San Diego is the second largest city in California and it is one of Southern California's most influential. It's proximity to the Mexican border and its diverse culture gives the city it's own personality that distinguishes it from the state's other major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Jose. And while the city is as well known for it's many marinas and beaches as it is for being the first sight of Father Junipero Serra's California Missions (Mission San Diego de Alcala), there is one major area of the city that is not as often given the kind of attention say that the Mission or Sea World or the world famous Zoo (which happens to border the area of which I am speaking!). I am speaking, of course, of San Diego's Balboa Park.
The Balboa Park section of San Diego is one of the most beautiful Parks in California. Named for Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Park was the site of two very important Expositions: The 1915 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Each Expo had buildings created for them that have since become National Landmarks. The architecture of these buildings is nothing short of breathtaking. And within the Park are some of the most amazing Botanical Gardens, Museums and Tourist Attractions one could ever hope to enjoy. Among the nine Museums to take in include the quite popular San Diego Natural History Museum (which featured a limited exhibition of the famed Dead Sea Scrolls when I visited!) and the San Diego Museum of Art (which highlights some of the world's greatest Spanish Art). As I said before, adjacent to the park is the world famous San Diego Zoo, which doesn't need any explanation from me as to why it is so revered.
But the crown jewel of Balboa Park's many attractions (in my honest opinion), is the nationally renowned Old Globe Theatre. The Theatre is a replica of William Shakespeare's famed Globe Theatre in London and was built in 1935 as part of the Exposition (where it featured several 50-minute versions of some of Shakespeare's most famous plays). Almost 15 years later, the Globe launched its famous summer Shakespeare Festival, which still packs the house to this day. An arson in 1978 practically destroyed the Theatre (necessitating an outdoor theatre to be built!) and in 1981, the Old Globe was rebuilt and has since become one of most prominent regional theatres in the country. Some of the most influential plays and musicals got their start at the San Diego treasure (including Neil Simon's Rumors, Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods and August Wilson's The Piano Lesson). The Theatre is part of the Park's Old Globe complex which also features a smaller Theatre In the Round, an outdoor stage and the Starlight Bowl Amphitheatre. Plus, in the nearby Casa de Prado, the San Diego Junior Theatre (the oldest children's theatre in the nation) puts on free entertainment shows during the large Tourist season.
With the Theatre complex and the many Museums, Balboa Park has come to be one of the most culturally significant centers in California. It is a place I am proud exists within a very diverse city, which in turn is part of a very diverse state (which happens to be in the most diverse nation in the world!). It is a must for anyone's San Diego "To Do" List.
As the East Coast is still recovering from the damage that was caused by last weekend's Hurricane Irene, Broadway went back into business this week with a full blast. The revival of Chicago, which has been a solid hit since its opening back in 1996, danced its way passed A Chorus Line to become the 4th Longest Running Broadway Musical AND the Longest Running American Broadway Musical. That latter title is the one to note here. You see, the three musicals that are ahead of the Bob Fosse-style "Razzle Dazzler" are shows that were birthed across the Atlantic Ocean in London: Cats, Les Miserables (both of which are now closed) and The Phantom of the Opera (which is STILL running - since 1988 - with a count of 9,016 performances as of September 4, 2011). Cats and Phantom are two of the biggest hits in composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's career and Les Miserables is one of producer Cameron Mackintosh's worldwide hits (interestingly enough, Mackintosh also co-produced Cats and Phantom, meaning he has a stake in the top 3 Longest Running Broadway shows!). But how long is too long?
I remember when I was a kid and A Chorus Line's 6,137 performances seemed like an aberration, something unattainable that NO other show could EVER surpass. Then, when I was in High School, Andrew Lloyd Webber's bizarrely fascinating musical about felines did the seemingly impossible. In June of 1997, Cats famously passed A Chorus Line's record and remained on Broadway for another 4 years. A year after Cats closed, Les Miserables passed A Chorus Line (and promptly closed a year later!). And in the last 8 years, The Phantom of the Opera dropped the massive chandelier every night and in the process passed all three to become the Longest Running Broadway Musical. Now with over 9,000 performances, Phantom has become the unattainable. Even the show's legendary director, Harold Prince, is often surprised by the massive success that the show has enjoyed.
When Prince began as a producer (of The Pajama Game back in 1954), the Longest Running Broadway show was Oklahoma!, which had a total run of just over 2,000 performances. Since then, seven other landmark Broadway musicals have enjoyed the title of Longest Running show in history: My Fair Lady, Hello, Dolly!, Fiddler On the Roof, Grease, A Chorus Line, Cats and, now, Phantom. But Phantom's run pretty much equals the combined totals of Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Dolly! and Fiddlertogether! So I ask again, how long is too long?
