Once Upon A Time On Broadway . . .

 

Saw It, Loved It -- This Is A Great Deal!

 

Important Update From Philly Pops Musicians!

 

Who's Still Alive? Check This Star-Studded List

 

Philly Just Lost A Big Chunk Of Its DNA

Philly is mourning the loss of local legend Jerry Blavat.

How to describe this guy . . . . Yeah, he was a deejay but that title hardly does him justice. Because, even before there were playlists, Jerry was a walking, talking playlist. And before there was rap, Jerry was rapping along with the music non-stop. And before there was Alexa, you didn't even have to tell Jerry what to play. He anticipated your moods and your moves and synchronized it all. He knew what you wanted to hear before you even realized it. Consequently, he was the Geator with the Heater and the Boss with the Hot Sauce whose dance parties and radio shows ran non-stop, encompassing decades. Over the years, he owned a radio station, wrote a newspaper column, penned a memoir, hosted a weekly TV show, produced top-flight doo wop and R&B revues and owned a chain of record stores, his own record label and a Jersey shore nightclub. Incredibly, he was on the radio for 60 consecutive years!

The music that Jerry spinned centered around the 1950s. Since I was not a teenage until the 1960s, this didn't resonate much with me. But no matter your musical tastes, it was impossible to ignore this guy. In Philly, he was everywhere! He was an ebullient personality -- a guy who spread joy wherever he went. But he was so much a part of Philly's DNA that no mater where he went, the boisterous, gritty nature of the town went with him. And that didn't always translate. Other people from other places never quite got his appeal. But he did, and we did and that's all the mattered.

Jerry Blavat was 82.

The 'WowWowWow!' Factor Of American Dream

We took a quick trip up the New Jersey Turnpike to American Dream in Secaucus. American Dream is a vast entertainment/shopping venue and it's really quite spectacular.

It contains an ice rink, theme park, aquarium, water park, Lego Discovery Center, miniature golf attractions and a ski mountain with ski lifts where you can ski, snowboard or sled. And all of this -- all of it --is indoors! And don't for one minute think that any of this is miniaturized to fit under a roof. It's all vast. The water park aloe is the largest in North America. The Nickelodeon theme park has a single entry fee that allows you to spend all day riding as many rides as you want as much as you want. And similar options are available for most of the other attractions. And there are plenty of stores and eateries too.

The whole thing is one WOW! factor after another. And the place is not nearly finished. There's plenty of room for more stores and more attractions. We found it easy to get in and out of and relatively easy to find out way around once we got inside. And there are plenty of guides and assistants to point you in the right direction should you get lost.

Enjoy the photos. But, remember: these don't even begin to express the capaciousness of this place!

Are THESE The Most Annoying C'mas Songs?

I asked friends to tell me what were the most annoying Christmas songs.

I figured I'd get a few suggestions.
Well, I was swamped. Seems everybody has a Christmas song that gets under their skin. In fact, many people have two or three or four or . . . well . . .

Anyway, in no particular order, here's a partial list:
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

Santa, Baby
The Little Drummer Boy
The Christmas Shoes
Christmas In Hollis
Dominic, The Italian Christmas Donkey
I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
The Chipmunks' Christmas Song
Last Christmas (I Gave You My Heart)
Barking dogs singing Jingle Bells
Bruce Springsteen's Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Wonderful Christmastime

And people are still sending me suggestions including Alice's Restaurant. Is that a Christmas song?
Anyway, to these I would add: Merry Christmas From The Family, Good King Wenceslas, All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth and Please Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas.

Whew!
Let's hope we've exhausted this list.

One Of the First Of the Big Holiday Movies . . .

We just saw Glass Onion, the latest in the Knives Out franchise. 

Not as good as the first one. Takes a long time to work itself up to the main story and is very, very talky. Like most movies today it winds up being too long and ultimately unsatisfying. Again, a great cast but if Hitchcock could do a good murder mystery in 90 minutes why can't they do it today? 

We saw this on the big screen which was fun and some of the acting (particularly from Kate Hudson and Edward Norton) was a hoot. But this is a Netflix film, so we'd advise you to wait for it to be streamed.

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Seen Anything Like This Lately? Unlikely!

