Podcasts about Old Deuteronomy

Fonseca talks with the late Ken Page American actor and cabaretsinger who created the part of Ken in the original Broadway production of Ain't Misbehavin' and played Old Deuteronomy in the original Broadway and filmed stage adaptation of Cats. He voiced Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas franchise and played in the original Broadway production of The Wiz as The Lion and the first Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls as Nicely-Nicely Johnson.

"Our rule was eight minutes. If someone had some sort of injury, a sickness, or something that happened to them mid-show, as a swing we were told you need to be on the stage in eight minutes." This episode features Laura Cable who played Jellylorum on the US National Tour 5 of CATS. Hear Laura share really fun stories from her time as a swing on tour including one infamous moment with Old Deuteronomy, the impossible eight minute swing rule, and how she learned the musical from a record player. Plus, Laura shares the story of how she got the nickname Doctor Cable. Check out Laura on Instagram: @doctor_cable & @lauracablespeaks Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Social Media: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, the Great White Way lost one of its brightest stars: Ken Page. In tribute to the beloved actor, singer and Drama Desk Award Winner, “Here's the Thing” is sharing Alec Baldwin's 2021 conversation with the Broadway legend. Page was known for his standout roles in the 1976 all-Black revival of “Guys and Dolls” and the original casts of “The Wiz” and “Ain't Misbehavin'.” However, one of Page's most iconic performances was in the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as Oogie Boogie. This episode also features musical theater royalty Betty Buckley, who, like Page, grew up dreaming of performing on Broadway. Both starred in the original Broadway production of “Cats” – Page as Old Deuteronomy and Buckley in her Tony-Award winning role as Grizabella. Together, these two pioneers helped redefine and transform musical theater over the past several decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throughout the summer, we are working with the Perelman Performing Arts Center reimagined production of CATS called CATS: "The Jellicle Ball" to bring you a series of episodes with the cast and creative team. "A theater is a temple. This is the fourth institution where the five necessary questions are answered. You have to answer a question. You have to resolve a crisis. You have to lift a burden. You have to break a yoke. Take that albatross off the neck of the people who have come for redemption. That's why we come and sit in a dark place with strangers. It's a kind of atonement, right?" This episode features André De Shields who plays Old Deuteronomy in this production. Hear André share his thoughts on the production, how he created his character, and how he views the story of CATS. Plus, André gives a passionate defense for why Grizabella has to be the Jellicle choice in this production. Check out André on Instagram: @andre_deshields Check out André on YouTube: @andre_deshields Check out CATS: "The Jellicle Ball": pacnyc.org/whats-on/cats-the-jellicle-ball Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Social Media: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

T. S. Eliot is remembered as a great poet, but he is surpassingly underrated as a namer of cats. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

"A couple of cast mates and I have thought of a familial relationship for Grizabella that I haven't heard theorized before. Maybe she is Gus' daughter and when she left, that's why Jellylorem started taking care of him. And that's where Grizabella got her desire to be a star from." This episode features Yardén Barr who is current performing as Grizabella on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Oasis of the Seas production of CATS. We recorded this episode during Yardén's rehearsal process before getting on the ship so hear her discuss meeting Old Deuteronomy on stage seeing the show for the first time, her theories she is bringing to this production, and what the rehearsal process has been like. Plus, Yardén shares a great new Grizabella familial relationship to consider. Check out Yardén on Instagram: @yardenbarr See Yardén on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Oasis of the Seas: www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/oasis-of-the-seas Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Social Media: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is PART ONE of a TWO-PARTER. Listen to The Wrong Cat Died via the links below for the companion episode to this episode. Mike Abrams is the creator and host of the theatre podcast “The Wrong Cat Died'. Originally conceived as a 10-part mini series, he's now over 150 episodes in and going strong. We've decided to have each other on…well…each other's podcasts. It's something neither of us have done, but thought it would be great to share audiences as we know our listeners, if not already listening to the other's podcast, will totally get them and love them. The Wrong Cat Died is an original podcast on the Broadway Podcast Network...where Mike and I met in 2020 during lockdown. The podcast posits that in the musical Cats, Grizabella, the cast chosen to go to the Heaviside Lair , was actually the wrong choice. Only one cat gets chosen. The cat that is deemed most worthy by Old Deuteronomy. Mike's theory is that Griz wasn't the worthiest cat, and 150 episodes and thousand stories told by original cast members from dozens and dozens of productions from around the globe…it's clear that the answer to the question “was Grizablla the correct choice?” is still unclear. The Wrong Cat Died Official Website Broadway Podcast Network Website Listen on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Once I got the list, I think I chose cinnamon because it was fall and I think I just probably added it always to my Starbucks order." This BONUS episode features Lauren Buege who performed with our last guest Lexie Plath as Cinnamon in Arrowhead High School Center for Arts award winning production of CATS. Hear all of the fun that went into creating a show with over 40 ensemble cats and some of the memories from the experience. Plus, Lauren makes her case for Old Deuteronomy as her Jellicle choice. Check out a snippet of Lauren's High School Production of CATS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eizS1BqiYgk Check out Pause 4 Paws' website: www.pause4pawsmn.org Check out Cats in the Cradle's website: www.catsinthecradle.rescuegroups.org Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram/Twitter/Tik Tok: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I went in and spent two days listening to the story of the cats and the interrelationships of all the characters. You know, Tugger and Munkustrap are brothers. They're all sons of Old Deuteronomy. And then, they follow it up with, but none of this is important for the audience to know." This episode features Lee Lobenhofer who was Gus on the US National Tour 4 and was in the CATS Chorus in the original Broadway Production. Hear Lee talk about spending two full days learning the story (but it's not for the audience), the times he got to go on as Old Deuteronomy, the legend of Ray's makeup expertise, a few other fun stories from tour, and how he got to dance in sections of the show as "GeneriGUS." Plus, Lee shares how his father influenced the way he performed as Gus each night. Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Social Media: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I literally couldn't remember Macavity's name because their names are all so ridiculously complicated. I really think that that was the seed of the idea. It truly came from a - what the f*** is that one cat with the spooky song." This episode features Jaime Lyn Beatty and Jon Matteson who created the viral YouTube video Spadattimy: The Reliable Cat and are big CATS fans. Hear Jamie and Jon discuss the nuances of the plot, the genesis of their video, and all kinds of funny stories from the time working together. Plus, a strong Old Deuteronomy case is made for the Jellicle choice. Check out Jamie Lyn Beatty on social media: @jlbeatty Check out Jamie Lyn Beatty's website: jlynbeatty.com Check out Jon Matteson on social media: @jon.matteson Check out Spadattimy: The Reliable Cat on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=waNlyGpMURU Check out Professor Birthday: linktr.ee/professorbirthday Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Social Media: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do cats cause schizophrenia? You may have read articles that they do, then read articles that they don't. Here, let's teach the controversy. However, I am quite sure that all the evidence you need to come to a conclusion that yes they do is right here in this episode. Mary comes to Teege absolutely convinced that PuddleBella is at a dog ball, put there by Old Deuteronomy after singing MEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMOOOOOOOORRRIIIIEEEEEEEEESSS. As an added treat, Teege sings the song to jog Mary's memory. Surprise of surprises, episode 19 is not the one where we find Puddle. But did we at least find some clues? Also no. If you or anyone you know has information on the whereabouts of Puddle, please post to social media using #justiceforpuddle or email your hot tip to melroseplacecast@gmail.com Together, we will #findpuddle --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melroseplacecast/message

"Each generation of CATS fans have their own theories." This episode features CATS artist and superfan Jen Anckorn. Hear Jen talk about being a fan of CATS before the "internet era," her fandom on Live Journal that created many of the modern theories, and her theory on how The Moments of Happiness lyrics are the key to understanding Old Deuteronomy's decision. Plus, Jen goes into a deep dive on why she believes Munkustrap is the best character in the show. Check out Jen on Instagram : @emperorrainbow Check out Jen's Etsy website: www.etsy.com/shop/EmperorRainbow Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"If you have what you want and need, you're doing fine. And if you can afford to have it, you're doing 3000% better than a lot of people."   Discussing Cats with original Broadway cast member Ken Page!   Topics: ⭐️ The first megamusical ⭐️ Audition and rehearsal process ⭐️ Broadway version versus the West End  ⭐️ Judi Dench playing Old Deuteronomy in the film   Cats Stats: ⭐️ 4th longest running Broadway show of all time ⭐️ 9th highest grossing Broadway show of all time ⭐️ 2nd most popular tee shirt of the 1980s (globally) ⭐️ 3.5 billion gross as of 2012 (reported by New York Post)   Patron episode: ⭐️ The Muny - Ken's 47 shows (2 with Ethan) ⭐️ Ken's trip to Italy - mistaken for Morgan Freeman ⭐️ Ain't Misbehavin' - John Lee Beatty's Broadway set design   Patron Outtakes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113-cats-71656249   Video Version: https://youtu.be/k9-80UGHvvg   Ken Page - IBDB.com: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/ken-page-55425   Cats IBDB.com: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/cats-4186   Highest Grossing Broadway Shows of All Time: https://www.topviewnyc.com/packages/the-highest-grossing-broadway-shows-of-all-time   Cats Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_(musical)   Cats The Musical - Tickets: https://www.catsthemusical.com/   The Megamusical - by Jessica Sternfeld https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/2346738.The_Megamusical   Cats Box Office Disaster Tanks Universal's Profit: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/23/media/cats-comcast-earnings/index.html   Why Exactly Did So Many People Like Cats In The First Place: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/why-exactly-did-so-many-people-like-cats-in-the-first-place/2019/12/19/3503e3b8-2006-11ea-86f3-3b5019d451db_story.html   How Cats Changed Broadway: https://variety.com/2016/legit/news/how-cats-changed-broadway-1201827574/     Become a patron: www.patreon.com/artisticfinance   Provide feedback: https://forms.gle/utJU1SAZsNY782XK6    Interview by Ethan Steimel  