At this time, Phantom and Chicago are not the only current Broadway shows that have run for over a decade. Disney's Tony-winning hit The Lion King and the massive ABBA musical Mamma Mia! both have at least a decade under their "belts" and the 2003 Oz-ian mega-hit Wicked is not too far behind. This is an interesting question because with the economy the way it currently is and those economic realities having an affect on the state of several Broadway shows, it's refreshing to see shows that were once the hottest tickets in town remain open and still perform at 80-90% capacity! But do these respective shows' successes encourage what several notable Broadway-philes have called: A Creative Vacuum? More producers (meaning investors who want to be called producers!) are trying to grasp at the unattainable because with so many shows running so long, they believe the impossible is actually quite possible. That's why we are seeing an enormous amount of musicals based on recognizable titles (i.e. films, books or even comic books!). So I ask you readers, have these shows run too long? Are they making it harder for the future generation of playwrights or composers who are having trouble getting the proper funding from these pretentious investors? Or is commercial theatre (re: Broadway) in major trouble thanks to the constantly troubling economy? It seems to always come down to money no matter what you do! Below, are the posters of the 8 shows currently running on Broadway that have surpassed 1,000 performances (which means they have run at least 2 and a half years!). Are these 8 shows representative of what Broadway is all about today? And, if so, is that a good thing or a bad thing or just the way it is?
After over 80 years and over 60 animated films, the Walt Disney Company has amassed a large cast of characters. Some are beloved, some are despised and some are just so evil that we can't help but cheer when they come on the screen. But one of the true measures of the impact of a great Disney character is thanks in large part to the performance of the actor or actress chosen to play that role. Which performance is the most special? That's what this week's 10 FAVORITES is all about. Below, is my list of 10 (actually, 12!) best Vocal Performances from Disney animated films. Now, when I say "Vocal Performance," I am not referring to singing (though most of the characters listed below sing, with a couple exceptions!). Also, you will notice that almost half of the characters on the list are villains. And to put it bluntly, villains are often the most memorable thing in a Disney film. But a hero, a heroine or even a sidekick can be just as memorable, if it is done just right! So, without further ado, here are:
THE BEST VOICE PERFORMANCES
IN DISNEY FILMS
HONORABLE MENTION
Adriana Caselotti as Snow White Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The original Disney heroine is an "Honorable Mention" mainly because the voice of the sweet Adriana Caselotti almost irritated me for a while. But there is no more iconic vocal performance than Caselotti's renditions of "Whistle While You Work" or "Someday My Prince Will Come." I felt she needed some recognition on this list.
VOICE #10
James Woods as Hades Hercules (1997)
While this film is not the most beloved within the Disney canon (especially within the studio itself!), the performance of James Woods as the devilish Hades is quite the scene-stealer. Woods utilizes some of his best skills and is the perfect bad guy (in what might be called a "so-so" film!).
VOICE #9
Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel Tangled (2010)
The biggest highlight in last year's animated hit was the performance of two-time Tony Award-winner Donna Murphy as the deliciously wicked Mother Gothel. The twists the writers gave to the Rapunzel story and that of the "witch" character were perfectly fitted to Murphy's theatrical bravado. She's cruel, she's selfish and she's a total bitch, but we love her for it!
VOICE #8
Kathryn Beaumont as Alice Alice In Wonderland (1951)
No matter where I am or what I'm watching, when I think of the character of Alice from the Lewis Carroll classic story, I hear Beaumont's sweet and wistful voice. She's so prim and proper and just the perfect little girl as we follow her curiosity and her adventures in Wonderland.
VOICE #7
James Earl Jones as Mufasa The Lion King (1994)
No one can deny the power of this man's voice! James Earl Jones, who chilled us as the voice of Darth Vader, moved us to tears when he voiced the father of Simba. The scene in which Mufasa's ghost comes to the disenchanted Simba is one of the most haunting and powerful scenes in the movie, certainly in thanks to James Earl Jones' voice!
VOICE #6
Eleanor Audley as Maleficent Sleeping Beauty (1959)
I've talked of my love for this movie and even then I talked about how much I loved this villain. The dripping disdain in Eleanor Audley's voice when she is cursing the innocent Aurora (soon after her birth!) is so spiteful...but I can't help loving this character more! Audley also voiced the wicked Stepmother in Disney's Cinderella, so she was no stranger to the world of the Disney villain.
