Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
not all good news out of ny-23
think the brewing republican civil war that bubbled to the surface in new york's 23 congressional district ended positively for democrats on tuesday? you'd be right on most counts.
except this one:
“(New York Senate) Republicans who might have been supportive (of Marriage Equality) in the past might have been spooked,” (Senate president pro tempore Malcolm) Smith said, by the recent battle over the 23rd Congressional District in upstate New York. The state’s Conservative Party pressured the Republican candidate, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, a moderate, to withdraw, partly because she supports same-sex marriage.new york governor david patterson is vowing to include gay marriage on the agenda of an extraordinary session he is calling for next tuesday.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
カイロプラクティック
this is beginning to happen more and more frequently: i look at a sign in japan (so long as it's written in katakana - the japanese characters used for transcription of english words) and i can make out what it says fairly quickly.
i am to the point where nine times out of ten (okay, maybe eight) i can look at the word and decipher it. but today, as i was walking back to shinjuku from shibuya, i rounded a corner, saw:
カイロプラクティックand immediately thought of my friend tim booth. tim's been having some stiff neck trouble lately, not to mention some issues with a torn rotator cuff. it was the neck pain that made me think of him when i saw the sign.
it says, literally, ka-i-ro-pu-ra-coo-te-i-coo. chiropractic. it's not a word i've ever seen in japanese before, and it was a sudden, unexpected joy today – not to see the word and decipher it, but to see it and think immediately of telling my friend tim there is a chiropractor near our hotel.
it's the simple things.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
they say you shouldn't apologize...
...or start a blog post with "i know i haven't posted anything in a while," but i know i haven't.
there are many reasons, not the least of which is i've been distracted and busy – both in excellent ways. besides, i'm in japan and the most commonly used word is probably sumimasen ("i'm sorry.")
i'm lucky enough to get to spend another two months in what now seems like a second home, and my friend jen zappola – part of the disney on classic 2009 company – is keeping a charming blog called jen in japan. best of all, her videos have that "first timer's" view of this beautiful country and culture. jen constantly reminds me why i love it here so much.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
the men of d.o.c. - nagoya
this year's disney on classic tour of japan includes a group of five men who are featured in a series of photos taken in each city or venue the tour appears. (more photos here.)
(from left to right, tony clements, tim ewing, brian runbeck, ian simpson, & tim booth.)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
pirouetting on somebody's front porch...
...with the whole neighborhood watching. that was a bad thing?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
quote of the day
"A bit of dithering might have been in order before we went into Iraq in pursuit of non-existent weapons of mass destruction.will was remarking on former vice president dick cheney's criticism that barack obama is "dithering" on a decision whether or not to send more u.s. troops to afghanistan.
For a representative of the Bush administration to accuse someone of taking too much time is missing the point. We have much more to fear in this town from hasty than from slow government action."– conservative columnist george will
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
japanese cheesheads
when wisconsin is friends with japan.katsunori kusakabe & tomoki takahashi of harmony japan, inc.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
so much for those angry town halls
remember those health care town halls over the summer? all those angry people shouting down senators and congressmen about a government take-over of our health care system?
huh.
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public.more here.
On the issue that has been perhaps the most pronounced flash point in the national debate, 57 percent of all Americans now favor a public insurance option, while 40 percent oppose it.
Friday, October 16, 2009
a preview: the sky is not falling
rod weber is an actor, a singer, and an independent filmmaker and videographer. he's also the only person we called when we decided to document the sky is not falling, the skylight opera benefit in new york. by some strange stroke of good luck, rod was free, and he agreed to do it. he showed up on monday, october 5th at st. luke's theatre with three cameras and a crew of one.
here is a preview of the dvd you have to look forward to. it's a pretty astounding array of talent. everyone there to support their friends, to support art, and to support the skylight. all captured beautifully by rod.
i wish you could have been there too. something tells me, thanks to rod, you sort of can be.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
where in the world is rob hancock?
two things. first, this play. it started previewing tonight, at the rubicon theatre in ventura, california.
i've jumped up and down to certain friends about it. if i had the money, i'd invest in it. yesterday. it's beautiful, moving, simple. and i think it has an amazing future.