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 509, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Broadway Musicals By Characters 1: Tevye,Golde,Yente. Fiddler on the Roof. 2: Fantine,Javert,Jean Valjean. Les Miserables. 3: Mrs. Potts,Belle,Gaston. Beauty and the Beast. 4: Bustopher Jones,Old Deuteronomy,Mistoffelees. Cats. 5: Velma Von Tussle,Tracy Turnblad,Corny Collins. Hairspray. Round 2. Category: Full House 1: The show is set in this city; in the opening, you can see Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz. San Francisco. 2: Last name of Candace, who plays the eldest Tanner daughter; her brother Kirk has been a guest star. Cameron. 3: Lori Loughlin's character did this November 12, 1991, making the house a lot fuller. had twins. 4: Dave Coulier's character Joey Gladstone, who like Dave is a stand-up comic, went on this Ed McMahon show. Star Search. 5: "Full House" creator Jeff Franklin's first job as a producer was on this Penny Marshall series. Laverne and Shirley. Round 3. Category: The 1910s 1: On December 10, 1915 this automaker's one millionth car rolled off the assembly line in Detroit. Ford. 2: In 1916 this company intorduced its All-Bran cereal as a source of dietary fiber. Kellogg's. 3: In the 1912 Olympics he won the decathlon with a then-record 8,412 points. Jim Thorpe. 4: On May 13, 1917 3 children reported a vision of the Virgin Mary near this Portuguese city. Fatima. 5: With the October 1911 death of this man, Frank Cobb became the editor of the New York World newspaper. Joseph Pulitzer. Round 4. Category: The Tell-Tale Heart 1: This largest artery begins in the lower left chamber and gives rise to the coronary arteries. Aorta. 2: In 1984, in the first surgery of its kind, Baby Fae received a heart transplant from this mammal. Baboon. 3: The heart has 4 of these to regulate the flow of blood, including the mitral. Valves. 4: This term for an irregular heartbeat is from the Greek for "without measure". Arrhythmia. 5: The atria make up the upper, smaller part of the heart and these chambers form the lower portion. Ventricles. Round 5. Category: You Have The Rite 1: Pass the poi! It's Hawaiian for "feast". luau. 2: This drink is used in the traditional Japanese ceremony of Chanoyu. tea. 3: In 1904 the U.S. government banned this Plains Indian ceremony, also the name of a Utah film festival. Sundance. 4: In the 1920s rabbi Mordecai Kaplan brought this ceremony for 12-year-old girls into the synagogue. Bat Mitzvah. 5: This ceremony at which school or college degrees are conferred is from the Latin for "beginning". commencement. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!

"I believe Victoria was reborn from the Heaviside Layer which is why Old Deuteronomy is so fascinated with her." This episode features Hyla Perillo who is Victoria on the current 6th US CATS National Tour. Hear Hyla discuss her Victoria headcons, her interpretation of Victoria representing the Jellicle Moon, and her theory on Victoria being last year's Jellicle choice. . Plus, Hyla and Mike pick their Jellicle choices for the next 3 years. Check out Hyla on Instagram and Tik Tok: @hylamayrose Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Secure The Gag welcomes to the pod this week a leading voice of our queer generation - the witty writer, cultural critic, and podcast host, Rose Dommu (Like A Virgin Podcast)!!! Nathan and Rose dive into Rose's time as the queen of the press junket where she told Timothee Chalamet he was the prince of twinks and where Dame Judi Dench told Rose her Old Deuteronomy in Cats was trans. (Look it up!) They also get into Rose's relationship with the C*ck Destroyers and being featured in their p*rn. Rose also dishes on muting tweet notifications, TikTok, and her incredible podcast Live A Virgin. Tune in! Secure The Gag is a queer comedy podcast hosted by comedian and writer, Nathan Pearson. Tune in every Monday as Nathan interviews funny queers about their infamous online videos, bits, and success.  Nathan Pearson is a comedian, actor, writer, and host of Secure The Gag based in Brooklyn, NY by way of Atlanta, GA. Recently, he was featured on HBOMax's Humans By Orientation platform and on the UCB Character's Welcome where his “Guy F**ks His Bully's Dad” sketch became a viral sensation. Online, Nathan has amassed a following on TikTok and has been featured in Vulture, Instinct, Queerty, Logo's NewNowNext, and more.  Secure The Gag is part of the WUSSY Podcast Network hosted by WUSSY Mag @wussymag Hosted by Nathan Pearson @nathankpearson Produced by Jon Dean @jondeanphoto Edited by Ryan Andrews @rtayrews Podcast Art created by Beardy Glasses @beardy.glasses Podcast Music by DJ Helix @1djhelix  Follow @SecureTheGag

Josh Pappenheim (Truly Happily Madison Podcast) and Sam Clements (90 Minutes or Less Film Fest podcast) join Flixwatcher remotely to review Josh's choice Cats. Considered one of the worst films of all time and was only released in 2019, Cats is a “live-action” film based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical of the same name. It inexplicably stars Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Francesca Hayward and unfortunately James Corden as cats - sort of human size, some with breasts, some without and alternating between walking like a cat but also then like a human. Some cats wear clothes, often shoes, fur coats and even fur that zips off. All the cats have human hands and Judi Dench's Old Deuteronomy has a wedding ring! There isn't much in the way of plot - unless you know what a Jellicle cat is and the digital fur technology is more demonic than innovative. Will they ever release the bumhole cut? This sung-through musical is best described as deranged nonsense and astonishingly scores extremely high on recommendability. Some sense prevailed for the remaining scores but Cats still managed to score a very respectable 3.63 overall.   [supsystic-tables id=252]   Episode #240 Crew Links Thanks to Episode #240 Crew of Josh Pappenheim (@papsby) and Sam Clements (@sam_clements) from 90 Minutes Or Less Film Fest Find their Websites online at https://twitter.com/truhapmad And at https://www.90minfilmfest.com/   Please make sure you give them some love More about Cats For more info on Cats, you can visit Cats IMDb page here or Cats Rotten Tomatoes page here.   Final Plug! Subscribe, Share and Review us on iTunes   If you enjoyed this episode of Flixwatcher Podcast you probably know other people who will like it too! Please share it with your friends and family, review us, and join us across ALL of the Social Media links below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"CATS is a lot of damp leotards." This episode features Benjamin Colley who was a swing on the 2020 Asian Tour in South Korea cover Rum Tum Tugger, Munkustrap, Old Deuteronomy, Gus, Bustopher Jones, and Growltiger. Hear Benjamin discuss what it was like being part of one of the only musicals running during the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, how the cast became really close living in their bubble, and how he was terrified of performing as Tugger since it's not his natural personality. Plus, Ben humors Mike discussing the infamous CAT George's revival in Asia and really breaks down Munkustrap's future. Check out Benjamin on Instagram: @almoncolley Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OLD DEUTERONOMY Old Deuteronomy's lived a long time;     He's a Cat who has lived many lives in succession. He was famous in proverb and famous in rhyme     A long while before Queen Victoria's accession. Old Deuteronomy's buried nine wives     And more—I am tempted to say, ninety-nine; And his numerous progeny prospers and thrives     And the village is proud of him in his decline. At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy,     When he sits in the sun on the vicarage wall, The Oldest Inhabitant croaks: 'Well, of all ...     Things ... Can it be ... really! ... No! ... Yes! ...         Ho! hi!         Oh, my eye! My mind may be wandering, but I confess I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!' Old Deuteronomy sits in the street,     He sits in the High Street on market day; The bullocks may bellow, the sheep they may bleat,     But the dogs and the herdsmen will turn them away. The cars and the lorries run over the kerb,     And the villagers put up a notice: ROAD CLOSED— So that nothing untoward may chance to disturb     Deuteronomy's rest when he feels so disposed Or when he's engaged in domestic economy:     And the Oldest Inhabitant croaks: 'Well, of all ...     Things ... Can it be ... really! ... No! ... Yes! ...         Ho! hi!         Oh, my eye! My sight's unreliable, but I can guess That the cause of the trouble is Old Deuteronomy!' Old Deuteronomy lies on the floor     Of the Fox and French Horn for his afternoon sleep; And when the men say: 'There's just time for one more,'     Then the landlady from her back parlour will peep And say: 'Now then, out you go, by the back door,     For Old Deuteronomy mustn't be woken— I'll have the police if there's any uproar'—     And out they all shuffle, without a word spoken. The digestive repose of that feline's gastronomy     Must never be broken, whatever befall: And the Oldest Inhabitant croaks: 'Well, of all ...     Things ... Can it be ... really! ... Yes! ... No! ...         Ho! hi!         Oh, my eye! My legs may be tottery, I must go slow And be careful of Old Deuteronomy!'

