dirac

Simon is probably responsible for more great one-liners than anyone with the possible exception of Woody Allen, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. I remember reading what must have been one of his last interviews and it mentioned that he was going “in and out.” I’m glad he’s been released from the prison of Alzheimer’s by the old man’s friend. Godspeed. He didn’t need words to be hilarious, either, per this skit he wrote with his brother Danny, another very funny man.

I had the impression that Lopez would be interested, and her age might actually be a Good Thing - she could be expected to run the company for about 10-15 years, a respectable length of time to guide the company through a rough period. Nichols would seem to be a good choice. Woetzel - there would be a nice irony in there somewhere – the former maîtresse-en-titre of the old boss man and symbol of the “bad old days” returning to the company as wife of the new boss man.

"Freeway of Love" was getting plenty of airplay on my local oldies and R&B station the day the news broke. Her work in the Sixties is the work for which she will be chiefly remembered, so perhaps it's understandable that it would be emphasized. That was also the era in which she was in most control of her music - the musicians following her rendering of the song on piano (she was a gifted pianist, as I'm sure many here know), as the LA Times obit describes here: Offhand I can't think of any female singer who took over a male performer's song as Franklin did with "Respect." Maybe Patsy Cline and "Crazy." The Nessun Dorma from '98 never did much for me, but it's a splendid example of diva chutzpah. Her "Amazing Grace" is just that. It's not canonical Aretha, but I love her version of "The Weight" with Duane Allman.

A review by Claudia Bauer for DanceTabs. Thanks for your take, odinthor.

Yes, exactly.

I can't recall where now, but I remember reading an item about people somewhere freaking out over use of the term "masterly." I tend to think "ballet master" is a considerably less grandiose title than "artistic director." Even "Ballet Master in Chief" suggests someone who is first among equals.

Nice review of the same program by Gay Morris for danceviewtimes.

Thank you for posting the topic macnacenani. I didn't know about this. We're all "mixed race," one way or another. Pushkin had one black ancestor, his maternal great-grandfather. I wouldn't get too hopped up over it. Going by the reviews, the play has other problems. Too bad, with such a rich subject. The New York Times DC Metro

True. For example, Edward Villella wrote that Balanchine told him Apollo was a rascal. Villella doubted, probably rightly, that Balanchine told Peter Martins that. Different dancers, different approaches to the role. Quiggin wrote: I guess I never thought of it as a mystery - I always figured they were ascending to Olympus (?) I do agree that it's very moving - because they're leaving us to the earth and our messy mortality.

Nice interview with Kent:

An obituary for the designer Nadine Baylis, who has died at age 77.

Five dancers and their felines: 3. New York City Ballet principal Lauren Lovette and Boon Lovette rescued her adorable feline friend last year, and has since urged others to do the same. From snuggles with tutu boxes to snuggles with pointe shoes, Boon now lives vicariously through Lovette and her incredible dance career.

May she live long(er) and prosper. Hope she's making progress on that book!

This article noting de Havilland's 102nd birthday notes that her suit was dismissed.

Thanks for the link, California, I had missed that quote from Webb. I tend to agree, Drew. ABT appears to have been trying to follow due process as we understand the term in this context, and Gomes forestalled the process by quitting. Hard to see what Webb thinks he's talking about. Does he think Gomes and other men caught up in #metoo have been denied due process, and if so, which ones? What did ABT not do that Webb would have done? Since he's mentioned it, I'd like to see him pressed on this the next time he's talking to a journalist........

This. Also, I don't know where anyone got the idea that straight guys don't have to act when pretending to love Ballerina X. I'm still curious as to what he did that made his home company drop him so abruptly, and what explanations, if any, he's offering his current employers (or have they asked?).

Thanks, California. In my vicinity the movie is available on demand from HBO through December. Probably it will continue to be broadcast from time to time, if not very frequently. Its run on Cinemax ended recently. Comcast also has it for rent or purchase. It never shows up on the Fox channel any more for some reason.

Vienna and Mozart in the summer. Sigh. If I were any greener we'd be talking photosynthesis....

Sorry to hear that. I remember looking at it when it was still available. i recall that Suzanne looked a little old for him, even at a distance, but it was still a beautiful performance.

We may not be able to "do anything about it" but we can express concern. As Jayne notes above, people can experience health problems from drastic weight loss even if it is only temporary. Johnsey will presumably have to maintain his current weight for the foreseeable future to have any hopes of a job, regardless of how his short-term contract ends, since he will be competing against highly qualified women for a small number of opportunities. He has already undergone surgery to look more feminine. Ballet is a much more competitive field for women than for men, as Wendy Whelan noted when asked to opine on Johnsey's situation. As mentioned earlier, he is said to be enjoying the attentions of a nutritionist, which is good. I hope this continues and I hope the nutritionist is offering sound advice.

Well......I said I thought Lane was wrong for the part, an opinion which is consistent with Lane a) being a good actor outside of comedy --straight or musical, a view with which I agree, and b) his performance being the best thing in the current production, an assertion which I'm sure could well be correct. :)

Yes, Ambrose has pipes - some time ago she was bruited for a Funny Girl revival that never came off. She didn't quite manage "I Could Have Danced All Night" for the medley but I don't have to see her to believe she's a good Eliza, just as I don't have to see Nathan Lane to know he's wrong for Roy Cohn. : Also, he was rude to that sweet little goat. :) I agree with Peg that the My Fair Lady medley did not come off. I don't even see the need for a medley - when "The Rain in Spain" or "Get Me to the Church on Time" are performed with panache, either one is going to get the job done.

I haven't read his books and saw him on TV only occasionally, but I still always stopped to read any quote or interview of his. Talented man. RIP.

Nice for Johnsey to land somewhere, but I see some of the female dancers quoted seem less than thrilled. Understandably so. The photo makes him look a little older than the women.

I agree that in our culture it's a good sign that businesses consider dancers to have attained a level of public recognition that makes them attractive shills for some industries. As mentioned, it's also nice for the dancers, who are only an injury away from losing their livelihoods. I also think that ad campaigns like the "I Will What I Want" series for Under Armour reflect a positive change in the images of women that corporations believe will sell their stuff - Copeland was presented not only as beautiful but as powerful and strong in that beauty. I just don't think there's anything particularly praiseworthy or edifying in the whole business, and sometimes it's intrusive, as canbelto observed.