Rockettes are still hot!

I worked at Radio City Music Hall a few years ago and have seen many incarnations of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. For awhile, it was very "heavy" on the traditionalt Nativity but recently I attended the 2009 edition and noticed they've cut the Nativity a bit...most wouldn't notice. It still has the 3 camels, 2 burros and a smattering of sheep, as well as the entire Radio City chorus decked out in the drag of ancient times a la Cecil B. DeMille. They cut the reading of One Solitary Life to make room for yet another Rockette number...a grand finale. One criticism of the show was that there was never a proper curtain call....you want to cheer for everybody after 90 minutes of breathless spectacle and endless costume changes. SO THEY FINALLY added a curtain call and it's a real crowd-pleaser. My favorite number is still the dance number with 500 dancing Santas.
Several weeks ago I got a telephone call out of the blue from a former Rockette who I used to hang out with when I worked at the Music Hall...she now is married and settled with a family in Florida. Her name is Lois and she told me she misses being a Rockette dreadfully-- "especially at this time of year!"

Look for Jim Dykes in the new Fall TV Season

I've had my SAG and AFTRA union cards which allegedly show that I am a professional actor but after busting my butt for years to obtain union status, I haven't really worked in several years as an actor. Various reasons beginning with 9/11/01 when suddenly two planes crashed into the World Trade Center and when those buildings fell, they also took a lot of opportunity. Agents left the business (my agent Ellen left to teach YOGA for God's sake!), production companies scaled back and/or relocated OUT of New York to what they deemed were safer locations. Non-union productions and even union productions started cutting corners and hiring NON-union talent (because it's cheaper) proliferated and North Carolina, Texas, Canada and other tax havens became more and more popular. New York City has always had this idea (just like L.A.!) that "we are the great New York and the entertainment business will always be here, no matter how much we tax it and regulate it." Actually, the opposite is true...show business is BUSINESS first and producers simply go where it's cheaper to work and where they can make more profit.

Recently I started doing "extra" work or "background" work...I registered with several casting agents that specialize in this and they've been calling me quite a bit. Now mind you...the reason I'm SAG/AFTRA is because I've had prinicipal or LEADING roles in national TV commercials and worked in other shows. But that was THEN and this is NOW. Most actors who have worked in "principal" contract roles do NOT do "extra" work...like many, I was always told that you don't want to do extra work for several reasons:
1. you don't want to get pigeon-holed as just "human furniture"
2. the money is not great and there are no residuals for extras
3. you don't want to get "stuck" on a set all day in case your agent calls with an audition for a really good job. You can't leave sometimes for 15 or 16 hours till they are finished. Extras are also treated shabbily by crew...you are literally treated like you are "less than human" but when you're a "principal" perforner, you have your own dressing room, assistants running around getting you things, RESPECT plus much more money and residual payments.
These are all good reasons to not do "extra" work but recently I threw caution to the wind and did a bunch of extra jobs. I was a "TV reporter" in a horde on Law & Order SVU, I was a security guard in the new Jennifer Aniston-Gerard Butler movie The Bounty (a romantic comedy for release next summer), a comedic Icelandic camera-man in Tina Fey's hit sitcom 30 Rock and I just found out that I'll be playing a camera-wielding tourist Tuesday on the SEX AND THE CITY 2 movie! Not only is it fun, it pays so-so, the on-set food is WONDERFUL (catered by some of the best catering companies), you're rubbing shoulders with some great stars and working on some exciting sets, with a true "insider's" view of things.
Also, when I give the Rich & Famous Tour (and my other tours) it's great fodder for chit-chat and first-hand stories from the set for my tourists who enjoy "insider celebrity" stories.
I have more info on my Adventures in the World of movie/TV extra work on my other website: http://www.JimDykes.com/blog

A Blog is a Journal (Diary) and is made up of MY thoughts & opinions

Recently, there are reports of people criticizing bloggers for "whining" and "complaining" etc. Blogs are, quite simply, a personal journal or diary...just online so anyone can read it. When I blog, I'm talking about my day, New York tourism (my field), showbiz and celebrities (also my field) or any other damn thing I want to talk about. If I feel like complaining or criticizing something, this is my place to do it. Anybody who doesn't like it is free to simply "exit" and read somebody else's blog!

I recently saw the fabulous movie "Julie & Julia" which tells two stories side by side: the story of how Julia Child (in the 40's and 50's) learned how to cook, wrote her book and BECAME the Julia Child we all know and love. Interwoven is the true story of a young woman (a BLOGGER) who simply cooks her way thru Julia Child's famous French cookbook and blogs about it and learns more about herself in the process. Many critics referred to her as a "whiny blogger" which I think is really unfair. This isn't merely "the Julia Child story" it's Julia Child's story told thru another woman's eyes (and kitchen). An interesting concept. Julia Child is played by the wonderful Meryl Streep and the girl (Julie) is played by the delightful Amy Adams (Disney's ENCHANTED princess).

