LOVES MIND TRAVEL

AND NOW I SAY FAREWELL ...

2010-08-21T07:39:00.003-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY WHAT ENTRIES I'VE MADE IN THE LAST 3 YEARS.

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF WRITING THIS BLOG.

LIFE MOVES ON. TAKE CARE.

LOVE AND BEST TO YOU ALL.

JIVA AKA ANGELA

:-)

CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS JULY 23 - AUG 1

2010-07-23T17:51:00.008-07:00

Here is a link to all the schedule of events:

http://www.cfdrodeo.com/schedule.aspx

Friday, July 30: Sugarland with Danny Gokey
Saturday, July 31: Alan Jackson with Josh Turner

FREE PANCAKE BREAKFAST 7 AM TO 9 AM

Jiva

THE TONY AWARDS JUNE 13, 2010

2010-06-15T03:01:00.050-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Tony Awards show was excellent I thought, although I was very
disappointed that Barbara Cook didn't win, as I thought at 83, and
the rave reviews she got in Sondheim on Sondheim, she would win.
But she did not win. Memphis won for best original musical, and
La Cage Aux Folles won for best revival. Catherine Zeta-Jones was
completely taken by surprise when she won Best Actress in a Musical,
for her role in A Little Night Music, her first Broadway role.
Her husband, Michael Douglas, seemed very surprised
also. She was charming in her acceptance speech, spoken
in her British accent, noting that her parents had traveled all the
way from Wales for the event.

Viola Davis won for Fences, as did Denzel Washington. Best Actress and Best Actor in a play.

Scarlett Johansson was very humble in her acceptance for her featured
performance in A View From The Bridge.

It was fabulous to see Helen Mirren, looking as glamorous as she
always does. I thought the camera work was superb, and the pacing
moved along without having to shorten the acceptance speeches.
I think everyone had a marvelous time, as you can see from the
pictures. I love Broadway, and love the awards shows.
It's all good.

And the winners are:

Best Play

Red

Author: John Logan

Best Musical

Memphis

Best Book of a Musical

Memphis Joe DiPietro

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Memphis
Music: David Bryan
Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan

Best Revival of a Play

Fences

Best Revival of a Musical

La Cage aux Folles

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Denzel Washington Fences

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Viola Davis Fences

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Douglas Hodge La Cage aux Folles

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Catherine Zeta-Jones A Little Night Music

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

Eddie Redmayne Red

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Scarlett Johansson A View from the Bridge

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Levi Kreis Million Dollar Quartet

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Katie Finneran Promises, Promises

Best Direction of a Play

Michael Grandage Red

Best Direction of a Musical

Terry Johnson La Cage aux Folles

Best Choreography

Bill T. Jones Fela!

Best Orchestrations

Daryl Waters & David Bryan Memphis

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Christopher Oram Red

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Christine Jones American Idiot

Best Costume Design of a Play

Catherine Zuber The Royal Family

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Marina Draghici Fela!

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin Red

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams American Idiot

Best Sound Design of a Play

Adam Cork Red

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Robert Kaplowitz Fela!

Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Alan Ayckbourn
Marian Seldes

Regional Theatre Tony Award®

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut

Isabelle Stevenson Award

David Hyde Pierce

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre

Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York
B.H. Barry
Midtown North & South New York City Police Precincts
Tom Viola

Jiva

SUBWAY TO THE STARS by JULIE SANGES "Clicking The Classics"

2010-05-16T01:42:00.048-07:00

A Magical Discovery! This magnificent book, this perfect book.

Here is the Cover of The Book...

Famous stars like Lucille Ball, Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, Ginger Rogers, Liberace, Boris Karloff, Hedy Lamarr, Maureen O'Hara, Lauren Bacall and Humphry Bogart, Ronald Reagan, Ann Sheridan, the list is endless! They are all here in this book. Photos not seen for half a century. Copyright 2010 by Julie Sanges.

These photos may not be reproduced in any form,they are the property of the owner.

Below is a sampling of over 800 candid photographs. Most photos were taken
between 1950 and 1954. There are a few from the late 1940's.

Julie Sanges, has published her book of candid photos that she took with a $1.98 camera, way back during the 1940's and 1950's in New York City. These are some of the most amazing pictures you will ever see. The book is 144 large pages consisting of over 800 photos featuring famous entertainment personalities from that time. CANDID PICTURES OF CELEBRITIES.

It's an expensive book. It about broke my bank to buy it. But hey, the pictures are one of a kind. I can't find these photos anywhere else, except for a few from Julie's website, and they are just a sampling. I am posting that sampling here, with Julie's permission. I am a major fan of the stars, have been star-struck since I was a kid. I own hundreds of videos. Now I have a book that will be a companion to my films.

It gives you an idea of what our stars looked like way back then, when they were just walking down the street, going shopping, going to the theater, whatever. Most of them are gone now, Julie herself is 80 years old. So you can imagine... (the loveliest word). This is a large landscape size book published on premium paper.

What intrigued me the most was the bright shiny smiles each person wears when their photo is taken. Back then, there were not the publicity methods of today, so that when a group of girls approached a star walking out of Sardi's or just strolling down the street, or getting into or out of a taxi, they were delighted that someone recognized them, and wanted their autograph or photo. They beam! I've never seen that look on stars faces anywhere else. Most of the photos are from 1950 through 1954, although there are a few from the late 1940's. This book is perfect. One could browse through it for days. Each photo holds the mystery of the person's real personality. I can't say enough good things about this historical document. It was well worth the high price. I will treasure this book always.

You will find 47 preview pages of this book at the following website:

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1215282

When you get to the website, simply click on the cover of the book to see the preview. Click on the edge of the right hand pages, to turn the pages.

The book is titled SUBWAY TO THE STARS by Julie Sanges (copyright 2010 by Julie Sanges)

Hope you enjoy.

Jiva

C.J. BOX - MYSTERY WRITER EXTRAORDINAIRE

2010-04-07T00:15:00.012-07:00

Today I met my favorite author, C.J.Box, a mystery writer with many awards.
He has twelve novels under his belt, in twelve languages. He won the
prestigious Edgar Award for Blue Heaven - 2008 Best Novel, and it is being
optioned for a film currently looking at Jack Nicholson to star.

C.J.'s latest Book, Nowhere To Run was released yesterday, and he was
in Cheyenne, Wyoming at the City News Shop signing books for his hundreds of
fans that showed up.

Ten of his novels involve a Wyoming Game Warden named Joe Pickett.
Joe Pickett fans are certain about one thing, that Joe is a man
of integrity. He is vulnerable, yet has the strength and courage
to see him through some of the most dangerous and complicated
situations that only an author with a brilliant imagination could
conceive.

Personally, I am in love with Joe Pickett, even though he is married,
even though he has three daughters, and even though he is a fictional
character. He just makes me swoon! :-)

Here is C.J.'s website if you'd like to find out more:

cjbox.net

The Fabulous C.J.Box who lives outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming

C.J. speaks to a crowd of fans at City News in Cheyenne

I don't know how he does it, signs hundreds of books at one sitting.

This lucky fellow won the giant poster of Nowhere To Run

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

C.J. speaks about his new novel, and his Joe Pickett series.

Here is a list of his best sellers:

NOWHERE TO RUN (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2010)

BELOW ZERO (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009)

THREE WEEKS TO SAY GOODBYE (St. Martin's Mintoaur, 2009)

BLOOD TRAIL (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008)

BLUE HEAVEN (St. Martin's Press, 2008)

FREE FIRE (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007)

IN PLAIN SIGHT (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2006)

OUT OF RANGE (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004)

TROPHY HUNT (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004)

WINTERKILL (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2003)

SAVAGE RUN (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002)

OPEN SEASON (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001)

He has also just finished another "stand alone" novel
titled BACK OF BEYOND (St. Martin's, 2011)

His books are a combination of stories about family life, suspense
thrillers, environmental questions, and ethics.

He is currently on a nationwide book tour promoting his latest book.

Congratulations C.J. on your continued success!

Jiva

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM

2010-04-01T04:28:00.012-07:00

March 19 to June 13, 2010
Studio 54 ~ 254 W 54th Street
BARBARA COOK, TOM WOPAT, VANESSA WILLIAMS
Brand new arrangements of over 2 dozen Sondheim tunes

What's really fabulous about all this, is that Stephen Sondheim is 80,
Barbara Cook is 82, Tom Wopat is 58, and Vanessa Williams is 47.
I ask you, is the world not becoming ageless?
There is no stopping great talent. I myself hit 74 in March.
And I KNOW I've got at least a good 30 more years left in me.

I don't feel any different today, than I did when I was dancing,
way back in 1953. Yes Virginia, there IS life after age.
Things are just getting better and better...

Jiva

AND A HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO YOU ALL!

2010-03-17T01:35:00.004-07:00

MAY THE LUCK OF THE IRISH BE WITH YOU...

The green Chicago River, turns green every year for 50 years now.
My home town, a lovely city to grow up in. Just about everyone
on my street was Irish, except me. I'm Italian.

Names like McDonough, O'Shea, Riley, Burke, McArthur, Donovan,
and Hoy, it's amazing I didn't marry an Irishman! Have a good one.

Jiva

I LOVE THE OSCARS * 2010

2010-03-08T01:47:00.033-07:00

Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director for The Hurt Locker

Kathryn Bigelow is the First Woman to win Best Director

And the winner is...

Sandra Bullock wins Best Actress

Precious...

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were pretty low key...

The Hurt Locker wins Best Picture

Director and Author share the spotlight...

Barbra Streisand is THRILLED that Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director

Presenting the Best Actress Award ... last year's Best Actor

The magnificent Helen Mirren...

The radiant Sandra Bullock...

