MAY 29, 2005
--
Note
to readers …
Because of the holiday, this is an abbreviated Lonely Pamphleteer Review.
LPR, however, did not want to let a week go by without mentioning the films and
talented filmmakers who competed in last week's NYC Home Film Festival, and applauds
these filmmakers and Greg Segal, who presented them.
And, LPR could not let the week go by without noting that by the LPR counter,
clicks to this point in 2005 equaled the total clicks for all of 2004. Thank
you LPR clicksters.
Next week, some LPR comments on a review of a new book about Rudy Giuliani, and
offers some reflections on anxiety.
Happy June, everybody, may it be better for all of us than May.
MAY
22, 2005 --
Mr.
Trump's Idea …
Donald Trump said last week that he thought the World Trade Towers should be
rebuilt -- just constructed a bit bigger and better. On reading about a new Windows
on the World restaurant, LPR thought not of dining high above the city but of
lives lost at
breakfast that tragic day.
Arguing against rebuilding the Towers, on
the op-ed page of The Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2001, Holman W. Jenkins,
Jr. remarked, in part, "so the question then becomes whether backward-looking
politicians can rresist their urge to re-create the past."
Could the delay
in rebuilding represent a
certain acceptance, however unarticulated, that the site of tragedy is not necessarily
hallowed through reconstruction?
MAY 22, 2005
--
Federalist
57 Glimmers …
Vincent Gentile, a Democratic councilman from Brooklyn was recently reported
to have introduced a bill requiring traffic agents to wait five minutes before
giving a summons for double-parking. A New York Post story, May 17, reported
that the councilman wanted to restrain "overzealous traffic agents."
The Senate Banking Committee, May 17, held a hearing that, in the words of
a Consumer Action May 16 press release, would examine "abusive interest
rate and fee practices in the credit card industry."
MAY 22, 2005
--
LPR
Recommends …
Paper Clips -- a documentary of the novel way principal Linda Hooper and assistant
principal David Smith helped students at the Whitwell (Tenn.) Middle School
study the Holocaust--the murder by the Nazis of six million Jews-- and then
transformed the study into a local museum. This 88-minute documentary, shown
at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (NYC) May 15, was written by Joe Fab who
also co-directed, with Elliot Berlin, and co produced, with Ari Daniel Pinchot
and
Robert M. Johnson. The documentary includes statements of Holocaust survivors
and of one of their rescuers.
 |
Joe
Fab, is the writer of Paper Clips, a documentary about how
a middle school in Tennessee decided to study the murder by
the Nazis of six million Jews. (He is also co-director and
co-producer.) He brought the film to the Hebrew Institute of
Riverdale, last Sunday.
|
MAY 22, 2005
--
In
the third day of the Broadway Show League
Season, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang defeated
Fiddler on the Roof, cheered on by a
CCBB rooter with car horn and yellow
wings that, LPR was informed, play a
significant role in the show. For other
Broadway Show League results and standings,
please click the LPR link to the league.
 |
Rooter
for the Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang team in the Broadway Show League.
|
|
MAY 15, 2005 --
On the
second day of the BSL season, LPR spotted the great musical theater
actor, Shuler Hensley, making a brief visit to the softball fields
he roamed as center
fielder in recent seasons -- and the basepaths he circled hitting home runs.
Mr. Hensley said that he was heading for Greece to make a film. Having appeared
as Frankenstein in Van Helsing, Mr. Hensley has completed filming of a Zorro
sequel, which is due out in November.
July 7 - 24, he will be appearing in his first Sweeney Todd, with Betty Buckley,
at the
Ector Theater, in Odessa, Texas. For more news on this great musical actor --
and softball player -- please click the LPR link to his website.
LPR also spotted Andrea Martin, cheering for her Fiddler on the Roof team --
Ms. Martin appeared in Oklahoma! with Mr. Hensley a few Broadway seasons ago.
The Fiddler nine beat Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 7-5. Richard Kind was on hand,
with his oldest daughter (he and his wife had twins six months ago, he said)
-- teaching her the words to Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and cheering for The
Producers.
Mr. Kind is currently starring in the show as Max Bialystok.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang lost to Hairspray 10 - 7, but its shortstop made a terrific
play, throwing out a runner while flat on his back. For all league results, standings
and news, please click the LPR link to the
BSL website.
 |
Shuler
Hensley and Shana
|
 |
Richard
Kind, now starring in The Producers, at the Producers
game.
|
 |
Andrea
Martin of Fiddler on the Roof,
at the Fiddler game. (Producers and Fidder won their games.)
|
 |
The
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang shortstop made a great play,
and threw the runner out while flat on his back.
|
MAY
9, 2005 --
Just
Wondering …
… if the first son to the 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo will be named
Puccini.
