing in opera companies. Her voice has matured so nicely, a perfect balance of Broadway brass with the rich warmth of a legitimate contralto, particularly on the high notes that she would have belted out in the past. Ms. LuPone skillfully inhabits her character, Leocadia Begbick the wicked bordello madame, with greedy surliness. She sounded amazing and did some kick-ass singing in her solos and in harmony with the other artists. She really held her own against the other opera singers.

All the singers were outstanding, especially the excellent tenor (Anthony Dean Griffey), the doomed hero who falls (and pays) for Jenny Smith. Jenny faithfully pleasures him until he runs out of money and then not even his Alaska miner buddies will loan him a dime. All the supporting roles and even the chorus were great. The chorus played a huge part in the show and they all sang very clearly together with perfect diction. The opera company plays Super-titles with the libretto above the stage, but you barely needed them because the elocution was so good.

I was lucky to get a rush ticket for $20 cash and the man at the box office gave me a great seat in the orchestra right section. It was my first time on the floor at the Chandler and damn it's worth the hundreds of dollars most people pay per ticket. I can only imagine what the Founders Circle just above the orchestra would be like. Actually, I got to sit up there once when I took a tour of the theater with a student group. It was really fun to see how the truly wealthy class live, even though there wasn't a performance on stage at the time.

This is not an easy show to endure. The music is demanding and suprising hummable despite some very challenging tonalities. I don't know how those singers held on to the vocal melodies with the orchestral "chaos" happening underneath them, under maestro James Conlon's expert conducting. Mr. Griffey in particular picked some unaccompanied notes right out the air and stayed in tune every time. It was quite impressive.

The most famous song from the show is the Alabama Song, famously revived by Jim Morrison and The Doors, and later covered by David Bowie. I was surprised to hear the song so early in the show - it's the second number - and to hear it sung by Jenny Smith and her troupe of vagabond prostitutes. "Oh show us the way, to the next whiskey bar/Oh don't ask why, no don't ask why."

Despite the outstanding performances and the innovatively sparse staging, the audience didn't stand for the curtain call. We cheered for the singers and we appreciated their efforts, but I think we were too exhausted and depressed to rise from our seats. The cynical themes of the show, raucously tongue-in-cheek in Act One, pummeled us into darkness and despair by the end of Act Two. As the people of Mahagonny declared after the hero's execution, "Nothing will help him or us or you now."

Iran next target in Bush's War on Terror

Here we go again. It's been rumbling around in the blogosphere and in certain areas of the media lately that the Bush administration is gearing up for the next phase in the War on Terror. Target: Iran.

So far the rhetoric regarding Iran has focused on their dangerous nuclear ambitions, but now Iran is being blamed for supplying weapons to the Iraq insurgency. Bush admitted so today. It was reported yesterday that the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has fled Iraq for Iran in anticipation of Bush's controversial troop "surge" -- it's a much nicer word than "escalation," isn't it?

By the way, if you haven't figured out yet that the U.S. news media is owned by a few major corporations that earn tremendous profits from the war and therefore can't be trusted to fully expose government corruption, pull your head out of the sand and get informed. When I want to know what's really going on in the world, I visit overseas news agencies such as The Guardian or BBC News, among others. Thank God for the Internet!

Here's a very interesting article published in The Guardian (a liberal British newspaper) which reports that the U.S. military is already building up forces in the Persian Gulf in anticipation of an air strike on Iran:

"The present military build-up in the Gulf would allow the US to mount an attack by the spring. But the sources said that if there was an attack, it was more likely next year, just before Mr Bush leaves office."

According to the article, both Cheney and the Neo-cons are urging Bush to start another offensive in the war, but the State Department and the Pentagon are against it. That's probably because we have no way to justify another attack or invasion, nor can we afford any further escalation. In fact, we can't afford the current wars. The Bush junta will end up bankrupting this country if left to their own devices. They publicly deny any intentions for attack, yet the military build-up progresses, just as it did before we invaded Iraq.

Didn't we just leave this party?

Chewbacca Attacks Tour Guide

You know it's hard out here for a pimp, and for a tour guide. Luckily this wasn't me or anyone with my company, but everybody on Hollywood Boulevard knows you don't piss off Chewbacca.

Leave Kurt Vonnegut Alone

Kurt Vonnegut's hometown - Indianapolis, Indiana - is sponsoring a year of reading the author's work. But I think the 84-year-old just wants to be left alone:

“I’ve said everything I have to say and I’m completely in print,” he said. “Look, I’m old. Joe Namath isn’t passing footballs in the crowds anymore. You ought to see what Mozart looks like by now. I’m old, for God’s sake — I’m terribly tired.”

How to Hang Someone?

I've had so many people ask me that question before. Now at last, here is the answer!

Horny Amish Guy

Met the strangest man on Hollywood Boulevard today. He claimed to be an Amish from Michigan. He certainly looked the part, with plain black clothes, a big black hat, and a long grey beard with no moustache. I'd put him in his mid-to-late-60s.

It was odd enough to see an Amish person walking the Boulevard (we certainly see plenty of crazies around here) but I was not expecting him to ask me so many questions about sex! Turns out he was hoping to see some real life prostitutes in Hollywood. He already knew that the girls work on Sunset Blvd and the boys work on Santa Monica Blvd.

Then he started asking more personal questions about sexual practices and positions, especially sex between men. "Is it true that usually one of the men takes the feminine role during sex?" he asked. "I never screwed another woman besides my wife, so this is all new to me." I was trying to be polite and helpful to the old guy, but he started creeping me out. He told me he had trouble maintaining an erection and had tried using a penis pump but it hurt too bad. He also began asking questions about my sex life! Finally, we got busy with other customers in the store so he left.

The next day one of my co-workers called to tell me that Horny Amish Guy came back looking for me: "Where's the guy who answered all my questions?" Luckily I was off that day, so he tried to get information from my colleagues, but they were less forthcoming. Mr. Amish wanted to know the location of the homeless youth hostels in Hollywood. What a perve, eh?!

Whoops: A Poopy!

File this post under "Too Much Information."

Have you ever had the experience where you feel like you're going to fart and then more than air comes out of your ass? Well that happened to me today.

I was working in Hollywood about to start a tour when I felt a little fart starting to sneak out of my bum. Well, turns out it was a juicy one with a little heft to it. I wasn't really sure what had happened and with my customers standing right in front of me waiting to begin the tour, there wasn't much I could do about it at the time.

Unfortunately it was several hours later before I could excuse myself to the men's room. I'll be damned if I hadn't soiled my underpants! It was just a little bit of poo, but enough to cake my underside and leave the crotch of my underwear crusty. I warned you this was TMI!!

I felt like such an idiot -- an infant! Guess I better start wearing Depends undergarments for adults. I know I'm getting older but this is ridiculous. At this rate, I'll be in a nursing home by the time I'm 40. Oy gevalt!

Saddam Hussein R.I.P.

Dear Saddam,

How I miss you already!

Here's a cute and informative video depicting Saddam's first contact with the CIA back in the '50s (!) and his subsequent rise to power.

Thanks for the memories!

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