The most nominated actress Meryl Streep

Presenting the Best Actor Award... last year's Best Actress

Jeff Bridges wins Best Actor

Sexy Colin Furth (my favorite guy)

The very popular George Clooney

This gal is a great actress, she knocked me out in Shadowboxer...

Her five minutes of fame knocked this role right out of the ballpark...

Sandra Bullock did try to give Meryl another kiss, but Meryl pushed her off
towards the stage with a "just go ahead and get your Oscar!" motion. Two things
struck me, that Sandra beat out Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren, and that the
little girl who played Precious, was a first time actor, a first time nominee,
and yet was in the company of the greats, Meryl, Helen and Sandra. Like Oprah
said, "Only In America!" How true.

Remember how they always said, "And the Oscar goes to..."
because in the movie business there are no winners, because they were ALL winners?

Well last night there were definitely winners!
For the first time in years and years,
each envelope was opened and they said,
"And the winner is..." I couldn't believe it!
I mean after all that fuss they made about winners and losers, and
making sure they all said "The Oscar goes to..." suddenly this great turn
around. Reminded me about how it was a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays,
and then one day, it just wasn't a mortal sin anymore. Really brings into
focus the fact that everything is done by consensus, and the rules can
change anytime at all. So your best bet is to just forget the rules and
do whatever you please. I give you permission to do that. :-)

I do love The Oscars, and Hollywood, and films. We create our own reality.
Every day, just like in the movies. Don't ever forget that.

Jiva

Update on Billy...

2010-03-05T16:01:00.007-07:00

Here is Billy in March, 2010, lookin' good! That's Sophia on the right.

Thought I'd write an update on Billy DeGuido, the man who doctors believed would never come out of his coma last year.

If you're interested in learning how he's doing, follow this link:

http://www.powercatcharters.com/Billy/

He is blind because his brain is not receiving the messages from his eyes, but the other day, when someone took a photo with a flash,
he asked if someone had taken a picture, meaning the flash registered somewhere in his brain.

Donations came in to fund a hyperbaric chamber for Billy which he uses every day now.

Sophia has taken care of him all this time, and a greater love I can't imagine.

God bless Sophia, and Steve, and Jeremy and everyone who has helped Billy since
his tragic massive heart attack a year ago. Silent Unity is praying for him, and
I know his sight will return. God bless.

Jiva

The Beauty of Women's Figure Skating

2010-02-26T16:41:00.009-07:00

I remember when they did doubles and everyone was thrilled.
Now they do triples as a matter of course.
Personally, I don't know how they do it!

It's a lovely sport.

and the winner is... from South Korea!

Kim and her Coach are happy campers.

Her music was fabulous, romantic and sensual.

Her technique was perfection.

Our girls.

Jiva

The Olympic Opening Ceremonies - Canada

2010-02-13T10:15:00.020-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was disappointed with the Canadian opening ceremonies.
They lacked flavor, or something! Not sure
what it was, they seemed to be presented poorly.
But hey, that's just my opinion.
You may feel differently.

Jiva

IT'S A MALL !! TIMES SQUARE UPDATES ITSELF

2010-02-11T10:14:00.004-07:00

What a great idea... it was tested, now it's permanent!

City officials said that the closures — which bar vehicular traffic from Broadway between 47th and 42nd Streets, and from 35th Street to 33rd Street — did result in a 35 percent reduction in pedestrian injuries.

And local business groups have surveyed their customers about the project; reviews have mostly been positive.

I've got one free trip on USAirways. Going to HAVE TO check this out!

Jiva

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

2010-02-02T06:55:00.009-07:00

I admit it, I'm an Award Addict. I love the looks they get
on their faces when their names are announced. I love the
speeches they make, the people they thank; I can almost hear
their hearts thumping away at the excitement of it all.

This morning the Academy announced the nominees in each category.
There was a big change this year. They nominated TEN films for
Best Picture instead of the usual five. The audience, made up
mostly of journalists and early morning eager members, seemed
to like the idea of ten nominees for Best Picture. The one
question I'd like to ask is, WHY do they have it so EARLY in
the morning? What's wrong with NOON ?? Works for me.

The poster for the 82nd Awards hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

Three of our most famous film Directors:
Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg.

The Fairbanks Center, home of The Margaret Herrick Library

The Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study

The site of the future Motion Picture Academy Museum.
They predict it will open in four years. Break ground in two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OSCAR NOMINATIONS LIST 2010

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
UP in the Air

Best Director
James Cameron, 'Avatar'
Kathryn Bigelow, 'The Hurt Locker'
Quentin Tarantino, 'Inglourious Basterds'
Lee Daniels, 'Precious'
Jason reitman, 'Up in the Air'

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, 'Crazy Heart'
George Clooney, 'Up in the Air'
Colin Firth, 'A Single Man'
Morgan Freeman, 'Invictus'
Jeremy Renner, 'The Hurt Locker'

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, 'Blind Side'
Helen Mirren, 'The Last Station'
Carey Mulligan, 'An Education'
Gabourey Sidibe, 'Precious'
Meryl Streep, juli and julia

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, 'Invictus'
Woody Harrelson, 'The Messenger'
Christopher Plummer, 'The Last Station'
Stanley Tucci, 'The Lovely Bones'
Christoph Waltz, 'Inglourious Basterds'

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, 'Nine'
Vera Farmiga, 'Up in the Air'
Maggie Gyllenhaal, 'Crazy Heart'
Anna Kendrick, 'Up'
Mo'nique, 'Precious'

Best Animated Feature Film
'Coraline'
'Fantastic Mr. Fox'
'The Princess and the Frog'
The Secret of Kells'
'Up'

Best Foreign Film
Israel - 'Ajami'
Argentina - 'El Secreto de sus Ojos'
Peru - 'The Milk of Sorrow'
France - 'Un Prophete'
Germany - 'The White Ribbon'

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, 'The Hurt Locker'
Quentin Tarantino, 'Inglourious Basterds'
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, 'The Messenger'
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, 'A Serious Man'
Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, 'Up'

Best Adapted Screenplay
'District 9'
''An Education'
'In the Loop'
'Precious'
'Up in the Air'

Best Original Song
'Almost There' from 'The Princess and the Frog,' Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
'Down in New Orleans' from 'The Princess and the Frog,' Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
'Loin de Paname' from 'Paris 36,' Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
'Take It All' from 'Nine,' Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
'The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)' from 'Crazy Heart,' Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The most fascinating area of the Awards this year, is the apparent success of
Sandra Bullock, when two of the nominees in the same category are no other
than two of the world's Best Actresses ever: Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep.

Can you imagine how Ms.Sandra feels, having bested them both at
The Golden Globes AND at the Screen Actors Guild Awards? I mean,
that last one is voted on by her peers! That's quite a stamp
of approval for her, and if she wins The Oscar, I cannot imagine
that she won't mention her pride at being in the same category
with those two ladies, and then winning.

It all takes place on Sunday night, March 7. Check your local
times for airing on ABC Television Network. Out East it's 8 PM.
I know where I live, it's at 6 PM. Of course, I always have to
watch every Red Carpet Channel to see all the gowns, and the
families and partners of the stars. Quite fun.

Jiva

FACES IN THE CROWD...

2010-01-18T01:02:00.028-07:00

******************************************************

The Golden Globes at The Beverly Hilton Hotel

*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************
I opened The Beverly Hilton Hotel way back in August of 1955.
Me and a few hundred other people. I was dancing on the Colgate
Variety Hour starring Hedda Hopper, Edgar Bergen, Conrad Hilton,
Ann Miller, Shelley Winters, Jinx Falkenberg, and a host of other
notables consisting of just about the entire A list of Hollywood.
It was opening day at The Hilton in Beverly Hills.

Those were exciting times. Sometime in the 1970's, the hotel
started hosting The Golden Globes, otherwise known as the
Foreign Press Association Awards. So naturally, I love watching
that show, it brings back a few memories. The big difference
between The Golden Globes and The Oscars, is that during the Globes,
people are eating and drinking. As the evening wears on, people
become a bit loose and say some very funny things, if they can
speak at all! So it's a fun night, and when you watch the show,
everyone seems to be having one hell of a good time. Even the
losers look happy. And TV shows are included in the awards.

I'd like to say something about Lee Daniels, the Director
of the film Precious. He also directed a film called Shadowboxer,
which starred Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding,Jr., and Mo'Nique.
Shadowboxer is one of my favorite films. When I first saw
it, I thought Lee Daniels was a genius. The entire film is a
great work of art. Sunday night, Mo'Nique won best supporting
actress for her role in Precious. She thanked Lee Daniels and
called him a genius. Yes, he is that. When I saw Mo'Nique in
Shadowboxer, I thought she did a magnificent job of acting.
I was really happy to hear her give acclaim to Lee Daniels.
I'm sure that Helen Mirren and Cuba Gooding,Jr. would agree.

Shadowboxer isn't for everyone, it played in few theaters
because of it's violent content, and references to incest.
But all those things were pertinent to the story.
And the story is amazing. You can get it on DVD,
if you have the temperament for that sort of film. Sex, murder,
assassins, secrets, and the most bloodshed I've ever seen.
I usually don't like bloodshed, but it's pertinent to the
story. See it at your own risk. I can only say I hope that
Lee Daniels does more films, and I wouldn't mind seeing Helen
Mirren in those films either. She did a brilliant job in
Shadowboxer, and it's a shame more people were not able to see it.

Jiva

Here Comes 2010 - I Wonder What's In Store...

2009-12-28T11:01:00.012-07:00

Good-bye and Hello...

Saying good-bye at Tampa Airport... a tribute to the first pilots in Florida.

Saying hello to The Rainsford Historic District, the old Governor's Mansion.

My kind of neighborhood, quaint and serene, can't wait until spring!

My 1940's hallway, mellow yellow, and a sensuous ambiance.

