They were called the Not Ready for Prime-Time Players, and boy, were they ever. The original cast of Saturday Night Live featured seven young and mostly unknown performers in skits referencing sex, drugs and occasionally rock & roll, mocking political figures and celebrities, and getting away with jokes that would have had prime-time censors reaching... Continue Reading →
“You can’t say no to the Beauty and the Beast,” sang David Bowie in 1977 on the opening track of his “Heroes” album. The song, which is indeed titled "Beauty and the Beast,” seems to have little to do with any other Beauty and the Beast we’ve heard of, but that’s Bowie for you. His... Continue Reading →
Everybody dance now! It’s the law! OK, it’s not the law but it is official. National Dance Day, Saturday, Sept. 19, was established in 2010 in a resolution introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), saluting dance as a form of both exercise and artistic expression. https://youtu.be/3jJFaaxDNao?si=5wYaIv1vFZ8xZ5RN National Dance Day originally was held in July but was changed to the third Saturday in September in 2019. This was good news, especially for dancers... Continue Reading →
In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton proclaimed September as Classical Music Month. Besides the “Yay! Classical Music!” aspect, this is notable for a couple of reasons. Namely: 1. Two years previous, then-candidate Bill Clinton appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show playing tenor saxophone, honking happily away on “Heartbreak Hotel.” This is credited in some political circles... Continue Reading →
Years before “Defying Gravity,” Stephen Schwartz tackled a topic far more down to earth. The composer and lyricist best known for Wicked, found success while still in his 20s. Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and The Magic Show (1974, starring hippie magician Doug Henning) were all hits. Then came Working. Working (1978) was not a hit,... Continue Reading →
We could be wrong, but we could swear the stars in last Tuesday night’s sky looked a little like rhinestones. Which would make sense because Dolly Parton has left this earthly plane for a celestial one, bringing a whole lot of sparkle with her. https://youtu.be/JRWWr9nMdU0?si=qsA2VQoc8GXZNW0u Among the flood of tributes to Parton on her passing... Continue Reading →