Spelling Bee Exploits Nerdy Teen Theme

When you combine nerdy teens and simpleton teachers in a 2.5 hour musical play, it’s a thin premise for many theater goers.  Such is the complaint with the  “Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Schneider Theater in Bloomington.

I was recruited to be in the audience for a dress rehearsal last night and I left after the first act.  The young performers are spirited and professional, the sets and costumes are great but it’s not enough to sustain two acts.  Unless one or all of the teens turn vampire I can’t see how this got better.  If the second act was better than the first then they should have just skipped the first.

Several non actors from the audience were recruited to be spellers.

The opera singer who was a standout in ‘Les Miz” is a highlight in the close of the first act ensemble song and dance big number.  This Afro American actor at about seven feet  tall is an enormous talent, but he is cast in the stereotypical street hood role as a “hall monitor.”  “Magic Foot” is a big first act number that might have been inspired by Busby Berkeley.  “Spelling Bee” seeks to profit from the success of “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Grease” and would be promising for several local high schools here.

A professional “laugher,” reminiscent of the laugh track from 1950s sitcoms, cackled and screeched like a banshee for most of the first act and into the intermission.  She must have been sitting on a bowl of feathers, because the gags built around the students spelling aren’t that hilarious.

Obviously the Bloomington Civic Theater is tempting 20 and 30 somethings to drop their I Pads and see “Spelling Bee,” but that may be a risky strategy.  The civic theater had a good run with “Singing in the Rain” and “Les Miz”.  But think of the people who paid big bucks to see “Spelling Bee” on Broadway.  — Dave Zarkin

CW Affiliate Stumbling With HD Technology

“We’re doing the best we can,” Gwen, the CW TV affiliate general manager said in reply to my complaint that the video resolution of syndicated programming is “soupy” and unwatchable.  I think I touched a sensitive nerve  because Gwen and the chief engineer said they are broadcasting the syndicated shows in “standard definition.”  

But in truth even “standard definition” would be a dramatic step up from the gauzy resolution on WUCW-23.  It is as bad as the 100 resolution on some YouTube videos and I suspect that there is a lot of processing of the media that happens to account for this mess before it goes on the air.  I would love to get a tour of their master control room.  Could they be videotaping on an old RCA VHS recorder from the thrift store?  

Apparently they didn’t get the memo that the Twin Cities TV stations switched to HD about six years ago. I tried watching reruns of the comedy hit “Community” and that prompted my mid-winter outrage.

Gwen claims that they will have HD in March.  We’ll see.  Presently the two hours of CW programs and the Arsenio show are the only HD entries on that channel.

The WUCW (owned by Sinclair) is reminiscent of the Al Yankovich movie “UHF,” about a dysfunctional low budget TV operation.  Yet WUCW is a quasi-network affiliate in a major market so they need to step up and spend some money on new Japanese equipment.  

"American Hustle" Features Sleazy guys, Floozies

Big screen offerings have been disappointing of late, but this one has got something for everyone.  Howard Hughes, if you are reading this, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence are your kind of women.  There’s more hooch kookie in AH than I can remember in “Underwater” or “The French Line.”

I worry that Robert DeNiro, in a cameo scene, runs the risk of being typecast as a gangster, heaven forbid.  It doesn’t bode well for any future romcoms with DeNiro and Katherin Hegl or Tina Fey.

I also worry that gents of Italian origin from New Jersey by inference are viewed with suspicion in this 2:20 minute look at the seamier side of politics and business American style.  The story comes alive when the Jeremy Renner character appears onscreen.  Christian Bale mumbles and whispers so I need to await the DVD with closed captions for his lines.  daz

"Secret Partners" Book Reveals 1920s Corruption

The lawless anarchy that disrupted the lives of many St. Paul residents in the Roaring Twenties did not occur in a vacuum, but rather was aided and abetted by corrupt business owners, police officers, politicians and an inept FBI headed by J. Edgar Hoover.  