I've moved across the country 1800 miles. A great adventure.
Snow everywhere, the sounds of early morning shovels.
Sunny skies and glaring white makes the days seem exceptionally bright.
Now that Christmas is over, I think I'm going to lay back and rest
from my six month long, 24/7 effort to get here. But I AM here!

It's a winter wonderland.

Jiva

Vivere Pericoloso = Living Dangerously

2009-11-18T23:26:00.009-07:00

Things to come...imminent... any moment now...

And now I embark on a great adventure...
I never thought this day would come, yet
here it is.

Hopefully, you'll be hearing from me in January.

But for now, I must bid you adieu...

As Arnold says, "I'll be back!"

Jiva

SOLID BILL CLINTON WITH A BRONZE CAST...

2009-11-02T11:17:00.005-07:00

STATUES OF BILL...

THIS ONE IS IN IRELAND!

THIS ONE IS IN GHANA (ALONG WITH SEVEN FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS)

THIS ONE IS IN KOSOVO

Bill Clinton gets around!

Jiva

FOLLIES IN CONCERT 1985 NYC

2009-10-05T20:30:00.005-07:00

Last night and tonight, I watched the DVD of FOLLIES IN CONCERT,
performed in NYC live at Avery Fisher Hall produced in four days,
mainly to create a definitive album of the show.

The original 1971 production has become a cult favorite.

What was so completely thrilling, watching this 1985 show,
was the emotion the performers felt. I could feel it. They all knew
each other, and had known each other for years. So in a way, the lyrics
of the songs rang true to them, reflecting moments in their own
personal lives. The roster of performers couldn't have been better.

The audience went wild from the minute "The Beautiful Girls"
walked down the steps to the stage. Each performer was greeted
with such thunderous applause, you knew the audience was packed
with hard core Broadway fans. They knew the merits of each
Broadway star. To hear Elaine Stritch sing "Broadway Baby,"
made my heart pound, my eyes tear up, it brought down the house.
That woman gives 200% of herself to each word she sings, and says.

I found myself crying through much of the performance, because
there was something so touching, so personal, so vibrant about
this show. It really was a reunion in reality. Not just the story
of a reunion of showgirls, which Follies is, but a reunion of
Broadway stars who came together to make this happen in just
four days. Consumate professionals, afterwards they said to
each other, "Have you ever seen a night like this!" You could
see in their faces the joy they felt. One star said, "I like
the rehearsals better than doing the show!" They just loved
being together. It was all family.

Stephen Sondheim, bravo.

Jiva

COOL SHOES ~ but who wears them?

2009-09-08T11:47:00.002-07:00

I love these shoes... I just wonder if you feel like you're walking on
your tippy toes when you wear them. I mean, they ARE kind of high!

All those straps. Great color. Fine material.

Another day in America.

It boggles my mind how lucky we are to be here.

Is there anything you can't buy in America?

Absolutely amazing.

Jiva

ANOTHER FIRE SEASON IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

2009-08-30T05:06:00.016-07:00

Fire Season in L.A. 2009

Water drop near Palos Verdes Estates

Smoke hovers over downtown Los Angeles

Big Tujunga, LaCanada, Flintridge

Fast moving brushfire Palos Verdes

Fire above ~ hoping it doesn't drop down...

Firefighters ~ amazing guys

Santa Barbara

Santa Cruz County

Evacuating the horses...

Wearing protective inhalation mask... hey, what about the doggies?

Viewing the fires in Rancho Palos Verdes...

It's become an annual event, the Southern California fires...
They are catastrophic, and yet, the serene, centered Californians
always seem to manage to take them in stride. Just another event
in their lives, like earthquakes and mudslides. They have the best
weather in the universe I think, so what's a few catastrophe's?

Jiva

THE WOMEN ~ 1939 and 2008

2009-08-25T22:36:00.034-07:00

The Original 1939 Cast starring Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer,
Paulette Goddard and Joan Fontaine. There were NO men in this film.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

George Cukor directed The Women in 1939, and Diane English directed her
version of the film in 2008. I specifically say "her version" because
it is radically different from the original. Diane felt that after 70 years,
women had become more supportive of each other, less catty and vindictive.

The original film states "it's all about men." The new version is definitely
all about women. Not a man in sight, and very few on anyone's mind, except
of course for the wandering husband.

The new film's cast of Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Candace Bergen, Eva Mendes, Debi Mazar, Carrie Fisher, a cameo by Bette Midler,
and an outstanding at 82 Cloris Leachman, who has some of the best comic
lines in the film, do a wonderful job of being friends, confidants,
even in betrayal and sadness, they are dynamic. The film ends quite
appropriately in a birthing room, as Debra Messing gives birth to her
fifth child. This new film is all about women, their power, their
passions, their drive, and oh yes, their relationships with the invisible
men.

At first, I was appalled at the difference between the two films, but then
I realized that Diane English was right, women had changed, and they didn't
need to be so catty or clever or "in your face" with the outfits and the style
that was so predominant in the original. I've actually watched it five times,
and at the end now, I cry. Isn't that something? Quite a switch from the
original, which was a comedy classic.

Jiva

ELEPHANTS IN THE HOUSE...

2009-08-01T07:31:00.011-07:00

Well, they went and built a hotel on the elephants' migratory path. Did the elephants mind?
Apparently not. They stroll right through the place every
November. Makes a great tourist attraction. Eh? Seems the hotel courtyard
drops particularly delicious mangoes to the ground, and these elephants
cannot resist them! Even though there are other mango trees on other
properties, these elephants prefer the ones found at the hotel.

Jiva

CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS ~ JULY 17 - 26

2009-07-16T01:40:00.007-07:00

Oh, how I wish I were seeing it this year, but not happening. Next year for sure!
A madcap adventure full of fun and craziness. Yipee Cayooooooooooo...
It's The West, baby.

My heart will be there, you can count on it.

Jiva

233 YEARS OF FREEDOM ~ CAN WE KEEP IT...

2009-07-04T13:40:00.009-07:00

Let us not forget our freedoms and how we sacrificed over centuries to maintain them. We have fought wars, civil disorders, been lied to, watched our treasury be looted by government officials, watched our hard earned money taxed and be used to bailout people who own more than we could ever dream of owning. Shall we sit quietly by and watch the freedoms we have purchased so dearly be taken away, one by one? Are YOU writing to your congressman? Are YOU in touch with Obama's transparent government by website? Are YOU making your feelings known to your government before you no longer have that power? It's up to US you know. US, the people of the United States of America. Do your part, speak out now. Send emails
to your elected officials. Stop listening to the Media, the Media lies to you
every single day. Think for yourself, examine the issues, listen to your heart.

Jiva

Sail Away, sail away, your images stay with us...

2009-06-27T20:45:00.006-07:00

The lights that have illuminated our screens and filled
our ears with music go out. And we go on...

Jiva

THE AMAZING Billy DeGuido MIRACLE MAN !

2009-05-17T07:49:00.015-07:00

Update June 17, 2009
Below is the latest photo of Billy.
Even though his eyes are in good condition,
the signal from his eyes is not getting through
to his brain. Therefore Billy cannot see.
The doctors don't know if his sight will return.
It's a wait and see issue. Pray for Billy, or if
you don't pray, send good thoughts his way.
You can check out his website below by
clicking on his name.

Billy is going home on Monday, June 29.
How he will do there, remains to be seen.
Thanks again to everyone who helped out.
An outpouring of money from everywhere mailed
in to the address on his website, and from
the poker tournament, and from a volleyball
tournament, will total almost ten thousand dollars,
as soon as all the bracelets are sold.
God is Great, or if you prefer, The Universe is With Us.

I want to thank all the people who wrote to Billy and checked out his web site.
He is doing so much better, as you will see if you click on the Billy DeGuido link.
Miracles happen every day, and Billy is one of them.

You can see the infectious spirit of Billy...

I love Miracles, don't you? Every now and again, I'm privileged to see a real one.
My friend, Billy DeGuido, a man of 53 years, was struck down by a massive heart attack in April. His brain was without oxygen for about ten minutes. The doctors held little chance for Billy's recovery.

Now, you'd have to know Billy to understand what happened next. At the hospital,
he became somewhat of a celebrity, as friends by the dozens poured into the
hospital to see how Billy was doing. He was in Cardiac Intensive Care,
so visits being very limited, the friends hung out in the waiting room.
Every day. Then, the doctors decided to let Billy's friends into his
Intensive Care Room, in hopes that their voices would wake him up.

Billy was known for his sports participation. He played baseball, he played
water volleyball, he played tennis. He was in on everything.
There was this:
No insurance.
I guess this is a commentary on the American Spirit, and what happens
when there is no coverage.

I decided to call Silent Unity, about two days into Billy's stay, when he was in a coma. Silent Unity is this organization in Missouri, where if you call, they pray for you or your friends for 30 days. It's powerful, intensive stuff. The next day, Billy responded a bit. ! What? Yes, he responded a bit. I'm going to give you the link to Billy's web page, so you can see for yourself, the Miracle that Billy is.

BILLY DEGUIDO

When you look at that page, you will see the enthusiasm, the hope, and the good wishes of everyone for our dear Billy.

Nurses from the original CCU visited Billy to see how the "Miracle Man" was doing. In the first few days in CCU some of the staff originally thought Billy had very little chance of making it, now the staff is so inspired by his progress they come to visit on their break. Even his doctor said he is a 1 in a 1000 case to make the recovery that he is doing.

You will also see what happens when friends rally around in a time of crisis.
It's an amazing thing... and it's what has inspired me to write this on my blog. Thanks for looking. Pray for Billy, he has a long road ahead of him.

Jiva

THE READER ~ KATE WINSLET ~ A CLOSER LOOK

2009-05-11T03:08:00.012-07:00

This film is a masterpiece of emotional passion, upheaval, and love.
It covers territory not touched in any previous film. The story about
a woman who is illiterate, a boy who learns sex from her,
a trial about Nazi cruelty and how the laws pertain to someone
who has never read them, is brilliant in its conception and performance.