Tribute: Phyllis Diller, As I Remember Her

She had a voice that could peel the paint off the hood of a Buick and a laugh that lit up the night.
She said things a lady wasn't supposed to say.
She talked about things that a housewife and mother wasn't supposed to talk about.
She did things that ripped the ienne off the term "comedienne."
Long before Joan Rivers and Roseanne Barr and Kathy Griffin she defined a new generation of female standup comics.
She was a trailblazer.
She was the wild, the outrageous, the raucous, the inimitable Phyllis Diller.
Phyllis Diller died in her sleep on Monday at age 95, her longtime manager said.
Diller was found in her bed at her home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles by her son, Perry, who had come to visit her, manager Milt Suchin said.
"She had a smile on her face, as you'd expect," Suchin told Reuters.
We met Phyllis Diller in the mid 1980s when she came to perform at a Philadelphia Bar Association event in Atlantic City. We went backstage to greet her and the mere sight of her was as outrageous as you'd expect: wild colors, mismatched clothing, neon demi-boots, spiked hair, thick makeup, the works. But she was gracious and friendly and surprisingly soft-spoken in person -- until she walked out on stage. Then, all hell broke loose. And if you didn't laugh at one of her jokes, she certainly did -- and with a cackle that sent shivering sound waves through the auditorium. 
When she performed, she actually appeared to be having as much fun as anyone else and more often than not the joke was on her: Her bad luck with men; her many facelifts and other cosmetic surgery; her struggles with her witless husband, Fang, her inability to even match her shoes or her belt or the color of her hair (wig?) with the rest of her outfit.
She was, quite simply a laugh riot -- a shrill, outrageous mess.
Phyllis Diller was a late-bloomer in show business who got her start at age 37. She made her debut at San Francisco's Purple Onion in 1955 as she broke into the male-dominated comedy circuit. Her first national exposure came as a contestant on Groucho Marx's TV quiz show "You Bet Your Life."
At that time Diller was a housewife who had raised five children. She had also been a newspaper columnist, publicist and radio writer so she knew how to write and how to promote herself.
Incredibly, she discovered a flair for stand-up jokes at school parent-teacher meetings and similar gatherings and decided to make comedy a career at the urging of her then-husband, Sherwood Diller. They divorced in 1965 and a second marriage to singer Warde Donovan ended 10 years later.
Diller slowly brought together the props, zany wardrobe and stage persona that would become her unique stage persona. One of her first comedy albums "Wet Toe In A Hot Socket" became a runaway success that scored right up there with Bob Newhart's "Button Down Mind."
Few comedians had a longer reign than Phyllis Diller. In show business they would say she had "legs." She continued to work right into the first decade of this century and as recently as last year she appeared on the TV daytime drama The Bold and The Beautiful.
Phyllis Diller followed a simple rule: She understood, catered to, loved and was guided by her audiences.
"I let them laugh with me, at me, which makes the audience very comfortable," she said. "I've learned everything from them. ... You're a comic and you're not a success until you hear laughter."

Walnut Street Super Club: Really Something Special!

Not too long ago we poked our heads into the new Walnut Street Supper Club and we were delighted with what we found -- a retro dining spot and bar with real, live music nightly -- songs and music that you can actually listen to, understand and enjoy. Broadway show tunes, the Great American Songbook and all the old standards and "easy listening" ballads you've always loved. And there's no admission and no cover charge for the music. Plus, the prices for food and drink are very reasonable and it's all here in lovely (dare we say) elegant surroundings.

Yes, if you’ve ever daydreamed about a time gone by when men were men and women were dames, then head to the Walnut Street Supper Club, where even the new cocktail menu will have you feeling like an original member of the Rat Pack.

The Walnut Street Supper Club, a 1940s-esque venue in Midtown Village (near 13th St.) has recently released an entire menu of alcoholic mixtures that pay tribute to some of the 20th Century’s most famous celebrities — and most notorious tipplers.

There’s the Sinatra-inspired “Ol’ Blue Eyes Martini” that consists of a no-nonsense mixture of Kettle One, dry vermouth and pancetta-stuffed olives. Or try the “Judy Garland” which, much like the singer/actress herself, is a sweet and sassy combination of Stoli Oranj, Peach Schnapps, pineapple juice, prosecco, mint, orange and sugar.

Of course no nostalgic bar menu would be complete without the “Dean Martin Manhattan,” a smooth amalgamation of Applejack, Cherry Heering, Dubonnet and Orange Bitters. Additional concoctions include the “Nat King Cole Collins,” the “Marilyn Monroe” and the “Barbra Streisand” to name a few.

