HOT SPRINGS, S.D. — Ford Motor Company stepped up its commitment to preserving thousands of wild mustangs on Thursday by providing funding to save 2,000 of the horses, along with setting up a "Save the Mustangs" fund.
Company executives witnessed a symbolic release of 51 horses into a new habitat here, on land that was the setting for the recent action movie Hidalgo. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, along with actress and animal-rights activist Stefanie Powers, participated in the effort.
Powers told Inside Line wild-mustang preservationists wanted schools and urban families to join in "virtual adoptions" of the horses. She urged the public to support companies such as Ford.
"Unless the corporate world can see conservation and preservation making good business sense, it won't happen," said Powers, who said she was not being paid by Ford. "Ford has an altruistic bent, but we can't simply rely on certain leadership in corporations. One day, Bill Ford may not be the CEO of Ford. If their bottom line doesn't look good, the board may say we can't save the mustangs. We have to support these companies by buying their products."
Ford gave $19,000 earlier this spring to save 52 mustangs from slaughter. Congress in December replaced a 34-year-old ban on slaughtering mustangs with a law permitting older and unwanted horses to be sold.
What this means to you: Mustang lovers can visit www.savethemustangs.org to find ways to help head off the demise of these threatened animals, along with Ford.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
Ford Motor Co. investing in wild horse sanctuary
HOT SPRINGS, S.D. -- The company that makes the Mustang sports car is investing in the wild horse of the same name.
With the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary as a backdrop, officials from Ford Motor Co. said the company would provide money to help save 2,000 wild mustangs that face an uncertain future and help establish a fund to take public donations to maintain the horses.
The Bureau of Land Management and the Take Pride in America group also are participating in setting up the fund.
Among those on hand for Thursday's press conference at the sanctuary's headquarters on the edge of the Black Hills were actress and animal activist Stefanie Powers, credited with bringing the mustang issue to Ford; BLM director Kathleen Clark; Dayton Hyde, president of the Institute of Range and the American Mustang and the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary; and Ziad Ojakli, group vice president of corporate affairs for Ford.
"The mustang is a symbol that drove a lot of our success," Ojakli said, referring to the sporty Ford Mustang introduced 40 years ago.
He said Ford's commitment to save mustangs is "a small token that we can do to pay back" for the company's success.
He didn't provide a dollar figure for helping save 2,000 mustangs but he said it would easily reach six figures.
Powers said Thursday's announcement showed "there are no good guys and bad guys. We're all in collaboration in the rescuing of these horses that were going to be slaughtered," she said.
A new federal law passed late last year allowed the slaughter of mustangs for the first time since 1971.
Ford officials said the 2,000 wild horses could go to a variety of locations, including American Indian reservations.
Clark said the public-private partnership on behalf of the mustangs "is the kind of effort that will really make a difference."
The BLM oversees some 32,000 mustangs on federal lands in the West and another 22,000 currently in holding facilities.
The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, established by Hyde in 1988, has 400 mustangs on 11,000 acres in southwest South Dakota.
The BLM's mustang program drew controversy earlier this year when it was discovered that some horses the agency sold to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota had subsequently been acquired by a broker and shipped to an Illinois plant for slaughter.
Alerted by Powers, Ford purchased the remaining 52 "Rosebud" horses. Thirty-two of them have been moved to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. The remaining 20 will also go to the sanctuary after being released from quarantine in Illinois.
The nonprofit sanctuary is not receiving any money from Ford to maintain the Rosebud horses, but it can apply to the new public fund, sanctuary spokeswoman Karla LaRive said.
With the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary as a backdrop, officials from Ford Motor Co. said the company would provide money to help save 2,000 wild mustangs that face an uncertain future and help establish a fund to take public donations to maintain the horses.
The Bureau of Land Management and the Take Pride in America group also are participating in setting up the fund.
Among those on hand for Thursday's press conference at the sanctuary's headquarters on the edge of the Black Hills were actress and animal activist Stefanie Powers, credited with bringing the mustang issue to Ford; BLM director Kathleen Clark; Dayton Hyde, president of the Institute of Range and the American Mustang and the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary; and Ziad Ojakli, group vice president of corporate affairs for Ford.
"The mustang is a symbol that drove a lot of our success," Ojakli said, referring to the sporty Ford Mustang introduced 40 years ago.
He said Ford's commitment to save mustangs is "a small token that we can do to pay back" for the company's success.
He didn't provide a dollar figure for helping save 2,000 mustangs but he said it would easily reach six figures.
Powers said Thursday's announcement showed "there are no good guys and bad guys. We're all in collaboration in the rescuing of these horses that were going to be slaughtered," she said.
A new federal law passed late last year allowed the slaughter of mustangs for the first time since 1971.
Ford officials said the 2,000 wild horses could go to a variety of locations, including American Indian reservations.
Clark said the public-private partnership on behalf of the mustangs "is the kind of effort that will really make a difference."
The BLM oversees some 32,000 mustangs on federal lands in the West and another 22,000 currently in holding facilities.
The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, established by Hyde in 1988, has 400 mustangs on 11,000 acres in southwest South Dakota.
The BLM's mustang program drew controversy earlier this year when it was discovered that some horses the agency sold to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota had subsequently been acquired by a broker and shipped to an Illinois plant for slaughter.
Alerted by Powers, Ford purchased the remaining 52 "Rosebud" horses. Thirty-two of them have been moved to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. The remaining 20 will also go to the sanctuary after being released from quarantine in Illinois.
The nonprofit sanctuary is not receiving any money from Ford to maintain the Rosebud horses, but it can apply to the new public fund, sanctuary spokeswoman Karla LaRive said.
Ford Saves Wild Mustangs From Slaughter
They're now free. Fifty–two wild mustangs first sold for slaughter are running free in KOTA territory.
“We figure we could get a good jump start on saving mustangs and get them good homes,” said Ziad Ojaki of Ford Motor Company.
The grueling trip ended and now they roam freely in their new home, just south of Hot Springs at the Wild Horse Sanctuary.
“We verify that they have the capacity to take care of these animals and that they have pasture and resources,” said Kathleen Clark of the Bureau of Land Management.
Ford Motor Company actually saved the mustangs from slaughter. They intervened after a South Dakota Indian tribe sold the horses to a broker who sent them to an Illinois processing plant. Ford purchased and donated the mustangs to the non–profit sanctuary.
“A good part of our success has been driven by the mustang, so we saw that as a good opportunity to pay back and pay forward,” said Ojaki.
“These animals were sold and became private property, once they were private property there wasn't anything illegal about the tribe trading them nor was it illegal for the broker to take them to slaughter,” said Clark.
Actress and long–time horse advocate Stefanie Powers brought the matter to Ford's attention and persuaded them to ship the wild mustangs. Ford plans to help save about two–thousand nationwide.
“I'm a great lover of horses. I have 26 of my own so to see this event occur is just good news,” said Powers.
The issue drove the Bureau of Land Management to the three U.S. processing plants begging them to refuse to buy horses sold for slaughter. In December Congress replaced the mustang slaughtering ban with a law permitting older and unwanted wild horses to be sold.
“It's difficult to gentle a horse that hasn't been around people, riding, or through a training program then all of a sudden they are 11 years old and it makes it more difficult,” Tom Dyer of the Bureau of Land Management.
"They're beautiful and they couldn't be in a more beautiful setting,” said Ojaki.
Ford established a save the mustangs fund. If you want to learn more about the issue or support the cause you can log on to www.savethemustangs.org.
“We figure we could get a good jump start on saving mustangs and get them good homes,” said Ziad Ojaki of Ford Motor Company.
The grueling trip ended and now they roam freely in their new home, just south of Hot Springs at the Wild Horse Sanctuary.
“We verify that they have the capacity to take care of these animals and that they have pasture and resources,” said Kathleen Clark of the Bureau of Land Management.
Ford Motor Company actually saved the mustangs from slaughter. They intervened after a South Dakota Indian tribe sold the horses to a broker who sent them to an Illinois processing plant. Ford purchased and donated the mustangs to the non–profit sanctuary.
“A good part of our success has been driven by the mustang, so we saw that as a good opportunity to pay back and pay forward,” said Ojaki.
“These animals were sold and became private property, once they were private property there wasn't anything illegal about the tribe trading them nor was it illegal for the broker to take them to slaughter,” said Clark.
Actress and long–time horse advocate Stefanie Powers brought the matter to Ford's attention and persuaded them to ship the wild mustangs. Ford plans to help save about two–thousand nationwide.
“I'm a great lover of horses. I have 26 of my own so to see this event occur is just good news,” said Powers.
The issue drove the Bureau of Land Management to the three U.S. processing plants begging them to refuse to buy horses sold for slaughter. In December Congress replaced the mustang slaughtering ban with a law permitting older and unwanted wild horses to be sold.