One of the Posters from the Film

The Fabulous Kate Winslet, who won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe
for Best Actress in this film

Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, and David Kross who plays the
young Ralph Fiennes in the film.

Kate pictured from the film

Ralph Fiennes as he appears in the film

The most Gorgeous Lena Olin who plays a daughter
and her own mother

Kate Winslet and David Kross

Lena Olin, David Kross, Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes

David Kross, Bernhard Schlink, Kate Winslet, David Hare (screenplay),
Stephen Daldry (director), and Ralph Fiennes

The Trailer From the Film

If you have not seen this film, it is not to be missed.
It is one of the best films I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty.

Jiva

Beatrice "Bea" Arthur ~ May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009

2009-04-26T02:21:00.021-07:00

Adieu..

Bea Arthur and Zero Mostel Rooftop Theater 1958

Bea Arthur (born Bernice Frankel) was born on May 13, 1922 in New York City

Jiva

A TRIBUTE TO EARTHA MAE KITT (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008)

2009-04-13T10:38:00.015-07:00

I saw Eartha Kitt in New Faces of 1952 in Chicago... she sang that fabulous
song "Monotonous" in a style that was unique and so sexy. I have been a fan
of hers ever since.

Earthy Eartha, The Diva

There never has been and never will be anyone like her.

Eartha at The Churchill Club 1951

Eartha in Anna Lucasta

Eartha with her daughter Kitt

Eartha with Julius LaRosa and Ed Sullivan

Eartha with Nat King Cole

Eartha with Kristin Chenoweth 2004

Eartha with daughter Kitt McDonald Shapiro

Eartha sings "I'm Still Here" from FOLLIES

She may be gone, but she will live on in our memories...

Here is a website for her fans from her daughter Kitt:
Eartha Kitt The Official Site

Jiva

SHALL WE DANCE??

2009-04-09T18:16:00.009-07:00

I HOPE I LOOK LIKE THIS AT 94 !!

Patricia Morrison looking good at 94

Patricia Morrison in 1939

King Yul Brynner a legend

I don't know why, but this clip always gives me goosebumps!

Jiva

APRIL FOOL'S DAY ~

2009-03-31T23:59:00.003-07:00

SPRING IS HERE...

I don't know about you, but I feel pretty foolish today.
The government is going to send me a check with money
borrowed from China. The government is going to send
every working person a check, and some that are not
working also.

Today, I wish President Obama would surprise us all.
Stand up at his pulpit and announce on TV "APRIL FOOL!"
Meaning, it's all a big joke, and he isn't really going
to spend three trillion dollars of money we don't have.

FAREWELL NATASHA MUCH TOO SOON...

2009-03-18T16:59:00.031-07:00

She won the coveted Tony Award for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in CABARET, 1998.

With her husband, actor Liam Neesom.

With her mother, Vanessa Redgrave.

Here is Mom Vanessa with Natasha and Joely in 1965.

With her sons, Michael and Daniel.

Natasha's sister Joely Richardson and her daughter, Daisy Bevan.

Her Grandfather Michael Redgrave and Grandmother Rachel Kempson.

Her mother Vanessa Redgrave and aunt Lynn Redgrave.

Natasha and her sister Joely.

45 Year old Natasha Richardson, of the Redgrave Family Acting Dynasty, has died today after being taken off life support in New York City. How tragic and sad for her family, her husband Liam Neeson and their two sons, Michael and Daniel. Natasha was one of the younger members of the Redgrave family, her mother being Vanessa Redgrave, daughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, shown above. Natasha's aunt, Lynn Redgrave, uncle Corin Redgrave, and Natasha's sister Joely Richardson, are all famous in their own right theatrically.

As Mary Schmich said in her famous article fantasizing about a good commencement address, that was falsely attributed to Kurt Vonnegut,

"The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday."

So may this be the reason behind Natasha's premature death, something that never crossed anyone's mind as being possible, on any day of the week.
It is always a shock to learn of an improbable passing. To her family, her husband, her sons, her mother, sister, aunt and uncle, our deepest sympathies and comfort.
The Broadway community will no doubt dim its lights in her honor tomorrow night.

For the complete story of her ski accident, her transport to New York, and subsequent death, click on this link from the Daily Mail.

Jiva

ESCAPING TO BROADWAY !

2009-03-04T09:42:00.030-07:00

LIVE THEATER ~ AMERICAN MUSICAL COMEDY,
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!

If this doesn't make you laugh and blank out your brain, you're dead!

This Economy has me in the dumps.

Typical Busby Berkeley Number from 1930's films.
A depression era treat for the masses.

I'm choosing Broadway Musicals for MY escape!

CRAZY FOR YOU is my absolute FAVORITE MUSICAL!
I am IN LOVE with HARRY GROENER, and have been since I saw the show
ON BROADWAY in 1993.
I even sent him my photo, fool that I am!

Isn't he just adorable???? :-)

The "Merm" belts it out...

So you too may while away a few minutes of your time, escaping to Broadway.
If I were there, I'd see every single show playing.
That's my answer to these troubling times...
it's called "Looking the other way." :-)

And you have to admit, "Anything Goes"
is certainly the Theme Song of
This Economy!

Jiva

HOW I SEE THE ECONOMY IN 2009 ~

2009-03-02T09:34:00.011-07:00

My Analogy in Video: ~
The man driving the watercraft is OBAMA.
The watercraft is OBAMA'S PLAN TO BAILOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
The surfer represents THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
The surfboard represents our ECONOMY.
The TSUNAMI represents REALITY.

Notice at the end of the ride, it's difficult to see what happened...
(The American people are TOUGH)!!!!

But you can bet it's going to be a hell of a ride.

ANY QUESTIONS?

Jiva

THE LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY ...

2009-02-28T01:39:00.006-07:00

Here we are, almost into spring, getting ready to leave the cold winter behind us.
I said to my friend, "Nothing is going to be the same anymore..."
and he said, "Yes it is, the elk will still migrate, the geese will still be honking,
nothing will change." And I thought he was right, the basics will still be there,
we can make the most of them, as we wait for the great insurrection
these troubled times may bring upon us.

Some people have begun to call our new government the Bush/Obama government,
meaning that it appears to be much the same, wasteful spending, continuation of war,
empty promises. The inability to understand a free economy.

I tend to live in a bubble of my own making, hanging with friends who do the same.
Living in a dream of beauty and intelligence, yet going to the meetings, just in
case there is work that might help bring us back to a freer, independant America.
Sometimes it only takes a moment of will and perseverance to wrought change.
Not change we can believe in, but change that actually happens.

I don't wish to be owned by my government, I yearn to breathe free,
like it says at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

God bless America, may freedom be her song.

Jiva

LAST NIGHT AT THE OSCAR'S ~ KATE WINS !!

2009-02-22T23:26:00.032-07:00

SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE OSCAR'S, THERE WERE NO JOKES, NO LAUGHS, BUT A LOT
OF SERIOUS MOMENTS OF LAUDING ACTORS AND THEIR TALENTS BY FORMER ACTORS.
THIS HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE, AND YOU COULD SEE IT BROUGHT EXCITEMENT
AND THRILLS TO THE NOMINEES TO BE SO COMPLIMENTED BY ICONS OF FILM.

For each category of actors, best, and supporting, a group of famous
winners from the past stepped forward, and each one personally addressed
one of the nominees, as a one on one so to speak, and told them of how
impressed they were with their work. You could see the thrill of
the words on the nominees faces. It was a brilliant stroke by the
director of the awards. It is something that each actor will carry
with them for the rest of their lives, to be personally complimented
by someone famous as Shirley MacLaine, or Robert DeNiro, a different
star for each nominee and seen by the millions of viewers.

Because of the lack of a comedic host, song and dance man Hugh Jackman did his best
to entertain the audience of celebrities and their families, but a little humor might
have gone a long way to quicken the pacing of the show, and keep the excitement going.
As it was, I found myself drifting off, changing channels, watching scenes from a film
playing on TCM, watching bits of Oliver Twist on PBS, and then coming back to the
awards. Not my usual habits at all! But that's how it was for me. For you, it may
have been more to your liking. I was very happy to see Kate win her Oscar, god
knows she deserves one, and I had to laugh when she told Meryl Streep she'd just have
to "suck it up," commenting that godesses like herself couldn't believe they were in
the same company with Meryl.

Slumdog Millionaire and it's director Danny Boyle won the prize.
Kate Winslet and Sean Penn won best actor.
Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger won best supporting actor.
Steve Martin and Tina Fey had a nice little performance,
and Heath Ledger's family accepted the award on his behalf.
Beyonce` and Hugh Jackman did a musical number with dancers.

The best part of all for me, was that towards the end of
the show, for the first time EVER as far as I can remember,
there was plenty of time for each performer to thank all the
people they wanted to thank, without any music or "hurry up"
people waving them off. Which proved that it CAN be done!

Jiva

ROAD TO THE OSCARS 2009 ~ SUNDAY NIGHT

2009-02-21T11:40:00.011-07:00

80 YEARS OF OSCARS ~ 80 YEARS OF FILMS

Tomorrow night at eight o'clock EST, The Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences will present once again, the awards for movies made in 2008. It's one of my favorite nights, not so much because it's fun to see the Red Carpet arrivals, although I certainly do enjoy that, but what has always fascinated me about the awards (and I've been watching them ever since they came on TV), is the emotional effect that films have on the viewers. Just like Gone With The Wind, [I'm watching it right now on Turner Classic Movies], what we learn from films can be transforming to our souls, to our lives. Indeed, certain films do earn the right to be awarded the highest honors for the emotion and stimulation they bring to us, sometimes changing the way we see the world. Film is the medium through which all things are possible.