Welcome to "Cats got talent". In der Jury heute: Judi Dench. Die Konkurrenz der Bewerber um den Titel “cat sacrifice of the year” ist gigantisch. Eigentlich bewirbt sich der ganze schlecht animierte Tribe, aber herauszustellen wären Macavity, der Mitbewerber entführt um zu gewinnen und nicht zu vergessen die Außenseiterin Grizabella, die bis zum letzten Moment niemand in betracht zieht. Nachdem alle einmal getanzt haben um sich zu bewerben, entführt Macavity Old Deuteronomy um sich seinen ersten Platz zu erzwingen. Old Deuteronomy ist nicht weise genug ihn einfach gewinnen zu lassen, damit sie ihn endlich los sind. Stattdessen wird sie gerettet von einem magischen Kater der sie einfach wieder herzaubert. Grizabella schleicht um die Szenerie umher und wird von Victoria hinzugezogen und dazu genötigt ihre Geschichte zu erzählen, bzw. zu singen. Old Deuteronomy ist davon so bewegt dass sie sie erwählt, den Schritt in den Himmel zu wagen. Toll. Der Kult ist begeistert und nachdem ich schon gehofft hatte dass sie in einem Blutbad zerfetzt wird, steigt sie sehr langweilig mit einem Ballon in den Himmel auf. Plor. In welchen Himmel oder welche Vorhölle möchtest du dass dieser Film auf- oder hinabsteigt?

"It's really Victoria and the rest of the cats who pick Grizabella." This episode features Gavan Pamer who played Mungojerrie in the 4th US CATS National Tour. Hear Gavan talk about how the show was so popular that it sold $1M in one week, how they went on an "arena tour," and what it was like doing the infamous cartwheels in his dance. Plus, Gavan tells his theory that Old Deuteronomy was picking Skimbleshanks before Grizabella comes back. Check out Gavan on Instagram: @gpamer Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Musical theater legends Ken Page and Betty Buckley have a lot in common. Both grew up dreaming of performing on Broadway: Ken in St. Louis; Betty in Fort Worth. Both were in the original Broadway production of Cats, Ken as Old Deuteronomy and Betty as Grizabella, for which she won a Tony. And both were pioneers in transforming musical theater over the past several decades. One of Ken Page's most recognizable roles was as Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas, and, on Broadway, he starred in the 1976 all-Black revival of Guys and Dolls and in the original cast of The Wiz and Ain't Misbehavin'. Betty Buckley has been called “the Voice of Broadway” with and she's also starred in TV (Eight is Enough) and films (Carrie, Tender Mercies, Frantic).  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

"We can make this work. I would be Meatloaf Tugger." This episode features Nathan Patrick Morgan who played Old Deuteronomy in the most recent CATS National Tour. Hear Nathan talk about his experience in multiple productions of CATS (dinner theater, multiple US national tours, read throughs, and more), discuss covering so many different characters, and discuss his theory on how Old Deuteronomy has already made up his mind and is just teaching the other cats a lesson. Plus, hear Nathan tell the story of how he almost became Meatloaf Tugger. Check out Nathan on Facebook & Instagram: @nathanpatrickmorgan Check out Nathan's website: www.nathanpatrickmorgan.com Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Have you ever heard the theory that Old Deuteronomy is actually just a serial killer?" This episode features Dan Hoy who played Munkustrap in the most recent CATS National Tour. Hear Dan talk about how he was obsessed with the show burning throw the 1998 CATS VHS, discuss all the crazy Munk rumors, and discusses if Old Deut should be considered more for the Heaviside Layer. Plus, Dan humors me by discussing the Macavity fight and how Munk's potential child with Demeter could be the cause of that fight. Check out Dan on Instagram: @dan_jhoy Check out Dan's website: www.danhoy.org Check out Dan's Acting Studio: www.buildingblockstudios.org Check out Dan's YouTube Page: youtube.com/c/DanHoy2 Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor, singer, and artist, Bill Nolte, made his Broadway debut in 1985 as Old Deuteronomy in Cats, which led to roles in the original cast of The Secret Garden, and the revivals of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and 1776 among others. His formidable comedic talents infused hilarious new life into the roles of Franz […] The post Bill Nolte, Broadway Actor-Singer-Artist-Episode #158 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

"People thought we were a baseball team." This episode features Austin Jetton who played Old Deuteronomy on 1987 US National Tour 3. Hear Austin talk about the show jackets that confused people into thinking they were a baseball team, his emotional experiences sitting on stage during intermission, how he came up with the idea for the recent fundraiser, and his theory that Jellicle tribe is actually a small town which influenced his decision for the Heaviside Layer. Check out Austin's Website: www.austinjetton.com/ Check out Austin's Chocolate Shop: https://theaustintacious.com/  Donate to the With Love, Now and Forever! CATS4COVIDRELIEF: https://donate.broadwaycares.org/fundraiser/2798809 Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You will all pick for the same reason that I already know that she is the one that should be picked" This episode features Tricia Tanguy who played Grizabella in the 2007 5th US National Tour and then again over 10 years later in the 2019 6th US Tour. Hear Tricia discuss what it was like learn the show from some of the original CATS team, how Andy Blankenbuehler uses the ensemble to tell the CATS relationships with each other, and her theory about how Old Deuteronomy has his mind made up on the Jellicle choice before the show even starts. Plus, hear Tricia's theory on Victoria being the daughter of Griz and Munk. Check out Tricia on Instagram: @triciatanguy Check out Tricia's website: www.triciatanguy.com Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 25, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Facts And Figures 1: 3-5 P.M. is the best time of day to post on this microblogging site if you want to be retweeted Twitter. 2: He was the last of the 3 men who were king of England during 1066 William the Conqueror. 3: He planted 64 poems in his "Child's Garden of Verses" Robert Louis Stevenson. 4: This private college in Northern California has 20 libraries with some 8.5 million physical volumes Stanford. 5: After 27 years, he's the current NFL coach who has served the longest with 1 team Landry. Round 2. Category: Shut Your Mouth! 1: "I will remain silent. Neither I, nor my wife, will leave Krypton", says Marlon Brando in this 1978 film Superman. 2: This comic was silenced by obscenity charges in the '60s; in 2003 Gov. Pataki gave him a posthumous pardon Lenny Bruce. 3: If you're arrested, you have the right to remain silent thanks to this arrestee's 1966 case Miranda. 4: "'Are you lost, Daddy?' I arsked... 'Shut up,' he explained" is from this "circular" sportswriter's "Young Immigrunts" Ring Lardner. 5: "Factor" in the idea that this Fox commentator has been known to tell guests in his "No Spin Zone" to "Shut up!" Bill O'Reilly. Round 3. Category: "Epi"Sodes 1: From the Greek for "seizure", it's a medical condition involving abnormal electrical brain activity epilepsy. 2: The best example of something the epitome. 3: A fast-spreading outbreak of a disease an epidemic. 4: A short section at the end of a book an epilogue. 5: A witty saying or expression an epigram. Round 4. Category: Green Beers 1: Dennis Hopper has a particular aversion to this Dutch beer in the movie "Blue Velvet" Heineken. 2: Tonight let it be this beer of Munich that's properly spelled with 2 umlauts Löwenbräu. 3: Brewed since 1615, this Dutch beer with a green bottle has a swingtop cap Grolsch. 4: Brittany Evans is the new icon for this beer that's named in honor of an old German monastery St. Pauli's. 5: This Bremen beer's motto appropriately reads "Life beckons" Beck's. Round 5. Category: Broadway Musicals By Characters 1: Tevye,Golde,Yente Fiddler on the Roof. 2: Velma Von Tussle,Tracy Turnblad,Corny Collins Hairspray. 3: Bustopher Jones,Old Deuteronomy,Mistoffelees Cats. 4: Fantine,Javert,Jean Valjean Les Miserables. 5: Mrs. Potts,Belle,Gaston Beauty and the Beast. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia! was here

This week, we'll cover everything from Bustopher Jones to Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat; discuss Old Deuteronomy's previous performer Ken Page; and how out of place the new song, "Beautiful Ghosts" is in comparison to the rest of the score.Jen's recommendations for this week:  90s Court: Showgirls Vs StripteaseInvasion of the Remake: RabidHave some feedback for us?  Email us at shockedandapplaud@gmail.com or visit these fine Web establishments:Become an Applauder with PatreonFacebook and Twitter updatesOur HomepageSupport the show

This week, we'll cover everything from Bustopher Jones to Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat; discuss Old Deuteronomy's previous performer Ken Page; and how out of place the new song, "Beautiful Ghosts" is in comparison to the rest of the score.Jen's recommendations for this week: 90s Court: Showgirls Vs StripteaseInvasion of the Remake: RabidHave some feedback for us? Email us at shockedandapplaud@gmail.com or visit these fine Web establishments:Become an Applauder with PatreonFacebook and Twitter updatesOur HomepageSupport the show (https://patreon.com/shockedandapplaud)

Descend into madness with Jonah and MJ as they flail their way through the feline fever dream that is Cats! There's simply nothing more to say about this very chaotic episode of Bop or Flop.NotesThis is what MJ thinks Old Deuteronomy looks Likehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JADpVbYy9YcLindsey Ellis - Why Is Cats?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6iqAip-ZNoSideways - Musical Analysishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3aK-EK5V2kMemory at the Tonyshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mlllRdIfqw

This episode features Adam Richardson who played Old Deuteronomy on the CATS National Tour. Adam shares his strong opinion on why Victoria shouldn't be the first one to touch Grizabella before Memory at the end of the show, how his opera and booth singer experience related to playing Old Deut, and why he agrees with me that Peter is the worst Cat in the show. Check out Adam on Instagram: @atomrich_12 Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken Page is a legendary theatre performer beloved by many longtime musical theatre fans. Most will remember him as Old Deuteronomy in the original Broadway cast of the Tony Award winning musical Cats, or for his Drama Desk Award winning performance in Ain’t Misbehavin’.  His other Broadway credits include playing the Cowardly Lion in The Wiz and Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the all-black revival of Guys and Dolls for which he received a Theatre World Award.  In London’s West End he also starred in Children of Eden and My One And Only. Aside from his theatre credits, Page may be best known as the voice of Mr. Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s cult classic film, The Nightmare Before Christmas and for his film appearances in Dreamgirls, Torch Song Trilogy and All Dogs Go To Heaven. Page has performed his one-man concert, Page By Page across the country and the show has been recorded live released by LML Music. Ken can also be heard on various Original Broadway Cast recordings, film soundtracks and compilations.