“It's difficult to gentle a horse that hasn't been around people, riding, or through a training program then all of a sudden they are 11 years old and it makes it more difficult,” Tom Dyer of the Bureau of Land Management.
"They're beautiful and they couldn't be in a more beautiful setting,” said Ojaki.
Ford established a save the mustangs fund. If you want to learn more about the issue or support the cause you can log on to www.savethemustangs.org.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
U.S. will resume selling wild horses
The federal Bureau of Land Management will announce Thursday it is resuming sales of wild horses with protections to prevent the animals from being sent to slaughter, the agency's director said Wednesday.
The agency suspended the sales last month after discovering that 41 animals rounded up from Western rangeland had been sold to an Illinois slaughterhouse and processed for meat.
In addition, Ford Motor Co. will pay to transport up to 2,000 horses to Indian reservations and locations run by non-profit organizations. The company will also oversee a "Save the Mustangs" fundraising drive to help groups that adopt the horses pay for their care.
Wild horses are "a beautiful symbol of the Wild West" and an "icon" for Ford, said Jon Harmon, a spokesman for the company whose Mustang sports car has been a flagship brand since 1964.
The government's management of wild horses and burros has long been an emotional issue. The herds have no natural predators, so they can double in size every five years. Wild horses hurt ranchers by competing with cattle for grass on federal rangeland. Animal rights groups, such as the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates, have pushed for greater protection of the 32,000 horses. The horses numbered 2 million a century ago.
In 1971, Congress recognized wild horses and burros as "living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West" and passed legislation to protect and manage them. Since then, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has conducted regular roundups. More than 200,000 animals have been adopted by people after demonstrating they provided humane treatment for a year.
In December, Congress for the first time authorized selling the horses and burros if they are more than 10 years old or have been unsuccessfully put up for adoption three times.
Congress is weighing reversing the law. The House of Representatives could vote on the measure as early as today.
The BLM has sold about 1,000 horses since December. It has 22,500 horses and burros in holding facilities; about a third of them are eligible for sale.
Last month, the BLM found that 41 horses in two separate transactions had been sent to the slaughterhouse despite requirements that the animals be treated humanely.
BLM Director Kathleen Clarke said the agency will now impose tougher requirements on buyers, who will have to sign a bill of sale promising not to sell the animals to anyone who intends to process them for commercial products. The document also notifies buyers they could face criminal penalties.
"We are very committed to assuring that the animals affected are placed in good homes that will provide humane, long-term care," Clarke said.
Last month, Ford paid to save 52 horses about to be slaughtered. Those horses were transferred to a sanctuary in South Dakota. Ford launched its program at the urging of actress Stefanie Powers, a longtime animal-rights activist. "Nothing more symbolizes the move West to us as a nation," Powers said.
The agency suspended the sales last month after discovering that 41 animals rounded up from Western rangeland had been sold to an Illinois slaughterhouse and processed for meat.
In addition, Ford Motor Co. will pay to transport up to 2,000 horses to Indian reservations and locations run by non-profit organizations. The company will also oversee a "Save the Mustangs" fundraising drive to help groups that adopt the horses pay for their care.
Wild horses are "a beautiful symbol of the Wild West" and an "icon" for Ford, said Jon Harmon, a spokesman for the company whose Mustang sports car has been a flagship brand since 1964.
The government's management of wild horses and burros has long been an emotional issue. The herds have no natural predators, so they can double in size every five years. Wild horses hurt ranchers by competing with cattle for grass on federal rangeland. Animal rights groups, such as the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates, have pushed for greater protection of the 32,000 horses. The horses numbered 2 million a century ago.
In 1971, Congress recognized wild horses and burros as "living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West" and passed legislation to protect and manage them. Since then, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has conducted regular roundups. More than 200,000 animals have been adopted by people after demonstrating they provided humane treatment for a year.
In December, Congress for the first time authorized selling the horses and burros if they are more than 10 years old or have been unsuccessfully put up for adoption three times.
Congress is weighing reversing the law. The House of Representatives could vote on the measure as early as today.
The BLM has sold about 1,000 horses since December. It has 22,500 horses and burros in holding facilities; about a third of them are eligible for sale.
Last month, the BLM found that 41 horses in two separate transactions had been sent to the slaughterhouse despite requirements that the animals be treated humanely.
BLM Director Kathleen Clarke said the agency will now impose tougher requirements on buyers, who will have to sign a bill of sale promising not to sell the animals to anyone who intends to process them for commercial products. The document also notifies buyers they could face criminal penalties.
"We are very committed to assuring that the animals affected are placed in good homes that will provide humane, long-term care," Clarke said.
Last month, Ford paid to save 52 horses about to be slaughtered. Those horses were transferred to a sanctuary in South Dakota. Ford launched its program at the urging of actress Stefanie Powers, a longtime animal-rights activist. "Nothing more symbolizes the move West to us as a nation," Powers said.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Ford shows its heart with move to save wild mustangs from slaughter
With all the scrutiny of its financial challenges these days, Ford Motor Co. didn't need to buy dozens of wild mustang horses last month to save them from a Midwest slaughterhouse.
After all, the automaker scarcely needs added publicity for its popular Mustang car.
Yet, in dramatic fashion, Ford stepped up and rescued 52 animals after getting an emergency call from distraught government officials at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The horses aren't wandering the grounds at Ford headquarters in Dearborn or at work in photo shoots with Mustang cars.
Ford is seeing to it that they're cared for until they can be transferred to a safe place where they can live out their lives.
Wild mustangs roaming the nation's West have held a special place in American folklore for decades. The creatures symbolize freedom, spirit and wide open spaces -- the same attributes Ford officials say are embodied in the Mustang car.
For 34 years, the horses were protected by law from slaughter, but a provision in the federal spending bill passed in December now allows the sale of older, unwanted mustangs.
Had Ford not responded, the animals -- all at least 11 years old - would have been chopped up for meat and exported overseas.
Ford didn't act because market research showed it would help boost vehicle sales. And Ford officials didn't take an opinion poll before quietly joining with land management officials to develop a new program, to be announced later this week, that will help another 1,000-plus wild mustangs.
This is what a responsible, caring company does, even if some 40 years ago, when Ford's Mustang was named -- after a fighter plane, not the horse -- the automaker never imagined it would be called on in such a way.
In today's cutthroat business world, a lot of corporate managers are tempted to view philanthropy as something that matters only in good times.
Ford Chairman Bill Ford Jr., who got letters about the horses, and the company, which received further information from actress and animal rights activist Stefanie Powers, deserve kudos for resisting that notion.
They also deserve praise for moving so quickly -- within a matter of minutes, I'm told -- to respond to what was a very dire situation at the slaughterhouse.
It's obvious that Ford cares about more "than just making cars," said Jeff Rawson of the land management bureau.
The horses are not an isolated example. Through its Jaguar unit, Ford contributes to jaguar cat conservation efforts in Central America -- an initiative now in its third year despite Jaguar's considerable red ink..
Imagine what the big-hearted automaker could do if it had a more secure financial picture.
After all, the automaker scarcely needs added publicity for its popular Mustang car.
Yet, in dramatic fashion, Ford stepped up and rescued 52 animals after getting an emergency call from distraught government officials at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The horses aren't wandering the grounds at Ford headquarters in Dearborn or at work in photo shoots with Mustang cars.
Ford is seeing to it that they're cared for until they can be transferred to a safe place where they can live out their lives.
Wild mustangs roaming the nation's West have held a special place in American folklore for decades. The creatures symbolize freedom, spirit and wide open spaces -- the same attributes Ford officials say are embodied in the Mustang car.
For 34 years, the horses were protected by law from slaughter, but a provision in the federal spending bill passed in December now allows the sale of older, unwanted mustangs.
Had Ford not responded, the animals -- all at least 11 years old - would have been chopped up for meat and exported overseas.
Ford didn't act because market research showed it would help boost vehicle sales. And Ford officials didn't take an opinion poll before quietly joining with land management officials to develop a new program, to be announced later this week, that will help another 1,000-plus wild mustangs.
This is what a responsible, caring company does, even if some 40 years ago, when Ford's Mustang was named -- after a fighter plane, not the horse -- the automaker never imagined it would be called on in such a way.
In today's cutthroat business world, a lot of corporate managers are tempted to view philanthropy as something that matters only in good times.
Ford Chairman Bill Ford Jr., who got letters about the horses, and the company, which received further information from actress and animal rights activist Stefanie Powers, deserve kudos for resisting that notion.
They also deserve praise for moving so quickly -- within a matter of minutes, I'm told -- to respond to what was a very dire situation at the slaughterhouse.
It's obvious that Ford cares about more "than just making cars," said Jeff Rawson of the land management bureau.
The horses are not an isolated example. Through its Jaguar unit, Ford contributes to jaguar cat conservation efforts in Central America -- an initiative now in its third year despite Jaguar's considerable red ink..