HERE IS A MONTAGE OF THE 80 BEST PICTURES

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oscar Nominees:

Best Picture
'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
'Frost/Nixon'
'Milk'
'The Reader'
'Slumdog Millionaire'

Best Director
Danny Boyle 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Stephen Daldry 'The Reader'
David Fincher 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Ron Howard 'Frost/Nixon'
Gus Van Sant 'Milk'

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins 'The Visitor'
Frank Langella 'Frost/Nixon'
Sean Penn 'Milk'
Brad Pitt 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Mickey Rourke 'The Wrestler'

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway 'Rachel Getting Married'
Angelina Jolie 'Changeling'
Melissa Leo 'Frozen River'
Meryl Streep 'Doubt'
Kate Winslet 'The Reader'

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin 'Milk'
Robert Downey Jr. 'Tropic Thunder'
Philip Seymour Hoffman 'Doubt'
Heath Ledger 'The Dark Knight'
Michael Shannon 'Revolutionary Road'

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams 'Doubt'
Penelope Cruz 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'
Viola Davis 'Doubt'
Taraji P. Henson 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

Jiva

JULIE ANDREWS GETS HER VOICE BACK

2009-02-15T06:34:00.007-07:00

THE NEWS IS OUT... JULIE SINGS AGAIN !

JULIE SINGS HER FAVORITE SONG MY SHIP BEFORE SHE LOST HER VOICE... SO BEAUTIFUL...

THIS VIDEO ACTUALLY HAD ME IN TEARS...
Recorded August 12, 2008.

Such wonderful news... I happened to do a search to see what the news was, if any, about Julie's voice, as I had heard rumors that her voice was returning! And apparently this is true, although not the range she once had, more like a very low range, but that could change, as she is seeing voice coaches, and trying not to go beyond the limited range she now has, so as not to injure her vocal chords further than they already were damaged by the disastrous surgery she had twelve years ago to remove a non malignant cyst in her throat. She was supposed to be well with a voice better than ever within two weeks of the surgery, but alas, her voice did not return. She quips at The Hollywood Bowl, "I can sing the hell out of Old Man River."
But just the fact that she can sing at all, after this long silence, is a miracle. Everyone is cheering her on. God bless that sweet woman, her voice was her life, and now she has her life back.

To see the article about the return of her voice, click HERE.

Here is a clever clip put together by Nesha1987 on You Tube,
showing how IMPOSSIBLE THINGS ARE HAPPENING EVERY DAY !!
Thank you Julie for not giving up. You are an inspiration.
Julie is an amazing 73 years old this year.
It just flies, the time, doesn't it?

Jiva

SO LONG ESTELLE, SING YOUR SONG IN HEAVEN

2009-02-13T13:13:00.023-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ESTELLE AND RONNIE

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME 2007 ~ THE RONETTES INDUCTED

THE ORIGINAL HIT ~ BE MY BABY BY THE RONETTES

Ronettes star Estelle Bennett dies at 67 yesterday at her home in New Jersey.

Always sad to see them slip away... Deepest sympathies to you Ronnie...

Jiva

I'M FEELING STIMULATED BY PORK, HOW ABOUT YOU?

2009-02-10T11:12:00.005-07:00

I cannot deny that I am diametrically opposed to this stimulus bill that is passing in the Senate today.
I don't think it will stimulate anything except the pockets of a few
people who are without ethics.
If any of the money actually gets where it's supposed to go,
I'll be really surprised.

I have a link for you, from a web site that has the audacity to explain why this bill
will not work, why it will do very little to stimulate anything, and why it is a bad idea.

MORE SIMPLE ARITHMETIC

Other than that, the only thing that comes to my mind is this:

I rest my case.

Jiva

SULLY GETS AN OVATION AT SOUTH PACIFIC

2009-02-08T11:13:00.013-07:00

The pilot of the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River,
attended SOUTH PACIFIC last night, and at the end of the show,
Kelli O'Hara stepped forward and announced that Sully and his
family were in the audience.

He received a STANDING OVATION, which was richly deserved.
The Associated Press sent the story around the world.

Sully and his family are in New York this week to not only
see a Broadway show, but to be regaled by New Yorkers for
his heroism in bringing in that plane with 155 survivors
all due to his quick thinking and aero expertise.

Mayor Bloomberg will give Sully the key to New York City.

Tonight, he will be interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS 60 Minutes at 7 o'clock.

I will be watching for sure.

There are not enough good words to praise this man,
he came along at a time when America needed a hero,
and a hero he is.

AND HERE IS A POSTSCRIPT TO THIS INCREDIBLE STORY:
Sully had checked out a book from the U of C at Fresno Library.
It was in the Cargo Hold of the plane in the Hudson River.
Sully contacted the library asking for an extension and waiver
of fees.

"Fresno State library officials said they were struck by Sullenberger's sense of responsibility and did him one better: they're waiving all fees, even lost book fees, and placing a template in the replacement book dedicating it to him.

The book's subject? "Professional ethics."

AND NOW, IF WE COULD ONLY HAVE EVERYONE IN CONGRESS READ THAT BOOK,
AND ALL COMPANY CEO'S, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD IT WOULD BE.
This is why Sully is a hero, because he represents everything
that is lacking in America today. He is a man of Integrity.

Story from The Associated Press.

Jiva

BEAUTY IS AS BEAUTY DOES... DOROTHY DALE KLOSS

2009-02-03T00:57:00.020-07:00

On January 15, 2009, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet declared that day to be "Dorothy Kloss Day" for residents and visitors of Palm Springs, California. Dorothy is in the Guiness Book of World Records as The Oldest Still Performing Show Girl. She is 85 years old. She performs daily at the Plaza Theatre show, Palm Springs, California, in The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.

This is particularly significant to me because Dorothy is a former Merriel Abbott Dancer,
just as I was once, a group of girls who trained their bodies to be strong, beautiful,
and apparently long lasting! As you can see from the photos, Dorothy Dale Kloss is one of
those very beautiful girls.

Jiva

WHEN THE LAS VEGAS STRIP WAS A TWO LANE HIGHWAY

2009-01-28T02:19:00.023-07:00

HOTEL LAST FRONTIER ~ GAY NINETIES BAR ~ WESTERN STYLE ~ 1942

EL RANCHO VEGAS ~ FIRST HOTEL ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP ~ 1941

THE FLAMINGO HOTEL OPENED ON NEW YEAR'S EVE 1946

FREMONT STREET WAS AND STILL IS THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can see that the showgirls and dancers wore clothes back in those days!

I was in the chorus with The Merriel Abbott Dancers at The Last Frontier Hotel during the Fall of 1953. We opened and closed the show. Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane were headliners. What a great place it was. We stayed at The Desert Spa, which was an off-shoot of The Desert Inn, right across the street from The Frontier.

Seven hotels on The Strip. Facing North: El Rancho and Last Frontier on the left, and The Sahara, Flamingo, Desert Inn, Sands, Thunderbird on the right. The strip was a two lane highway! You know, today, it's a ten lane highway! Chuck Wagon cost a dollar for "all you can eat," and an entire show could be seen for the price of a drink. Big name stars were everywhere. It was a blast. The Mary Kaye Trio played in the lounge, but most of us weren't allowed in there or in the casino because we were underage. Our youngest was only 15! We went horse back riding during the day out on ranches. There were bramble bushes blowing and rolling down the highway late at night, and sounds of rattlers very close by in the empty land between hotels. I loved the desert and the feeling of wide open spaces.

I never noticed any rough characters when I was there, just a lot of Hollywood stars, like Jimmy Durante, Shelley Winters, Janet Leigh, Sinatra, the Ritz Brothers, Hank Henry from The Silver Slipper next door... like that... everyone was family back then. We all hung out together and did silly stupid fun things... to be so young and experience that... nothing like it.

I went back to Las Vegas in 1978 which was my 25th Anniversary of having first worked there, and I got a job as a Keno Runner at The Tropicana just for fun. I can tell you there were definitely mob people running things then, they seemed to be everywhere. I loved the outfits the men wore, those black silk shirts with the white satin ties. And those low, graveley voices that sounded like they had eaten cement.

The comedian on our show was Bobby Sargent, and when I went back in 1978, his picture was on the elevator wall at the Hilton. Really surprised me! He was still around.

When we had to leave on the train to go back, I didn't want to go. I cried and cried, wanting so much to stay. But I was under age, and had not much say in my life. By the time we were back in Chicago, I seemed to forget all about it, as other issues took over.

Jiva

LIFE IN FLORIDA ~ WINTER WONDERLAND

2009-01-27T14:29:00.009-07:00

Seems like winter brings many northerners down here, a lot of Canadians,
and people who feel that endless summer is not such a bad idea...

Apparently, they want to get away from the cold and experience 80 degree temps.
Well, this is what it looks like folks, in case you were wondering. Sure,
I know it's a tough life to take. I've been here 28 years, and am wanting
so much to feel some cold weather on my skin, look off into the distance
and see mountains. To feel like I'm out west with sturdy people of strong
character, who love life. Florida makes me feel lethargic and lacking any
ambition whatsoever! Hard to believe, even Paradise gets old after awhile.

By the way, not to mislead... the above is not my house, oh no...
it's the house of a friend and it's for sale for $750,000... not
anything I could afford! It's just very representative of the life
so many people lead here in the sub-tropics... swimming pools, always.

