Jake the Man

In my usual menagerie of Jake, Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling and Mr. Clooney - there is much to like about all of them. Each handsome, articulate and seemingly socially conscious. But of the bunch, it seems like Jake Gyllenhaal is likely the most human and similar to the rest of us. I guess this would translate as "normal."

Somehow, he survived the curse of childhood actor from his early days in City Slickers, Donnie Darko & Bubble Boy to emerge as well balanced and humble at the same time. He has loyal family ties, a dog and the dashing crooked grin. Since then he has grown up and grown into complex roles from the demented Louis Bloom of Nightcrawler to the psychotic Tommy Cahill in Brothers and action hero in the Prince of Persia. This year he even added musical theater and Broadway star to the litany of possibilities. But his turn in Brokeback Mountain carves the most memorable scar for many.

Listening to this recent interview on the Hollywood Masters  he talks about that pioneering portrayal. But even more so, on the smart and sensitive soul that is Jake Gyllenhaal. More to like about him - the kind of guy you'd want to take home to meet the family or spend a day at the zoo with.

Dance Like Your Life Depends On It

Although I am quite sure my days of dancing in the chorus are over, I am spiritually affected by the way dance steers the soul. There is something about both the music under it and the vocabulary of the body that will always remain transcendent for me. In much of what I see, I amazed that new generations of dancers & choreographers continue to find ways to reinvent our bodies and craft a language that is uniquely their own. Constantly. I see it every year in color guard, SYTYCD, our local companies..... 

Here are two clips that both passed my way and I felt they were worthy of a share although they come from opposite sides of the spectrum. The first is from I.aM.mE crew member and former So You Think You Can Dance contestant Phillip Chbeeb and Renee Kester. Apparently there is a whole live action element in New York on Fridays and Saturdays called "showtime" where they invade the subway system and create spontaneous works among crowded cars and poles. This lovely piece is to Elliot Moss' "Slip"and uses the concept of suspend and release that is both acrobatic as well as evoking. There in an instant and then gone, which is also so different from the usual mode of rehearse, produce and archive. Thankfully, with digital technology, there is the option to share at large.

Then, at the total opposite end of the spectrum is our American heritage of dance preserved in vaults of musical theater. All the greats are featured from Gene Kelly, to Fred Astaire to Eleanor Powell. These names are familiar to me, but likely slipping into the history books of forgotten legends with new generations? But in this genius collage, they are all painstakingly assembled by The British Film Institute to Mark Ronson's monster smash Uptown Funk. What amazes me is that these vintage clips from over a 100 years so seamlessly align in style. What a trip down a fabulous memory lane. Enjoy them both!

 

Macy's Step in Time

Just one short year ago was a lifetime dream realized as I marched with brothers in spirit, the Madison Scouts in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. 365 days later, visions of sugar plums and Santa sleighs still dance in my head along with sheets of chilly winter drizzle and throngs of fans along Columbus Circle.

But the parade has ALWAYS been a monumental part of my holiday tradition. I would bet that every year of my life was spent watching it in front of the television in pajamas with the morning paper in hand, and a cup of coffee as soon as I was able to drink it. With the invention of social media, I now run a regular commentary on the event as it happens; which for me is the next best thing to being there. I am sure I will return to those sidewalks of New York for another live viewing in my lifetime yet. But it is with joy and anticipation that I am now announcing the line-up and talent for this years Grand Event. The musicals The Wiz, Fiddler On the Roof, Something's Rotten, On Your Feet, The King and I and Finding Neverland. Stars Pat Benatar, Maria Carey, Andy Grammer, Shawn Mendes and Jennifer Nettles among others. The count down is on. Stay tuned to Facebook to watch it unfold LIVE.

Also a link to new balloons; Red Angry Bird, new Ronald McDonald, Ice Age & the Sinclair Dinosaur.

4 New Balloons 

Macy's Line-up

High Art

I have always been a fan of art, museums and historical culture. And especially the satire and parody where different worlds collide. For some reason these two photo blogs found there way to me at relatively the same time.

One is the comical world of Rowan Atkinson and his insufferable Mr. Bean. He should be annoying in that he has a single "bit" that has made his fame with his smug Cheshire grin. And yet I always find myself laughing at his childish antics. Here are a few shots of him photobombing classic works of art.

