Category: Media

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It’s Xanadu

There was an AP story on the Internets Saturday that floored me.

NEW YORK – Brandon Purves is the kind of guy producers of “Xanadu” only dreamed about. He liked the Broadway musical so much the first time that he saw it again. And again. And again — for a mind-boggling 86 times and counting.

“It’s nice to have an hour and a half to just laugh and not worry about everything else that’s going on,” says Purves, who works in fundraising for the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Purves, 28, is one of a legion of die-hard “Xanadu” fans who have fueled both excitement and ticket sales for a musical few thought would be a hit.

Swept away by the show’s upbeat spirit, devotees will line up at the box office to get tickets for another viewing only moments after the curtain has come down. They’ll wait to chat with the performers, organize group evenings and swap photos and stories in a burgeoning online community.

Such a reaction wasn’t always expected when the show debuted this summer. Many feared it would be mocked like the film on which it was based — the 1980 roller-disco flick with Olivia Newton-John as an ancient Greek muse who lands in modern-day California and grooves to Electric Light Orchestra songs like “Magic” and “I’m Alive.”

But critics embraced the satirical script and stars Kerry Butler, Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Roberts, Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman. Even after roller-skating injuries took out key performers, the show kept packing ’em in.

Fans of ‘Xanadu’ fuel excitement, sales

Xanadu is one of my favorite movies from the 80’s. How can you not love Olivia Newton-John, music by ELO, and roller disco.

Newton-John played a muse named Kira who inspires an album cover artist named Sonny Malone, played by Michael Beck, when he falls in love with her. She encourages him to build a roller disco club. Along the way they meet up with a previous “client” of Kira’s – Danny McGuire, played by Gene Kelly – and there is a 40’s vs 80’s subplot.

One of the musical numbers featuring the subplot has a big band challenging a rock band. The rock band was played by The Tubes.

The reason I loved the movie was for the music. Most other people felt the same way. The movie flopped but the soundtrack was very successful. The song “Magic” went hit number 1 on the U.S. music chart.

When I read that it was a “satirical” adaptation I was a bit worried. I actually saw it in the theater in 1980 and didn’t think it was a bad movie. I have it on VHS and I’ve watched it more than a few dozen times.

Check out the cast of the show singing one of the songs on a talk show back in September:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1F8dypj3qZY

More info:

Xanadu on Broadway

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Some Ohio college students want to carry guns on campus

The Columbus Dispatch had a story on Tuesday 10/23 about a protest from some students who want to be able to have concealed weapons on campus. When Ohio adopted a concealed carry law they exempted university and college campuses. Students who feel such a prohibition is wrong, protested by wearing empty gun holster around campus.

“You can carry (a gun) in several places, but Ohio prohibits you from carrying at a university or college,” said [Evan] Peck, a senior majoring in math and sociology.

“But this campus is the one place where I spend the most of my time, and I should be able to protect myself.”

Mark Noble, a National Rifle Association instructor, said he hated leaving his gun in his car when he took classes at Ohio State.

“Thieves know that if you are a student, then you are not allowed to carry a weapon and so they’ll target you,” said Noble, 31, who graduated in June and is the chairman of the Franklin County Libertarian Party.

“But if they changed the law, then thieves wouldn’t know who is armed and they would move on to other targets.”

Protesters want guns on campus

I don’t see the point to it.

It seems they believe that we are still in the Wild West. I lived in the campus area for about 6 years and never once felt a need to have a gun or carry a gun. I was never bothered or attacked. There aren’t bad guys waiting behind every bush.

It just seems a bit childish as if carrying a gun is like some kind of gage of manliness or something. It would be better to just get a tattoo. Besides unless the person is ex-military or a frequent hunter I doubt people carrying their guns would even be the deterrent they think they would be.

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Ellen DeGeneres is in a dog fight

Sometimes one has to take a break and look at something that looks sad and funny at the same time.

Recently talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi adopted a small dog from the animal rescue organization “Mutts and Moms”.

It seems that the dog didn’t get along with Ellen and Portia’s cats so Ellen gave the dog to her hairstylist. When “Mutts and Moms” stopped by to check on the dog and found out that DeGeneres gave the dog away, they went to the hairstylist and took the dog back. They claim that DeGeneres violated the terms of the adoption when she didn’t tell them she had given the dog away.