Imagine what the big-hearted automaker could do if it had a more secure financial picture.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
McCloud - There Ya' Go! The 'Sagebrush Sherlock Holmes' Is Riding Onto DVD!
We've been telling you for more than a year that McCloud was coming to DVD in 2005, and today Universal has made it official with their announcement of McCloud - Seasons 1 & 2 for release on August 9th in a 3-disc set (each one double-sided). For $39.98 SRP you get 946 minutes containing what ought to be 14 episodes. Why so few for two seasons? Don't forget that McCloud, along with McMillan & Wife and Columbo and sometimes others, were part of a rotating selection of shows that shared a (1.5-2 hour) timeslot under the group name "NBC Sunday Mystery Movie", so each characters' series only appeared every 3rd or 4th week. Prior to that, McCloud was briefly part of NBC's "Four In One" program in the same timeslot, which had the same "rotating shows" concept.
McCloud told the story of one Sam McCloud (played to perfection by Dennis Weaver), a Deputy Marshal from Taos, New Mexico whose pilot episode had him traveling to New York City to transport a prisoner to the NYPD. Later, he stays in the Big Apple to learn law enforcement techniques there (and to be near his lady (Star Trek/ST:TNG's Diana Muldaur), who works for her daddy's NY newspaper), but his down-home style also ends up teaching the big-city cops a thing or two. No only did this classic show work as a great detective story, but there was also lots of humor to be had from the program's fish-out-of-water concept.
Glen A. Larson was one of the Executive Producers of this series, so it's no surprise that you'll find Battlestar Galactica's Terry Carter ("Colonel Tigh") on board as Sgt. Joe Broadhurst, who was friends with McCloud despite Chief Clifford's grouchy manner in respect to Sam's style. Other regular cast seen in the show when appropriate included Teri Garr and Della Reese. The pilot episode (if included on this set) guest stars Julie Newmar and Raul Julia, among others. Throughout the first two seasons you'll also see the likes of Susan Strasberg, Lorraine Gary, Doug McClure, Richard Dawson, Susan St. James, Randolph Mantooth, Sebastian Cabot, Alan Oppenheimer, Elisha Cook Jr., Stefanie Powers, Joan Blondell, Vincent Gardenia, Pat Morita, Burgess Meredith, Gary Collins, Shelley Fabares, Avery Schreiber, Vic Tayback, and the incomparable Milton Berle.
Expect the DVD to present this classic series in the orginal Full Frame video and English Mono audio. English and Spanish subtitles are also going to be included. Stay tuned for box art, plus any updates that may or may not include extras.
McCloud told the story of one Sam McCloud (played to perfection by Dennis Weaver), a Deputy Marshal from Taos, New Mexico whose pilot episode had him traveling to New York City to transport a prisoner to the NYPD. Later, he stays in the Big Apple to learn law enforcement techniques there (and to be near his lady (Star Trek/ST:TNG's Diana Muldaur), who works for her daddy's NY newspaper), but his down-home style also ends up teaching the big-city cops a thing or two. No only did this classic show work as a great detective story, but there was also lots of humor to be had from the program's fish-out-of-water concept.
Glen A. Larson was one of the Executive Producers of this series, so it's no surprise that you'll find Battlestar Galactica's Terry Carter ("Colonel Tigh") on board as Sgt. Joe Broadhurst, who was friends with McCloud despite Chief Clifford's grouchy manner in respect to Sam's style. Other regular cast seen in the show when appropriate included Teri Garr and Della Reese. The pilot episode (if included on this set) guest stars Julie Newmar and Raul Julia, among others. Throughout the first two seasons you'll also see the likes of Susan Strasberg, Lorraine Gary, Doug McClure, Richard Dawson, Susan St. James, Randolph Mantooth, Sebastian Cabot, Alan Oppenheimer, Elisha Cook Jr., Stefanie Powers, Joan Blondell, Vincent Gardenia, Pat Morita, Burgess Meredith, Gary Collins, Shelley Fabares, Avery Schreiber, Vic Tayback, and the incomparable Milton Berle.
Expect the DVD to present this classic series in the orginal Full Frame video and English Mono audio. English and Spanish subtitles are also going to be included. Stay tuned for box art, plus any updates that may or may not include extras.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Whoa, Boy
Wonder if Janet Jackson's idea of equestrian style will catch on. We hear that her stylist, Wayne Scot Lukas, ordered riding boots for her the other day, along with custom-made half chaps that lace up the back, to go over 4-inch stilettos.
Lukas happens to be a rider himself, currently training with Jonathan Soresi at Soresi Show Stables at North Jersey Equestrian Center. Stefanie Powers flew from California to New Jersey last week to spend a day riding with her boyfriend, Tom Carroll, and Soresi. Carroll's honing his skills in the saddle to be able to keep up with Powers and her polo ponies.
Stefanie, incidentally, has been busy putting in her bit for a forthcoming DVD collection of her and Robert Wagner's vintage "Hart to Hart" series.
Lukas happens to be a rider himself, currently training with Jonathan Soresi at Soresi Show Stables at North Jersey Equestrian Center. Stefanie Powers flew from California to New Jersey last week to spend a day riding with her boyfriend, Tom Carroll, and Soresi. Carroll's honing his skills in the saddle to be able to keep up with Powers and her polo ponies.
Stefanie, incidentally, has been busy putting in her bit for a forthcoming DVD collection of her and Robert Wagner's vintage "Hart to Hart" series.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Book fest debut ups Valley's IQ
Palm Springs is becoming quite the literary hot spot. An eclectic array of authors journey out to the desert on what seems like a weekly basis.
Credit Chris Johnson and Charles Lago, owners of Peppertree Bookstore, for contributing - on a grand scale - to this phenomenon.
In April, Peppertree Bookstore sponsored the first ever Palm Springs Book Festival, replete with high profile panelists and C-SPAN coverage.
The one day festival, held at Frances Stephens Park, included more than 90 writers, panel discussions and book signings. A sampling:
John Dean ("Worse than Watergate") and Susan McDougal ("The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk") debated the merits of creating a new political party in our nation.
Amber Frey ("Witness for the Prosecution") and attorney Gloria Allred appeared together on a panel discussion about the Scott Peterson case.
Peppertree Bookstore hosts book signings throughout the year, from the controversial (Radio show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger) to the comfortable and familiar (Barbara Taylor Bradford).
As a matter of fact, just yesterday, Stefanie Powers (of "Hart to Hart" fame) was in town signing her new book.
Keep those great authors and personalities coming to town, guys. A well-read community is an enlightened community.
Credit Chris Johnson and Charles Lago, owners of Peppertree Bookstore, for contributing - on a grand scale - to this phenomenon.
In April, Peppertree Bookstore sponsored the first ever Palm Springs Book Festival, replete with high profile panelists and C-SPAN coverage.
The one day festival, held at Frances Stephens Park, included more than 90 writers, panel discussions and book signings. A sampling:
John Dean ("Worse than Watergate") and Susan McDougal ("The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk") debated the merits of creating a new political party in our nation.
Amber Frey ("Witness for the Prosecution") and attorney Gloria Allred appeared together on a panel discussion about the Scott Peterson case.
Peppertree Bookstore hosts book signings throughout the year, from the controversial (Radio show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger) to the comfortable and familiar (Barbara Taylor Bradford).
As a matter of fact, just yesterday, Stefanie Powers (of "Hart to Hart" fame) was in town signing her new book.
Keep those great authors and personalities coming to town, guys. A well-read community is an enlightened community.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Kung Fu - The Original Show's Final Season is Announced For DVD
This 4-DVD set will arrive on August 23rd, running 1221 minutes for all 24 third-season episodes featuring Kwai Chang Caine's journey through the Old West. Look for a lot of recognizable faces among the guest stars, including Stefanie Powers, John Vernon, Sondra Locke, Ken Swofford, Patricia Neal, Eddie Albert, Barbara Hershey, Wilford Brimley, Jose Feliciano, John Carradine, Leslie Nielsen, and some guy named William Shatner.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
ASCAP Honors Top Film and Television Composers at 20th Annual Awards Celebration
Mark Snow Receives The ASCAP Golden Note Award; Special Celebration Marks the Centennial of Legendary Songwriter and Composer Harold Arlen
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) presented its Henry Mancini Award to John Debney and its Golden Note Award to Mark Snow at the 20th Annual ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards gala held on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. In addition to honoring Debney and Snow, ASCAP honored the composers of the biggest box office film music and the most performed television music of 2004, and celebrated the Centennial of legendary songwriter and composer Harold Arlen. Over 750 members of the music industry elite attended the event, which was hosted by Academy-Award winning lyricist and President and Chairman of ASCAP, Marilyn Bergman.
One of the many highlights of the evening was the presentation of the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award to Academy-Award nominee and three-time Emmy winner John Debney in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the music of film and television.