I've met both women and am fans of both of them. I first met Meryl Streep as a young teenager when she was on Broadway in The Happy End at the Martin Beck Theatre, now the Hirschfeld. I hadn't yet moved to New York permanently...I was visiting a woman in her dressing room (Grayson Hall)who was the leading lady in the show and Meryl was the soprano ingenue (she sings!), freshly out of YALE, and still hadn't been stolen away by Hollywood. She was down-to-earth and lovely as I recall. Years later I had a teensy-weensy part in the movie SHE DEVIL with Meryl and she was just as lovely to me on set. She remembered our meeting (or said she did anyway). I've also met her at industry events and screenings. Both ladies (Meryl and Amy) are total pros...first on the set, completely rehearsed and ready to go, however many takes are needed.

Manhattan Island-a brief chronology/time line

Manhattan Island Chronology—Some basic dates to make it all make sense

1600’s and earlier- Manhattan Island inhabited by Lenape Indians. Used as a hunting ground-14 square miles, 62 bodies of water including streams, creeks, ponds, lakes, swamps. By modern times, the island is 22 square miles with landfill all around.
1626-Dutch West India Company establishes New Amsterdam at the southern tip of Manhattan. Shortly afterward, Harlem and other country towns established on the island.
1664-British take over New Amsterdam, renaming in New-York. Within a few years, most of Manhattan is parceled out in land grants and the real estate booms: farms, villages and country estates cover Manhattan, north of the baby Metropolis “New-York” (still hyphenated).
1703-Bloomindale Road is built, along the lines of an old Indian trail now called Broadway.
1753-New York’s FIRST Broadway theatre is built: The Park Theatre.
1776-Revolutionary War rages all around New York…the city is burned on Sept. 4, many people flee north to the countryside and across the rivers to New-Jersey and Brooklyn.
1789-George Washington inaugurated in New York on Wall Street. New York is the nation’s first capitol.
1792-New York Stock Exchange founded on Wall Street.
1795-Yellow Fever epidemic sweeps New York City. Thousands die.
1804-Alexander Hamilton killed in duel with Aaron Burr.
1806-The Staten Island Ferry is started by 15-year old Cornelius Vanderbilt, beginning the legendary Vanderbilt fortune.
1811-Commissioner’s Plan is adopted, laying out Manhattan’s system of streets and avenues by John Randall, but it will be decades before most of these streets are anything more than lines on a map. The island’s hills are gradually graded and flattened.
1821-The Bloomingdale Insane Asylum is opened on the site of what is now Columbia University and St. John the Divine. The area in the country, near the suburbs of Harlem, Manhattanville and Bloomingdale.
1825-Erie Canal opens which connects New York’s harbor to the vast mid-west and west of the growing country.
1826-Lord & Taylor (New York’s oldest dept. store) is founded.
1827-Slavery is abolished in New York.
1837-Tiffany’s is founded
1838-The Croton Aqueduct is built, opening in 1842, giving New York City fresh clean water from the mountains upstate—just what it needs to thrive as a modern city. Public bath houses and decorative fountains open all over.
1850-Cast Iron Buildings become all the rage. Pre-fab construction.
1852-Elevator invented in New York City by Elijah Otis.
1853-Cornelius Vanderbilt consolidates 12 railroads into The New York Central Railroad, later builds Grand Central.
1856-New York City acquires the land to build Central Park.
1858-Macy’s founded.
1867-Nation’s first Elevated trains built in New York City.
1868-Broadway is opened, replacing the old Bloomingdale Road.
1872-78- Sewers and water mains are laid in most of the streets, more to follow.
1870’s-80’s-Improved city services: electricity, trash pickup and more.
1883-Brooklyn Bridge opens, connecting the two cities…a 17-year construction project.
1884-The Dakota building, kicking off luxury apartment houses on the West Side.
1886-Statue of Liberty unveiled.
1888-Great Blizzard of 1888 happens in March, killing dozens of New Yorkers and paralyzing the city. City Council decides that all electric cables, telegraph, etc. are placed UNDER-ground.
1880’s-‘90’s-Upper Westside develops into an elegant residential district for “new” money as opposed to the “old” money districts on the Upper Eastside.
1892-Ellis Island opens to process immigrants.
1898-Harlem, Brooklyn and other areas vote to become part of the new 5-borough metropolis New York City.
1900-Subway construction is begun…3 separate lines built by private enterprise, later incorporated into a city service as the MTA. Subway construction spurs a huge growth of more and bigger apartment buildings in the far-reaching parts of the city which will now be easily accessible. IRT is first to open.
1902-First skyscraper opens: The Flat-Iron Building.
1907-Pennsylvania Station
1912-Titanic sinks, taking many of New York’s wealthy and famous citizens: John Jacob Astor and many others.
1913-Income tax and other taxes along with zoning law changes cause the giant mansions of the rich to come tumbling down (or turn into tax-free buildings).
1915-Harlem begins changing from an all-white enclave to become the most famous black community in America.
1913-1920’s-Huge luxury apartment buildings go up around Central Park.
1929-1938-Rockefeller Center constructed, re-inventing a huge section of midtown.
1931-The Empire State Building opens during the Great Depression, the tallest structure in the world for 42 years. For many years it’s only 10% occupied, nicknaming it The Empty State Bldg.
1932-Eighth Avenue subway line opens along Central Park West.
1934-LaGuardia Airport opened
1940-Ninth Avenue Elevated in closed and torn down.
1945-Many latinos from the Caribbean become the newest immigrants to settle in NYC.
1950’s-City is prosperous and thriving, many people leave for the expanding suburbs.
1960’s-Vietnam War, Flower Children, much social change begun.
1969-Stonewall Riots, beginning the modern era of Gay Rights.
1970’s-City Fiscal crisis. Drugs, crime, deterioration and the abandonment of buildings besets various neighborhoods.
1973-World Trade Center constructed.
1990’s-City attracts new businesses and private investment and real estate thrives. 42nd Street is restored and the city becomes cleaner and safer than in decades.
2001-World Trade Center attacked by terrorists.

