2008 OLYMPICS

WELL, HERE WE ARE WITH THE 2008 OLYMPICS UPON US, AND I HAD BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE EXCITING OPENING CEREMONIES LIVE FROM CHINA, BUT APPARENTLY THAT IS NOT HAPPENING!

So, in lieu of this disappointing news, I decided to present a few really nice photos I found on the Internet, because I think we all need something to make us feel connected to this great event, and the Opening Ceremonies.

AT 9 PM TONIGHT, NBC WILL BROADCAST A REPEAT OF THE OPENING CEREMONIES, SO BE SURE TO WATCH, AS IT SHOULD BE SPECTACULAR!

Jiva

BROADWAY AND THE BOSTON POPS

TONIGHT ON PBS WE HAD THE BOSTON POPS DELIVERING BROADWAY STARS!

It was a lovely show, and I enjoyed hearing not only the songs, but the stories that went with each star's presentation. My idol is TOMMY TUNE, who's life I've studied from the beginning of his career. And of course, BARBARA COOK is amazing. The greatest star of the Broadway stage was shown to sing a medley of songs, including the one she said made her famous: I've Got Rhythm: The fabulous ETHEL MERMAN.

It was a delightful hour and a half, and I hope they present it again.

Jiva

Bonnie Raitt

Ethel Merman

Tyne Daley

Tommy Tune

Kristin Chenoweth

Joel Gray

Bernadette Peters

Barbara Cook

Carol Channing

Carol and Orchestra

Pearlie Mae and Arthur Fiedler

Boston Pops Orchestra

Bernadette Peters sings Broadway Baby

ROSALIND RUSSELL ~ DYNAMITE ACTRESS

">WHAT'S MY LINE?

Last night on TV, Turner Movie Classics played both AUNTIE MAME and GYPSY starring the fabulous ROSALIND RUSSELL. My favorite film of hers was always THE WOMEN, where her comedic talents were displayed to the hilt. In 1942 she played in a film called MY SISTER EILEEN, and then in 1953 she played the same role in the hit Broadway show called WONDERFUL TOWN, and won the Tony Award for her starring role. If there is one thing ROSALIND RUSSELL was, it was versatile.

THE WOMEN

The middle of seven children, she was named after the S.S. Rosalind at the suggestion of her father. She was a wonderful woman in a wonderful town.

Jiva

IT'S ALL ABOUT AGE !!

Eartha Kitt 1927
Julie Christie 1941
Lena Horne 1917
Elaine Stritch 1926
Julie Andrews 1935
Barbara Cook 1927
Barbara Walters 1929
Marian Seldes 1928
Angela Lansbury 1925
Dorothy Dale Kloss 1924
Judy Dench 1934
Helen Mirren 1945




Don't you just love it? Stars in their sixties, seventies and eighties out there booking those gigs! Marian Seldes said "80 is the new 40" and I believe it. I say that to myself every day... I constantly meet people who are so magically younger than springtime! It's all about energy and positive thinking... it's all about setting aside those cliches from the past and filling your brain with possibility!

I rest my case.

Jiva

HERE IT IS FOLKS! HERE'S THE OBAMA'S !!

This is the picture that has everyone in an uproar! On the cover of a magazine no less. And a major magazine at that, THE NEW YORKER. The publishers are saying it is satire and should be construed as such. Pro Obama supporters are both horrified and shouting foul, while others are saying it's satire, keep calm. But many people in America don't think it's satire. There are a lot of people who believe this is the real face behind the Obama facade. There are people who are truly afraid of this man, but no one seems to want to talk about that. Obama himself has said that he has a tough skin after campaigning all this time, and that it isn't bothering him at all, he sees it as an illustration that is coming across differently than it was meant, but that it is just human error, not anything malicious. So, what do you think? Do you think free speech is ok even when it may be libeling people? Or is satire a great way to libel people and get away with it. Or is it really satire? I don't know the answer. I think we may never find out if McCain is elected; and if Obama is elected, then, we will find out for sure! Remains to be seen.

Jiva

BASTILLE DAY ~ JULY 14

Today is Bastille Day, the French Independence Day. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to just once, be in Tahiti on Bastille Day. Why this is, I have no idea. I just felt this strong urge to be there and celebrate. Maybe I had lived there in another life time, maybe I had been a French patriot, who knows.

In any event, it's an exciting holiday, celebrated all over the world.

Jiva

Trying Out Word Links

My friend Sarah, has all these wonderful words on her blog that link to other pages, and even though she has told me how to do it, I keep failing. Another friend of mine told me another way to do it, so I'm going to try that today.

Words that link to other pages to enlighten and inform.

OK, now I'm going to see if that worked.

Oh my gosh it worked! I am so buzzed.
Now my blogs will be so much more creative!
One step at a time. A big THANK YOU to my friend Joe, from Chicago.