VOICE #5
Pat Carroll as Ursula The Little Mermaid (1989)
Like many other Disney villains, Ursula practically steals the movie from the rest of the delightful cast of characters. Character actress Pat Carroll was so amazing when she voiced the role and her performance shines through. In fact, the song "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is one of the best songs in Disney history and certainly a showstopper sequence if there ever was one in a Disney film!
VOICE #4
Phil Harris as Baloo the Bear The Jungle Book (1967)
Jazz legend Phil Harris sounded so at ease with the lazy "jungle bum" character of Baloo and his performance of the Oscar-nominated song, "The Bare Necessities," is so ingrained in our collective consciousness. Harris would go on to voice O'Malley the Alley Cat in 1970's The AristoCats and Little John in 1973's Robin Hood (Little John was quite similar to Baloo in many ways, not just Harris' voice!), but it is his performance as Baloo that is forever in our hearts.
VOICE #3 TIE
Jonathan Freeman as Jafar Aladdin (1992) AND
Jeremy Irons as Scar The Lion King (1994)
I put these two together because they are practically equal in my mind and their performances as two of Disney's greatest villains are so wickedly great. Character actor (of film and stage) Jonathan Freeman was so snake like and imperious as Jafar and, when you talk about imperious, you cannot forget Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons' performance as Scar. Interesting note about Irons' performance of the song "Be Prepared" (below): Irons' voice cracked more than halfway through the song (on the line: "You won't get a sniff without me!") and master voice actor Jim Cummings (who also voiced Ed, the loony hyena) had to finish the song in his stead. My father said if I hadn't pointed it out, he would never have noticed it. I believe many other people don't notice either!
VOICE #2
Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts Beauty and the Beast (1991)
As I've stated before, this is my favorite Disney film of all-time. There are so many things I love about this film and the cast is chief among them. But if I had to pick a stand-out performance, I would not hesitate to recognize the charming performance of the great Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts. She is so perfect and proper as the teapot that by the time the film gets to the title song (which Lansbury sings!), my heart races to hear her brilliant rendition. And it makes it even more special when I heard (from Alan Menken in an interview) that Lansbury was able to perform the song perfectly in the recording booth in one take!
AND... VOICE #1
Robin Williams as The Genie Aladdin (1992)
Of course this performance would top this list. When Robin Williams wowed critics and audiences with this vocal performance, it changed the game. Since then, stars line up to take a part in a Disney animated film (and now, DreamWorks animated films!). Williams' performance was so important to the film that both the Golden Globes and the Academy thought about giving him a special award. And the Academy still talks about creating a Vocal Performance category, and that is all thanks to Robin Williams' role as The Genie.
WHAT ABOUT THE PIXAR FILMS?
Some of you may be asking the above question at this moment, so to allay your worries, here are the 5 best voices in PIXAR's short history (hence the 5 and not 10!):
PIXAR VOICE #5
Jason Lee as Syndrome The Incredibles (2004)
For anyone who remembers Jason Lee's fantastic performance in the Kevin Smith films (Mallrats & Chasing Amy, in particular), his role as the ultimate fanboy turned total villain is quite the highlight of the 2004 Oscar-winning adventure.
PIXAR VOICE #4
Peter O'Toole as Anton Ego Ratatouille (2007)
Getting the well-respected Peter O'Toole to voice the role of the cynical food critic was quite a coup for PIXAR and his brilliant speech towards the end of the film is as much about all critics (and criticism, in general!) as it is about food.
PIXAR VOICE #3
Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski Monsters, Inc. (2001)
When you create a character like Mike Wazowski, you need a top-notch comedian to take it to the next level and Billy Crystal is in that category.
PIXAR VOICE #2
Ellen DeGeneres as Dory Finding Nemo (2003)
In a cast filled with charming performances (Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, etc.), it is Ellen DeGeneres as the absent-minded Dory that almost steals the touching, funny and poignant movie.
AND... PIXAR VOICE #1
Tom Hanks as Woody
The Toy Story movies (1995, 1999 & 2010)
In all three movies, it is the performance of Tom Hanks as Woody that is at the franchise's heart and it is a testament to the power of Hanks as an actor (whether he is seen or just heard!).