The Walnut Street Supper Club has also launched a brand new happy hour that runs Sunday through Thursday, 4:30-7 p.m., during which you can imbibe $5 featured wines, $4 well drinks, and $3 domestic beers plus 20% off food at the bar.

Walnut Street Supper Club
1227 Walnut Street
www.1227walnut.com

Penn, Teller, Vegas And 'Vegas, The Show'

For us Las Vegas always means live entertainment with real, live, bigger-than-life personalities, live music, showmanship and a bit of magic (or the newer term, illusion) thrown in just for good measure.
So the first show we decided to see here this time around was Penn & Teller at The Rio.
We like to feel that we sort of discovered Penn & Teller. We first saw them decades ago when they performed in a VERY small venue in San Francisco. They were part of a group called The Asparagus Valley Cultural Society.
The group must have disbanded (or whatever) because Penn & Teller emerged as themselves and the second time around we saw them perform at the McCarter Theater in Princeton.Their tricks and illusions became bigger, sometimes scarier and more complex and they became a hotter and hotter ticket. Then, they achieved near superstar status via television (most notably on the Showtime network) and their irreverent approach to the "magic" of magic.
When our good friend Nessa Forman was inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame we actually got to meet Teller since he came to perform at Nessa's induction luncheon.
Now, Penn & Teller have their own big, beautiful theater at The Rio and their show is a non-stop delight -- funny and astounding. And, each night they change the order of things and add new and different elements. Plus, there's audience participation so, be forewarned.
The next show that we decided to see was 'Vegas, The Show' at the Saxe Theater at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile.
If you're looking for pure, Las Vegas style entertainment with songs, dances, great costumes, high production values, comedy, impressions and even some acrobatics then this show's for you.
Vegas, The Show recreates the greatest moments in Vegas' history and tells the story of the most influential and exciting entertainers who made Vegas...Vegas.
From Vegas icons like The Rat Pack and Elvis to today's hottest stars the young and energetic cast of more than 40 performers, a 12-piece big band orchestra and beautiful showgirls make this one of the biggest stage productions on the Strip in almost 20 years.
The performance takes you back in time to experience true Las Vegas entertainment the way it was meant to be. You will relive the best moments of the most dynamic singers, dancers, and unforgettable personalities to ever step foot on the world-famous Strip.
This production takes the stage at the new $34 million Saxe Theater a 22,000 square foot facility that features premium stadium seating. 
The Saxe Theater stage incorporates state-of-the-art lighting, sound, fiber optic video curtains and other cutting-edge theatrical equipment so the audience won't miss a beat.
Though Vegas, The Show is tinged with a bit of nostalgia, it's a lively, irrepressible, fast-paced presentation that never misses a beat.
And you don't have to remember the "old" vegas to enjoy the show. We sat next to a newly-married couple in the early 20's and the loved every minute of this first-class production.

Las Vegas And The 'Cirque' Phenomenom

During our stay here In Las Vegas we thought we thought we'd touch for a moment on the tsunami known as Cirque.
If you come here, will invariably be tempted to see a Cirque du Soleil show.
These shows have taken over nearly all of the large casino showplaces. They have no standout "name" stars. They employ large casts of beautiful, athletic performers and stunning special effects and illusions. Each show is organized around a central theme although there is often no discernible storyline and no dialogue as the shows are usually performed in mime. They incorparetd elements of the crcus and elements of the simplest, often most whimsical forms of entertainment. For the most part they are designed to be dazzling visual feasts. And one more thing: Each show has an unusual name -- usually French or vaguely foreign.
The last time we were here in Las Vegas we saw one of the best known Cirque shows, called simply O. It was big -- VERY big. And it had many performers. But it was dark and eerie and somewhat obscure. We can't say that we ever caught the "thread" of the show. And, despite all the athleticism and incredible special effects, it left us underwhelmed.
It left us cold. We felt no real connection with any of the performers and/or characters, such as they were.
These shows are manufactured.
They all come out of a huge show factory in Canada.
And you can't come to Vegas without being confronted by a Cirque show. So, if you must -- go. And if you like what you see, go see the others. You'll spend a ton of dough to get into the shows but you won't see or hear any star entertainers and you may not even experience any live music.
We worry that the Cirque phenomenon will suffocate real, old-fashioned entertainment: real personalities, live music, real song and dance.
And we also wonder when enough is enough -- which is to say how big Cirque can grow before it effectively destroys itself.
So far, there seems to be no end to Crique's dominance. And while these shows are most ubiquitous here in Las Vegas, on any given day various Cirque companies are performing in various forms in numerous cities all over the world. It's entertainment as business -- totally manufactured, with no divas or prima donnas to worry about, many interchangeable parts and no recognizable language or language barriers.
You can't avoid it -- unless you really, really want to.
After all (for now, anyway) you DO still have a choice.