Debney is one of the most sought after composers in Hollywood and has proven his versatility with over 50 feature films to his credit, encompassing a wide variety of box office hits, including Bruce Almighty, Elf, Raising Helen, The Princess Diaries, his most critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated score The Passion of The Christ, and current releases The Pacifier and Sin City.
Director, actor and choreographer Adam Shankman, who collaborated with Debney on the recent hit The Pacifier, joined Marilyn Bergman on stage to present the award to Debney, who is the youngest composer to receive this honor.
Past recipients of the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award include Quincy Jones, Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel, Randy Newman, James Newton Howard, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri, and Hans Zimmer.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the ASCAP Golden Note Award to Mark Snow in recognition of his unprecedented success over the past twenty years as one of the most versatile and popular composers in television and film.
Snow's status as one of today's most innovative and successful film and television composers is only the latest element of a far-reaching and eclectic career in music. The award-winning and Julliard-trained musician, best known for his theme and scores for the X-Files and Millennium, has composed music for hundreds of TV-movies and television series including The Twilight Zone, Cagney & Lacey, Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch, The Guardian and Smallville.
On hand to pay tribute to Snow were producer, director and writer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, Millennium, Harsh Realm), Hart To Hart co-star and star of a new theatre production of The King & I, Stefanie Powers, and Debney's sister-in-law and co-star of the long-running TV hit, Cagney and Lacey, Tyne Daly.
Snow has received awards every year at the ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards since their inception in 1986, and now joins a select group of songwriters and composers who have received the ASCAP Golden Note Award including Stevie Wonder, Andre Previn, Jay-Z, Garth Brooks, Sean "P.Diddy" Combs, Jose Feliciano, Alan Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Elton John and Tom Petty.
The evening also celebrated the Centennial of legendary songwriter and composer Harold Arlen with the special presentation of a commemorative plaque to Arlen's son, Sam, and Sam's wife Joan. As part of the celebration, Sam, a saxophonist who has recently released a CD entitled Arlen Plays Arlen, performed one of his father's classic hits, "Stormy Weather." Sam and Joan recently established a scholarship through The ASCAP Foundation to help further the careers of composers and songwriters in both film and television music and musical theatre.
Arlen was a distinguished member of ASCAP for 56 years, and served on the Board of Directors from 1969 to 1975. As one of the most significant songwriters of the modern era, Harold Arlen composed such memorable tunes as "Over the Rainbow," "Stormy Weather," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues," "A Sleepin' Bee," and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." During his extraordinary career, Harold collaborated with such celebrated lyricists as Ira Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, Ted Koehler, Dorothy Fields and Truman Capote, creating true classics that have been recorded by every major artist - and today are among the best-known songs in the world.
ASCAP also presented awards in four categories -- Most Performed Themes, Most Performed Underscore, Top Television Series, and Top Box Office Films -- to several veteran film and television music composers as well as to the best and brightest of a new generation of writers. ASCAP composers in attendance included Jack Allocco, Marco Beltrami, Jeff Cardoni, Frank Catanzara, Dan Foliart, Grant Geissmn, Michael Giacchino, Jeff Gibbs, Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, David Kurtz, Russ Landau, Michael Levine, Rick Marotta, Gregor Narholtz (GEMA), Atli Ovarsson, Michael Skloff, Alan Silvestri, and David Vanacore.
For a complete list of winners please visit www.ascap.com
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading Performing Rights Organization in the U.S., representing the world's largest repertory which totals over 8 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 200,000 composer, lyricist and music publisher members. Additionally, ASCAP represents the works in the repertories of 70 affiliated foreign performing rights organizations created by many thousand affiliated international members. ASCAP is committed to protecting the rights of its members by licensing and collecting royalties for the public performance of their copyrighted works, and then distributing these fees to the Society's members based on performances. Unlike the other American Performing Rights Organizations, ASCAP's Board of Directors is made up solely of writers and publishers, elected by the membership every two years. www.ascap.com
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) presented its Henry Mancini Award to John Debney and its Golden Note Award to Mark Snow at the 20th Annual ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards gala held on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. In addition to honoring Debney and Snow, ASCAP honored the composers of the biggest box office film music and the most performed television music of 2004, and celebrated the Centennial of legendary songwriter and composer Harold Arlen. Over 750 members of the music industry elite attended the event, which was hosted by Academy-Award winning lyricist and President and Chairman of ASCAP, Marilyn Bergman.
One of the many highlights of the evening was the presentation of the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award to Academy-Award nominee and three-time Emmy winner John Debney in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the music of film and television.
Debney is one of the most sought after composers in Hollywood and has proven his versatility with over 50 feature films to his credit, encompassing a wide variety of box office hits, including Bruce Almighty, Elf, Raising Helen, The Princess Diaries, his most critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated score The Passion of The Christ, and current releases The Pacifier and Sin City.
Director, actor and choreographer Adam Shankman, who collaborated with Debney on the recent hit The Pacifier, joined Marilyn Bergman on stage to present the award to Debney, who is the youngest composer to receive this honor.
Past recipients of the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award include Quincy Jones, Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel, Randy Newman, James Newton Howard, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri, and Hans Zimmer.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the ASCAP Golden Note Award to Mark Snow in recognition of his unprecedented success over the past twenty years as one of the most versatile and popular composers in television and film.
Snow's status as one of today's most innovative and successful film and television composers is only the latest element of a far-reaching and eclectic career in music. The award-winning and Julliard-trained musician, best known for his theme and scores for the X-Files and Millennium, has composed music for hundreds of TV-movies and television series including The Twilight Zone, Cagney & Lacey, Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch, The Guardian and Smallville.
On hand to pay tribute to Snow were producer, director and writer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, Millennium, Harsh Realm), Hart To Hart co-star and star of a new theatre production of The King & I, Stefanie Powers, and Debney's sister-in-law and co-star of the long-running TV hit, Cagney and Lacey, Tyne Daly.
Snow has received awards every year at the ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards since their inception in 1986, and now joins a select group of songwriters and composers who have received the ASCAP Golden Note Award including Stevie Wonder, Andre Previn, Jay-Z, Garth Brooks, Sean "P.Diddy" Combs, Jose Feliciano, Alan Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Elton John and Tom Petty.
The evening also celebrated the Centennial of legendary songwriter and composer Harold Arlen with the special presentation of a commemorative plaque to Arlen's son, Sam, and Sam's wife Joan. As part of the celebration, Sam, a saxophonist who has recently released a CD entitled Arlen Plays Arlen, performed one of his father's classic hits, "Stormy Weather." Sam and Joan recently established a scholarship through The ASCAP Foundation to help further the careers of composers and songwriters in both film and television music and musical theatre.
Arlen was a distinguished member of ASCAP for 56 years, and served on the Board of Directors from 1969 to 1975. As one of the most significant songwriters of the modern era, Harold Arlen composed such memorable tunes as "Over the Rainbow," "Stormy Weather," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues," "A Sleepin' Bee," and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." During his extraordinary career, Harold collaborated with such celebrated lyricists as Ira Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, Ted Koehler, Dorothy Fields and Truman Capote, creating true classics that have been recorded by every major artist - and today are among the best-known songs in the world.
ASCAP also presented awards in four categories -- Most Performed Themes, Most Performed Underscore, Top Television Series, and Top Box Office Films -- to several veteran film and television music composers as well as to the best and brightest of a new generation of writers. ASCAP composers in attendance included Jack Allocco, Marco Beltrami, Jeff Cardoni, Frank Catanzara, Dan Foliart, Grant Geissmn, Michael Giacchino, Jeff Gibbs, Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, David Kurtz, Russ Landau, Michael Levine, Rick Marotta, Gregor Narholtz (GEMA), Atli Ovarsson, Michael Skloff, Alan Silvestri, and David Vanacore.
For a complete list of winners please visit www.ascap.com
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading Performing Rights Organization in the U.S., representing the world's largest repertory which totals over 8 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 200,000 composer, lyricist and music publisher members. Additionally, ASCAP represents the works in the repertories of 70 affiliated foreign performing rights organizations created by many thousand affiliated international members. ASCAP is committed to protecting the rights of its members by licensing and collecting royalties for the public performance of their copyrighted works, and then distributing these fees to the Society's members based on performances. Unlike the other American Performing Rights Organizations, ASCAP's Board of Directors is made up solely of writers and publishers, elected by the membership every two years. www.ascap.com
Powers Pilates: Actress to have local book signing
'Hart to Hart' actress and activist adds author to her list of accomplishments
There's never a dull moment in actress Stefanie Powers' world.
She travels regularly and has homes in Los Angeles, England and Africa.
An animal lover and philanthropist, she is also president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, a public charity dedicated to the preservation of animals.
During a recent phone interview from her Southern California home, Powers shushes her parrot Papuga.
"I'm always saying, 'Quiet' or 'Down' to someone," she jokes. (She also owns seven dogs.)