Patience.

Jiva

DANCING THROUGH LIFE

Here is that wonderful song, Dancing Through Life from the show WICKED.

Jiva

MARIN MAZZIE

Originally the song on this episode was "When Did I Fall In Love" which is a fabulous song, and she sang it so well, so passionately. BUT, the owners took it down and didn't want anyone to hear it for free, I guess. So I've replaced it with the ONLY solo I could find of her on YouTube, and that is Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered, from Pal Joey. Not as sexy as the former song, but still her fabulous persona.


Marin Mazzie

Hot Stuff.


Jiva

AND THE WINNERS ARE...........

Patti LuPone in Gypsy




Rondi Reed in August: Osage County




Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines in Gypsy



Deanna Dunagan in August: Osage County




Mark Rylance in Boeing Boeing




Lin Manuel Miranda in In The Heights




NUMBER OF AWARDS:

South Pacific 7
August: Osage County 5
In The Heights 4
Gypsy 3
Boeing-Boeing 2
The 39 Steps 2



June 15, 2008
www.TonyAwards.com

The Winners

Best Play
August: Osage County
Author: Tracy Letts
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry Frankel, Ostar Productions, Jennifer Manocherian, The Weinstein Company, Debra Black/Daryl Roth, Ronald & Marc Frankel/Barbara Freitag, Rick Steiner/Staton Bell Group, The Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Best Musical
In The Heights
Producers: Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman, Sander Jacobs, Goodman/Grossman, Peter Fine, Everett/Skipper

Best Book of a Musical
Passing Strange - Stew

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
In The Heights - Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Best Revival of a Play
Boeing-Boeing
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Boyett, Act Productions, Matthew Byam Shaw, Robert G. Bartner, The Weinstein Company, Susan Gallin/Mary Lu Roffe, Broadway Across America, Tulchin/Jenkins/DSM, The Araca Group

Best Revival of a Musical
South Pacific
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, Bob Boyett

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Paulo Szot, South Pacific

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Patti LuPone, Gypsy

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Jim Norton, The Seafarer

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Rondi Reed, August: Osage County

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Gypsy

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Michael Yeargan, South Pacific

Best Costume Design of a Play
Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Catherine Zuber, South Pacific

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Donald Holder, South Pacific

Best Sound Design of a Play
Mic Pool, The 39 Steps

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Scott Lehrer, South Pacific

Best Direction of a Play
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County

Best Direction of a Musical
Bartlett Sher, South Pacific

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights

Best Orchestrations
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In The Heights


Regional Theatre Tony Award
Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Special Tony Award
Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981), in recognition of his historic contribution to American musical theatre in the field of orchestrations, as represented on Broadway this season by South Pacific.

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Stephen Sondheim

WHAT A FABULOUS SHOW! THE ENERGY LEVEL AT THE TONY AWARDS KNOCKED ME OUT.
PATTI LUPONE SINGING "EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES" WAS SO POWERFUL,
THE AUDIENCE IMMEDIATELY CAME TO THEIR FEET IN A STANDING OVATION WHEN SHE SANG HER LAST NOTE.

HER ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, WHEN SHE WON FOR BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, WAS SO HEARTFELT AND MOVING. AS THE ORCHESTRA TRIED TO END HER, SHE SHOUTED "IT'S BEEN 29 YEARS!" NOTING BACK TO HER ORIGINAL TONY AWARD FOR "EVITA".

THE MUSICAL NUMBERS HAD ME JUMPING UP AND DANCING. MY HAT GOES OFF TO WHOOPI, WHO DID A FABULOUS JOB OF HOSTING. SOME OF HER COMEDIC IDEAS WERE THEIR USUAL OUTRAGEOUSLY SHOCKING MOMENTS OF BIZARRE FLAMBOYISHNESS. SHE'S A WINNER TOO.

THE ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT I FELT WAS THE NOTICEABLE ABSENCE OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM, WHO WON A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, AND HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, WHICH I THOUGHT PERHAPS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE VIA TV SCREEN OR VIDEO OF SOME SORT, WAS READ BY MANDY PATINKIN.
ALL THEY SHOWED WAS A GIANT PHOTO OF HIM. I WONDER WHERE HE WAS?

I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST TONY AWARDS SHOW I HAVE SEEN. I EVEN SENT A NOTE TO CBS TELLING THEM HOW MUCH I ENJOYED IT. THE SHOW COULD HAVE GONE ON FOR ANOTHER HOUR AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED.

I HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE THE SHOW YOURSELF, AND THAT YOU ENJOYED IT AS MUCH AS I DID. NOW THAT THE AWARD "SEASON" IS OVER, IT'S BACK TO READING, WATCHING FILMS, AND SWIMMING!

See you next time,

Jiva