"TOMMY, CAN you see me? Tommy, can you hear me?"
Those are the famous lyrics from the 1969 rock opera, "Tommy," sprung from the fertile minds, voices and musicianship of Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey and the late Keith Moon.
Now we hear that "Glee" producer Ryan Murphy plans a lavish remake of "Tommy" for the hit Fox show that has lost a little of its heat recently. The "Tommy" episode, if it happens, will no doubt run longer than the usual hour. It's hard to imagine something as epic as "Tommy," cut down.
Roger Daltrey, who can still look awfully good in skin-tight denim, and Pete Townsend are expected to make appearances.
P.S. Don't be disappointed if the "Glee" version of "Tommy" is not as lurid as Ken Russell's infamous, excessive 1975 big-screen effort. (That one featured Jack Nicholson, Tina Turner as "The Acid Queen," Elton John as "The Pinball Wizard," Mr. Daltrey as Tommy and Ann-Margret as his mother.)
Ann-Margret received an Oscar nomination for her efforts, not the least of which was being bathed in gallons of baked beans and liquefied chocolate. I don't see anybody on "Glee" going quite that far for their art.
MICHAEL'S media cafe was really swinging at lunch this week with David Patrick Columbia looking everyone over for his New York Social Diary, which offers some of the best content on the Internet.
And, even I was there, sitting with the "mayor" of Michael's -- Joe Armstrong -- who knows everybody and everything. For the first time I noted that the cowboy boot vase on Joe's table is autographed by Willie Nelson, Fats Domino, Jimmy Buffett and Elton John. There was another signature I wondered about and it turned out to be that of our fellow Texan, Laura Bush, who at one point in time drifted past Joe's table and happened to have a pen out and gave it her "John Hancock."
Joe and I were with Don Carleton who collects writer's works and memorabilia for the University of Texas at Austin's Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. He is collecting mine as we speak. Don is a documentary filmmaker of note and he also oversaw and helped write the life story of his longtime friend, the late Walter Cronkite. Recently, he brought out "Conversations" with the CBS News legend and says he misses the old guy terribly. He was off to dinner that same night with Jane and Morley "60 Minutes" Safer, whose papers he is also collecting. He already has those of Bill Moyers and Dominick Dunne.
Everybody seems to be handing over their accumulations to the University of Texas, either to the Briscoe or to the Harry Ransom Center for literature, videos and photographs. Robert De Niro has given them all of his movies and archives because he saw that these great organizations are such careful caretakers. The University of Texas also houses the works of Gloria Swanson and George M. Cohan, as well as Norman Mailer, plus Woodward and Bernstein.
This was serious, important stuff, but we managed to get a few wonderful laughs out of stories we traded about the rich and famous, particularly, one of our favorite protagonists of the art form of anecdote and I do mean, that peerless leader, Bill Clinton.
We were sitting near publisher Donald Newhouse and former Ambassador Carl Spielvogel, the wonderful New York writer and "Living Landmark" Pete Hamill, his agent Esther Newberg, Oprah's book person Sara Nelson and fashion's dynamo Fern Mallis.
In the prize corner was the legendary influence maven Peter Brown, who sped to fame working with the Beatles, and his most famous current client, Andrew Lloyd Webber of musical theater.
Andrew told me his wife, Madeleine, was arriving to join him any minute and I had a chance to say thanks for their annual Christmas card, which comes every year and is a masterpiece of art in itself.
ON MONDAY, March 26 Phyllis Newman's "Nothing Like a Dame" gala happens at Manhattan's John Jay College (The Gerald Lynch Theatre.) This annual event benefits The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, and is presented by The Actors Fund.
Among those on board for the one-night-only happening are Polly Bergen, Lauren Flanigan, Bobby Cannavale, Mario Cantone, Alexandra Silber, Countess Luann De Lesseps (from TV's "The Real Housewives of New York City"), David Lutkin, Bruce Vilanch and the one, the only, the inimitable and indomitable Elaine Stritch. For ticket info log onto www.actorsfund.org, or call 212-221-7300 , ext 133.
I've been to this event in years past and it is always a fabulous night in the theater, great entertainment with everybody giving 150 percent. So if that's all you want -- one heck of a good time, please go. Just keep in mind you'll also be doing a really good deed in a naughty world. Phyllis Newman is providing a splendid and vital service to striving theater folk.