Powers has appeared in 28 feature films and numerous theatrical productions, most recently, a national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I."
Most recognized from her starring role as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s hit TV show "Hart to Hart," Powers can now add author to her lengthy list of accomplishments.
Powers will be in Palm Springs today and tomorrow to promote her book "Powers Pilates: Stefanie Powers' Guide to Longevity and Well-Being Through Pilates." From 6 to 8 tonight, she will sign books at the Peppertree Bookstore booth at VillageFest Street Fair in downtown Palm Springs.
Tomorrow at 7 p.m., Powers will be at the bookstore for a more in-depth conversation.
In the book, Powers steers readers away from the notion that Pilates is a mere exercise fad.
"It's a way of life," she said.
With the assistance of Kathy Corey, a Pilates instructor since 1979, Powers lends her name and experience to the mind/body therapy first created by Joseph Pilates during World War I.
Powers attributes the practice to keeping her young and healthy.
"We do know that we are going to be living longer lives. With that knowledge, one would be foolish not to take the opportunity of taking care of oneself," she said.
At 62, Powers makes the time to stay healthy. Since the 1960s, she has incorporated the Pilates exercise into her fitness regimen.
"I don't like to call Pilates work or exercise. I like to call it body therapy. This is anything but no pain, no gain," Powers said.
Pilates promotes flexibility, balance and execution of movement, she said.
"As a dancer, it made more sense to me than any other physical fitness approach to body control," Powers said.
A fan and friend of Mari Winsor, creator of the popular video workout series Winsor Pilates, Powers works out with the tapes.
"But I know what I'm doing," she said. "For most people who don't know how to connect to their body, they don't know what they are suppose to be feeling," she said.
That's what her book is about. "Powers Pilates" explains the mind-body connection, proper breathing techniques and how to create strength without stressing the body.
"You can keep referring to the book. It's much easier than rewinding the DVD," Powers said.
With step-by-step photos, the book guides readers through Pilates basics, warm-ups, towel exercises, mat and floor work. There is also a section dedicated to more advanced movements.
Throughout her successful Hollywood career, Powers has remained loyal to Pilates. As she says in the book, "the only good exercise is the one you do."
There's never a dull moment in actress Stefanie Powers' world.
She travels regularly and has homes in Los Angeles, England and Africa.
An animal lover and philanthropist, she is also president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, a public charity dedicated to the preservation of animals.
During a recent phone interview from her Southern California home, Powers shushes her parrot Papuga.
"I'm always saying, 'Quiet' or 'Down' to someone," she jokes. (She also owns seven dogs.)
Powers has appeared in 28 feature films and numerous theatrical productions, most recently, a national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I."
Most recognized from her starring role as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s hit TV show "Hart to Hart," Powers can now add author to her lengthy list of accomplishments.
Powers will be in Palm Springs today and tomorrow to promote her book "Powers Pilates: Stefanie Powers' Guide to Longevity and Well-Being Through Pilates." From 6 to 8 tonight, she will sign books at the Peppertree Bookstore booth at VillageFest Street Fair in downtown Palm Springs.
Tomorrow at 7 p.m., Powers will be at the bookstore for a more in-depth conversation.
In the book, Powers steers readers away from the notion that Pilates is a mere exercise fad.
"It's a way of life," she said.
With the assistance of Kathy Corey, a Pilates instructor since 1979, Powers lends her name and experience to the mind/body therapy first created by Joseph Pilates during World War I.
Powers attributes the practice to keeping her young and healthy.
"We do know that we are going to be living longer lives. With that knowledge, one would be foolish not to take the opportunity of taking care of oneself," she said.
At 62, Powers makes the time to stay healthy. Since the 1960s, she has incorporated the Pilates exercise into her fitness regimen.
"I don't like to call Pilates work or exercise. I like to call it body therapy. This is anything but no pain, no gain," Powers said.
Pilates promotes flexibility, balance and execution of movement, she said.
"As a dancer, it made more sense to me than any other physical fitness approach to body control," Powers said.
A fan and friend of Mari Winsor, creator of the popular video workout series Winsor Pilates, Powers works out with the tapes.
"But I know what I'm doing," she said. "For most people who don't know how to connect to their body, they don't know what they are suppose to be feeling," she said.
That's what her book is about. "Powers Pilates" explains the mind-body connection, proper breathing techniques and how to create strength without stressing the body.
"You can keep referring to the book. It's much easier than rewinding the DVD," Powers said.
With step-by-step photos, the book guides readers through Pilates basics, warm-ups, towel exercises, mat and floor work. There is also a section dedicated to more advanced movements.
Throughout her successful Hollywood career, Powers has remained loyal to Pilates. As she says in the book, "the only good exercise is the one you do."
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
ASCAP, Celebrities Honor Legendary Film Composers This Wednesday
LOS ANGELES -
Who: Academy Award nominated composer John Debney ('Sin City,' 'The Passion of the Christ') and legendary Film & TV composer Mark Snow ('Hart to Hart,' 'Starsky & Hutch,' 'The X-Files,' 'Smallville'). With appearances by: Mel Gibson, Stefanie Powers, Tyne Daily, Garry Marshall, Chris Carter, Adam Shankman, Frank Spotnik, Tom Shadyac and more.
What: The American Society of Composers and Publishers presents its distinguished Henry Mancini Award to Academy Award-nominated John Debney and its prestigious Golden Note award to Mark Snow, one of the most prolific contemporary composers working today at the 20th Annual ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards gala.
When: Wednesday, April 27, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Beverly Hilton Hotel, 9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA
Why: The coveted Henry Mancini Award recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. Only in his 40s, Debney is the youngest recipient ever to have his body of work honored so early in his career with this award. Debney's work can be heard in the Academy Award-nominated score to 'The Passion of the Christ,' as well as Vin Diesel's comedy, 'The Pacifier,' Robert Rodriguez' 'Sin City,' and Disney's 'Chicken Little.' His previous films include as 'Elf,' 'Bruce Almighty,' 'The Scorpion King' and 'Spy Kids (1 & 2).'
The Golden Note award is presented to songwriters and composers who have achieved extraordinary milestones in their careers. Mark Snow is the first Film/TV composer to join the ranks of previous recipients including Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Elton John, Tom Petty, Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Jay-Z, Jose Feliciano, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Snow's work is heard on the USA Network's new 'Kojak' series starring Ving Rhames. Winner of the 'Most Performed Background Music on Television' award seven years running, his work is heard on 'Smallville,' 'One Tree Hill,' 'The X-Files,' 'Starsky and Hutch,' 'Hart to Hart,' 'TJ Hooker' and 'Cagney and Lacey,' to name a few."
Who: Academy Award nominated composer John Debney ('Sin City,' 'The Passion of the Christ') and legendary Film & TV composer Mark Snow ('Hart to Hart,' 'Starsky & Hutch,' 'The X-Files,' 'Smallville'). With appearances by: Mel Gibson, Stefanie Powers, Tyne Daily, Garry Marshall, Chris Carter, Adam Shankman, Frank Spotnik, Tom Shadyac and more.
What: The American Society of Composers and Publishers presents its distinguished Henry Mancini Award to Academy Award-nominated John Debney and its prestigious Golden Note award to Mark Snow, one of the most prolific contemporary composers working today at the 20th Annual ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards gala.
When: Wednesday, April 27, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Beverly Hilton Hotel, 9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA
Why: The coveted Henry Mancini Award recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. Only in his 40s, Debney is the youngest recipient ever to have his body of work honored so early in his career with this award. Debney's work can be heard in the Academy Award-nominated score to 'The Passion of the Christ,' as well as Vin Diesel's comedy, 'The Pacifier,' Robert Rodriguez' 'Sin City,' and Disney's 'Chicken Little.' His previous films include as 'Elf,' 'Bruce Almighty,' 'The Scorpion King' and 'Spy Kids (1 & 2).'
The Golden Note award is presented to songwriters and composers who have achieved extraordinary milestones in their careers. Mark Snow is the first Film/TV composer to join the ranks of previous recipients including Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Elton John, Tom Petty, Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Jay-Z, Jose Feliciano, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Snow's work is heard on the USA Network's new 'Kojak' series starring Ving Rhames. Winner of the 'Most Performed Background Music on Television' award seven years running, his work is heard on 'Smallville,' 'One Tree Hill,' 'The X-Files,' 'Starsky and Hutch,' 'Hart to Hart,' 'TJ Hooker' and 'Cagney and Lacey,' to name a few."
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Upcoming book events in Palm Springs, CA
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Stefanie Powers will sign and discuss "Powers Pilates: Stefanie Powers' Guide to Longevity and Well-Being Through Pilates" 6-8 p.m. Peppertree Bookstore & Cafe, 622 North Palm Canyon, Palm Springs, California.