 

And for the second offering, the loft of Squarespace in NYC decided to have some artistic fun with spare time and a steady supply of office supplies. See what a creative minds can come up with.

 

 

Birthday Wisdom

In honor of my big day - 54 - I am sharing some wisdom from virtual peers through the years. I have always thought of myself as a wise and sane soul. Hopefully as I am getting older and maturing into my age, this becomes more into focus for me in my perspective of myself and the world. The idea of hindsight benefits us all. ANd I found it smartly told in this chronology by CBC Radio. Tidbits told with humor, reason and experience. Not all of them apply, but maybe some do. Give it a watch.

 

Tilted Thinking

In homage to the State Fair, I am passing on some Midway memories for you. I think my earliest recollections of amusement rides were the Tilt A Whirl at Erie's Waldameer and the Wattsburg County Fair. It was the first ride along with the Scrambler and Merry Go Round that I remember from both. Totally old school. I have vividly burned in my head the image of someone in the car behind me getting sick and projectile vomiting on the ride as I heard it splattering on the side of my spinning car until the carny stopped the ride for us all. I also dreadfully recall the maniacal jerk at the Minnesota State Fair who got some kicks out of giving us all a 15 minute ride of torment which ruined the rest of the day at the fair as we just laid in a grassy knoll and waited for the waves to subside. 

 

That is why I was most enamored to read in a current magazine that the ride is a local invention from right down the road in Faribault. Herbert Sellner, woodworker extraordinaire, grabbed a patent for an "amusement apparatus" in 1927. It started when he was entertaining his young son on a chair placed atop his kitchen table. They operate on the chaos theory of math with 4-7 cars rotating around a fixed point on an adjustable platform. The weight distribution in each car can vary the intensity of each ride. Ironically one of the 2 oldest remaining original rides in the country still exists in Conneaut Lake Park where I also spent summers of my childhood. That one was put into operation in 1949.

Do You Copy.....?

Usually when I write a blog post, it comes from a place of strong opinion. However in this case it is a veritable Pandora's box with no obvious solution. It is the subject of copyrights, royalties and streaming rights.

It has been rearing it's ugly head in the world of drum corps and marching band where I have several links. But also at work in the world of theater, cabaret and music too. Napster scandals were just the tip of the iceberg. We hear about Spotify and Taylor Swift - but these are just the big players. If you are not aware: How many of you remember recording your high school band concert and selling it as a vinyl record? Or videotaping your high school production of Oklahoma and selling dubbed copies to the cast? Not anymore! Yes your schools still have to pay a hefty royalty to TamsWitmark, but that only allows you the rights to perform the production for a meager weekend or two. Anything more than that is an entire can of worms.

In the marching world of color guard, DCI and Bands of America, all three have had to renege on their entire video catalogues of historical archives. We used to be able to pay an annual fee to stream the 1976 Blue Devils or buy a Legacy Series set of the 1983 Championships. That is all on hold for an extended time until lawyers and publishing companies can come to an agreement on what was paid in advance and what is due going forward. Very sad to say. There might be some small profits to be made on this, but I am thinking the Aaron Copland estate is not making any sort of big bucks on his Appalachian Spring that was first published in 1944. Either there are some very greedy descendants or a publishing company in NYC that is trying to suck blood from paper.

The current rights to music extend from 70 years for works prior to 1977 and up to 120 years for music since then! That is over a century of legal hassles. And this is just for performance purposes and speaks not at all to the discussion of sharing via any sort of digital platform. I find this ridiculous. Although I don't begrudge anyone the rights to what is theirs, but considering a normal life expectancy..... I have also found that in a parallel track to patents, a new drug carries only 20 years until it can be reproduced without penalty. I know a different egg, but still there is a 100 year discrepancy which I find quite curious.

So the bottom line, is who should get what? It just seems silly to go after Seneca High School, the Madison Scouts, Black Watch color guard, or the Minneapolis Figure Skating Club who are not seeking to dethrone a publishing empire or pirate a composer. Where does this conversation even begin and who has a rightful place at the table against corporate law? Discussion encouraged.