This episode features Fergie L. Philippe who stars as James Madison in the Broadway production of Hamilton but also played a wild weekend as Old Deuteronomy during the Elon University Production of CATS. Fergie shares how his Elon production utilized a Beyonce and Elvis cat, how CATS influenced his career, and how we would cast Hamilton characters as Cats aka HamilCATS. Check out Fergie on all social media platforms: @fergsters95 Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a Broadway legend on the show today, friends! In today’s episode Quentin Earl Darrington shares his story of being loved by God and carrying that into everything he does and every story he tells. He shares how he has experienced the Lord through developing and bringing new characters to life in some of his most iconic Broadway roles. Quentin brings truth and wisdom about what it means to humbly live out the love of Jesus - picking up your cross, dying to yourself, and following Christ. Quentin Earl Darrington was most recently seen on Broadway as Agwe in the Tony Award winning revival of Once On This Island for which he earned a Grammy nomination. He made his Broadway debut in the Tony nominated revival of Ragtime, starring as Coalhouse Walker Jr. and was also seen as Old Deuteronomy in the Broadway revival of CATS, among many other roles! At the end of the episode I dive into the humility of Jesus as we open the Word and walk through Philippians 2:3-11. Subscribe to my newsletter HERE for weekly show notes!

Kortland has a new song out, The Limit, along with a several more to be released during the pandemic. Kortland stems from a musical family but has always known music was his passion and calling. He often hears a melody in his head, and then writes the lyrics to fit within the rhythm and beat of the song.Beautiful aspect of music is that it amplifies the mood you are in and intensifies your current environment through an emotional experience. Listening to Kortland’s music will transport you through R/B Soul music, which enhances your emotions from the rhythm and vocals. To know if you are made for or cutout for this industry, Kortland eloquently mentions you need passion to see if you truly want to be a musical artist, or even an actor. Ask the right questions from a mentor to prepare you for your dreams and start networking to find the right connection to set you up for success. Simply put, immerse yourself in whatever you feel passionate about to see if you truly want to be there.Kortland touches on using your gifts wisely as you navigate through your career. This has helped Kortland land a role in the musical Cats, where he played Old Deuteronomy. Below are links to find Kortland and listen to his music and be on the lookout for his next song “One Of A Kind.”Contact info:https://soundcloud.com/kortlandwhalum?fbclid=IwAR0hiTdL0X-TpC1-8AKfbUuhxg-bISf-sZ_-QaCNAJsd5BSmhzseVenTLLghttps://www.facebook.com/kortlandwhalum/https://www.facebook.com/kortland https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-limit/1528881653?i=1528881654https://t.co/mQwSjlA9DV?amp=1https://twitter.com/KortlandWhalum?s=20

Joel and Toast talk with writer/editor Anya Crittenton and Dana Bramble about the life and career of Andrew Lloyd Webber, musical-to-movie changes, and the possible lurid past between Old Deuteronomy and Gus the Theater Cat.Referenced in this episode: Andrew Lloyd Webber calling CATS ridiculous, the butthole left over from the Butthole Cut, and Anya and Dana's CATS bounding.This episode's Joellicle Choice is Gambino! Joel talks with his person Tawny about this orange boy who went viral last December for saying "well, hi!" like a little southern gentleman. You can find him and his tuxedo cat brother Tom on Instagram and TikTok.Twitter: @IneffableCatsInstagram: @IneffableCatsEmail: IneffableCatsPod@gmail.comOriginal music by Jeremy Nasato.Cover art by Tyler Donnelly.

Kicking off our "Movies We Haven't Seen Series" is Cats from 2019 directed by Oscar winner Tom Hooper, it's also the worst movie we reviewed on the show by far. Come along for the magical Jellicle cat journey to the Heaviside Layer as we follow cats such as Old Deuteronomy, Bustopher Jones, Rum Tum Tugger and more. Enough said. We also pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman and discuss his career and legacy. Follow the show on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilverScreenPodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/podcastsilver Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastsilver/ Rate and the review the show wherever you are listening if you don't mind! It really helps us out! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-silver-screen-podcast/message

Welcome to the 14th episode of Broadway Babies! In this episode, Noelle and Stephanie chat with the incredible Calvin Remsberg! Calvin Remsberg has worked extensively both as a performer and as a director. He is perhaps best remembered by Los Angeles audiences for his portrayal of Firmin, the crotchety opera house manager in the record breaking production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the Ahmanson Theater, having played the role with three different Phantoms over the entire four and a half year run. Other stage roles include the Beadle in both national tours, and the acclaimed television production of SWEENEY TODD, and for four years he crawled around as Old Deuteronomy in the first national tour of CATS. -- Stephanie Andersen (Bare: A Pop Opera, Original Cast, Cast Recording and Revival) and Noelle Hannibal (Hair: 20th Anniversary Production, Star Trek, Buffy) and are professional performers and fangirls with a deep and never-ending love for musical theatre. Join them as they chat about all things Broadway on this special podcast which will feature interviews with some of Broadway's most beloved stars. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/broadway-babies/support

On episode four of Gay Card Revoked, Rob and Robbie explore the play and film versions of Harvey Fierstein's Tony Award winning play about a gay man who celebrates his existence with love, humor, and a healthy dose of blues, Torch Song Trilogy. Along with Second Stage Torch Song cast member, and Broadway favorite, Claybourne Elder, they examine why Torch Song premiered in the sweet spot of the LGBTQ+ era, falling in love in Russia, how Arnold Becker is a perfect parent, why we shouldn't be clamoring to be in the history books, dealing with odd questions from loving relatives, and how Old Deuteronomy is the perfect birthday gift. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Next Week: Before Stonewall

This Week’s Blake’s Takes: Politics: Old Deuteronomy from Cats was an Awful Leader (03:23 to 15:37) Sports: Which Professional Sport Would be Most Dangerous if Everyone There was Drunk (15:48 to 33:27) Leisure: What Stand-Up Will Look Like in the COVID Era (32:41 to 43:22) Relationships: All Words for Sex are Gross (43:25 to 49:15) BLM BLMLA : https://www.gofundme.com/f/blmla NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780&_ga=2.231342234.480782673.1591028794-1029022299.1591028794 ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/fund-every-fight-ahead

Corie Johnson is known for wearing Crocs, calling gastric sleeve surgery a "thumb stomach," and for staring as Old Deuteronomy on an unregistered local production of "Cats." Needless to say, she is not known for her judgement. On this episode of A.S.S., Corie attempts to redeem her one true love, Seth MacFarlane, after he spent two-decades offending everyone on Earth.

Mercy Anew and Justice of Old (Deuteronomy 19:1~14)

This week on PodCATS! A podcast about CATS (the musical, not the animal), we are joined by the incomparable Paul Rigano (West Side Story on BROADWAY!, lots of other awesome musical endeavors)! We discuss Bustopher Jones as the face of cat privilege, Gus the Theatre Cat and Ian McKellen's ability to make us sob regardless of the rest of the movie, Old Deuteronomy and the movie's blatant lesbian erasure, and finally, all (most?) things Rum Tum Tugger. What happens when one of these cats can't make it to the next Jellicle Ball? Again, how big are cats? Paul gives us a musical theatre history lesson around Sir Webber's involvement in the music scene, and finally, Ian uses his opera training for five seconds. Who deserves to go to the Heaviside Layer? Reach out to us and cast your vote here at JelliclePodCats@gmail.com@PaulTogetherNow@RiganoSongbook@JelliclePod@epicadventureof@ibroski@dapperdevilprod (twitter) and @dapperdevilproductions (insta) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which our hero gets everything his own way cause he's old and complains if he doesn't.

In this inaugural jellicle episode, film critic Kristy Puchko joins Joel and Toast to discuss Rowdy Screenings, this movie’s sexual energy, and CATS as a cult hit in the making.Referenced in this episode: Old Deuteronomy's trailer look versus her final form, Kristy's review of CATS for Pajiba.com, and her piece on Alamo Drafthouse's Rowdy Screenings. And of course, we crowned the first ever Joellicle Choice Anastasia! If you want to see more of this queen follow Joel's roommate Alex on Instagram (@third_mann).Twitter: @IneffableCatsInstagram: @IneffableCatsEmail: IneffableCatsPod@gmail.comOriginal music by Jeremy Nasato.Cover art by Tyler Donnelly.

