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Wagner, Max, Wagner

Posted on: November 23rd, 2010 by wmapother 5 Comments

Last week I made it to the opera for the first time in far too long. I tend to prefer comic operas, but even the worst opera I had wasn’t that bad. This one a dress rehearsal of the LA Opera’s new production of Wagner’s Lohengrin.

Any opera performance is physically demanding, but Wagner is particularly brutal, apparently. The singer I was with described Wagnerians as ‘beasts,’ and she meant it in only the most complimentary way. After seeing a screening of ‘The Black Swan’ the night before, it left me wondering if some arts performances shouldn’t include pads and referees..

Of course, for some of us, our favorite Wagner reference will always be here..

Posted in Music, Random

(A little too) up close & personal

Posted on: October 20th, 2010 by wmapother No Comments

Check out this insightful NY Times article discussing the risks of “overexposure” with HDTV.

And audiences wonder why actors are self-conscious about their appearance. With hi-def television, it could get a lot worse — for both actors and the audience..

[This is another in a continuing series of potentially helpful, hopefully practical posts to actors on practicing their craft or surviving the trying. I bear no responsibility for how this or any of my posts might ruin your life, lead you to law school, or make your parents sick with worry. For more of the same, click the ‘Info to Actors’ category at left.]

Posted in Acting Tips & Info, Random, TV

It’s the Damdest Thing

Posted on: October 9th, 2010 by wmapother 7 Comments

My sister’s fiance sent me these photos from the Buffalo Bill dam in Cody, Wyoming. Before you expand them or look closely, do you have any idea what they are?

Big Horn sheep. Probably licking salt off the dam or ?

Posted in Other Photos, Random

Taxi, Anyone?

Posted on: October 2nd, 2010 by wmapother 7 Comments

The 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica is one of the too-few places in L.A. to get a somewhat urban experience (ie, Angelenos using their legs for actual walking). Buskers are almost always performing, and the other night this fantastic guy was dancing, or rather, swaying, solo.

The sign seems odd if you don’t get the joke. Taxi dancers were popular in old music halls. They were women who would dance with patrons. They got their name because the longer they danced, the higher the fee.

A link to the great Rodgers & Hart song sung from a taxi dancer’s perspective, Ten Cents a Dance, is here (sung in this version by Anita O’Day).

So, care to dance?

Posted in Los Angeles, Music, Random

Agony and Ecstasy and Agony..

Posted on: September 20th, 2010 by wmapother 4 Comments

Please note the photo to your right. It shows only several of the many TV screens at a local sports bar, and even more specifically, it shows several college football games in progress. If you recognize what this was right off the bat (or ball), please consult your doctor. You may have a serious case of masochism.

Treatments are uncertain and not promising, especially if you’re a fan of Notre Dame. In this case, each passing year seems to bring only less wisdom, not more. Only less hope, not more. Only more pain, not less. And yet one seems unable to stop hoping. This is a s-i-c-k-n-e-s-s.

Case in point: Last evening the Irish lost in overtime to Michigan State, which pulled a gutsy fake field goal to win the game. Hooray for them. So excited. Couldn’t be happier for the Sparkies. Go green. Yay yay yeah yeah whatever.

Only problem: Please note the :00 in the red at the bottom. That’s correct. Time had expired. The clock had run out/down/off before the play even started. The Big East’s explanation? Basically, “we’re only human.” Sigh.

Posted in Notre Dame, Random

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