Especially right now, with antediluvians on the rise, threatening women's health issues.
source: chicagotribune.com
Those are the famous lyrics from the 1969 rock opera, "Tommy," sprung from the fertile minds, voices and musicianship of Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey and the late Keith Moon.
Now we hear that "Glee" producer Ryan Murphy plans a lavish remake of "Tommy" for the hit Fox show that has lost a little of its heat recently. The "Tommy" episode, if it happens, will no doubt run longer than the usual hour. It's hard to imagine something as epic as "Tommy," cut down.
Roger Daltrey, who can still look awfully good in skin-tight denim, and Pete Townsend are expected to make appearances.
P.S. Don't be disappointed if the "Glee" version of "Tommy" is not as lurid as Ken Russell's infamous, excessive 1975 big-screen effort. (That one featured Jack Nicholson, Tina Turner as "The Acid Queen," Elton John as "The Pinball Wizard," Mr. Daltrey as Tommy and Ann-Margret as his mother.)
Ann-Margret received an Oscar nomination for her efforts, not the least of which was being bathed in gallons of baked beans and liquefied chocolate. I don't see anybody on "Glee" going quite that far for their art.
MICHAEL'S media cafe was really swinging at lunch this week with David Patrick Columbia looking everyone over for his New York Social Diary, which offers some of the best content on the Internet.
And, even I was there, sitting with the "mayor" of Michael's -- Joe Armstrong -- who knows everybody and everything. For the first time I noted that the cowboy boot vase on Joe's table is autographed by Willie Nelson, Fats Domino, Jimmy Buffett and Elton John. There was another signature I wondered about and it turned out to be that of our fellow Texan, Laura Bush, who at one point in time drifted past Joe's table and happened to have a pen out and gave it her "John Hancock."
Joe and I were with Don Carleton who collects writer's works and memorabilia for the University of Texas at Austin's Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. He is collecting mine as we speak. Don is a documentary filmmaker of note and he also oversaw and helped write the life story of his longtime friend, the late Walter Cronkite. Recently, he brought out "Conversations" with the CBS News legend and says he misses the old guy terribly. He was off to dinner that same night with Jane and Morley "60 Minutes" Safer, whose papers he is also collecting. He already has those of Bill Moyers and Dominick Dunne.
Everybody seems to be handing over their accumulations to the University of Texas, either to the Briscoe or to the Harry Ransom Center for literature, videos and photographs. Robert De Niro has given them all of his movies and archives because he saw that these great organizations are such careful caretakers. The University of Texas also houses the works of Gloria Swanson and George M. Cohan, as well as Norman Mailer, plus Woodward and Bernstein.
This was serious, important stuff, but we managed to get a few wonderful laughs out of stories we traded about the rich and famous, particularly, one of our favorite protagonists of the art form of anecdote and I do mean, that peerless leader, Bill Clinton.
We were sitting near publisher Donald Newhouse and former Ambassador Carl Spielvogel, the wonderful New York writer and "Living Landmark" Pete Hamill, his agent Esther Newberg, Oprah's book person Sara Nelson and fashion's dynamo Fern Mallis.
In the prize corner was the legendary influence maven Peter Brown, who sped to fame working with the Beatles, and his most famous current client, Andrew Lloyd Webber of musical theater.
Andrew told me his wife, Madeleine, was arriving to join him any minute and I had a chance to say thanks for their annual Christmas card, which comes every year and is a masterpiece of art in itself.
ON MONDAY, March 26 Phyllis Newman's "Nothing Like a Dame" gala happens at Manhattan's John Jay College (The Gerald Lynch Theatre.) This annual event benefits The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, and is presented by The Actors Fund.
Among those on board for the one-night-only happening are Polly Bergen, Lauren Flanigan, Bobby Cannavale, Mario Cantone, Alexandra Silber, Countess Luann De Lesseps (from TV's "The Real Housewives of New York City"), David Lutkin, Bruce Vilanch and the one, the only, the inimitable and indomitable Elaine Stritch. For ticket info log onto www.actorsfund.org, or call 212-221-7300 , ext 133.
I've been to this event in years past and it is always a fabulous night in the theater, great entertainment with everybody giving 150 percent. So if that's all you want -- one heck of a good time, please go. Just keep in mind you'll also be doing a really good deed in a naughty world. Phyllis Newman is providing a splendid and vital service to striving theater folk.
Especially right now, with antediluvians on the rise, threatening women's health issues.
source: chicagotribune.com
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