In which the Musical Man, Jennyanydots, Rum Tum Tugger, Grizabella, Bustopher Jones, Mungojerrie, Rumpelteazer, Old Deuteronomy, Gus, Skimbleshanks, and Mr. Mistoffelees journey to the Heavyside Layer. Donate today via Patreon: patreon.com/musicalmanpod / Twitter: @musicalmanpod / Podbean: musicalmanpod.podbean.com / Email: musicalmanpod@gmail.com

This week we are down to clown... because we're shipping KRUSTY THE CLOWN (The Simpsons) with Gotham's own HARLEY QUINN! Will this rebound be the end of the two of them? Plus, two royal felines meet up as we ship MUFASA (The Lion King) with OLD DEUTERONOMY (Cats). Will we make the jellicle choice? Find out as we welcome our guest RYAN NILSEN for all that and more on this week's SHIPS IN THE NIGHT!

Hi everyone! It’s Takeover Tuesday, and we’re welcoming back our good friends at the How I Met Your Friends podcast! Today, they’re tackling the film everyone loves to hate this year, the cinematic trainwreck known as CATS. I’m actually disappointed with the reviews so far, because one of my favorite CDs in my youth was a collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest hits, including “Mr. Mistoffelees”. I’m not exactly sure how they could possibly translate this song to the screen, but I think we know now how not to do it. Or do we? Julie and Kathleen will be up in a moment with two very different views. Do you think you have what it takes to guest on One Movie Punch? Head over to onemoviepunch.com/takeover-tuesday and learn more about how you can guest here at One Movie Punch. We still have five (5) slots available for aspiring and established film critics to take the reins for an episode. We’ll run your promo before the review and will place it in regular rotation for the quarter. If it sounds like something interesting to you, reach out to us over social media. Subscribe to stay current with the latest releases. Contribute at Patreon for exclusive content. Connect with us over social media to continue the conversation. Here we go! ///// > ///// JOSEPH: “All right, let’s call this meeting to order. Thank you all for joining us, in person here and around the world via conference call. We’ll skip the roll call and get to it.” JOSEPH: “First order of business, and we’re running out of time folks. I’ve got a review that needs to get done right away, and I’m looking for a volunteer. Amy, can you take this one?” ONE MOVIE SPOUSE: “I am One Movie Spouse, after all. Saving you is kind of my thing!” JOSEPH: “Great, it’s CATS, so...” ONE MOVIE SPOUSE: “Well, you see...” JOSEPH: “Okay. One Movie Spawn?” ONE MOVIE SPAWN: “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” JOSEPH: “Okay. No need to be so touchy. Andrew. Buddy.” ANDREW: “Um, yeah. I’ve got to take care of some other stuff.” JOSEPH: “I’m seeing a pattern here. Keith, are you begging off as well?” KEITH: “I mean, sure, now it might seem like...” JOSEPH: “Okay. Ryan, this one’s got your name on it!” RYAN: “I’m not entirely sure how you can place the entire blame on me...” JOSEPH: “Blame? I mean, it’s bad, but... Shane?” SHANE: “No! NO!” JOSEPH: “How about anyone out there on the conference call?” GROUP: *CHATTER* JOSEPH: “Okay, fine. Let’s just see who didn’t make the call today... Oh. Oh, I know who can review this one. That’s the last time they miss a meeting. Okay, that’s settled.” JOSEPH: “Item two...” ///// Today’s movie is CATS(2019), just released at the end of 2019, the musical film directed by Tom Hooper and based off of the stage production of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber. CATS has something for everyone, as long as you already love musicals and are familiar with this one. It's probably best if you're into ballet, too. No spoilers in this one, folks. CATS, the movie musical, is based on the stage production of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It opens on a white kitten named Victoria (Francesca Hayward) being dumped in the London streets. Other strays find her and take her along for the evening ahead. The strays are Jellicle cats and it is the night of their yearly gathering, the Jellicle Ball. Throughout the night, we meet the cats contending for a chance to go to the Heaviside Layer and start a new life. Victoria meets many cats along the way. Mr. Mistoffelees (Laurie Davidson) is a magician cat who develops a crush on her. Rebel Wilson plays Jennyanydots the Gumbie Cat, who is also competing to go to the Heaviside Layer. Wilson and James Corden, playing Bustopher Jones, steal the show with hilarious quips and inside jokes. By the end of the evening, we've been entertained by all the contenders and followed a budding romance. Dame Judi Dench, who missed playing Grizabella in the original production because of an injury, plays Old Deuteronomy, the Elder of the Jellicle cats, who will select this year's winning contestant. CATSis a magically weird little movie that doesn’t quite live up to the hype. We definitely recommend this to fans of musicals and the original CATS. Not a fan of either of those? Perhaps skip this one. Rotten Tomatoes: 20%  Metacritic: 32  One Movie Punch: 5.0/10 CATS (2019) is rated PG and is available in theaters.

Are you going to try for a new life at the Jellicle Ball? Should you even attend? Is Andrew Lloyd Webber the Michael Bay of musical theatre? How did this movie even get made? These are questions that have been vexing the world for weeks now, and thank Old Deuteronomy that Matt and Adam are here to paw through these questions like Bustopher Jones in the halls of St James’s, pulling out the most delicious morsels, and throwing them down our terrifying, CGI-furred gullets.

Friend of the podcast Emily sits down with Chad to talk about the most interesting movie of 2019! CATS! Y'all ready to learn about that Grizzebella and Munkestrap and Old Deuteronomy? Gotta have Old in her name or it doesn't count. What about Mumblejerry and Rumpleteaser? Or the villain MACAVITY who has the best song. Fact Enjoy or don't. Happy 2020

Friend of the podcast Emily sits down with Chad to talk about the most interesting movie of 2019! CATS! Y'all ready to learn about that Grizzebella and Munkestrap and Old Deuteronomy? Gotta have Old in her name or it doesn't count. What about Mumblejerry and Rumpleteaser? Or the villain MACAVITY who has the best song. #Fact Enjoy or don't. Happy 2020

Friend of the podcast Emily sits down with Chad to talk about the most interesting movie of 2019! CATS! Y'all ready to learn about that Grizzebella and Munkestrap and Old Deuteronomy? Gotta have Old in her name or it doesn't count. What about Mumblejerry and Rumpleteaser? Or the villain MACAVITY who has the best song. Fact Enjoy or don't. Happy 2020

Brandon Michael Nase will end his run as Old Deuteronomy on January 5th, 2020.  In this episode we look back at his tenure in one of the most famous musicals of all time. Brandon gets on a soapbox about phones in the audience.  He tells us that he knew nothing about the show when he was cast as one of the lead felines.  We hear some of Ol Deut's backstage riffs.  And we get a taste of Brandon's passion project, The Gospel According to Broadway.  Find the full series at http://brandonmichaelnase.com/gatb

Cats. It's coming to a theater near all of us later this month, but it's been a meme-worthy punching bag all year thanks to early trailers and the internet's never-ending hunger for things to ridicule. Sure, the new movie's CGI cast of cats looks kind of creepy. But do Matt and Tony have any skin in the game to either mock or stick up for Andrew Lloyd Webber's feline phenomenon? Nope, so here it is - the What Did We Miss? Cats episode. The guys talk about their familiarity with big Broadway productions and memories (sorry) of Cats as this strange thing they'd see commercials for during daytime TV when they were kids. They also talk about the merits and awfulness of cats in general, which they're pretty evenly split on. Then they dive into the music, the show's origins in T.S. Eliot poems, the performances, and the horny as hell characters in what they can't believe has been referred to as the "number one family musical of all time." Spoiler alert: Cats is pretty fuckin' weird, folks.

Roger Lemke is one of Australia’s most successful operatic and concert artists with a career spanning over 30 years performing in Opera, Music Theatre, Film and Concert. His career began in Musical Theatre, leading to the chance encounter with a singing teacher who suggested he might have a voice for Opera.He is the recipient of a number of prestigious vocal competitions and scholarships including both Melbourne and Sydney Sun Arias in the same year, and the Metropolitan Opera award. He also won the Bel Canto Foundation Chicago Scholarship studying with internationally acclaimed singer Carlo Bergonzi in Italy.He has appeared with all the major Australian and New Zealand companies, in a diverse range of principal roles including Papageno in The Magic Flute, Taddeo in The Italian Girl in Algiers, Giuseppe in The Gondoliers, Count Boni in The Gypsy Princess, two seasons as Marcello in the highly acclaimed Baz Luhrmann production of La Boheme and The Engineer in the world premiere of The Eighth Wonder by Alan John.Return visits to the Musical Theatre have provide him opportunities to play Inspector Javert in Les Miserables and Old Deuteronomy in Cats.His extensive knowledge of the industry and repertoire provides the solid platform from which he now mentors, manages and coaches today’s young artists embarking on their own careers in vocal performance.See more at www.rogerlemke.com.auSTAGES available in iTunes, Spotify and Whooshkaa.