Kathy Griffin Is An Obnoxious Jerk

Kathy Griffin is a loud, disgusting, foul-mouthed jerk.
In a world where almost nothing is shocking, this vulgar, in-your-face "comedienne" keeps trying to top herself with outrageous comments and offensive behavior.
Kathy Grifin isn't attractive.
Kathy Griffin isn't clever.
Kathy Griffin isn't entertaining.
And Kathy Griffin isn't funny.
If fact, she's obnoxious.
But Big Media routinely give Kathy Griffin a pass.
Why? You know the answer. Because Kathy Griffin is a shrill, full-out liberal.
So, while Dennis Miller rarely gets a pass from critics and the enforcers of all that is deemed politically-correct. Kathy Griffin is allowed to verbally vomit on just about Republican, conservative or tea-partier she can finds.
So now Griffin has declared Senator Scott Brown's daughter's "prostitutes" and the journalists and commentators at CNN and Bravo are laughing about it. Ain't it funny? NOT!
Here's more on this story from Matt Hadro at NewsBusters:
On her Bravo TV show Tuesday night, left-wing comedian Kathy Griffin referred to Sen. Scott Brown's two daughters as "prostitutes," and a CNN reporter apparently thought it hysterical. [Audio available here.]
The incident is also ironic because Griffin was dropped from this year's CNN New Year's Eve program, due to her profanity-laced banter with Anderson Cooper last New Year's Eve.
Griffin's words were immediately followed by predictable on-screen text that read "Scott Brown's daughters ARE NOT prostitutes." So, why did the network run her statement at all?
The foul-mouthed comedian had plenty of gems within the hour-long expose of her efforts in D.C., which included a gaffe that Roll Call picked up where she jokingly called Rep. James Clyburn a "queen."
While she was being "coached" by King and Bash, Griffin reminisced, "Remember when the Republicans tried to get that nutbag Sarah Palin to sound credible before the Vice Presidential debate?.... Well, that's sort of like what John and Dana did for me."
When Griffin was "coached" by the PR experts at the Human Rights Campaign, before she ventured up to Capitol Hill to campaign for a repeal of DADT, she was shown videos of Sens. McCain and Chambliss arguing against the repeal.
"You f****** d***bags can suck it," Griffin spat about the senators. "F****** losers, old fartbags. You don't know what the f*** you're talking about."
Griffin, who was readying herself for a trip to Washington, DC to rally and drum up support for a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," brought CNN reporters (husband and wife) Dana Bash and John King onto the show to "coach" her for handling Washington. Bash is a congressional correspondent for CNN, while King anchors the news hour "John King, USA."
When the couple showed Griffin a picture of Sen. Scott Brown and asked her to identify the figure, she responded "Scott Brown – who is a senator from Massachusetts, and has two daughters that are prostitutes."
Bash erupted with laughter, while King grimaced.

Lady Gaga Really IS A Jerk!

I'm not a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld.
But I agree with him on this one: Lady GAGa certainly IS a jerk!
When I first heard about (and saw photos of) Gaga I thought she was a transvestite or transsexual. But then I decided that assumption was an insult to transvestites and transsexuals.
As for Seinfeld, he has his own reasons to deride Gaga.
Seinfeld became teed off recently after Gaga was moved into his empty box at Yankee Stadium without his knowledge or permission. Seems the honchos at the Bronx Zoo weren't quite sure what to do with Gaga who attended a Yankees game and started upstaging the guys in pinstripes and giving the finger to news photographers and TV cameras. In one of her provocative outfits, Gaga was all too center stage and way too in your face for the likes of Steinbrener & Co.
So they moved her upstairs to Seinfeld's box.
And shortly thereafter Senifeld unloaded via phone during a sports talk show on New York radio. And not only was a high-profile feud launched but it gained media-infused traction and it continued.
Daniela Elser reports from the National Ledger:
Days after labeling Lady Gaga "a jerk" and saying he hated her, comedian Jerry Seinfeld has revealed he is nonplused by the singer. “She’s talented. I don’t know why she’s doing this stuff. Oh please, wake me when it’s over,” he said.