The speakeasy era fascination never fades and now is being revived  by Timothy Mahoney’s excellent book, “Secret Partners: Big Tom Brown and the Barker Gang.” Most recently a cable TV move, “Bonnie and Clyde,” capitalized on the public interest in Depression era gangsters.

Unlike the glamorous movie characters, the real life gangsters were monsters and with no assurance of police protection for law abiding residents. that led to lives of desperation here.

Tom Brown, the discredited officer and police chief, is just one actor in this sordid bit of history that also includes the Hamm and Bremer families, the prominent St. Paul brewers, the county attorney and the police commissioner.

Elsewhere on my blog I wrote about “Bloody Mama” wherein film director/producer Roger Corman portrays Ma Kate Barker as a “blood thirsty gangster” when in reality the FBI killed an “old woman who had not committed a crime,” Mahoney writes.

There are many characters in the St. Paul Twenties crime spree and often it gets confusing,  but it’s worth the effort.  If you enjoy true crime stories, this book is for you.  

Many landmarks of the era exist today in the Twin Cities and the political payoffs of the Twenties explain why gangsters migrated to St. Paul.  It wasn’t for the weather.  daz

http://www.tpmahoney.com

Gangster Lovers Get Four Hour Cable Movie

The big thrill in the four-hour cable TV movie “Bonnie and Clyde” is the epilogue which features newsreel footage of the funeral for the notorious Depression era pair (40,000 attended Clyde Barrow’s and 50,000 Bonnie Parker’s).  Also shown is the newsreel is the bullet riddled car where the couple met their violent demise.

The locales and costumes are noteworthy and Holliday Grainger and Emile Hersch are believable in the leads, but it’s not worth four hours (50 minutes of commercials).  We also learned that the two had visions; for Clyde it was a white house and for Bonnie it was an acting or dancing career.  Poor girl was born too early.  She could have been swingin’ and swayin’ with Jack Osbourne on DWTS 80 years later.

Minnesota Monster Trucks Event Draws Crowd

Forget the Ordway, Guthrie and Minnesota Orchestra, real Minnesotans love their Monster Truck Pulls and that was the happening event last night at the Dome.  We were on the train from Bloomington with an enthusiastic crowd of truckers — moms, pops and the kids all with their sound deafening ear muffs in hand.

Monster Truck Pulls reduce Idaho’s Snake River Stampede to sedateness of a church choir picnic.  I don’t get it but then I’m from Idaho, a refined state of tranquillity compared to roar of those monster engines.  Keep on truckin’.

Corman's Shlock Movie Legacy Chronicled in Book

Although several directors churned out lurid, cheap drive in movies in the 50s and 60s no one is more acclaimed in this genre than Roger Corman who is remembered in the new biography “Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses ” by Chris Nashawaty.

The advertising posters are far more interesting than many of the actual movies. This is illustrated in the 1957 Corman epic “Attack of the Crab Monsters,” wherein angry, expensive seafood make amends for the nuclear holocaust by murdering scientists stranded on an island.  One of the scientists is Russell Johnson who must have benefited from the tropical life since he recycled the role in “Gilligan’s Island” as the professor.  The lovely Pamela Duncan provides romantic interest for the professor in this Allied Artists film.

In the next decade the posters became more suggestive.  See page 98 for “Angels Hard as They Come” (“big men with throbbing machines and the girls who take them on.”)  The interview with Scott Glenn, leading man in this biker thriller, is worth a read.  On the next page, I enjoyed comments by Bruce Dern on “Bloody Mama,” possibly Corman’s best movie for American International Pictures.  Shelley Winters headlines this 1920s gangster movie that introduced Robert DeNiro, a Winters’ protege.  “Mama” has everything you want in a Corman movie, including gang rape, incest, nudity and gratuitous violence.

Nashawaty speculates that Corman had a vision that resonated with shlock movie fans.  The last half of the book is less interesting because the movies had lost much of their cheap vulgarity.  The book lacks an index and is not organized by chapters so you have to thumb through it to find what you want.