Jiva

HERE SHE IS, MISS AMERICA

2009-01-25T01:03:00.024-07:00

KATIE STAM, MISS INDIANA, THE NEW MISS AMERICA 2009

THE WINNER HEARS THE NEWS

SHE'S OVERJOYED

KATIE STAM IN JEANS AND BIKINI

FINALIST JACKIE GEIST JUMPS FOR JOY

MISS GEORGIA, CHASITY HARDMAN, FIRST RUNNER UP

MISS INDIANA, THE WINNER

MISS CALIFORNIA, JACKIE GEIST AND MISS ARKANSAS, ASHLON BATSON

MISS KANSAS, EMILY DEAVER, AND MISS FLORIDA, SIERRA MINOTT

Another year, another parade of beauties to represent America to the world.
Congratulations Katie Stam, Miss Indiana, Miss America 2009

Jiva

I'll see your Julie Walters and raise you a Helen Mirren

2009-01-24T06:09:00.026-07:00

Bloggers Kari and Roxie started a blogger game!
TWENTY FAVORITE ACTRESSES... these are mine...

HELEN MIRREN

JUDY DENCH

MERYL STREEP

RACHEL MCADAMS

BETTE DAVIS

GENE TIERNEY

INGRID BERGMAN

KATHERINE HEPBURN

LAUREN BACALL

LUCILLE BALL

ROSALIND RUSSELL

NATALIE WOOD

JACQUELINE BISSETT

JANE FONDA

CLAUDETTE COLBERT

GINGER ROGERS

ANGELA LANSBURY

MYRNA LOY

OLIVIA DEHAVILLAND

JANE WYMAN

Aren't they all just too lovely for words?

Jiva

A NEW DAWN, A NEW DAY ...

2009-01-21T18:01:00.005-07:00

A DREAM OF PEACE, A SONG OF TOMORROW...

I was having mixed feelings about mentioning my glee that Bush and Cheney are gone.
I wanted to "stay positive" as my friend Parker likes to say.
And I did, for about one day. Then I found some youtube videos and,
I'm sorry to say, I just HAVE TO share them with you!!

It's every man/woman for himself/herself now, so straighten up!

David Letterman speaks his mind.

A Mommy teaches her little girl to speak on the subject.

Giving George The Boot!

Will there really be change? Some Americans are doubtful...

Showing both sides of a picture isn't always popular.

Jiva

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks

2009-01-19T23:14:00.015-07:00

TODAY, 53 YEARS AFTER ROSA PARKS MADE HISTORY, ANOTHER MAN MAKES HISTORY.
HE WAS BORN SIX YEARS AFTER ROSA PARKS WAS ARRESTED. A VERY BRAVE WOMAN.

THE BUS

Rosa Parks riding in the front of a bus. Montgomery, Alabama

Rosa Parks mugshot 1955

Rosa Parks fingerprinted 1955

Rosa Parks 1995 a legend

A scene in the south, circa 1950.

Rosa Parks Civil Rights Pioneer

THE ROSA PARKS STORY IN BRIEF...

In 1954, I boarded a bus in Miami Beach. I sat in the back of the bus, as I had always done in Chicago, where I lived. The bus sat there for 15 minutes. Everyone was staring at me. I said, "Why isn't the bus moving?" The bus driver said, "The back of the bus is for colored folks. Move to the front of the bus." There were about five people on the entire bus.
In 1955, Rosa Parks changed all that. Today, if there is a heaven, I'm sure she is smiling.

Jiva

MIRACLE NEAR 48TH STREET MIDTOWN MANHATTAN

2009-01-17T01:28:00.013-07:00

Former fighter pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III saves 155 souls on a Thursday afternoon...

"BRACE FOR IMPACT"

US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549 GLIDING OVER THE HUDSON RIVER

NICE JOB, SULLY !!!

ON THE WINGS OF A HERO ~ NOT ONE SOUL LOST

HELP TO THE RESCUE !!!

GLAD TO BE ALIVE

VIDEO OF ACTUAL SPLASHDOWN ON LEFT SIDE OF SCREEN ~

It's one of those events that brings the entire country together: A miracle, A hero,
A feeling of solidarity in a time of national crisis. It was just what we needed to
remind us of the bravery and kindness and tenacity of the American spirit.

You've seen it on TV, you've read about it on your computers, you know the details.
They are too fascinating to ignore. A veteran pilot with the coolness of god, set
down a plane in the middle of the Hudson River with no engines. His glider pilot
experience no doubt helped. But it was the man himself, who made those instant
decisions, said those powerful words, and brought the plane down smoothly.

Sullenberger's co-pilot was Jeff Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wis.,
a 23-year US Airways veteran.

People who saw it said, "It was a controlled descent." "I thought they were making
a film on the river!" 35 people were rescued from the water. The air temp was 20F.
Riders on the Thomas Jefferson commuter ferry threw life vests and ropes to the
passengers in the water. A miracle near 48th Street, that gave us all hope.

Jiva

IT'S ABOUT THE HATS...

2009-01-16T14:01:00.013-07:00

The thing was, someone designed hats to go with these costumes. Inevitably, the hats
would be either huge, or have feathers, or something that stuck out in all directions.
Nice to look at maybe, but for dancers performing acrobatics, those were unfriendly hats.
The Merriel Abbott Dancers usually had cartwheels, walkovers, or some such feat in
the dance numbers, and that tropical number featured in the photo had a few.

If you look at the hats, you can see that they are placed precariously
on one's head. There is a lot more hat off the head than is on the head, making it
unsteady, uncertain, and fraught with probabilities. You'd think that a designer,
with years of experience, would know this. But no, those hats kept coming at us.
Every dance number, every costume, had a hat, and the hats were usually cumbersome.

In this particular dance number, the boys had to jump over the girls. Well, you can imagine!
Not a performance went by, that a hat didn't go flying. Once off the head, they were in
danger of being confiscated by the audience, as we danced on the same level as our guests.
They ate and DRANK at their tables, then watched the show on a level dance floor. They
were not beyond a little mild frivolity. We tried not to encourage it.

You could stumble over a hat lying innocently on the floor, when you were tripping the
light fantastic. You could toss an errant hat on the bandstand. You could try to pin it
back where it had been originally, without missing a step. You could! Really.

Heard in the dressing room after a show:
"Has anyone seen my hat?"

Like our current government, it befuddles the mind with the irrationality of it all.

Jiva (who is 18, bottom right)

(Copyright 2009)

A LITTLE HOUSE IN WYOMING

2009-01-16T03:21:00.005-07:00

I have this desire to live in Wyoming, with a nice big fluffy dog,
a lot of books, and my computer. I found this house on The Internet,
and can't remember where. I just know that it is my dream house.

I've lived in much bigger houses, lived on estates, lived on the shore,
in the woods, in the mountains, just about everywhere I can think of
except maybe Venice, Italy, or Paris, France, wouldn't mind living there either.
Or being in NYC, the center of the theater world.
But no, I want to live in Wyoming. This is the house for me.
I have nothing else to say about it, just wanted you to see it.

Jiva

THE GLAMOROUS MARY MEADE

2009-01-15T00:01:00.007-07:00

It was March of 1953, and I was performing for the first time at The Empire Room of The Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, dancing with The Merriel Abbott Dancers. A dancer had not shown up for work, and they asked me to take her place, as I already knew the dance numbers. I was sixteen years old, a tall girl with long blond hair, quite attractive, a nice Catholic schoolgirl basically, suddenly thrust into the spotlight in more ways than one. The other girls had to show me how to put on stage make-up, fix my eyelashes with black wax to make them look thick and long, and put my headpiece on so it wouldn't fall off while I was dancing. That was the easy part. What happened next was something sudden. They asked me to walk out around the tables to the other side of the dance floor where we performed our shows, and wait for Miss Mary Meade who was the headliner.

They said, now just stand at the other side of the stage, and when she comes out, she'll hand you her black fox fur. You take it to the dressing room the same way you came out. This meant walking all the way around the tables and back again. They put me in a maid's outfit, with a little apron, black stockings and high heels. I looked like a pin up girl. Mary Meade was not that well known in Chicago, or anywhere else except Europe in the 1950's. She had been an actress in some "B" movies in Hollywood in the 40's, but for the most part, she was basically an unfamiliar face. She was quite beautiful, and she also had long blonde hair, just as I did at that time. We were both tall and blonde, and both pretty. So.......

The orchestra starts playing. I start walking around the back of the tables. The Master of Ceremonies introduces the star of stage and screen, the lovely Miss Mary Meade! And here she comes out of the same dressing room I came out of, only I reached the stage well before she did.
Just as they announced her, I stepped forward on the stage waiting dutifully for her to arrive with her black fox fur. The audience couldn't see her because she was on her way from the dressing room, making her way through the side tables. They took one look at me, and thought I looked similar to the picture on their table card, so they started applauding, loud and passionately, as good Chicago audiences were known to do. I smiled and grinned at the crowd which was staring at me, and then a somewhat irate Ms.Meade came strolling across the stage and handed me her fur with a cutting look I will never forget.

The musicians unfortunately started chuckling in the background, and the drummer made one of those stick on cymbal sounds they make at the punch line of a joke. I still had to walk all the way around the back tables. Ms. Meade started singing, but the audience continued smiling at me, as I walked fast to the dressing room. It was a story that went around town a bit, as the new girl who upstaged Mary Meade. She was quite unhappy about it, until they told her it was my very first night in show business, and I guess she decided to forgive me, as apparently it had been her idea to have a maid pick up her fur, and for some reason, somebody decided to have me do it. I'll never forget that night, as I didn't know whether to be elated at my sudden celebrity, or humiliated at my bold stance while I waited for her to appear. A charming memory now, but then, all the girls said, "nice going."

Jiva

(Copyright 2009)

KATE WINS !!

2009-01-11T23:42:00.044-07:00

KATE WINSLET WON TWICE !!
MICKEY ROURKE SUPRISED ME WITH HIS BEST ACTOR WIN.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE STOLE THE SHOW...
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN... CHECK IT OUT.

Jiva

GOLDEN GLOBES TONIGHT AT 8PM EST !!!