Stefanie Powers will sign and discuss "Powers Pilates: Stefanie Powers' Guide to Longevity and Well-Being Through Pilates" 6-8 p.m. Peppertree Bookstore & Cafe, 622 North Palm Canyon, Palm Springs, California.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Columbia Trying 'Experiment' with Edwards Thriller
Columbia Pictures is planning a remake of Blake Edwards' 1962 thriller "Experiment in Terror."
Screenwriter Robert Pucci ("The Corruptor," "The Spider and the Fly") has been hired to pen the script for producers Lou Pitt and Matt Baer, with Edwards serving as executive producer.
The original "Experiment," directed by Edwards and starring Lee Remick, Glenn Ford and Stefanie Powers, was set in San Francisco and based on the novel "Operation Terror" by Gordon Gordon and Mildred Gordon, who together adapted it for the screen. It told the story of a woman (Remick) who is terrorized by a criminal using her to help him steal money from the bank where she works, threatening to kill her teenage sister (Powers) if she doesn't comply. She enlists the aid of an FBI agent (Ford) to thwart the criminal.
"When people think of my movies, they tend to think of comedies, but the thriller has always been one of my favorite genres, and I'm thrilled to be working with Columbia on this new take on one of my favorite films," Edwards said.
"Blake Edwards is a living legend, and we're excited to be working with him, Lou Pitt and Matt Baer as we contemporize 'Experiment in Terror,"' said Doug Belgrad, a president of production at Columbia.
No casting has been set for the project.
Screenwriter Robert Pucci ("The Corruptor," "The Spider and the Fly") has been hired to pen the script for producers Lou Pitt and Matt Baer, with Edwards serving as executive producer.
The original "Experiment," directed by Edwards and starring Lee Remick, Glenn Ford and Stefanie Powers, was set in San Francisco and based on the novel "Operation Terror" by Gordon Gordon and Mildred Gordon, who together adapted it for the screen. It told the story of a woman (Remick) who is terrorized by a criminal using her to help him steal money from the bank where she works, threatening to kill her teenage sister (Powers) if she doesn't comply. She enlists the aid of an FBI agent (Ford) to thwart the criminal.
"When people think of my movies, they tend to think of comedies, but the thriller has always been one of my favorite genres, and I'm thrilled to be working with Columbia on this new take on one of my favorite films," Edwards said.
"Blake Edwards is a living legend, and we're excited to be working with him, Lou Pitt and Matt Baer as we contemporize 'Experiment in Terror,"' said Doug Belgrad, a president of production at Columbia.
No casting has been set for the project.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Rarely Seen John Wayne Films Coming to DVD
McLintock! (1963)
Wayne stars as cattle rancher George Washington McLintock who spars with his wife (Maureen O’Hara), their daughter (Stefanie Powers) and the greedy land-grabbers in this hilarious western comedy.
Wayne stars as cattle rancher George Washington McLintock who spars with his wife (Maureen O’Hara), their daughter (Stefanie Powers) and the greedy land-grabbers in this hilarious western comedy.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Orlando: A not-so-spicy season for Broadway series
The 2005-06 lineup includes some fan favorites, but it reflects the general shortage of new musicals.
2005-06 Broadway in Orlando season
# The King and I, Oct. 25-30.
# The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Dec. 9-31.
# Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jan. 10-15, 2006.
# Movin' Out, Feb. 21-26, 2006.
# Mamma Mia!, May 23-28, 2006.
When you think theater, do you think the Radio City Rockettes?
If you don't, you'd better adjust your thinking because 22 Rockettes, three sheep, two camels and a donkey will highlight the SunTrust Broadway in Orlando series for 2005-2006.
Four weeks of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular will headline the series, which otherwise will be marked mainly by big-budget musicals that have played in Orlando any number of times.
The reason, the series presenter says, is that Orlando is a couple of years behind more successful markets.
"We're not on the A list," says Ron Legler, executive director of the Florida Theatrical Association, which presents the Broadway series.
While Fort Lauderdale and Tampa will see a tour of the Broadway smash Wicked and this season's new musical Little Women, Orlando's season will feature only one show that is still playing on Broadway, Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel's 2002 dance musical Movin' Out.
The rest of the Orlando season will include The King and I, most recently part of the Broadway series in 1998; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, last seen at Carr Performing Arts Centre in 1995; and Mamma Mia!, which was here in the spring of 2004.
While most of the season lineup may seem old hat, it reflects a problem that plagues the theater industry as a whole -- the shortage of new musicals both on Broadway and on the road.
By the end of the current season, for instance, about a dozen new musicals will have opened on Broadway. But only two -- Spamalot and the upcoming 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is transferring from off-Broadway -- seem likely to be unqualified successes.
Of the new musicals on Broadway last year, only three -- the puppet musical Avenue Q, the Hugh Jackman vehicle The Boy From Oz and Wicked -- were popular enough to be likely touring shows. But Avenue Q is going straight to a permanent home in Las Vegas, and The Boy From Oz, minus Jackman, isn't touring. Only Wicked is available for road presenters to book.
All of which makes it difficult when presenters in Orlando or New Orleans or Cincinnati are trying to put together a season schedule that will draw audiences.
"It's very difficult, especially in a year when Broadway didn't produce a lot," Legler says.
To make matters more difficult, Orlando's Carr Performing Arts Centre, built in the 1920s and renovated in the 1970s, cannot compete with newer, state-of-the-art facilities. Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center for the Performing Arts, built in 1991, opened its doors with the first engagement of the Phantom of the Opera tour, which didn't come to Orlando until 1995. And Fort Lauderdale has enough season-ticket buyers to book two full weeks of every touring show -- a savings for producers that makes them look to the Broward Center first.
In Tampa, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center presents and even produces shows (rather than just renting out space like the city-owned Carr) so its staff can adjust the schedule to get the most promising tours. The largest performing-arts center complex in the Southeast, the Tampa Bay Center has four stages and "a constant flow of life in it," Legler says. So it's a popular destination for audiences no matter what's going on.
But even though Orlando isn't on the A list, Legler says there are attractions to look forward to among next season's offerings. Movin' Out, which sets Joel's hits to Tharp's choreography, has been a critical and popular hit. Mamma Mia! did so well here in the spring of 2004 -- selling out to subscribers and groups before other individuals had a chance to buy tickets -- that he feels compelled to bring it to town again.
And The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which sold out its engagement in Tampa, is expected to play to 110,000 people in Orlando and have a $15-million economic impact.
Certainly the names associated with a couple of the upcoming shows -- Patrick Cassidy in Joseph and Stefanie Powers in The King and I -- will draw their fans to Carr. Cassidy recently starred on Broadway in 42nd Street and Aida, and Powers is remembered for her long-running TV hit Hart to Hart.
Legler says he cut the coming season back from six shows to five so that he wouldn't have to book something Orlando audiences might not like. Other cities have scheduled runs of a show called On the Record, a revue of Disney songs through the years. But Legler doesn't think such a show, which has been poorly received elsewhere, would appeal to Orlandoans.
"If our audience wants to hear 'It's a Small World,' they'll go to the theme park," he says.
But the scarcity of new musicals isn't expected to affect Orlando for long. Product may be sparse next season, but the 2006-07 season already looks promising for Legler's box office. Both Wicked and The Lion King are finally headed our way -- only nine years after the latter opened on Broadway.
2005-06 Broadway in Orlando season
# The King and I, Oct. 25-30.
# The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Dec. 9-31.
# Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jan. 10-15, 2006.
# Movin' Out, Feb. 21-26, 2006.
# Mamma Mia!, May 23-28, 2006.
When you think theater, do you think the Radio City Rockettes?
If you don't, you'd better adjust your thinking because 22 Rockettes, three sheep, two camels and a donkey will highlight the SunTrust Broadway in Orlando series for 2005-2006.
Four weeks of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular will headline the series, which otherwise will be marked mainly by big-budget musicals that have played in Orlando any number of times.
The reason, the series presenter says, is that Orlando is a couple of years behind more successful markets.
"We're not on the A list," says Ron Legler, executive director of the Florida Theatrical Association, which presents the Broadway series.
While Fort Lauderdale and Tampa will see a tour of the Broadway smash Wicked and this season's new musical Little Women, Orlando's season will feature only one show that is still playing on Broadway, Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel's 2002 dance musical Movin' Out.
The rest of the Orlando season will include The King and I, most recently part of the Broadway series in 1998; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, last seen at Carr Performing Arts Centre in 1995; and Mamma Mia!, which was here in the spring of 2004.
While most of the season lineup may seem old hat, it reflects a problem that plagues the theater industry as a whole -- the shortage of new musicals both on Broadway and on the road.
By the end of the current season, for instance, about a dozen new musicals will have opened on Broadway. But only two -- Spamalot and the upcoming 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is transferring from off-Broadway -- seem likely to be unqualified successes.
Of the new musicals on Broadway last year, only three -- the puppet musical Avenue Q, the Hugh Jackman vehicle The Boy From Oz and Wicked -- were popular enough to be likely touring shows. But Avenue Q is going straight to a permanent home in Las Vegas, and The Boy From Oz, minus Jackman, isn't touring. Only Wicked is available for road presenters to book.