Haunted by Streetcars in "Hell Bound"

It’s this haunting image of the discarded Los Angeles streetcars in the 1950s that is etched in my memory from the 1957 film noir “Hell Bound” with John Russell as the bad guy.  In the final scene he is being chased and hides in a streetcar in a junk yard which I assume is near the Harbor Freeway.

It’s a sad reminder of how greed trashed a environmentally friendly transportation system to enable freeways and smog.  That’s progress.

Shoe Dog Nightmare Haunts My Nights

A nightmare about selling women’s shoes awoke me this morning and I need to purge myself of the hoax I perpetuated in the ‘50s and 60s on gullible consumers.  I was a women’s shoe dog for entry level retailer Edison Brothers Stores (Leeds, Bakers and Chandlers) in Spokane, Seattle, and Oakland.

Teen girls were a challenge with one asking to see “boss” shoes and I assured her that the boss’ size 11s would not be to her liking.  Then I would get the prospect who plopped down in the chair and announced that she “was waiting for a party.”  (The last party were had here was a bust.)

I hated myself and loathed the customers.  I was fired from Chandlers in Seattle when I went home to Spokane for spring break during Easter, a prime sales time then for shoes.  Particularly scary were wedding parties buying fabric shoes to be dyed to a fabric sample the ladies supplied.  One always hoped the shoes would be a perfect match but you couldn’t rely on the artisan who did the dying and also doubled as the janitor.

At all these stores we were expected to sell “extras” like handbags and shoe polish which resulted in extra commission.  I was particularly dysfunctional in littering the store with scores of shoes and the poor customer couldn’t make a choice.  But then many customers viewed shoe shopping as a sport and had no intention of actually purchasing.

I graduated to a public relations job at Fisher Blend KOMO-TV (ABC) in 1962 so I kissed off shoe sales but returned to it in Oakland in 1964 when I was unemployed.  My last shoe gig was in 1980 for a day or two as a “floater” at Sears in St. Paul which was really easy.  

Now it’s all self-service at Kohl’s, DSW and Penneys.  Maybe Nordstorms actually has sales help.  Who cares.

Courthouse Makes Commanding Presence in Downtown Spencer

The historic Clay County Courthouse in downtown Spencer, Iowa, is a notable architectural achievement.  It grabbed my attention on a visit to Spencer on Tuesday and inside I found a 1930 exhibit on the Civil War “relics of the Grand Army of the Republic" presented by the Women’s Relief Corps.  The building was restored in 1981-82.

Fond Memories of Movies at Two Spirit Lakes

IOWA — The great thing about growing up in the 1940s is that you could go to super neat places like Spirit Lake, Iowa, (shown here) as Gary H. did and see a great movie at the downtown theater, which sadly is closed. 

Of course, our family had several lake choices in the Inland Empire including Spirit Lake, Idaho, with its funky movie house where I saw “It Happened on Fifth Avenue” with Victor Moore and Gale Storm.  I also cut my foot on a beer bottle in the lake and had stitches and a tetanus shot.

The Iowa Spirit Lake has a lot more history including a massacre and a famous tour boat, the Queen, which is remembered with a statue of the captain (shown here).  Also it is near the two Okobojee lakes and an amusement park with a wood track roller coaster.  It doesn’t get any better.

Although it was never part of my life, a kid couldn’t go wrong at Saltair on the Great Salt Lake in the early 1900s.

Movies on Recently Erected Drive In Screen

IOWA — The recently built Super 71 Drive in Theater near Spirit Lake is somewhat of a head scratcher.  Why when most drive ins have been demolished is anyone  building a new one?  Obviously this is creative capitalism, going against the grain.  I was glad I could actually verify with my owns eyes that the Superior 71 exists but is closed for the season.

Students Score Hit with Fiddler Musical

After receiving a standing ovation Saturday for their performance of “Fiddler on the Roof,” it will be difficult for the Edina High School students to return to planet earth on Monday with locker doors slamming and teachers’ dirty looks.  

Having seen a professional production of Fiddler in October, I had low expectations that were quickly dispelled by the take charge teen attitude.  Here’s a musical with definite baby boomer appeal and it has endured more than 40 years.

