November 25, 2010
I've spent almost forty years as a teacher of the performing arts and have had to judge countless presentations. Some young people had that undeniable spark and some worked at it to such a degree that they were able to transcend the footlights and connect with the audience.
Poor Bristol Palin, victim of the haters and buoyed up by the tea party supporters was incapable of creating that invisible connection. She never should have been on the dance floor past week four. Brandy had it. Rick Fox had it in spades. Audrina certainly had enough of it to last longer than she did. Even Florence Henderson still retained a bit of that fiery ember. All right, Bristol was slightly better than the "The Hoff"and a few of the others and could execute most of the steps most of the time but the deadpan glaze and the oft-times clumsy footwork took away so much from her performance that her placement in the finals was a travesty. Should have been Brandy up there with Jennifer Grey and either Kyle, Rick or Audrina.
At least, despite the politics, the best dancer won the day.
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
November 22, 2010
Obamaland
Health care? We don’t want it. Control over the banking
industry that has taken us to the brink of disaster. Nope, that could be
construed as interference in the capital marketplace. Extend the unemployment benefits to those who were
devastated by the aforementioned banking collapse? Are you kidding? That
is…socialism… oooh! Lets have a war in Afghanistan because Osama just might be
there...or near there. The Taliban, who took down the twin towers, actually
came fr... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
February 4, 2010
Donald Sutherland' s rich baritone caresses your auditory sensitivity. Do you believe?. Well, sorry folks, I don't. Not a whit. In fact I am such an unbeliever that I will be leaving town on Feb. 11 and will not return until the fiasco in the snow ( if there is any snow) is done with. I don't care whether a slalom skier, Canadian or otherwise, flies down a hill 1/200th of a second faster than another. I don't care whether the figure skating judges play politics or play fair. I do care that ... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
May 13, 2009
I'm sorry that the NDP fared so poorly in the election yesterday. Unfortunately, they blew what could have been a decent showing or even a victory because they failed to capture the imagination of the electorate. The first error was the carbon tax claw-back plan. They made that the capstone of their platform, obscuring some excellent proposals in the 50 page doc. They were, in other words, "green-shifted" out of contention. People simply didn't care as much as they had when gasoline was $1.50... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
April 25, 2009
In less than a week, I will be a senior. Despite my general
demeanor, I have been dreading this birthday. I don’t really know why. It’s
just a number isn’t it? I was, earlier this year in a bit of ... in a deep
depression. Not my style. We had a great time on Maui. I have been work-shopping
more than usual . I love my little Zozo so much that her smile lifts me into
the sky. Margie is well. I am healthy. What
happened was that my Monologue book was rejected after more than a year o... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
April 20, 2009
Wonderful memories glitter in the mind. The best memories
are shared with others. It is with this in mind that I write today’s blog.
I have been to many concerts; had moments in the theatre when
tears tracked down my face because of the sheer joy (or pain) of the experience,
I am easily moved by a painting or a sculpture.
A partial list includes: Rodin’s garden in a Parisian mist,
Michaelangelo’s Pieta, Picasso’s Guernica at the Sofia in Madrid, The Martha Graham dancer... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
April 17, 2009
My book of monologues will be sold at Biz books in Vancouver starting next week. Oooh! I'm pretty excited.
Liberals are ahead in the upcoming B.C. election and I'm pissed. There is no way they have such a commanding lead. Gordo in a megalomaniac who will ruin the salmon run, has done nothing to eradicate the Pine Beetle, and has no idea of the final cost of the Olympics. They will create a monstrous debt for the Province.
Unfortunately, The NDP platform is straight out of the 90's with a rather... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
April 9, 2009
I don't know about the rest of you, but I am still enthralled by the new attitude espoused by the President of my neighbor to the south. Not only is he a take charge guy but his method is inclusion rather than the superior posturing that W used to treat his allies and his enemies. There seems to be a realization that America under Bush/Cheney was nearly universally hated and that reparations are needed.
I was pleased to read that Obama hosted the first 'seder' in the White House. I am neithe... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
April 1, 2009
I am a left-wing, former beatnik (that's pre-hippie) who wrote poetry and read philosophies. I am a peace loving, ban the bomb marching, environmentalist who is constantly disappointed in the failure of my generation to solve or resolve all of the ills of our society. This is my background, so the fact that I own several houses, travel the world and, despite paper losses, am somewhat unfazed by the recent stock market melt-down, belies my foundations. Unlike Jerry Rubin who became a stoc... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
March 16, 2009
In a depression such as this, laughter is hard to come by. There are a great many topics that are tabu while people are waiting for financial recovery or at the least, a few signs of stability. I hear no Geithner jokes or Bernanke jokes. Even Madoff, who 'made off' with so many people's life savings, has been mostly exempted from skewering by the comics.
Those of us who are all right for the time being, and I include myself on my teachers pension, are meeting at social gatherings and not t... Continue reading...
Posted by Harvey Ostroff.
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I intend to use this site to register my thoughts about theatre and the world in general.
Come on along.