All of which makes it difficult when presenters in Orlando or New Orleans or Cincinnati are trying to put together a season schedule that will draw audiences.
"It's very difficult, especially in a year when Broadway didn't produce a lot," Legler says.
To make matters more difficult, Orlando's Carr Performing Arts Centre, built in the 1920s and renovated in the 1970s, cannot compete with newer, state-of-the-art facilities. Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center for the Performing Arts, built in 1991, opened its doors with the first engagement of the Phantom of the Opera tour, which didn't come to Orlando until 1995. And Fort Lauderdale has enough season-ticket buyers to book two full weeks of every touring show -- a savings for producers that makes them look to the Broward Center first.
In Tampa, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center presents and even produces shows (rather than just renting out space like the city-owned Carr) so its staff can adjust the schedule to get the most promising tours. The largest performing-arts center complex in the Southeast, the Tampa Bay Center has four stages and "a constant flow of life in it," Legler says. So it's a popular destination for audiences no matter what's going on.
But even though Orlando isn't on the A list, Legler says there are attractions to look forward to among next season's offerings. Movin' Out, which sets Joel's hits to Tharp's choreography, has been a critical and popular hit. Mamma Mia! did so well here in the spring of 2004 -- selling out to subscribers and groups before other individuals had a chance to buy tickets -- that he feels compelled to bring it to town again.
And The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which sold out its engagement in Tampa, is expected to play to 110,000 people in Orlando and have a $15-million economic impact.
Certainly the names associated with a couple of the upcoming shows -- Patrick Cassidy in Joseph and Stefanie Powers in The King and I -- will draw their fans to Carr. Cassidy recently starred on Broadway in 42nd Street and Aida, and Powers is remembered for her long-running TV hit Hart to Hart.
Legler says he cut the coming season back from six shows to five so that he wouldn't have to book something Orlando audiences might not like. Other cities have scheduled runs of a show called On the Record, a revue of Disney songs through the years. But Legler doesn't think such a show, which has been poorly received elsewhere, would appeal to Orlandoans.
"If our audience wants to hear 'It's a Small World,' they'll go to the theme park," he says.
But the scarcity of new musicals isn't expected to affect Orlando for long. Product may be sparse next season, but the 2006-07 season already looks promising for Legler's box office. Both Wicked and The Lion King are finally headed our way -- only nine years after the latter opened on Broadway.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Uninspired leads taint 'The King & I'
Evidence of the musical's choreographer was apparent only after intermission.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I" opened for a two-week engagement at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday April 5, offering uninspired and even insulting lead performances, with the show saved only by a truly delightful supporting cast.
Set in 1860s Bangkok, Thailand, "The King and I" tells the true story of the well-meaning King of Siam and an English governess, both determined to rule their corner of the world.
It's virtually impossible to escape the noble shadow of Yul Brynner, whose film portrayal of the King as a stubborn idealist whose dreams are shattered by his own barely acknowledged frailty still resonates from the screen today. Brynner gave his King such gravitas that his scripted Pidgin English was somehow extremely powerful.
In the version currently at the Pantages, however, the King is not stubborn; he's downright capricious. Ronobir Lahiri transformed the role into a one-dimensional punch line at best.
Once past the script's racist overtones that he plays up like mad, Lahiri was actually funny. He delivered comic lines with a Spock-like eyebrow and threw tantrums like a mad child.
Good for humor, bad for drama.
Drama matters in "The King and I." Throughout the play, the King struggles internally. How can he protect his country against Burma, England and the world? He worries about alliances, about militaries, about social justice ... and at the same time, falls in love with this stubborn, frustrating Englishwoman!
Stefanie Powers (star of the early '80s TV hit, "Hart to Hart") recently received much acclaim for several tours as English governess Anna Leonowens. Unfortunately, she earned no praise for her one-note performance Tuesday night.
With a singing voice only marginally better than Lahiri's straining low tenor, Powers struggled repeatedly with some of the show's best music. The higher the notes, the more her tone resembled anger rather than love.
Always the proper British marm, Powers presented an Anna largely lacking in human warmth. When did she fall in love? Apparently only at the end, when the drama was suddenly ramped up by the leads in a desperate attempt at relevancy.
In the story, Anna fights to earn respect from the King, raise her son and understand the strange world she finds herself in. Anna's conflict is made difficult by an oversimplified script (R&H weren't perfect), but it is still a very complex role, which Powers painted with only broad strokes.
In the face of such disappointments, the audience happily turned to "something wonderful" in the supporting cast. The King's first wife, played admirably by Catherine Mieun Choi, sang a beautiful keynote "Something Wonderful." Sadly, her well-wrought emotions fell flat in the face of a less-than-wonderful King.
The crown prince, played by an emphatic and exciting Lou Castro, led a cast of incredibly cute children who stole the scene time and again. And Hal Davis (Captain Orton/Sir Edward Ramsay) brought a much-needed steady hand and the experience of more than 60 professional productions to the stage.
In the supporting love story, Michelle Liu Coughlin (Tuptim) ravished the audience. Clearly holding back in a desperate attempt to not outshine the leads, Coughlin's powerhouse voice clearly needed no help to fill the golden halls of the Pantages.
Perhaps the show's problems stemmed from its static directing, which left nearly every song and major acting moment completely unmoving. When choreographer Susan Kikuchi finally stepped in shortly after intermission, the supporting cast presented a spectacular "Small House of Uncle Thomas." Bright costumes, brilliant dancing and delightful characterization - this interlude was the highlight of the night and is not to be missed.
In the end, the tragedy of this "The King and I" sits empty in the heart. A silly King's death is surprising, but not sorrowful. He was too simple to be mourn, and his lover too distant to feel for. Perhaps they'll both warm up to human temperatures in the two weeks they have left on the stage in Los Angeles.
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"The King & I" runs April 5 to 17, Tuesday to Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. Tickets range from $42.50 to $67.50 and can be purchased online at www.broadwayla.org or through Ticketmaster.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I" opened for a two-week engagement at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday April 5, offering uninspired and even insulting lead performances, with the show saved only by a truly delightful supporting cast.
Set in 1860s Bangkok, Thailand, "The King and I" tells the true story of the well-meaning King of Siam and an English governess, both determined to rule their corner of the world.
It's virtually impossible to escape the noble shadow of Yul Brynner, whose film portrayal of the King as a stubborn idealist whose dreams are shattered by his own barely acknowledged frailty still resonates from the screen today. Brynner gave his King such gravitas that his scripted Pidgin English was somehow extremely powerful.
In the version currently at the Pantages, however, the King is not stubborn; he's downright capricious. Ronobir Lahiri transformed the role into a one-dimensional punch line at best.
Once past the script's racist overtones that he plays up like mad, Lahiri was actually funny. He delivered comic lines with a Spock-like eyebrow and threw tantrums like a mad child.
Good for humor, bad for drama.
Drama matters in "The King and I." Throughout the play, the King struggles internally. How can he protect his country against Burma, England and the world? He worries about alliances, about militaries, about social justice ... and at the same time, falls in love with this stubborn, frustrating Englishwoman!
Stefanie Powers (star of the early '80s TV hit, "Hart to Hart") recently received much acclaim for several tours as English governess Anna Leonowens. Unfortunately, she earned no praise for her one-note performance Tuesday night.
With a singing voice only marginally better than Lahiri's straining low tenor, Powers struggled repeatedly with some of the show's best music. The higher the notes, the more her tone resembled anger rather than love.
Always the proper British marm, Powers presented an Anna largely lacking in human warmth. When did she fall in love? Apparently only at the end, when the drama was suddenly ramped up by the leads in a desperate attempt at relevancy.
In the story, Anna fights to earn respect from the King, raise her son and understand the strange world she finds herself in. Anna's conflict is made difficult by an oversimplified script (R&H weren't perfect), but it is still a very complex role, which Powers painted with only broad strokes.
In the face of such disappointments, the audience happily turned to "something wonderful" in the supporting cast. The King's first wife, played admirably by Catherine Mieun Choi, sang a beautiful keynote "Something Wonderful." Sadly, her well-wrought emotions fell flat in the face of a less-than-wonderful King.
The crown prince, played by an emphatic and exciting Lou Castro, led a cast of incredibly cute children who stole the scene time and again. And Hal Davis (Captain Orton/Sir Edward Ramsay) brought a much-needed steady hand and the experience of more than 60 professional productions to the stage.
In the supporting love story, Michelle Liu Coughlin (Tuptim) ravished the audience. Clearly holding back in a desperate attempt to not outshine the leads, Coughlin's powerhouse voice clearly needed no help to fill the golden halls of the Pantages.