This episode explores the Jellicle Patriarch Old Deuteronomy. We get introduced to Old Deuteronomy after the first ballet dance number by some insignificant cat. OD is probably the closest thing we get to an early plot line in the musical. He's introduced as the Jellicle patriarch and the ultimate decision maker. He decides which one of the cats will be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer at the end of the show. He is described as being wise in his many years and is respected and beloved by most the of the Tribe. Old Deuteronomy Ranking: 2.5 out of 9 Watch his performance here. Music by: Anthony Norman Produced by: Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network Instagram & Twitter: @TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rabbi Bienenfeld is back! He and Aaron sit down to begin a new book of the Torah and try to figure out what to make of Sefer Devarim, the Book of Deuteronomy. Why is almost the whole book comprised of speeches by Moshe? Why is there so much review of things that the Torah has already covered, and how are we to make sense of what gets mentioned and what gets glossed over? To further complicate matters, why do some incidents seem slightly different when Moshe recounts them? Through the discussion, our hosts develop a couple of concepts that will hopefully help shed light on the final book of the Pentateuch. To stay up to date and to comment on this week's episode, please Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Portion-1840699399318632/?view_public_for=1840699399318632  And please review the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 

They call them Fur Babies. I consider myself to be a strong, manly, straight-to-the-point kind of guy … usually. But I have to admit that I’ve embraced the term Fur Babies. It fits. They’re furry, for one and also, they’re my babies. I have four of them right now, three of which live in my house and I consider them a part of the family, not just pets. They’re the reason I’ve settled on pet memorials as my new line of business that I’ll be focusing on heavily over the next few months. But I’m not going to tell you about the Fur Babies my family currently cares for. I’m going to talk about some of my hairy children from over the past 25 years of mine and my wife’s marriage. Because if you call me crazy about animals, you’d be right to call her completely off her rocker for them. I’m Michael Blackston and this is episode 22 of Funny Messy Life. I feel like I need to make a disclaimer first. When I started writing out the blog for this episode, I wanted to go a little funny, but also a little warm and fuzzy. I didn’t expect what I ended up with, which is, to me, a tear jerker. So maybe you should think about having some tissues handy, or a sleeve, or a napkin from that pile you keep beside you in the car from all the fast food stops. Because if you’re an animal lover like me, you might need it. Over the lifespan of our marriage, my wife and I have cared for a whole lot of animals. We’ve had to draw a line because there was a time our hearts were so soft that we’d take in a homeless possum if we thought it needed help. They could have made one of those disgusting Hoarders shows about us at one point, or at least that’s what it felt like. And to be completely honest here, I have to admit that I was usually the culprit bringing home mangy, flea-ridden, skinny, stinky critters I found on the side of the road. After a while, my wife finally said, Michael, enough with the hippies. If I see one more flower crown or or have to hear yellow submarine one more time, I’m gonna hurt someone. Peace and love, my …… you get the picture. We decided to rescue animals instead. They bathe more. I was responsible for them, top, though. I have had jobs over the years that put me right in the line of fire when it comes to big ol’ puppy dog eyes or adorable kittens and I’ve brought a bunch of the home. So let me go to the old mind kennel and pick out a couple or three of our Fur Babies to tell you about. The problem is, I love them all so much, it’s hard to choose. I’ll start off with one of the most beautiful cats you’ve ever laid eyes on. The Rum Tum Tugger. We just called him Tugger, but if you know anything about Broadway musicals, you’ll recognize the name as the cool cat from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, CATS. In fact, we’ve had several animals that we named after characters from Broadway shows. There was Bustopher Jones, Erik, spelled with a K after the first name of the Phantom of the Opera, Old Deuteronomy, which is biblical, I guess, but actually she was an enormous Green Iguana we raised from a baby, who lived for eleven years and was named after - you guessed it - a character from CATS. Anyway, back to Tugger. I was working as a bill collector. You might remember me talking about how much I hated that job in the last episode - episode 21, but there were a few things I took from that experience that were positives and Tugger was one of them. I literally took him from his home while doing time as an Assistant Manager for World Finance Corporation. I was doing what we called Chasing. I’m told they’ve made laws against it now, but it was basically going out to someone’s house who was avoiding our nagging, incessant phone calls trying to get them to pay us. I’d knock on their door and confront with something along the lines of, Hey … how’s about you pay me? But when I got to Tugger’s home, I understood why they hadn’t been answering their phone. They’d skipped town and I’d be having to do what we called Skip Tracing. Skip Tracing involves putting on your detective suit - mine comes with a cool plastic badge and writing mit - and tracking them down any way you can so that when you finally catch up to them, you surprise them by showing up at their nephew’s wedding reception and saying, Hey … How’s about you pay me? They had taken everything not nailed down to the trailer. Well, everything accept one. They left the cat. Not only had they left the cat behind without any food or water, but it had been an inside cat that wasn’t used to hunting for food. How do I know this? Because the poor thing had been declawed. I was about to leave and give my manager the stinky news that our customer had flown the coop when I heard a sound behind me. I turned and saw this amazing, long haired Himalayan with the biggest, brightest blue eyes coming toward me, crying for help. He was gaunt. He hadn’t eaten for days and he didn’t understand what was going on. All he knew was that the people he thought loved him had left and he wasn’t being fed and he was scared to death. After I made sure that he wouldn’t eat my face if I tried to touch him, I picked him up and I could feel every rib he had. He looked at me with those eyes, cried with that voice, and started to purr because finally, someone was showing him some love. It was over for me after that. I put him in the car and called my manager to tell him that I was taking the rest of the day off. The Rum Tum Tugger seemed to fit his look and so we became the proud parents of one of the sweetest, most appreciative felines to ever grace the face of this here earth. Of course there were a few issues that went along with resuming a cat who had been declawed and then set out in the wild to fens for himself, namely the issue that he hated every other animal he came into contact with and would try to eat their face. we had a couple of other cats and no matter what we tried, he would not get along with them. He wanted one thing - to eat their face. Imagine you’re another cat and your caretakers surprise you one day by bringing home a beautiful, show quality zombie bent on your destruction. It’s a love-hate relationship. You want to be friends because the new guy is so beautiful and majestic; so perfect. Unfortunately, the new guy is out for your blood and if you get anywhere near him, he will absolutely try to devour your soul. Obviously, Tugger got sequestered from the other cats. He really couldn’t do much because he was declawed, but he didn't know that and neither did the other cats? We hated having to close him in, but we couldn’t find a home for him and it was better than leaving him to die. He became our bedroom cat and he seemed just fine that way. He only had one other problem. He would sit inside his letter pan and crap over the side onto the floor. But we loved our Tugger and he lived a happy life for a long while until we came home one night and found he had crossed the rainbow bridge. My rescue efforts didn’t stop there. On another excursion of trying to find my customers so they would pay their bill, I ran into a tumultuous situation in the middle of the road and made the decision to put my life in danger. Right in the middle of the road was a tiny puppy, only a three or four weeks old, staring down the teeth of a large pit bull. Had I not gotten there when I did, this puppy, also a pit bull, would have become lunch. I didn’t even think about it. I ground my car to a stop in front of them, got out and barreled toward the big, angry pit bull … hungry pit bull? HANGRY pit bull, and yelled the magic sounds my father, and his father, and his father before him used to vanquished unwanted beasts from our midst. The magic words sound like this: Kyanh heyunh. GAWN GIT! The monster dog ran away because he’d heard the magic words before and knew they sometimes preceded a heavy object flying in his direction. I didn’t have a heavy object, so I was glad my bluff worked. Then I looked down at the cowering, shaking little puppy and realized what must have happened. He was covered from head to foot in mange. He was a sick puppy and I think the mama dog must have booted him from the litter, leaving him pray to whatever got there first. I couldn’t leave him there. I picked him up and took him home where my wife and I nursed him as well as we could, then took him to the vet. Demadectic mange was the diagnosis and it could be cured. The littles guy’s skin was so broken, cracked, and bleeding from the infection, than we couldn’t tell what his coloration would be for a while. We couldn’t keep him inside for long; the landlord wouldn’t have that. Besides, we already had two cats in one part of the house and another one in our bedroom that would certainly have a go at eating his face. So we kept him in until the mange was gone and built him a nice area outside. His fur grew in and he was a stunning, pastel gray and tan color. He wasn’t full pit and he was smaller than I thought he’d be, but he was a prince of a boy. I’ll never forget that face. We named him Gimli, after the dwarf from the Tolkien books because he was shorter, but stocky -powerful, but loveable. We didn’t see Gimli’s passing. There came a time in our marriage, not long after my son was born, that our lives took a bad turn and we had to move in with my mother for about six months. It was during the financial crash of the early 2000s and we had no choice but to take our babies to a no-kill shelter in hopes of finding better homes. It nearly killed us; my wife especially, and to this day, she can’t talk about it. We tried everything we knew to do in order to place them, but in t he end it was out of our hands and while we hoped to go back and readout them, we were not allowed to do so. I can’t think about it long myself. That was almost fifteen years ago and it still cuts to my heart and twists in there with an overwhelming pain I just can’t describe. There was only one of our fur babies that came back to us because she was the only one we were able to find a home for. My dearest Gracie. I didn’t realize this episode was going to be so hard. Yep, I was working for the loan company and on my way home from work one afternoon during the five o’clock rush. There were bustling, aggravated drivers all around me and I just wanted to get to the apartment and rest. As I roared down one of the busier sections of my commute on a four lane highway, I noticed a minuscule black dot up ahead. It looked like it had fur, so I figured it was just another victim of the road that would feed the buzzards later. But as I closed in on the furry black dot, I looked down and and its eyes - open, terrified, and definitely alive - met mine and watched me pass. Once again, I didn’t think, but whipped my car around in an illegal U-turn, which nearly caused a pile up, and pulled over to where the tiny black cat was huddled directly on the white line that separated the lanes. She ran when I come near to her and made it across the street to a parking lot before she couldn’t go any further. I noticed the awkward way she sort of flopped when she ran and once I caught up to her, I realized she’d already been hit. She was just a kitten, all black with bright, yellow-green eyes. She cried and I held her and took her to my car, not sure what to do. She was so small. She fit fully in just one of my hands. When I got home, my wife saw her and decided we were going to take her to the emergency vet in Greenville, SC an hour away. Kayla drove while I held the kitten and I cried my eyes out the whole way there because I knew what they were going to say. They were going to tell us it had been a valiant effort, but she was too far gone. We could already tell that she had no use of her front left leg. That’s what caused the awkward flop when she ran from me. But it was a miracle. The vet looked her over and came to the conclusion that the leg was all that was wrong with her. On top of that, he said there wasn’t any reason to amputate it because there was clean blood flow and she’d learn to use it to balance, even though she’d never be able to put weight on it. The vet asked if we were going to be responsible for her and we unanimously agreed we would. There was no need to talk about it. On the way home, we gave her the name that seemed to best fit her. Grace. God had given her grace in that He sent me to her at just the right time and saved her life. During the financial crisis I mentioned, we were able to place her temporarily with a friend of ours who had a particular love for her and she him. Whenever he would come over for a visit, she would come to him and shower him with affection. He was glad to take her and when we were back on our feet, she came home. We ended up calling her Gracie, instead of Grace over the years. That kitten I was sure would have to be put down the day I found her, the kitten who eventually reigned as queen of our household, blessed our family for 18 long years. She did so atop three strong legs and one comically stiff one that atrophied and flopped behind her as she ran right along with the rest of them. My dearest Gracie. I can’t do this any longer. I could tell you wonderful heart warming stories that Gracie placed herself right in the center of, but my heart wouldn’t be able to take it. She succumbed to feline diabetes in 2018 after a long battle. In the end, she was blind, deaf, and there are days I hate myself for selfishly keeping her with me for so long at the end. I just couldn’t stand the thought of being without her and I still can’t. She was my child. She was my beautiful Gracie. We honor all of our babies, furry, feathered, or scaly, with their own special ornament on the Christmas tree. We put them up individually as a family and cherish their memories. We don’t have pets around here. We don’t throw them out or put them down just because they get sick. They’re not human, we know that, but they are every bit a part of the family. They’re our children. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Funny Messy Life. As painful as it can be for me to talk about these things, it’s also nice to remember them. And if you heeded the warning at the start of this about getting your tissues ready, you’ll be just fine in a minute or two. If it didn’t affect you, then you probably have no heart and deserve to have your face eaten by a drop-dead gorgeous Himalayan zombie cat.

