Monday, December 22, 2014

'in a year that has been sooo improbable,...the impossible has happened'

nobody like vinnie -- in a class by himself


i was directed to this video, in an e-mail list, in which the quiz question was...how many seconds does vinnie stay quiet, after gibbie's homer

and look at all those old-timers -- and former indians, too -- davey,...in his usual spot -- hassey, behind the plate -- i didn't know that -- and joe garagiola keeps putting his name, first -- scioscia,...in the dugout, next to orel -- another manager-to-be,...in the oakland dugout -- don baylor -- i think that's steve henderson, in the home-plate celebration -- and, for sure, that's bill buckner, there, too

and, oh my god -- i forgot eck

Sunday, December 14, 2014

nice story

the last segment of hugh hewitt's hour-long interview with actor davis gaines, who was the phantom in 'phantom of the opera,' 2000 times
[music in background] HH: What a wonderful show that must have been, Davis Gaines, and thank you for coming into the studio.
DG: My pleasure.
HH: You’ve performed for 5 Presidents?
DG: I have. I’ve sung for 5 Presidents. Yes. Let’s see, the Clintons, the Fords,
HH: the Herbert Walker Bush’s?
DG: Both the Bushes.
HH: Both Bushes?
DG: And there has to one more in there, the Reagan’s.
HH: Oh, yeah. Nervous? Is that as nervous as any other night or is that—
DG: No.
HH: Kind of nervous?
DG: No, it was fun. The Bush’s were interesting because H.W. invited me to sing at Barbara Bush’s 75th surprise birthday party in Kennebunkport so I got, he brought me there and I got to do that which was an amazing experience in itself to be at her birthday and, and, ah, he invited me to the house the next morning for coffee and donuts and walking in, the first person I saw was Collin Powell, and like good job last night David.
HH: [laughing]
DG: So it was incredibly, I kept pinching myself the whole time and then, of course, George W. walks in, I was in the dining room, and he walks in and he goes, good morning Governor, how you doing? He says I’m feeling fine, feeling fine, ran for a couple hours after church. I’m feeling good. I said well, that’s great and then we talked for a while and he says is there a question, can I ask you a question? And I said, of course. And he does can you learn how to sing or is it something that you are born with? And I said well, one can learn to sing, but you have to have a little musicality, I think, but one could learn to sing. There was a long pause and he goes, I don’t know [bleep] about singing, but you probably got the best voice in America.
HH: [laughing]
DG: And I said, well, thank you so much and so we bonded there and then I looked around and all the out of town guests were gone except for me and them and so he goes, you stay for lunch and I said, oh, no, I couldn’t possibly do that. I’ve overstayed my welcome, I got to go. No, no, no. If you’re going to pick a day to eat here, this is the day because we’re having tacos. And I said, well, I love tacos, I’d love to stay, if you insisted I would love to stay, but you should go ask your mom if I can stay.  You’re right, wait right here. So, I waited in the dining room, he goes in the kitchen to ask Mrs. Bush if I could stay.
HH: [laughing hard]
DG: And he comes out and two thumbs up, you’re in.
HH: You’re in!
DG: You’re in. So, I was his little buddy all day long.
HH: Oh, what a great story and a great way to end. I’ve got to ask you one more question.
DG: Yeah.
HH: What is the physically most demanding song that you have had to sing. I asked Julie Andrews that and it was I Hate You Henry Higgins because she had to do it 8 times a week for many, many times a months.
DG: I would say the music of the Night from Phantom because you, you have to be, it has to be, everyone knows that song and you have to be so, very exposed out there, it’s just you and the orchestra and you have to be so pure and perfect.
HH: We’ll go out with that. Davis Gaines, thank you so much
DG: Thank you, Mr. Hewitt.
HH: a real treat for our audience and everyone, Laguna Beach Playhouse through August 11th. Again, go get your tickets on the website and use the promo code “Phantom” and you can thank The Hugh Hewitt show for telling you about that. We’ll be right back. Hour number 3 when we return to the Hugh Hewitt Show.