Perhaps the show's problems stemmed from its static directing, which left nearly every song and major acting moment completely unmoving. When choreographer Susan Kikuchi finally stepped in shortly after intermission, the supporting cast presented a spectacular "Small House of Uncle Thomas." Bright costumes, brilliant dancing and delightful characterization - this interlude was the highlight of the night and is not to be missed.
In the end, the tragedy of this "The King and I" sits empty in the heart. A silly King's death is surprising, but not sorrowful. He was too simple to be mourn, and his lover too distant to feel for. Perhaps they'll both warm up to human temperatures in the two weeks they have left on the stage in Los Angeles.
-
"The King & I" runs April 5 to 17, Tuesday to Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. Tickets range from $42.50 to $67.50 and can be purchased online at www.broadwayla.org or through Ticketmaster.
Book: "Fearless Women, Mid-Life Portraits"
Aged pop princess Joni Mitchell says Vineyard troubadour James Taylor was the best lover she ever had. So good, in fact, that Joni's now celibate!
``She had quite a succession of men back in the day,'' said former Channel 4 producer Nancy Alspaugh, who includes Joni in her new book, ``Fearless Women, Mid-Life Portraits.''
``In the '70s, she was with Graham Nash, David Crosby and James Taylor but she said James Taylor was the best. Just the best.''
Well! Hats off to Kim Smedvig, the Boston Symphony Orchestra spokesgal who married Sweet Baby James a few years back.
Mitchell, now 62, chain smokes and doesn't sing anymore, Alspaugh reports. The ``Big Yellow Taxi'' gal paints full-time and has also given up on sex.
``She's an amazing woman,'' Alspaugh said. ``She's still beautiful. But she wrote `Both Sides Now' when she was in her 20s. She looked at love from both sides even back then and says she's done with that. She said she loves this age because of the sense of freedom. She said `The only person I have to answer to is me.' ''
Mitchell is one of 49 women profiled in Alspaugh's book, which she co-wrote with Marilyn Kentz, whom you may remember from her talk show, which Alspaugh produced. Or``The Mommies,'' the short-lived NBC sitcom she did with her real-life neighbor, Caryl Kristensen.
Alspaugh, who produced ``Evening Magazine'' for WBZ and was formerly married to ``Today'' show stud Matt Lauer, was in town yesterday to promote the new tome.
``I love Boston and I love seeing everyone,'' she said.
Last night, she was reunited with her old ``Evening'' co-hosts Barry Nolan and Sara Edwards when she did their new show on CN8. ``It was like old home week,'' she joked.
Some of the other women in her book include actresses Stefanie Powers, who would not reveal her age, and Cybill Shepherd, who traveled with a posse that included a guy whose job it was to change the music on a boom box whenever Cybill pointed at him.
``She was the most divaesque,'' Nancy laughed.
Alspaugh's doing the ``Today'' show with her ex-hubby on April 25 (although Katie Couric will likely do the interview honors) and hopes to return to Boston soon with a stage show she and Marilyn devised called ``Boomer Babes.''
File under: Fearless Factor.
``She had quite a succession of men back in the day,'' said former Channel 4 producer Nancy Alspaugh, who includes Joni in her new book, ``Fearless Women, Mid-Life Portraits.''
``In the '70s, she was with Graham Nash, David Crosby and James Taylor but she said James Taylor was the best. Just the best.''
Well! Hats off to Kim Smedvig, the Boston Symphony Orchestra spokesgal who married Sweet Baby James a few years back.
Mitchell, now 62, chain smokes and doesn't sing anymore, Alspaugh reports. The ``Big Yellow Taxi'' gal paints full-time and has also given up on sex.
``She's an amazing woman,'' Alspaugh said. ``She's still beautiful. But she wrote `Both Sides Now' when she was in her 20s. She looked at love from both sides even back then and says she's done with that. She said she loves this age because of the sense of freedom. She said `The only person I have to answer to is me.' ''
Mitchell is one of 49 women profiled in Alspaugh's book, which she co-wrote with Marilyn Kentz, whom you may remember from her talk show, which Alspaugh produced. Or``The Mommies,'' the short-lived NBC sitcom she did with her real-life neighbor, Caryl Kristensen.
Alspaugh, who produced ``Evening Magazine'' for WBZ and was formerly married to ``Today'' show stud Matt Lauer, was in town yesterday to promote the new tome.
``I love Boston and I love seeing everyone,'' she said.
Last night, she was reunited with her old ``Evening'' co-hosts Barry Nolan and Sara Edwards when she did their new show on CN8. ``It was like old home week,'' she joked.
Some of the other women in her book include actresses Stefanie Powers, who would not reveal her age, and Cybill Shepherd, who traveled with a posse that included a guy whose job it was to change the music on a boom box whenever Cybill pointed at him.
``She was the most divaesque,'' Nancy laughed.
Alspaugh's doing the ``Today'' show with her ex-hubby on April 25 (although Katie Couric will likely do the interview honors) and hopes to return to Boston soon with a stage show she and Marilyn devised called ``Boomer Babes.''
File under: Fearless Factor.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Tenth Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Set for April 23-24 at UCLA
LOS ANGELES, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of the country's best-selling authors will engage thousands of Southern California book lovers with millions of words at the 10th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which will be held Saturday, April 23, and Sunday, April 24, on the UCLA campus.
Festival hours are Saturday 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Sen. Bob Graham and Stefanie Powers are among the recent additions to the line-up of literary luminaries who will be part of the Festival. Others who are scheduled to appear are Madeleine Albright, Jason Alexander, Tariq Ali, Ray Bradbury, Stephen Cannell, Carol Higgins Clark, Mary Higgins Clark, Eoin Colfer, Robert Crais, John W. Dean, Frank Deford, Jared Diamond, Sir Harold Evans, Carrie Fisher, Sue Grafton, Tony Hillerman, Arianna Huffington, Eric Idle, Pico Iyer, Ron Kovic, Sanoe Lake, Phil Lesh, Sandra Tsing Loh, Richard Matheson, James McCourt, Walter Mosley, Carol Muske-Dukes, Lynda Obst, P.J. O'Rourke, T. Jefferson Parker, Anne Perry, Sally Ride, Carl Reiner, Asne Seierstad, Maria Shriver, Jane Smiley, Alexander McCall Smith, Hector Tobar, Colm Toibin, Jack Welch, Rosemary Wells and Amy Wilentz.
Admission is free, but tickets are required to attend author/panel discussions and lectures because of limited seating. Free tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations in Southern California starting Sunday, April 17, at noon until Thursday, April 21, at 5 p.m. A limited number of tickets are distributed on-site during the Festival.
General event information about the Festival, including a list of authors and panels, is available at http://www.latimes.com/events. The Festival program will be published as a special section in the Sunday, April 17 edition of the Los Angeles Times. Information is also available by calling 1-800-LA TIMES, ext. 7BOOK.
Festival hours are Saturday 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Sen. Bob Graham and Stefanie Powers are among the recent additions to the line-up of literary luminaries who will be part of the Festival. Others who are scheduled to appear are Madeleine Albright, Jason Alexander, Tariq Ali, Ray Bradbury, Stephen Cannell, Carol Higgins Clark, Mary Higgins Clark, Eoin Colfer, Robert Crais, John W. Dean, Frank Deford, Jared Diamond, Sir Harold Evans, Carrie Fisher, Sue Grafton, Tony Hillerman, Arianna Huffington, Eric Idle, Pico Iyer, Ron Kovic, Sanoe Lake, Phil Lesh, Sandra Tsing Loh, Richard Matheson, James McCourt, Walter Mosley, Carol Muske-Dukes, Lynda Obst, P.J. O'Rourke, T. Jefferson Parker, Anne Perry, Sally Ride, Carl Reiner, Asne Seierstad, Maria Shriver, Jane Smiley, Alexander McCall Smith, Hector Tobar, Colm Toibin, Jack Welch, Rosemary Wells and Amy Wilentz.
Admission is free, but tickets are required to attend author/panel discussions and lectures because of limited seating. Free tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations in Southern California starting Sunday, April 17, at noon until Thursday, April 21, at 5 p.m. A limited number of tickets are distributed on-site during the Festival.
General event information about the Festival, including a list of authors and panels, is available at http://www.latimes.com/events. The Festival program will be published as a special section in the Sunday, April 17 edition of the Los Angeles Times. Information is also available by calling 1-800-LA TIMES, ext. 7BOOK.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Aermy Archerd: 04/11/05
... In L.A. Sunday, we caught Stefanie Powers and the terrif company of "The King And I" at the Pantages." She started in London and has worked her way here as the company in the classic is winding down its final week. She is sad that the Japan date was KO'd. But she's hopeful a U.S. return will materialize in the fall. Meanwhile, she heads to Poland to star in a docudocu on the Mazowia Polish Folk Ballet Company for PBS. "I'm Polish," she said, "and speak Polish." She then heads to Africa and her continuing work on the William Holden Wildlife Foundation.
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