Ken Page, whose career took him from The Muny to Broadway and the big screen, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the local Arts and Education Council. Host Don Marsh talks to Page about his expansive career, which ranges from creating the character of Old Deuteronomy in the Broadway debut of the iconic musical “Cats” to voicing Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s film “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

In these two passages, we see that the “Old Testament God” and the “New Testament God” are one and the same. In Mark, Jesus is in conversation with his sacred text, the Hebrew Bible. Take a listen for some new insights that emerge when these passages are read together. Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Now these are the […]

Quentin Earl Darrington made his Broadway debut in the 2010 Tony nominated revival of Ragtime, starring as Coalhouse Walker Jr. He also made his cabaret debut with New York's Broadway by the Year series, “Songs of 1927,” and his solo concert debut with “QED, Chapter 1: Verse 1.” He is workshopping two new personal projects entitled “That’s Life” and “The Summer of 91.” In 2016 he starred as “Old Deuteronomy” in the Broadway classic, CATS and currently you can see him in the Tony-winning revival of Once On This Island playing “Agwe, the God of Water.” Quentin joined Hilary on the final episode of season 1 to share his journey to Broadway, his transformational approach to performing and criticism, and the metaphor that he uses to keep his own life and work in check. Episode Highlights “It’s even sad to hear when people in the industry, even other actors who all experience the same things, will negatively look at a show even if the show does have some points it needs to grow, the fact is that everyone is creating art and everyone is pouring their heart and soul into work and believing in it, even if it’s a show about a blade of grass. There’s always a redemptive property or idea that the actor or composer or writer is trying to get across to an audience. There is somebody or some people who need to hear it and who will hear it. Most work should be respected and given a chance, and if for nothing else at least for the effort it takes in creating what we create here on Broadway.” “Listen, when you find a place where you’re happy, when you find a place where people treat you with respect and love, where you can have fun and artistically grow, there is nothing better than that safe, fulfilling, positive environment.” “My job is to keep my life and my windows clean so that His light shines through me, and if I focus on that, I don’t have to worry about anything else. I’m good.” “The key to my “success” is to love people and to serve people.” “Wherever you find yourself as an artist, I believe there is a way for you to use your gift to uplift people and change people’s lives.” Connect with Hilary on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This episode is sponsored by the Side Hustle Starter Kit.

Gordan's Alive.  On this episode we speak to English actor, writer, presenter, and comedian Brian Blessed. Boisterous British actor Brian Blessed is known for his hearty, king-sized portrayals on film and television. A giant of a man accompanied by an eloquent wit and booming, operatic voice, Brian was born in 1936 and grew up in the mining village of Goldthorpe in South Yorkshire. His father was a miner who wanted a better life for his son; Brian lost three uncles in the pit. At a young age, he displayed an acute talent for acting in school productions, but also had a penchant for boxing, a direction that would be short-lived. Working various blue-collar jobs from undertaker's assistant to plasterer, Brian managed to attend the Bristol Old Vic and was off and running. He has lent his musical talents to several productions - from playing "Old Deuteronomy" in "Cats" to "The Baron" in the more recent "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". In the 1970s, he began appearing more and more on-camera with both classical and contemporary performances. In costumed television movies, he has played "Porthos" in The Three Musketeers (1966) and The Further Adventures of the Musketeers (1967), "Augustus" in I, Claudius (1976), and "Long John Silver" in John Silver's Return to Treasure Island (1986) and has been a part of various reenactments including Catherine the Great (1996), Lady Chatterley (1993), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) and Kidnapped (1995). On film, he has appeared in robust support in several William Shakespeare adaptations, including Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996) and Macbeth(1997). He is married to British actress Hildegard Neil, who made an appearance with him in Macbeth (1997). More recently, he appeared in Oliver Stone's epic-scale Alexander(2004) and in Kenneth Branagh's film version of William Shakespeare's As You Like It(2006). Brians new book The Panther in my Kitchen is out now Please support the Mark and Me Podcast here https://www.patreon.com/Markandme