2009-01-11T13:32:00.005-07:00

THE 66TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES AIRS TONIGHT.
A PRINTABLE BALLOT IS ON THE HEADER LINK ABOVE. (title bar)
KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE WINNERS AND LOSERS!
I JUST LOVE HOLLYWOOD. I LOVE THE RED CARPET AND ALL THE FASHIONS.
50 STARS WILL BE PRESENTERS AT THE BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL
(where I just happened to be the first day the place opened in 1955)!
IT IS FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE ON NBC LIVE AND IN COLOR :)

The Golden Globes is the only awards show today that combines the intimacy and spontaneity of a party. As the night continues on, the famous and not so famous usually become
innebriated, thereby doing and saying outrageous things that make us all laugh and giggle.
That's the BIG difference between the Golden Globes and the rest of the award shows.

In case you don't know, the Golden Globes is put on by the Hollywood Foreign
Press Association. My experience is that they usually have no hidden agendas.
They just call it like they see it. NO politics!

I'll be on the couch with my Martini, my snacks and my ballot.
I love to guess who might win, I always play my favorites.
And of course BRAD PITT AND CATE BLANCHETT are right at the top of my list!

Happy Viewing.

Jiva

TAKING A LOOK BACK AT BLOGGING

2009-01-10T23:45:00.011-07:00

THIS IS A PICTURE OF BILL GATES WITH BLOGGERS. SINCE WE OWE BILL A DEBT OF
GRATITUDE FOR MAKING ALL THIS POSSIBLE, HE SEEMED THE IDEAL PERSON TO SIT WITH BLOGGERS.
HERE IS A LINK TO PAGES AND PAGES OF PHOTOS OF BLOGGERS. KNITTING BLOGGERS, QUAKER BLOGGERS, REUNION BLOGGERS, COMPASSION BLOGGERS, GORGEOUS BLOGGERS, SEX BLOGGERS, KUWAITI BLOGGERS, INTEL BLOGGERS, PERTH BLOGGERS, LONDON BLOGGERS.
THE WORLD BLOGS.

A little aside here... do you notice how no one in California ever wears a tie???
You have to love a place like that. I'm wondering why I typed this entry in CAPS.
3 in the morning, too much drinking at dinner, good grief. (Inserted post blog).

I WROTE MY FIRST BLOG ENTRY BACK IN AUGUST OF 2007, NOT SO LONG AGO REALLY, BUT I REMEMBER BEING VERY EXCITED AT HAVING STARTED. THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN I WENT AROUND ASKING "WHAT IS A BLOG ANYWAY?" I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE WORD MEANT! WEB LOG. BLOG.

TONIGHT I WAS HAVING DINNER WITH TWO GIRLFRIENDS, AND ONE ASKED WHAT THE PURPOSE OR POINT WAS TO WRITING A BLOG, AND WHY WOULD ANYONE READ THEM? I TRIED TO EXPLAIN. BLOGGING IS THIS WRITING OF WHAT AMOUNTS TO A KIND OF JOURNAL OF YOUR SOUL. WHEN I FIRST STARTED, I COMMENTED ON THE DAY'S EVENTS, ADDED PICTURES, VIDEOS, THINGS THAT I FOUND INTERESTING, HOPING THAT SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE IN THE ETHERS MIGHT THINK IT AMUSING. WHATEVER.

AS TIME WENT ON, I FOUND OTHER PEOPLE'S BLOGS. I READ THEM, KEPT THEM, MADE THEM FAVORITES. DISCOVERED THE WORLD OF BLOGGING. NOT JUST MY BLOG, BUT MANY BLOGS OF NOTE WRITTEN BY TRULY INTERESTING FOLK. IT'S LIKE AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO REVEALING THEMSELVES. REVEALING THEIR HOPES, THEIR DREAMS, THEIR PAST, THEIR PRESENT.

LIKE PARKER SAYS, IT'S ORAL HISTORY. EVEN THOUGH THE WORDS ARE WRITTEN.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT OTHER PEOPLE'S BLOGS, I SEE THEIR LIVES.

IT REMINDS ME OF WHEN I WAS YOUNG, LIVING AT HOME, AND WE WOULD SIT AROUND THE TABLE
AFTER DINNER, TALKING ABOUT OUR DAY, ABOUT THE PEOPLE WE MET, EVENTS WE EXPERIENCED,
AND LAUGHING AT THE FOIBLES OF LIFE. THAT'S WHAT BLOGGING IS LIKE FOR ME.

I'M SITTING AROUND WITH BLOGGERS, TELLING IT LIKE IT IS, HEARING WHAT IT'S
LIKE FOR THEM. IT'S AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH A FEW ZILLION FOLKS.

WITH LOVE, FROM JIVA THE BLOGGER
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, JIVA MEANS "ESSENCE OF LIFE" IN SANSKRIT.
IT'S NOT MY REAL NAME, IT'S MY BLOGGIN' NAME!

DANCING DAYS SO LONG AGO...

2009-01-10T09:15:00.013-07:00

REUNION OF THE MERRIEL ABBOTT DANCERS AT THE STAIRS UP TO THE EMPIRE ROOM OF THE PALMER HOUSE HOTEL IN CHICAGO SOMETIME AROUND 1970 OR 1971.
MERRIEL ABBOTT IS FRONT AND CENTER WITH A FLOWER LEI AROUND HER NECK, SMILING AT JUNE TAYLOR OF JACKIE GLEASON SHOW FAME, A FORMER MERRIEL ABBOTT GIRL HERSELF.

THE STORY OF MERRIEL ABBOTT AND HER DANCERS SPANS ALMOST 30 YEARS. SHE CHOREOGRAPHED SHOWS ON BROADWAY IN 1929 AND THE 1930'S. HER DANCERS WERE IN MANY FILMS WITH JACK BENNY: BUCK BENNY RIDES AGAIN, MAN ABOUT TOWN, AND LOVE THY NEIGHBOR IN THE LATE 1930'S AND EARLY 1940'S. OTHER FILMS INCLUDED SWING FEVER AND LOVE ON TAP.
THEY DID A LOT OF TOURING, DOING NIGHT CLUB PERFORMANCES BACK WHEN NIGHT CLUBS
AND SUPPER CLUBS WERE THE SOCIAL EVENING OUT ENTERTAINMENTS OF THAT TIME.
BUT EVEN THOUGH HER GIRLS TRAVELED THE WORLD, THEY WERE BEST KNOWN FOR THEIR NIGHTLY PERFORMANCES IN THE ELEGANT EMPIRE ROOM OF THE PALMER HOUSE HOTEL IN CHICAGO.

FOUR MERRIEL ABBOTT GIRLS IN HOLLYWOOD, 1940

DURING SUMMERS, THEY WOULD TRAVEL THE USA, WORKING IN LAS VEGAS, MIAMI BEACH, AND LOS ANGELES. THEY PERFORMED ON THE COLGATE VARIETY HOUR IN THE SUMMER OF 1955, WHICH COINCIDENTALLY OPENED THE BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE MANY OF THE AWARDS BANQUETS AND DINNERS ARE HELD, NOTABLY THE GOLDEN GLOBES.

ONE OF THE REASONS THE GIRLS WERE SO FAMOUS WAS BECAUSE OF THEIR SKILL IN PERFORMING ALL THREE OF THE BASICS OF DANCE: TAP, BALLET AND ACROBATICS. THOSE GIRLS COULD DO FLIP FLOPS, AERIEL SUMMERSAULTS, AERIAL CARTWHEELS, SPOT WALKOVERS AND JUMP SPLITS. MOST DANCERS STICK TO DANCING WITHOUT THE ACROBATICS. IN FACT, BY THE TIME HER DANCERS WERE PERFORMING IN THE 1950'S, ACROBATICS HAD ALL BUT DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR PERFORMANCES, AS NONE OF THE GIRLS AUDITIONING HAD THE BACKGROUND, AND BY THEN MS.ABBOTT NO LONGER HAD HER FAMOUS SCHOOL WHERE THESE SKILLS WERE REQUIREMENTS. IF YOU EVER HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE ONE OF THE JACK BENNY FILMS THAT THE GIRLS ARE IN, YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF. I KNOW THAT I, A FORMER MERRIEL ABBOTT GIRL MYSELF, ALMOST FELL OVER WHEN I SAW THE LEVEL OF WORK THEY DID IN THEIR FILMS.

MERRIEL ABBOTT GIRLS IN LONDON ON ONE OF THE VERY FIRST TV SHOWS FOR THE BBC 1937

THEY SPENT TIME IN LONDON, PARIS, AND SOUTH AMERICA. TO BE A MERRIEL ABBOTT DANCER WAS QUITE A FEAT BACK IN THOSE DAYS. THE LAST PERFORMANCE THE GIRLS MADE WAS IN 1957, A LONG WAY FROM 1929. AND EVEN AFTER THAT, MS.ABBOTT CONTINUED WORKING FOR CONRAD HILTON AS A BOOKING AGENT FOR ALL HIS HOTELS THE WORLD OVER UNTIL HER DEATH IN THE 1970'S. THERE WAS A REUNION HELD AT THE EMPIRE ROOM, AND I'M GLAD SHE WAS ABLE TO BE THERE BEFORE SHE DIED.

MERRIEL ABBOTT IN 1938 AT THE PEAK OF HER SUCCESS WHICH LASTED THROUGH THE 1950'S.

(Copyright 2009)
Jiva

DANCING THROUGH LIFE... REPEAT THE TREAT

2009-01-08T03:16:00.007-07:00

I POSTED THIS BEFORE... BUT HEY, IT'S A REALLY GOOD SONG.
FROM THE BROADWAY SHOW WICKED ~ I PRESENT IT AGAIN.

Jiva

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN CHARLOTTE RAMPLING?