Natasha Richardson Dies Tragically--Star Lived on Rich & Famous Tour Route in New York City near Central Park

Like everyone else in New York, I am sadded and grief-stricken at the sudden death of beautiful star Natasha Richardson, wife of Liam Neeson, daughter of Vanessa Redgrave. Last night the lights of Broadway dimmed for a minute for the great star (winner of the 1998 Tony Award in Cabaret). Her friends such as Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick turned out on West 45^th Street to witness the event and share in their sadness. Only 45 years old, the papers have been filled with stories and pictures of this lovely woman who I so enjoyed in her many stage and film appearances. I didn’t know her, although I was acquainted with her mother Vanessa Redgrave (a lovely, warm, quirky person) but everyone says Natasha was truly a delightful person and the world is certainly a sadder place without her.

Natasha Richardson resided in a high rise on my Rich and Famous bus tour and Central Park West walking tour routes. She originally lived at 91 Central Park West (with celebs such as Armani and Imus) but several years ago they moved to their new place a couple of blocks away in a much more modern building. The new building is jammed with celebrities such as Regis Philbin, Alan Alda, Celine Dion, Howard Stern, Julie Andrews and many others…reportedly all the building residents are shocked and saddened by her sudden, accidental death at age 45 leaving behind her husband and two boys, age 12 and 13.

I lost my partner of nearly 10 years suddenly and I know the pain and grief one goes thru in this type of situation. I only hope the media leaves Neeson and the boys alone to grieve in private. It takes years to work thru this kind of pain. It’s like a hole in the center of your being (your heart?) and over time if you are grieving properly the hole gets smaller but never entirely goes away. Blessings to the Neeson-Redgrave-Richardson clan.

Henry V; The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd; ENTER LAUGHING; The Story of My Life