but more important than all of that, someone i love dearly is in it. he's part of this video...maybe you can pick him out. (he's not john caird, paul gordon, or megan mcginnis.) this is the first time i've seen him in almost a month, in this video. i'm leaving for japan on friday, he opens in this show on saturday, and i won't see him in the flesh again until the end of november. this is why we love, and hate, this business.
theisen is the old new skylight a.d.
bill theisen will return to the position of artistic director of milwaukee's skylight opera theatre.
from the skylight:
SKYLIGHT OPERA THEATRE ANNOUNCES
THEISEN WILL RETURN AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Milwaukee, WI (October 14, 2009) -- Joan Lounsbery, Interim Managing Director of the Skylight Opera Theatre, has announced the re-appointment of Bill Theisen as Artistic Director. The decision is part of a redistribution of responsibilities at the Skylight that will remain in place while the Skylight’s incoming Board leadership and Managing Director assess the viability of all artistic positions moving forward.
Theisen re-assumes the Artistic Director position effective today through June 30, 2011. Board and staff leadership are in the early stages of a strategic planning process which will include an assessment of the Skylight’s long-term artistic leadership.
Theisen will manage productions and planning as well as facilitate the artistic team’s transition. He plans to direct up to two shows next season, which will reflect a program planned collaboratively with Interim Artistic Director Colin Cabot.
With Cabot’s departure today as Interim Artistic Director, “we all feel a great sense of urgency in establishing a 2010-2011 season that is exciting, forward-thinking, and financially viable,” Lounsbery said. “Bill’s re-involvement enables the Skylight to move forward in quickly planning and preparing for 2010-2011, and provides a level of consistency in the Skylight product while we continue to develop a strategic plan for artistic leadership.”
Lounsbery added, “I am grateful to Colin Cabot for his artistic leadership during this time of transition at the Skylight.” Cabot has been part of an interim management team along with Lounsbery. Although Cabot will no longer be on staff, he will attend Skylight Night, the company’s annual gala, on October 24, and will also attend the November 11 Annual Meeting.
The Skylight’s new management team will be fully in place on November 16, when Amy Jensen assumes the job of Managing Director, an appointment announced earlier.
“I love the Skylight and I always have, so I’m thrilled to be helping the administration with this transition,” said Theisen. “Amy Jensen will be a terrific leader for the Skylight, and I want to help her and the company in any way I can.”
zambello on skylight: "there is no other theatre company like it in the world."
francesca zambello, the internationally recognized director of opera and musical theater, and former artistic director of milwaukee's skylight opera theatre, speaks at the sky is not falling, the october 5th nyc benefit concert for the skylight. the concert grossed over $8500 in ticket sales and donations. a full-length dvd of the event is in the works, with a holiday release anticipated.
"The Skylight is unique. There is no other theatre company like it in the world.
People may come from all over the United States to work there, but there is also an amazing troupe of what are called local artists – which sometimes people go 'oh, local' – actually, that's the greatest thing about it. The fact that there is this tradition there of people who are performers: music theatre performers, opera singers, backstage workers, musicians, all in that community – which is not a great big city, remember. And they're all there and they make this family. That's why we all work in the theatre, right? Because there's that sense of family that we wanna be connected to. And that's what the Skylight has.
To lose that, and not hold firm to those principles, is something that is very, very sad.
So I really salute and applaud everyone who went to an incredible kind of internet campaign – led by people from Milwaukee – to say 'No, art is important. And local art is important.' Because without that, most of us who are here living in New York wouldn't have had these careers.
Nor would Milwaukee be the kind of city it is without an important institution like the Skylight."
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
big news from the skylight wednesday
let's just say peter allen had it right...everything old is new again.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
guess what. i don't think you deserved
that outstanding senior award either...
maddow has a wild suggestion. that we be proud.
Friday, October 9, 2009
quote of the day
"There is an opportunity here. The tone has changed -- but obviously we recognize that, while the tone in the world has changed, the challenges remain. They are very significant. Certainly from our standpoint, this gives us a sense of momentum -- when the United States has accolades tossed its way, rather than shoes."commenting on president barack obama winning the nobel peace prize today, crowley was referring to the incident last december when an iraqi journalist threw his shoes at then president george w. bush.– assistant secretary pj crowley,
a spokesman for secretary of state hillary clinton
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
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