Tag Archives: national tour

Horse sense

Posted on October 10, 2014 | 3 comments

chicago horse carlaIf you need another reason to visit beautiful Chicago, think

HORSES

Actually, think about the Cows on Parade art installation that started in Chi-town back in 1999 and traveled the world.  To date, it has raised close to $25 million for nonprofit organizations.

The horse statues currently on display around the city are also individually sponsored and beautifully decorated by local artists, and have been designed in the likeness of Chicago’s Mounted Patrol Unit horses. Each is named for a fallen police officer, and all monies raised will provide financial support to injured Chicago police officers and the families of those killed in the line of duty.

I hope Lexington, Kentucky is on the national tour because these beauties would be right at home in the Bluegrass State.

Am I right, #BBN?

 

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Posted in Animals, Art, Design, Humor, Life, Travel

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Tokyo, Day 1: Easing in

Posted on July 24, 2014 | Leave a comment

I have arrived in Tokyo.

It only took a 14-hour flight and a 1-hour car trip from the Narita Airport to arrive at my hotel near Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo where I will be speaking on Friday morning.

That’s just hours away.  I lost a day when I crossed the International Date Line.

(I’ll get it back on the way home.)

Although I have walked to a nearby bank to exchange dollars for yen, and a small market to grab waters for my mini-frig, I haven’t had time to sight-see just yet.  But here are a couple of fun facts about my trip so far:

war horse1. On my flight, I sat next to the lighting designer for the play War Horse, which is doing a month of shows in Tokyo.

It was his third touring production to visit Japan, and when it wraps, he’s headed back to the States to prep Cinderella for its national tour.

Needless to say, we chatted quit a bit about Broadway shows…until we both fell asleep.

2.  I knew I was staying in Tokyo’s Jimbocho neighborhood during the business portion of my trip, but I didn’t realize it is a center for book publishing and used book stores.

jimbochoAs we drove down a major thoroughfare, there was storefront after storefront filled-to-bursting with books.

I just hope some of them are in English!

3. The TV in my room has limited cable channels and very little English programming, but I’ll admit I stopped and watched this show, even though I couldn’t understand a word.

It’s a very small world.

 

 

 

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Posted in Airplanes, Broadway, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Shopping, Television, Travel

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Spirit stick

Posted on November 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Do you remember the very first DVD you ever owned?

I do.

I had just bought a combo VHS/DVD player — back when they were still pretty pricey — and a friend gave me the campy cheerleader cult classic Bring it On.  (It wasn’t a classic back then; just campy.)

It also wasn’t a musical, but it is now, and not on Broadway. My west coast friends have the bragging rights to this one.

Bring it On: The Musical may be playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles through December 10th, but they have recruited a bunch of Broadway award-winners to their team:

  • Tony Award-winning writer Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q)
  • Tony Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (In The Heights)
  • Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal)
  • Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (In The Heights)

It’s gotta be good, right?

Tweets from audience members, both celebrity and ‘regular folk,’ have been very enthusiastic. The critics appear to have their doubts.

But it’s early yet.  There’s lots of time to polish.  Bring it On: The Musical is on a national tour, although no Broadway dates appear to be scheduled.

Yet.

I’m sexy, I’m cute,
I’m popular to boot.
I’m wanted, I’m hot,
I’m everything you’re not,
I’m pretty, I’m cool,
I dominate this school,
Who am I? Just guess,
Guys wanna touch my chest,
We cheer and we lead,
We act like we’re on speed,
Hate us ’cause we’re beautiful,
Well we don’t like you either,
We’re cheerleaders,
We are cheerleaders.

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Posted in Broadway, Commentary, Entertainment, Family, Humor, Life, Movies, Technology

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Spelunking

Posted on November 15, 2010 | 2 comments

In November of 1995, my friend Dan and I saw a one-man show on Broadway called “Defending the Caveman.”  It had opened earlier that March and eventually went on to set the record as the longest-running solo play in Broadway history.

Rob Becker, the show’s star and creator, explained the differences between men and women in cavemen terms, with only a recliner and a TV set — both honed out of stone — sharing the stage.

It was flipping hilarious.

I remember my stomach muscles being literally sore when we left the Helen Hayes Theater and raced to our next show.  (We didn’t mess around in those days.  It wasn’t like I lived in New York or anything.)

So I had to laugh when I saw an article in Glamour some 15 years later on the cave woman’s guide to — of all things — good health.

My, my…we’ve gotten a tad bit more serious over the years, haven’t we?

The mag does offer some good tips, based on our cave women forebearers’ daily habits, including things like:

  1. Move your body
  2. Get some natural light
  3. Eat real food
  4. Beware of predators (sexual)
  5. Accept some natural moodiness
  6. Connect with others…in person
  7. Get some ZZZZZs
  8. Create some healthy downtime
  9. Party like a cave woman

Not nearly as funny as Rob Becker’s show.  But maybe seeing “Defending the Caveman” — it’s still on tour all over the world — would fall under tip #9.

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Posted in Broadway, Celebrities, Comedy, Entertainment, Health, Humor, Internet, Life, Magazines

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