The very tricky ghost of Lazar Wolf’s wife in the dream sequence was flawless which is a miracle considering the actress was perched on a lift.  Other scene stealers were Zach Farhat as Tevye and Tori Adams as Hodel.

When I look back at the humble efforts of the Lewis and Clark High School actors in 1958 with “Lil’ Abner” I realize we have advanced with student productions given “Fiddler” which makes “Glee” almost believable.

There are sufficient reasons why the Twin Cities has the third highest theater attendance per capita in the country and I think it starts with the public schools here.

Crawford Swings the Axe in "Strait Jacket"

Academy Award winner Joan Crawford recycles a grotesque version of Sadie Thompson in the 1964 horror flick “Strait Jacket” and and the results are hilarious in a cheap flowered dress and fright wig.  

The scene that is borrowed from “Rain” is where a vampish Crawford turns up the music on the phonograph and makes vampish moves on her daughters young boyfriend.

Crawford’s late career script choices were quite bizarre and “Strait Jacket” and “Bizerk!” have similar plots which I won’t spoil.  “Strait Jacket” is a William Castle drive in movie exploitation vehicle and Crawford made another film for him at Universal-International.  

It was a tough time for golden era stars and Bette Davis made “Bunny O’Hare” for American International that is unbelievably and hilariously bad.

Opera & Politics Don't Mix

Jeff Johnson in a Sunday Pioneer Press opinion piece wants us to believe, without offering any supporting evidence, that Minnesota lacks a “true level playing field,” whatever that means, and this makes us less attractive to business.

Johnson is recycling an old conversation about government vs. business and the role of government as if it hasn’t been on the agenda during 20 years of Republican and libertarian governors and now a Democrat governor.  

Instead of offering us facts and figures, Johnson got bogged down in cliches like “the best of times and worst of times” that really don’t make much sense in the context of state government.  Unfortunately he squandered an opportunity to offer new ideas in this opinion piece.

Dads who need to marry off their daughters to get cash inflowing are the topics in the opera “Arabella” and in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.”  Unlike the opera/musical “Les Miserables,” “Arabella” doesn’t generate any sympathy for the central characters.  Who gives a rip if Arabella marries the country bumpkin or not?  So my opera buddy fell asleep in the first half and I watched the time during the remaining acts wondering if I would retrieve the Chrysler before 11 pm when the parking ramp closes.  The pace at which Arabella was moving toward the altar gave me pause.

The Minnesota Opera Co. does a spectacular job of presenting singers and orchestra in beautiful sets and costumes.

“The Conqueror” Comes at End of Golden Era

More Vegas production number than Mongolian tribal ritual, is the dance of the scantily clad ladies in the 1955 Howard Hughes RKO Radio spectacular “The Conqueror.”  But then this should be expected in a Hughes movie.

In a classic bit of miscasting, John Wayne plays Genghis Kahn and Susan Hayward is the object of his lust who is featured in the sensuous dance sequence which is probably a reason to watch.

Special mention goes to Victor Young for a thrilling soundtrack and to Utah’s Escalante Desert, which, according to the Halliwell book, was the site of nuclear bomb tests.  Much of the movie was filmed in Utah and several of the actors, who also were smokers, died of cancer including Wayne, Hayward and Dick Powell, the director. 

“The Conqueror” came two years after the first Cinemascope film, “The Robe,” also a big budget epic.   Wayne was believable in “Back to Bataan” (RKO) and was good in “Flying Tigers” (Republic) but John Carroll  was the scene stealer in the later.

With a better actor in the lead, “Conqueror” might have been decent.  Wayne was intrigued by the script when he saw it on a desk at RKO Radio studios.  Wayne apparently decided he would play it as an Asian cowboy.  

Powell capped a distinguished movie career with “Conqueror,” having been in ‘30s Warner Brothers musicals and in the ‘40s RKO Radio film noir.  He is remembered for the “Four Star Theater” on TV.

YouTube features “The Conqueror.”

