Anyone living in NYC should do all they can to see Carrie Fisher in the Broadway run of her one woman show (based on her book) entitled Wishful Drinking. The woman is a riot and I am amazed at not only her fantastic stage presence, but also her unabashed honesty and willingness to laugh at herself. Not to mention her memory! The woman dishes out for two hours on that stage! And nearly every moment is dynamite. She is, at heart, a true entertainer and enviously intelligent.
I had the great fortune of being taken to this show (which is playing at the iconic Studio 54) by a dear friend of mine. I was completely elated from the first moment, when Fisher saunters out on stage in pajamas and a silk robe, singing "Happy Days Are Here Again", while pelting front row audience members with confetti.
The woman is crazy. And I love her all the more for it!
I have long been a fan of Fisher's, not just for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the original Star Warstrilogy (which she talks about in depth on stage), but also for her fantastic comedic performances in films such as The 'burbs, When Harry Met Sally, and Soap Dish. She was also recently nominated for an Emmy for her memorable guest appearance on Tina Fey's "30 Rock".
So a while back I had posted regarding the apparent battle that was sprung over Pogo's latest track, entitled "Bangarang", which was made using sound clips from the classic Steven Spielberg film Hook.
It would seem that the battle between my Aussie boyfriend and Sony has been resolved since the video is, to my delight, back online!
So for those of you who haven't already seen it, here is the video for this fantastically fun track!
My talented love has left some hints on his MySpace Music page as to what we might expect from him next and it would appear that his magic touch will soon be put on Disney's Winnie the Pooh. Be still my heart.
Name: Henry Gibson Occupation: Actor Born: September 21, 1935 Died: September 14, 2009
I had been meaning to write an article about one of my all-time favorite actors and comedians, Henry Gibson, for quite some time. Sadly, I now write this as a memorial since he passed away just a few months ago. I was greatly bereaved to hear of his death. The tremendous talents and versatility of this outstanding man, best remembered for his work on the TV show "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" and for films such as Nashville, The 'burbs, and The Blues Brothers, will be long remembered.
Born James Bateman in Germantown, Pennsylvania, the actor donned the name Henry Gibson as a take on the famed playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen. Though he began performing on stage and in films as early as 1963 (in Jerry Lewis' The Nutty Professor), Gibson first gained major national success and a Golden Globe nomination for the hit television show "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" which featured other rising stars such as Jo Anne Worley, Arte Johnston, Ruth Buzzi, and Goldie Hawn. Gibson's famously simplistic poetry recitations on the show have been much quoted and often imitated over the decades.
He set one of his poems, "Keep a Goin'", to music which he performed in Robert Altman's film Nashville, one of his most highly acclaimed film roles (Golden Globe nomination and National Society of Film Critics Award). He also appeared in the Altman films The Long Goodbye, HealtH, and A Perfect Couple.
My initial admiration for Gibson came along with his performance as the polite and subtly crazed serial killer Dr. Werner Klopek in Joe Dante's The 'burbs, in which he starred along Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, and Bruce Dern. His performance alone put this movie toward the top of my favorites list.
Gibson's talents and versatility were also utilized by director John Landis who cast him as the leader of the "Illinois Nazis" in the iconic film The Blues Brothers starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, a role many still remember him for.
Henry Gibson's wide range of roles and performances in almost every genre imaginable have allowed him to reach audiences of all ages the world over. I will never forget this man who stood a mere 5'3" but whose talent dwarfed many in his field.
Below is a fan-made video collection of Gibson reciting his poems on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In". The collection includes appearances by Sammy Davis Jr., John Wayne, and Ruth Buzzi. R.I.P. Henry!
Anyone living in NYC should do all they can to see Carrie Fisher in the Broadway run of her one woman show (based on her book) entitled Wishful Drinking. The woman is a riot and I am amazed at not only her fantastic stage presence, but also her unabashed honesty and willingness to laugh at herself. Not to mention her memory! The woman dishes out for two hours on that stage! And nearly every moment is dynamite. She is, at heart, a true entertainer and enviously intelligent.
Posts