Due to a family emergency and some other issues earlier in the week, no blog entries or columns were prepared for posting this week. I want to apologize to my loyal readers out there who were expecting something from 10 FAVORITES or IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS. I intend to come back next week with an all new 10 FAVORITES and my predictions for the upcoming Emmy Awards. In the meantime, please enjoy this clip of the Australian comedy band the Axis of Awesome as they perform their phenomenal "4 Chord Song," just because it's AWESOME!
This week, I wish to talk about something that has been in the Entertainment news for the past few months but only recently have I noticed a slight twist. At the end of May 2011, ABC announced their decision to not renew two of their staple Daytime dramas come 2012. All My Children, which has been running on ABC since 1970, will end its run on September 23, 2011. And One Life to Live, which has run since 1968, will end in January 2012. Ironically, both shows were created by Soap-writing legend Agnes Nixon. Stars who got their start on All My Children (like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Josh Duhamel and Melissa Claire Egan) have vowed to return to their roles in honor of the show's impending ending.
Of course, the ABC-owned SOAP Network is flooded with ads regarding the end of both of these long-running shows. But as I have watched the Alphabet Network in both Primetime and Daytime, I haven't noticed many commercials for the end of Susan Lucci's Erica Kane or Erika Slezak's Victoria Lord (or ads for ABC's high-rated and critically acclaimed General Hospital, which managed to survive the axing...for now). Moreover, I noticed ads for All My Children's replacement (a new View-like talk show called The Chew) running rampant on ALL ABC-owned stations (except maybe ESPN!). It's like ABC is kicking the two Soaps while they're down and mocking them on their own genre's network! Coincidentally, I have noticed that rival networks NBC and CBS have taken this opportunity to advertise their high-rated Soap Operas (NBC's The Days of Our Lives and CBS' The Young and the Restless) in both Daytime AND Primetime.
Has ABC given up on these two Soaps' viability or any possible viewership they can get out of a star-studded finale? Do these shows that once stood as landmarks in the network's programming deserve better than just to be tossed away (without any kind of fanfare from the network itself)?
Fans of both Soaps have been taking to Message Boards and Blogs denouncing ABC and some have even planned to boycott the network entirely. Rumors of both shows possibly moving to other cable networks were quickly debunked. ABC quashed the idea of their own SOAP Network taking on both shows and Oprah Winfrey, herself, sent out a viral video on her website explaining why her new OWN channel cannot possibly take on the task of producing the Soaps.
But what happened to the Soaps, which were once the crown jewels of Daytime programming? There are five reasons/theories, I believe, have caused this shift (and slight disdain) for what the Soaps have to offer:
1) Soaps are expensive. And in this uncertain (and often dangerous!) economy, even TV Networks are feeling the strains of massive production costs. The ratings that both All My Children and One Life to Live have been getting are just not enough to justify the enormous costs they take to make (despite the fact that Susan Lucci agreed to take a significant salary reduction!).
2) The audience has changed over the last 40 years. In the "hey-day" the Soap Opera, the target audience was most definitely the at-home wife and mother (re: housewife!). As the social priorities shifted, so did the number of women who were at home in the Daytime. With it's target audience significantly affected, the Soaps have struggled to keep the audiences they have.
3) There are too many choices these days. There are so many channels with many different types of programs in the Daytime. The reason why these Soaps were such staples in the Daytime landscape when I was growing up was because there were no other channels, only broadcast networks (i.e. NBC, CBS, ABC etc.).
4) The writing in Primetime Television has changed over the last 30 years. Ever since the popularity of Primetime Soaps from Dallas to Desperate Housewives, the writing of Primetime Dramas (and some Comedies, but that's another blogpost!) has drastically shifted. The use of continuing plots and story arcs from episode to episode was once a trick that was unique to Daytime Soaps. But in the last few decades, audiences have realized that their favorite Primetime shows can be just as "soapy" in their storytelling and audiences love them for it!
5) The rise of Reality TV has really put a dent in the economics of Television entirely. Since Reality shows are cheaper and more popular, networks are going to stand behind them and will toss away the scripted shows that are damaging their finances.
These combined reasons are the factors that have contributed to the change in attitude (particularly from the networks) towards Daytime Soaps, in my opinion.
Yet, even after all of this, it seems that the two Soaps may indeed have a second life on the Internet. But is it a worthy end to two such legendary shows? To me, it seems like this Internet bid is just something to placate the fans who are crying foul towards ABC. But sometimes you have to give the people what you want, in any form necessary. It still seems such a shame that two (once) respected shows have been summarily dismissed from their earned place in history. It makes me wonder: What will happen to other legendary shows (Primetime OR Daytime) when they no longer serve a network's purpose?