Jennifer Eckes Hits Right Notes for Bacharach

I was transported Sunday to 1966 dream-like at Joe’s LB in Boise with a combo performing “The Look of Love.”  Actually I was at the Bloomington Black Box Theater listening to Jennifer Eckes performing that same haunting melody which was also a hit for Brazil 66.  

“What the World Needs Now: The Songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David” was a much appreciated salute by singer Eckes and Arnie Fogel, longtime Twin Cities performer and radio personality.  It was sobering to see the advanced ages of all those attending yesterday because I consider B&D music cool and contemporary and how did we all get so old?

Forty-five years ago as young adults we had music choices.  We could hear B&D music on MOR radio stations such as KHJ, LA; KFRC, SF; and KBOI and KIDO, Boise.  I  think those stations rivaled the Top 40 in listenership back then.  Now I listen to B&D music on Pandora.

The highlight of the show was Eckes singing “One Less Bell” in a mash-up with “A House is Not a Home.”  The musical backup was minimal and of course a synthesizer or an orchestra would have been ideal, but then we were in a very small theater.

Eckes is a performer who deserves a bigger audience and I hope she gets it.

NBC’s Dracula Suffers From Poor Scripts

Halfway through the NBC Dracula series with Jonathan Rhys Meyers I switched to my DVD of the ’43 PRC vampire feature “Dead Men Walk,” which was more entertaining.  Meyers is a super actor and I love him in “Velvet Goldmine,” but this NBC series is boring.

What “Dead Men Walk” has is some interesting B actors of the era including George Zucco, Dwight Frye and Fuzzy St. John.  Frye plays the vampire’s best friend in this feature and is remembered as the bug eating Renfield in the ’31 “Dracula.”  You can’t beat Frye for crazy guy and of course St. John is always fun as the back woods simpleton.

There’s also a hysterical old lady and the innocent young woman played by Mary Carlisle who was paired with a handsome hero whose name escapes me.

Mike McCarthy Captivates in “Blithe Spirit”

Charles comes to very harsh judgments about his mother and two dead wives in the 1941 Noel Coward play “Blithe Spirit” performed Sunday by the River Valley Theatre Company at Shakopee West Junior High School Auditorium.

Actor Mike McCarthy owns the title role of Charles and is cool on and off stage as we learned after the play discussion with the cast.  My theater buddy Gary made some thoughtful observations in the after play time and we enjoyed this Halloween ghost comedy.

Also commanding the stage is Daphne Siegert as Madame Arcati, the flamboyant soothsayer who projects to the back row of the spacious auditorium.

The production is noteworthy for its attention to detail in costumes and props as well as the ghost like effects.  Coward’s plays still attract an audience but have to be a hard sell.  Plan to see it.

www.rivervalleytheatrecompany.com

According to Sunday’s Pioneer Press, Mayor Chris Coleman is leading a tour of the downtown Palace Theater in hopes of getting state bonding money to renovate and reopen the abandoned vaudeville and movie house.  Coleman envisions the Palace as a contemporary music venue.  Will anyone over 30 be interested?  

Forget "Gravity," See "Phantom Planet"

With a the buzz over Sandy and George in space in “Gravity,” I decided to peruse the 1962 science shocker of the space age, “The Phantom Planet,” which I got for 25 cents.  The plot is similar to “Queen of Outer Space” where a macho space cowboy stumbles on the planet “Rheton” where the women are beautiful and the guys are 6 inches tall so our hero has a chance. 
A distraction from the Moon Maidens is the Anthony Dexter character who challenges the hero played by Dean Fredericks to a fight.  It ends well and they patch over their differences.
The real reason for seeing this is the introduction of newcomer Dolores Faith who I swear is a Liz Taylor look alike.  Folks will be buzzing over Dolores for years t o come.
Minnesota native Coleen Gray also headlines this mess.  She will be remembered for “Nightmare Alley” and “Kansas City Confidential” rather than “Phantom Planet.” 
Famous silent film star Francis X. Buschman makes his final appearance in this movie as the king of Rheton so this is another reason to watch.
Space travel is challenging and you never know what you will find when you get there whatever there is.