2009-01-08T02:48:00.005-07:00

Well, if you haven't, it's time you did.

I first saw her in Georgy Girl in the 60's.
I was absolutely mesmerized by her
in The Night Porter in the 70's.
I adored her wickedness in The Verdict
as she slyly took advantage of Paul Newman.
She is something else.

Jiva

ANGEL EYES

2009-01-08T00:37:00.012-07:00

POST-HOLIDAY BLUES...

Courtesy: pagano60

A song written in 1953, the same year Mary Meade handed me her wrap,
with a look that my innocent eyes could not interpret,
as I was "living in the moment," and totally missed her point.
She's the arrogant blonde, right before Rita Hayworth pulls a sleeve up
over her right shoulder in Gilda.

(More later...)

Jiva

SPEAKING OF DANCING...

2009-01-06T02:51:00.010-07:00

THE LOBBY OF THE PALMER HOUSE, STAIRS LEADING TO THE EMPIRE ROOM

My friend Parker thinks I should use my blog to tell visitors about my own
experiences in show business. Unlike the two kids in Grease whose dream came
true, I didn't even have a dream. What I had was an accidental merging with
opportunity. I hesitated to speak of these things, because I never intended
to talk about them on here, but after thinking it over, I decided, well,
maybe he's right, maybe it's the only time I'll ever do it in the first place.
Write about it, that is. He thinks oral history is a wonderful medium, and even
though I'm writing, it is kind of like oral history, isn't it... and so now
it won't be lost in the ethers of non telling.

I was fifteen years old, and my family had just moved to the western suburbs
of Chicago. I didn't know a soul out there, and I was very lonesome. A friend
of my mother's suggested that she send me downtown for dancing lessons to give
me something to do after school. I had taken lessons earlier in my life, but
then went on to other things, like riding my bicycle and playing baseball.
In high school, I was also captain of my basketball team, so I was very busy!
Dancing wasn't high on my list of priorities.

There had been a brief period when I was twelve, that I ushered at the Shubert
Theater in Chicago, in exchange for seeing shows for free. I had very
good seats for shows like South Pacific, Brigadoon, Miss Liberty, and one day,
I even went to the stage door and asked the manager if I could be in the currently
playing show, Guys and Dolls. He was so sweet. He said, "Go ahead in there,
watch the girls rehearse, and if you still want to be in the show, let me know."
I was thrilled! I sat in the fifth row and watched as these very tall women
walked around on the stage in time with the music, wearing only big hats,
daisies pasted on their upper and lower anatomy, bare otherwise, and singing.
Well, I knew I couldn't do that, my mother would kill me! I thanked
the manager, saying it really wasn't for me, and went home.

But in sophmore year, after school, there was this empty time. Both my parents
worked, my sister had married, and I was all alone in the house. So instead of
going home to the west, I took the Lake Street "L" to the east. Downtown.
Along the way, I discovered that the girl sitting across from me on the train
every day was none other than Carol Lawrence of West Side Story fame.
She studied, I studied, we were both going to lessons.
She to singing, me to dancing. Little did I know she would
one day become famous.

THE EMPIRE ROOM AT THE PALMER HOUSE HOTEL IN CHICAGO CIRCA 1953

After about a year of dance lessons at the Melba Cordes School of Dance, she
told me that there was nothing else she could teach me, and I should go over
to The Palmer House Hotel and practice the dance routines on the bandstand of
the world famous Empire Room with The Merriel Abbott Dancers. Turned out that
Melba herself had been a Merriel Abbott Dancer, and her mother was the
wardrobe mistress over there. Wow, was I ever surprised! So I went.
I mean, what else was there for me to do? I told my parents, and even
though they were amused, they knew that Ms.Abbott had an impeccable reputation
and that "her girls" were watched over and kept safe from the normal show
business elements. They had curfews, were not allowed to date musicians,
had to stay in school, etc. So my parents said it was O.K. I think they
were secretly quite proud of me!

I followed those girls everywhere. After rehearsal I would go with them
to the restaurant where they ate dinner. They would eat, and I would
have a coke. I usually didn't get home until eight o'clock at night. The
girls lived at the Palmer House and did two shows a night, one at 8 PM and
one at midnight. Well, one night, (just like in the movies) one of the
girls didn't show up for work! She called in sick. That is really unheard
of in show business. You know the song, the show must go on, even if you're
dying. Well, she wasn't dying, she just wasn't there. And guess who knew
all the dance numbers... ME! They pinned me into her costume, and the rest
as they say is history. She never came back, and I took her place in the line.
Isn't life just amazing!!??

HERE I AM AT SIXTEEN WITH THE WONDERFUL DOROTHY SHAY (PARK AVENUE HILLBILLY),
WALLY BOAG AND EDDIE O'NEIL, THE BANDLEADER OF THE ORCHESTRA.
(That strange looking dot is because this photo was in my scrapbook for the last
55 years, and something apparently dripped on it. Sorry about that)!

I'll tap into my brain archives more, next time the muse arrives.

Jiva

(Copyright 2009)

LET'S HAVE A LITTLE MORE DANCING

2009-01-04T16:06:00.008-07:00

I LOVE DANCING. THE TWO LEADS IN GREASE WERE CHOSEN FROM A CONTEST ON TV.
HONEST! AND THEY ARE SO GOOD TOO. Laura Osnes and Max Crumm won the NBC TV Reality Series last year, winning by TV audience votes in addition to professional judges.

Aren't they terrific? Their dream came true.

Jiva

WINTER SUNRISE IN CHEYENNE, WYOMING

2009-01-04T02:46:00.003-07:00

MY FRIEND MIKE SAID "Love that Western sky and the ability to see great distances."

ME TOO.

(Click on the pic for a larger version)

Jiva

CAREER COUNSELING ~

2009-01-03T00:42:00.011-07:00

LET'S SEE... REAL ESTATE IS DEAD, NO BUSINESS THERE...

THIS LOOKS GOOD, WHAT DO YOU THINK...
STRAIGHT SALARY, NO COMMISSIONS.
LOVE THOSE OUTFITS!

Jiva

DO YOU WANNA DANCE ?

2009-01-03T00:07:00.015-07:00

I FEEL LIKE DANCIN'

See those dancers in the photos? ~ Late 1930's ~
(The Merriel Abbott Dancers)

See those dancers in the color video? ~ 21st Century! ~
(Palm Springs Follies)

Might be some of the same performers...

Yep.
The Palm Springs Follies

Can ya dig it?

Now you know... NOTHING is impossible!

Jiva

WISHING YOU PEACE AND PROSPERITY 2009

2008-12-31T13:55:00.003-07:00

Jiva

I ONLY HAVE ONE THING TO SAY...

2008-12-31T01:14:00.012-07:00

*
*
*

UNCLE JAY EXPLAINS 2008

2008-12-29T21:07:00.006-07:00

Someone had some splainin' to do...

Now let's all keep our sense of heumar!
:)

Jiva

2009 ~ 2009 ~ 2009 ~ 2009 ~ 2009 ~ 2009 ~ 2009 ~ 2009

2008-12-27T10:31:00.007-07:00

TIMES SQUARE NEW YORK CITY

WHEN I'M 64 BY THE BEATLES

LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS BY THE BEATLES

I did a few interesting things in the 1970's... and next year is going to be much better!
I stole the LSD video from FABULON, so giving the credit here... great web site, which was turned on to me by the one and only STARLET SHOWCASE... have to give credit where credit
is due! Not that I have much credit left at this point in time... just floating through
the ethers.

You all have the very happiest New Year, and make 2009 memorable.

LIVE IT, LOVE IT, DO IT!

Jiva

HOW COLD IS IT???????

2008-12-26T12:52:00.006-07:00

EVERYONE KEEPS TELLING ME THAT CHEYENNE IS GOING TO BE TOOOOOOO COLD!
SO CHECK THIS OUT... LIFE IS ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE, AND HEY, IT'S WHAT YOU MAKE IT!
I'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO STAY WARM...

SOME PEOPLE JUST KNOW HOW TO HAVE FUN...

JIVA

CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE !!

2008-12-23T03:56:00.020-07:00

THIS, FROM PLEASANT GROVE, UTAH...

REMEMBER, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DRINK, SAFEST PLACE IS IN THE HOUSE. ;)

SANTA'S BEING CAUTIOUS THIS YEAR...

IT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF SNOWY AT A LOT OF PLACES... SO STAY WARM !

IF YOU'RE GOING HUNTING, BE SURE TO WEAR THE BRIGHTEST ORANGE !!

AND A REMINDER FROM MARILYN TO STAY POSITIVE... (thanks for the hints)!

DURING THESE HOLIDAZE...

I'M POSTING A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS WISH TO THE HOST OF STARLET SHOWCASE, BECAUSE HE'S STUCK UP IN THE SNOW AND CAN'T GET OUT. SO, HERE'S MY FAVORITE SINGER, AND SOME PICTURES I HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY... ALL THE BEST TO YOU...

AND A SPECTACULAR 2009 !!!!!!!!!!

JIVA

IT'S SNOWING IN LAS VEGAS AND NORTHRIDGE, CA TOO !!

2008-12-18T12:02:00.007-07:00

They say it's the worst snowstorm in thirty years. The Las Vegas airport is closed, as they don't have any snow removal equipment! Don't you just love that?

SNOWING ON THE STRIP

THE LUXOR COVERED WITH SNOW

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA THIS MORNING... MY FRIEND SAID "THIS IS WHAT I WOKE UP TO!"

I've been in Las Vegas when it snowed, and it's kind of surreal... like art...
I saw it snow in L.A. too... People look around and go, "wow... look at that!"
For some folks, it's their very first time. Snow Virgins.

All those tourists are having a bit of a surprise this week. They didn't expect snow on the palm trees.
I love it when the weather surprises us. Kind of fun.

Jiva