HENRY V by Shakespeare
Brought to NYC by the Guthrie and NYC’s Acting Company, this was a fabulous production of this Shakespearean classic…the young guy who plays Henry (Mathew Amendt) is destined for great stardom in movies & TV (you heard it here first). This is a star-making role (it’s where Kenneth Branagh was first spotlighted). I was fortunate to have a friend who writes for theatre publications invite me to the last performance on last Sunday afternoon. Completely “stripped down” Shakespeare…the entire world is created by the actors, costumes, a simple stockade set with openings and lighting. It’s a bit confusing because 12 actors play ALL the roles: noblemen, soldiers on both sides, royalty, etc. but I suppose to do Shakespeare these days you’ve got to be economical.
THE WIDOWING OF MRS. HOLROYD by D.H. Lawrence
Another small production, this is a small show at the tiny MINT THEATRE, which is located up in an office building on West 43rd St. I attended this with a friend who is a critic and theatre writer and there were several other “press” people in the audience that day such as the TIME OUT New York theatre reviewer. This is a dark play with a simple premise: In 1910, an English woman who is caught up in a bad marriage to a coal miner, who is a drunk and philanderer, fantasizes about his death and is shocked when it happens. The play’s dramatic highlight is when the husband’s “corpse” is brought into the house and spread out on the floor for the wife to clean him and prepare him for the funeral…an old practice which modern audiences are not aware of. Apparently Lawrence only wrote a few plays and this is an early one…the subject matter shocked people at the time and he had trouble initially getting it produced. Again, some of the best acting in New York is Off-Broadway and this cast is no exception.
ENTER LAUGHING
Finally, the small YORK THEATRE COMPANY has a hit…a BIG Hit with critics AND audiences. In any other economy, it would transfer immediately to Broadway but producers these days are skittish, so we must wait and see. This is a sweet, old-fashioned musical about a young man, “David Kolowitz”(played by Josh Grisetti) who is dreaming of leaving 174th Street in the Bronx and getting into the theatre. Apparently, it’s thinly based on the life of Carl Reiner. Other actors include Jill Eikenberry and her real-life husband Michael Tucker (L.A. Law) as the parents. It’s a very thin story, really just an excuse for some laughs and nice songs with great scaled-down production values for a small theatre. Just goes to show you don’t need a ton of money for scenery to get the point across. Watch for this show to move eventually…especially if they can keep Grisetti.
THE STORY OF MY LIFE
Last month I got a free ticket at Actors Equity to see THE STORY OF MY LIFE at the Booth Theatre on Broadway…a sweet little two-person show about two lifelong friends told in flashbacks. The show opens with one friend writing another friend’s obituary and Eulogy. It’s a bit sappy and maudlin and feels like you’ve seen it before. The show closed only a couple days after opening, which I could have predicted. The music feels like the composer Neil Bartram is aping Sondheim and it’s irritating that so many young composers do this. My friend leaned over during one song and said…”that melody…isn’t that directly from FINISHING THE HAT from Sunday in the Park With George?” It’s a sweet show but I knew it was too small to last in a big Broadway house…it should have opened in a small space such as the Westside Arts Theatre or Manhattan Theatre Club. The two actors are FABULOUS…Will Chase and Malcolm Gets…just to prove that if you have wonderful people, even pedantic crap is watchable and has “heart.” I leaned over to my friend and said “this show was obviously written by somebody who went to a good music school and knows how to turn out a lavish score, but is ANYthing memorable?” So many young composers today forget what Richard Rodgers and Irving Berlin knew…give the audience a song or two (or three) to hum and take home with them!! MUSICALS first and foremost should have some good MUSIC not just endless recitative aping the best of Sondheim. Recitative should be used sparingly, not making up the entire show. This was directed by Broadway composing veteran Richard Maltby Jr. who knows the value of a good tune and should have sent Bartram back to the piano to come up with a good tune or two.

Winter Spent Seeing Lots of Theatre Around Town: First Up: LOOKING FOR THE PONY, OTHELLO, HEROES

Lately I’ve been spending the quiet winter months going to various intimate, Off-Broadway shows which can be a crap shoot…some are wonderful, some not so good. I’ve had a great lucky streak, however and am doing a “round up” here:
LOOKING FOR THE PONY by Andrea Lepcio.
Small show (4 people in the cast) at a tiny theatre on 74th and Broadway about two sisters, one of who has been diagnosed with cancer and is dying…and her sister who is helping her live her life and die with dignity. This feels autobiographical…I wonder if the playwright herself lived thru this, since the “sister” in the story is a writer…hmmm. There are two additional people in the cast and they play ALL the other people (doctors, nurses, neighbors, patients, etc.) which adds a light touch to this serious show.
OTHELLO by William Shakespeare
My friend Elizabeth Rouse is in this! Playing at the intimate DUKE THEATRE (Doris Duke’s $$$ funded it) on West 42nd St., this OTHELLO is one to see…powerful, well-staged, riveting acting by mostly unknown professionals. My friend Elizabeth has a small role (Bianca, the courtesan) but she’s just one reason to see this stripped down production which isn’t weighed down with a lot of scenery and production values…simply speaking, it’s Shakespeare done well by people who know how (directed by Arin Arbus). It originally was a limited run and recently closed but got such good notices in the Times and other papers , Elizabeth tells me it’s re-opening in April!
HEROES by Gerald Sibleyras, translated by Tom Stoppard
One of the good things about a shaky economy where big, expensive shows and musicals are being scrapped, is really good actors are suddenly available for small, quality productions in tiny theatres. Finely acted, small production with big Broadway names (John Cullum, Ron Holgate, Jonathan Hogan) and a heart. It’s a French show that was translated by Stoppard and won the Olivier award in London, but this is the first NYC production. It’s about a group of elderly men in a retirement home for old soldiers (set in the 1950s) and how they are slowly coming to grip with their own impending deaths. It makes the audience think, because aren’t we all eventually coming to grips with this?
FOOTNOTE: John Cullum is currently in two New York shows at once…he’s in AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY at the Music Box Theatre on W. 45th St. with Estelle Parsons, Elizabeth Ashley and a great cast. His character dies after the first scene, which allows him to leave the theatre and go 3 blocks down to West 42nd St. to do HEROES. I spoke to Cullum at the reception after the show and he said he was hoping the press would downplay this because audiences seeing AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY aren’t aware that the character he plays dies until much later in the play.