What is happening to our country?

I've been so upset with the Bush administration and the way our rights as Americans have been whittled away little by little since September 11, with the use of fear and intimidation.

And I'm not talking about the terrorists in Iraq (or is it Saudi Arabia?), but rather, the terrorists here in the U.S.A, the Bush Administration, Rumsfeld, Cheney..etc...these are the true abusers of power, who have been manipulating our people using fear, hatred, prejudice and intimidation tactics to keep us under control. And we are letting them!

I happened to be watching 1776 on cable last night. A wonderful film version of the 1960s Broadway Musical set in the summer of 1776 when the nation was ready to declare
independence... if only our founding fathers could agree to do it! The musical expertly follows John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Richard Henry Lee and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia as they attempt to convince the members of the second Continental Congress to vote for independence from the shackles of the British monarchy by signing the Declaration of Independence!

It's not only a wonderful film adaptation of a musical, but it also is so resonant right now! My ears were ringing and my heart was aching as I heard these men, our Founding Fathers speak of liberty, freedom and the escape from tyranny so eloquently!

One moment in the film absolutely stopped me cold. It was when John Dickinson from Pennsylvania was arguing with Thomas Jefferson of Virginia about the Declaration of Independence. Dickinson's argument was that it was not a good time to declare independence from England, because the country was in the middle of a war and the times were hard and it was certainly not "safe" for the people.

To which Benjamin Franklin interjected with one of the most eerily appropriate quotes in the whole film:

"Those who give up some of their liberty in order to obtain a little temporary safety-deserve neither liberty or safety."

WOW! That is so applicable to today! The Patriot Act, the constant "shut up and support the President and the Troops" mentality that seems to be pervasive today in our country! If only Benjamin Franklin were in congress to help us remember! If only his words could ring as loud as that Philadelphia Liberty bell!

Let us never forget our Founding Fathers. They were a crazy lot, wild eyed for sure, but absolutely right!

Let's protect our liberty at any cost! Even if that means disagreeing with our government in times of war!

Never say you can't learn something useful from a musical! : )

We'll Always Have Paris...

Good news! I will be traveling to Paris, France from July 7-20! I am very excited about this trip! The last time I was in Paris was 15 years ago! I'm sure the city has changed a lot since then, and I am excited to spend some time strolling along the Seine, visiting Montmartre and examining the Musee D'Orsay and The Louvre.

I have been putting together a new playlist on my iPod in honor of the recent announcement of my Paris trip, it's called "We'll Always Have Paris..." here is the track list:

"To Love Again", Jane Olivor, The Best of Jane Olivor
"Et Maintenant", Dee Dee Bridgewater, J'ai Deux Amours
"Quelqu'un M'a Dit", Carla Bruni, Quelqu'un M'a Dit
"Chanson des Jumelles" from the film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
"Poema Dos Olhos da Amada", Maria Bethânia, Maria
"C'est Si Bon", Eartha Kitt, Eartha Kitt in Person at the Paris Olympia
"Milord", Edith Piaf, Edith Piaf-Immortal Sparrow of France
"Marathon (Les Flamandes)" from the musical Jacques Brel
"La Goulante du Pauvre Jean (The Ballad of Poor Old John)", Elaine Paige, Piaf
"Chanson de Maxence" from the film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
"Recit de Cassard" from the film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
"Main Title" from the film Victor/Victoria
"Gay Paree" from the film Victor/Victoria
"Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Morts)", Barbra Streisand, Je M'Appelle Barbra
"Bravo tu as Gagné", Mireille Mathieu, Bonjour Mireille
"Elle Est Fini (La Belle Histoire)", Petula Clark, C'est Ma Chanson
"If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)", Dusty Springfield, The Look of Love
"Quand on N'a Que L'Amour", Jacques Brel, Infiniment
"I Love Paris", Annie Ross, Skylark
"Ça C'est L'Amour", Tony Bennett, Fifty Years-The Artistry of Tony Bennett
"L'effet Que Tu Me Fais", Edith Piaf, Edith Piaf-Immortal Sparrow of France

New Dusty Biopic In The Works!

There's a new Dusty Springfield biopic in the planning stages, with Kristin Chenoweth (Tony award winner for You're A Good Man Charlie Brown on Broadway) slated to play Dusty. Details about the project are still not hammered out, and I'm curious to know whether or not they will use Dusty's singing voice (a la What's Love Got To Do With It and Ray) or if they will use Chenoweth for the singing. What scares me is that Chenoweth is a singer in her own right, so I fear she might want to do the singing her self. This is no cut on Chenoweth, I love her voice and she is a great performer, but Dusty Springfield was a singing legend, known mostly for her sensual, original, one of a kind voice, so it seems a sacrilege to use anyone else's in this case.

For more info:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92479.html

Great week of theatre and performance!

Wow..what a week!

I saw MOBY DICK REHEARSED at The American Century Theater, what a wonderful production which truly exemplifies how theatre is truly about creativity and imagination and not about big budgets and expensive theatrics! TACT has done a wonderful job once more at rescuing a wonderful piece of theatre and giving it a clever and original interpretation!

I also saw THE TEMPEST at The Shakespeare Theatre , funny, two shows in 2 days that have a shipwreck in them! : ) Interesting! Anyway, this production was gorgeous! Amazing sets and costumes and very very high production values. Unfortunately, in my mind, the acting and the direction were uneven. The romance scenes and the comedy scenes worked well, but the scenes dealing with the possible murder of Alonso did not sit well at all. BORING BORING BORING..the actors did not know how to convey the meaning of the text, and the director was unable to get them there. So they just seemed like interminable ramblings. I've never been a big fan of The Tempest, I think it's one of Shakespeare's less interesting plays in terms of the language and rhythm. Some very nice moments, some nice lines, but nothing as poetic as Twelfth Night or Midsummer...or Romeo & Juliet. Overall it was a decent production with lots of highs, but you expect a production that is $55/ticket to get every little thing right, and they didn't really. A shame.

The lesson learned? A big budget does not guarantee a good show. Something to think about.

Now to change gears to the subject of my return to performing after 2 years!

I performed at the Joy of Motion Jazz Festival this weekend, dancing in a duet choreographed by Ann Behrends. It was thrilling to be on stage once again after such a long hiatus, and it was a bit nerve-wracking as well. I think I did better Sat night than Sunday, but overall it felt like I did the best I could for where I am.

I am going to continue my dance class and keep things moving, in hopes of getting in shape for the upcoming audition for DAMN YANKEES at Arena Stage. That's the one I've got my eye on!

I am so tired today though! The weekend was exhausting! And I didn't get much sleep last night (not sure why)...but Monday is almost over..