Yes, an animal rescue group took back an adopted dog because they weren’t consulted when it was given to another family.

Ellen used her show to talk about the issue and ask that the dog be given back to the family.

As if in a political fight “Mutts and Moms” fired back:

Mutts and Moms owners Marina Batkis and Vanessa Chekroun were in possession of the dog and will not be giving it back, attorney Keith A. Fink told The Associated Press.

“She (Marina) is not going to give them the dog,” said Fink, who is not legally representing the owners but is authorized to speak on their behalf.

“She doesn’t think this is the type of family that should have the dog. She is adamant that she is not going to be bullied around by the Ellen DeGenereses of the world … They are using their power, position and wealth to try to get what it is they want.”

“If you adopt a dog and you no longer want the dog, you can’t unilaterally decide who you want to give the dog to,” he said. “She’s trying to tell a story to make herself look good.”

Agency wants to keep DeGeneres’ dog

Wow!

I hadn’t realized that adopting out animals had become as complicated as adopting children. I commend “Mutts and Moms” for wanting quality homes for the animals they place but they seemed to go over the line by taking back the dog then throwing a fit about it.

It isn’t like Ellen put the dog in a bag and dumped it along a road some where.

I think “Mutts and Moms” need a little perspective.

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Become a banker through Kiva

On the talk show Countdown with Keith Olbermann, there was an interview with President Bill Clinton about his world charity efforts through the Clinton Global Initiative. One of the programs Clinton wrote about in his recent book “Giving” was about the website Kiva.org

We let you loan to the working poor

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

What We Do

It is called microfinance where people are looking for financing for their ideas and businesses but the amount needed isn’t the amount a typical bank would loan, if they would qualify, but if they could get it, it would make a huge difference in their lives.

It is a loan so you can get your money back and can loan it out again to another business if you want.

To me this is a classic application of the Humanist philosophy. People are responsible for their own actions and you show compassion for and interest in the human condition.

I plan on contributing and I hope you do too.

For more info:

Kiva.org

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Some thoughts on the Jena 6 protests

The Jena 6 are a group of black teens who were arrested and charged in the beating of a white student at the local high school in Jena Louisiana. It was the climax of several incidents of a racial nature that started with nooses hanging from a shade tree the day after two black students had sat under it.

The white students who were responsible for what was described as a “prank” were recommended to be expelled (as they should have) but the school board overturned the decision. The students were given 3 day in-school suspensions.

Then other incidents happened:

During the Thanksgiving holiday, someone set fire to the school, reducing the main academic wing to rubble (no one has been arrested, and though a link between what was ruled an arson and the racial discord hasn’t been proved, many suspect there is one). The following day, Bailey was punched and beaten with beer bottles when he tried to enter a mostly white party in town. The white kid who threw the first punch was later charged with simple battery and given probation. The next day, Bailey ran into a young white man who was at the party. Bailey and parents of the Jena Six say that when the man pulled a gun on him, he tangled with him and stripped it away. He was later charged with theft of a firearm.

The tension culminated back at school the following Monday. Justin Barker, a white student who says he is friends with the kids who hung the nooses, reportedly taunted Bailey at lunch (Barker denies this). A while later, an African-American student allegedly punched Barker from behind, knocking him unconscious. Then, say white witnesses, a group of black students that included Bailey continued to assault Barker, kicking and stomping on him. (Jena High student Justin Purvis and other black witnesses dispute this.) Barker, who was treated for injuries at a nearby hospital, was released later that day, apparently in strong enough shape to attend a class-ring ceremony that evening.

A Town In Turmoil

I agree with many who are protesting the unequal justice being applied (the whites involved getting less punishment than the blacks). I just don’t agree with one of the bumper sticker slogans I saw that said “Free the Jena 6”.

The teens have been accused of a crime so just because they may not get a fair shake doesn’t mean we should look the other way in the name of good race relations. The person they are accused of beating was hurt so the event did happen.

Protest the justice system and fight to get them all a fair hearing and see what happens.

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