Seinfeld Gaga Feud Continues.

The comedian’s comments come after the 24-year-old pop star, attending a Mets vs Padres baseball game in New York recently, was moved from front-row seats to the comedian’s empty box.
“I can’t believe they put her in my box, which I paid for,” he jokingly said during a radio interview on WFAN with radio host Steve Somers. “You give people the finger and you get upgraded? Is that the world we’re living in now?”
Discussing her dramatic public persona, the 56-year-old said: “I don’t know what these young people think or how they promote their careers. “People talk about you need exposure. You could die of exposure. I don’t understand how this is good for her.”
"This woman is a jerk. I hate her," Seinfeld said during the radio interview on Monday, perhaps . "I can't believe they put her in my box, which I paid for."
"I don't know what these young people think or how they promote their careers," Seinfeld said. "I'm older, I'm 56. I look at Lady Gaga the way Keith Hernandez watches these kids when they pull the pocket out, they wear the inside-out pocket. ... Do you think he understands that? He can't understand that. That's a new game, that's kids."
He added, "I'm not one of these all-publicity-is-good people. People talk about you need exposure -- you could die of exposure."
Seinfeld is right.
Gag-me Gaga is contributing to the debasement of the popular culture. I don't care how good a "singer" she may of may not be, she's disgusting.
And there's nothing new or original about her act.
She's a manipulator and an attention whore. And those who are buying her trash are actually feeding a vast and ever-growing public dumping ground.
The whole Gaga phenomenon is cheap, tawdry, visually depressing and malodorous.
Go sell it somewhere else.

Read This, Watch That – Diversions for the Snowstorm

As we prepare for what looks to be a second whopper snowstorm in Philly forget milk and eggs, think books and movies. Food can’t compete with entertainment for my affection and until an omelet takes the lead in a romantic comedy that’s not going to change. So here are my suggestions for sustenance during this next storm. Now get out there and clear the shelves of your local bookstore!

READ THIS!

Non-fiction:

• The Best Day, The Worst Day by Donald Hall – Hall recounts the illness that claimed the life of his wife, Jane Kenyon, but does it in a way that is respectful and beautiful. The structure alternates by chapters between the story of Hall and Kenyon’s meeting and falling in love and her declining health. The amazing part considering the subject matter is that this book never gets maudlin. Plus Hall’s love for his wife is never more dazzling than in her final days. The reader is left feeling glad to have experienced Jane Kenyon through her husband’s eyes.
  

• Safekeeping by Abigail Thomas – If I could marry a book, I’d marry this one. Written in short vignettes it may be difficult at first to understand how they are linked together but stick with Safekeeping and you will be awesomely rewarded. Abigail Thomas makes even the most mundane meaningful as she examines her life, mistakes and all, and in the process redeems it.

• Here if You Need Me by Kate Braestrup – I am jealous of those cracking the spine of this book for the first time. Braestrup is a natural storyteller and infuses the spiritual into her tales without clunking readers over the head with it. Her life as a Chaplin to the Maine Game Wardens in the wake of her husband’s death offers an array of incredible stories but it is in how she shares them that readers find something to hold on to.

All three of these books make for great winter reading being set in New Hampshire, New York, and Maine respectively!

WATCH THAT!

Movies on DVD:

• 500 Days of Summer – If you haven’t seen it you’re missing the quirkiest, most innovative, human and poignant romantic comedy I’ve ever seen. Watch it!

• Julie & Julia – Don’t wrinkle your nose, there’s a good reason Meryl Streep got an Oscar nod for this role. It is so refreshing to watch a movie where the female leads are not alternately chasing and crying over men. Streep infuses the film with Julia’s joy and Amy Adams leaves you feeling that your next adventure is right around the corner. Just make sure you have enough food in the house because you’ll feel inspired to cook (and eat!) after this movie.

• The Reader – Yes, as you surely know the subject matter is heavy. It’s not a feel good film but it is a film that will make you think. And you’ll think about it long after you see it. The story and the performances, especially Kate Winslet’s, will haunt you with questions about love, fear, and the jagged edges of right and wrong.