… why
we don't seem to be calling the years of this century twenty
something, yet -- as in twenty oh five? Are we waiting for twenty
ten?
MAY
8, 2005 --
Some Kindness for Canines -- and their companions?
After the opening day BSL ceremony, a Parks Department official informed LPR
that dogs are not permitted on the Heckscher oval.
This is Shana's fourth Broadway Show league season and she looks forward to
seeing her friends at the BSL, Thursdays from April through August.
Unless the Parks Department can be persuaded to be flexible, BSL softball Thursdays
will become dreary for one 15-plus years old dog, and indeed, perhaps for a
few BSL players whose dogs have sat by -- without any harm to the Heckscher
turf -- during games. Four days after the May 1 rally, the Heckscher grass
showed no sign of strain, as far as LPR could tell. Perhaps a small part of
Heckscher could accomodate a few dogs during BSL games, as well as several
thousand ralliers?
Next week …
The LPR Commencement Address
|
MAY 8, 2005
--
The 2005
Broadway Show League Opening
May 5th it was back to the Heckscher softball fields
-- for the opening of the 51st season of the Broadway Show
League.
The first ball was thrown by a contingent of celebrities, including Jeff Goldblum
(The Pillowman), Jeffrey Tambor (Glengarry Glen Ross), Gordon Clapp (Glengarry
Glen Ross) Sara Ramirez
(Spamalot), The West Wing's Richard Schiff, an avid, and very good, softball
player, and Christian Slater (The Glass Menagerie).
After the ceremonial first pitch, Mr. Slater's attention was drawn to Shana
and LPR, along with other photographers at this event -- but likely the only
non-digital photog, snapped the occasion. LPR left the Heckscher fields, prodded
in part by the new no-dogs policy (see Observations above), before the 1:30
games were over.
When LPR left, Lion King was leading
Playwrights Horizons 11-4. LPR later learned that the final score was Playwrights
Horizons 16, Lion King 15.
For more BSL results and standings, please use the LPR link to the league.
 |
BSL
Commissioner Carlos
Martinez with Jeff Goldblum.
|
 |
Christian
Slater, playing in "The
Glass Menagerie," with Shana.
|
 |
Christian
Slater taking a moment with Shana.
|
 |
Gordon
Clapp, of "NYPD Blue"
|
 |
Six
of the Broadway Show League Opening Day celebs -- (l) to (r):
Jeffrey Tambor, Gordon Clapp, Sara Ramirez, Sherie Renee Scott,
Jeff Goldblum and Christopher Sieber, shown before throwing
out the first ball(s). Ms. Scott is in Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels; Mr. Sieber (with Ms. Ramirez) is in Spamalot.
|
 |
Richard
Schiff of "The West Wing"
|
 |
Jeffrey
Tambor, now in "Glengarry Glen Ross" and Sara Ramirez, "Spamalot"
|
MAY 1, 2005
--
New York City Politics…
The candidacy of
Tom Ognibene has gotten some mention in the media. The candidacy of
Fred Ferrer might be in trouble with word that he has lost two campaign
aides, including one adviser who reportedly got $35 thousand a month.
LPR believes a candidate would be better served by taking the advice of Federalist
57 than to throw large sums of money in the race. Beside, when it comes to
throwing money into a campaign, who could match the resources of the
enormously wealthy incumbent? LPR is convinced that not even The New York Times
could ignore a candidate who stood firmly with the people, against the money-throwers
-- starting, say, by calling for a fair deal for motorists.
MAY 1, 2005
--
The Broadway Show League opens its season May 5
at the Heckscher softball fields in Central Park. LPR hears
that opening day festivities will include Harvey
Fierstein, Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum.
At the last day of preseason games, LPR spotted Carlos Martinez, league commissioner,
and got a backstop view of a Beauty and the Beast batter facing the
Playwrights Horizons pitcher. LPR also got a photo of The Producers Tommy McDonough
making a neat force-out, at third base, of a player from Blue Man Group.
 |
Beauty
and the Beast batter facing the Playwrights Horizons pitcher.
|
 |
Commissioner
Martinez smiling.
|
 |
Tommy
McDonough is stretched out making the force at third.
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)