 Ah, relationships. They're what make the world go round. From Adam and Eve to your crazy aunt and uncle who wear tinfoil hats in case the aliens finally come, relationships have defined our lives. Even if you think there's only you and a make believe woman you created out of an old string mop, Twizzlers, and a couple of coconuts, you're in for an awakening. You and that string mop woman are in a relationship - a weird one to be sure, and you probably need to see a professional – but a relationship none the less. And eventually, you're not going to see eye to eye.  I'm Michael Blackston and these are a few stories from my own relationship bucket - the one that pours out all over my Funny, Messy Life.  Some people have made the claim that marriage is hard, but I disagree. It's always been my opinion that marriage is not hard - and I've been married for over 20 years – but it's life that can be difficult. “Being married”, at least for me, has never been tough. In fact, having each other to lean on has been a blessing. But that doesn't mean the road we've traveled never got rocky and most of the time over stupid stuff. There was a time earlier on when we refused to make disagreements easy, but we learned over the years how to handle those moments amicably. Although ...  Once Upon A Time, We Fought.  My wife and I rarely fight anymore. Oh, we argue, like all couples do, over small things that are inconsequential in the long run.  “PLEASE put your empty clothes hangers on the empty clothes hanger rack like I’ve asked a million times. When I do the laundry, I feel like I hear the theme from Sanford & Sons in the background if I have to go to your closet!”  “I don’t have time in the morning.”  “It takes five seconds!” “Don’t yell at me!”  “I’m not YELLING!”  “Here it comes ... this is the big one!”  I’ll let you decide for yourself who’s who in that conversation. You might be surprised if I told you.  But recently, we had an argument. That’s all it was – an argument. It in no way resembled a fight between my bride of over twenty years and me. As you’ll see, when we used to have real fights, they were epic! I say “were” because we've learned it's much better to argue than to fight. So in this recent argument, we raised our voices a tad louder than normal and clipped our sentences to make our points in a way that might be described as snippy, snide, or You-Don’t-Have-To-Bite-My-Head-Off.  I was on the road somewhere around Atlanta on my way home from a business trip and she was on her way to get our little girl from my mom’s, where she’d been staying for a few days. Our son was in the car with my wife and he later described our argument as a fight. My better half had to explain it to him. She told him that wasn’t a fight. “You’ve never seen us really fight.”  Let me tell you the story of one of those fights. And before you wave me off with a dismissive hand because what I’m about to tell you pales in comparison to the redneck fisticuffs you and your partner come to, understand that each pair is different from the next. I’m sure if we watched you and yours go at it, we’d whisper to each other, “Glad we ain’t THAT nutballs.”  The reason I’ll give you for this fight won’t necessarily be accurate because it was a long time ago and I can’t exactly remember why it happened; only that it did.  It had been a long day at the office and life had gotten on my last nerve. It was also a summer day in the deep south, so the heat was unbearable. Heat in the deep south knocks on your door first thing in the morning with brass knuckles and when you open that door, it grabs you by the head and sticks your face right into its armpit. You stay buried in the armpit of the sun all day, whether you're in air-conditioning or not. At night there's at least a little relief, depending on the humidity, when Southern Heat removes your nearly lifeless body from its armpit and places you roughly in its damp, stinky gym shoe, wrapped in the wet sock it’s been wearing all afternoon.  After the day I’d had, the night had come and I found myself struggling in Heat’s left Puma (because it doesn’t even have the decency to wear cool shoes) where it was dark and dank and smelled like old tacos.  My wife’s day hadn’t been any better, so our tempers were on a hair-trigger and since it was fairly early on in our marriage, the wisdom to think before we acted wasn’t in our wheelhouse yet.  The fight started at the grocery store. Money was tight because we liked to eat out too much and went to too many movies, so the plan was to only get the essentials we needed and food for the lizard. You heard me right – the lizard. Our green iguana, Old Deuteronomy, had gotten large and had to have special food. Okay, I’ll explain the lizard’s name real quick: We love the musical, CATS.  There. Understand now?  Anyway, her special diet consisted of fresh vegetables and leafy greens. She was partial to zucchini, yellow squash, and kale greens.  Once in the store, Deut’s food already found, we started trying to figure out what our “essentials” would be. An ideal selection might be a few fruits and vegetables, some canned stuff, and maybe a couple of box dinners – mostly items that could be refrigerated for a while or placed in a cabinet and forgotten until we needed to clean it out and “donate” to the church food pantry. (Isn’t that what everybody does? You donate the out of date canned food and boxes of stuff you were going to start fixing but forgot about because you still end up picking up fast food on your way home from work?)  Unfortunately, I was in no mood for “essentials”. The sweaty sock of Southern Heat was sticking to my cheeks and I’d had enough. I’d had all the day I could handle and decided I wanted Oreos and a pizza.  I told my new wife of this decision.  “No.” She said vehemently.  “Yes.” I stated it back even more vehemently and thought to myself, I do enjoy being vehement.  “No, we agreed that we were going to stop spending foolishly and live by only the essentials until we get caught up on bills.”  I made that “PLLBTTSHT!” sound that would be translated into proper English as, Oh posh, my dear. Clearly you’re not aware of my inability to retain a verbal contract.  “I want pizza and Oreos. I have had a bad day and I refuse to have anything else,” I continued with aplomb. Or maybe it was a plum. I might have eaten a plum.  “Oreos are expensive, Michael! We’re not getting Oreos.”  “We ARE TOO getting Oreos. I love them so much that in roughly twenty-ish years, I’ll start an extremely funny and charming comedy blog / podcast where I’ll frequently mention my love for the crème filled cookie!”  The argument went on throughout our time in the grocery store and we walked out without the Oreos. We also drove away without ordering a pizza.  During the ride home, very little was said and my wife could tell I was hot under the collar, not to mention under my clothes, and especially those special spots on my body where Summer Heat likes to burrow in deep. Let’s call them crevices. She could also tell because I have an acute ability to pout.  I reckon I was at DefCon 5 over that pizza and those Oreos. When we parked in the driveway, she asked me to stay in the car so we could talk it out. She didn’t want to go into the house angry and let the iguana see us not getting along. But I was in no mood for talking. The irrational butt-face of a southern summer had been having its way with me for too long and I’d gotten a tad out of sorts.  “I don’t feel like talking.”  “We need to. I won’t have Deuteronomy seeing us not getting along. She’s a tender lizard and it might upset her.”  “She’s a lizard.”  My wife gasped and put a hand to her mouth; unable to believe my cold-blooded comment about our cold-blooded reptile. “She’s our baby!”  I got out of the car silently, the bag of fresh vegetables for the lizard in my hand, only wanting to go inside and try to get over my craving. My wife was not ready to give up, though.  “You know we agreed on being frugal. You said you agreed and now you’re trying to turn it around on me.” Her statement might appear to be sad and sweet at first, but her voice and her eyes told a different story. There was anger and sharpness to her tone. Fire was in her eyes and even the Southern Heat cowered in fear.  I wasn’t phased and became angrier than before. My nerves had reached their end and I exploded. “ALL I WANTED WAS SOME &*%$$ PIZZA AND SOME #$%^ OREOS BUT NOOOOO! YOU HAD TO PUT THE OLD KYBASH ON THAT, DIDN’T YOU?! WHO CARES WHAT THE @#$%! MICHAEL WANTS?! LET’S BE FRUUUUUGGGGAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!” (Yes, I spoke like that earlier in our marriage. No, I do not now, as I reconnected with Jesus shortly afterward.)  Dogs in the neighborhood started barking and lights in windows switched on as gawkers wondered what was going on. That might have been normal enough for the bad neighborhood we lived in and on a redneck Friday night. But unfortunately for our beloved lizard, I had flailed my arms like a madman and sent the vegetables flying out of the plastic bag and onto the neighbor’s roof.  Okay, so I actually made it a point to throw the bag of vegetables as high and as hard as I could.  We stood in silence for a few seconds, then looked at each other and started to laugh. That’s one of the things I love about us. Even if we get out of sorts, we can end the ordeal with a laugh. We went back to the store and re-purchased the food for the lizard. No mention of pizza or Oreos was made on the second trip, by the way.  The next morning, there were bits of yellow squash, zucchini, and kale greens all over the yard; leftovers the squirrels didn’t want.  We talk about the “Vegetable” fight to this day - it’s our own little Veggie Tale - and we’re thankful that after twenty years, we’re past acting like that.  And now my wife has texted me to request that I pick her up a sausage biscuit before I come home. I will do that because I can afford to now.  But not before I run by a place that sells Oreos. _______________  Sometimes it helps to have side skills when it comes to working out the kinks in a relationship. I learned early on that my wife is a sucker for certain accents from other areas of the world. When we first met, I could talk to her like an Australian and she’d melt. She also gets weak in the knees when a Scottish man speaks. I think, though, that most guys have a universal tool at their disposal if they'll just learn to use it. I believe it's entirely possible to …   Get Out Of Jams With A British Accent  WIFE. “Don’t give me that look!”  ME. “What look?”  WIFE. “That look you just gave me. I don’t appreciate it.”  ME. “I didn’t give you a look. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  WIFE. (Getting hostile) “Yes you do. You looked at me like I’m stupid. That was embarrassing.”  ME. (Raising my own voice) “I don’t know what look you thought you saw, but I’m tired of you accusing me of a look when I didn’t give you a look!”  WIFE. (Really angry now - nostrils flaring) “THAT ONE! THE ONE YOU’RE GIVING ME RIGHT NOW! THAT’S THE LOOK!”  ME. (Standing my ground) “I LOOK LIKE THIS! I CAN’T HELP THE WAY MY FACE IS SHAPED! YOU KNOW MY FACE NATURALLY LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY JUST CUT THE CHEESE. I’M VERY, VERY HAPPY!”  WIFE. “Forget it. You’ll never admit you gave me a look.”  ME. (In a British accent) “I would never look upon you in such a way as to raise your ire, my dear. What you mistook for disdain, love, was, in fact, only the face of one with the deepest of desire for you. Let us not fight.”  WIFE. (With sincere delight) “I’m sorry. I love you.”  BOOM!  I believe I’ve found the holy grail of argument enders. Men, learn to deliver a decent British accent. Women love it.  It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done, you can douse the fire by speaking with the voice of a debonair English gent. What you heard before is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to weaseling out from under your screw-ups, but I’m warning you. This is a power that has to be handled with care. A wise man once said, “With great power comes great skills that enable you to wear spandex and get away with it.”  You’ve got to be careful not to over-use this new knowledge and understand that it’s not enough to be kind of sort of okay and sound a little like a guy who might have visited London once.  You need to study the dialects and know what to use and when to use it. If you’re trying to get out of a situation where you have, under a moment of intense stupidity, asked a woman who is not pregnant when she’s due and would like to get back into her good graces, it might be a smart idea to break out your 007 voice. It might come out something like, “I beg your pardon. I was mistaking the glow your presence has given this room as that of the bearer of miracles. I stand corrected. Your beauty is simply a radiance you emit everywhere you go. Forgive me.”  What you might NOT want to do is dial up your drunken Cockney accent.  “OY! I wan’t meanin’ t’cull ye fat, dearie. It’s clear t’me yer sufferin’ from sump’n glandular!”  As you can see, that wouldn’t be your best option. It’s important to know when to be an Aristocrat and when to be the British version of Larry the Cable Guy.  Years ago, I found myself in a similar situation at a restaurant. Our waitress, who we’d gotten to know over the months was once again serving our table. We’d never known her to be what you’d call “small” and because I’m a man and an unobservant idiot, I didn’t catch on to her clues. One night while laying down a delicious basket of garlic cheese biscuits, she announced she’d recently delivered her baby. Being Captain Tactful, I replied, “Congratulations! This whole time, I hadn’t realized you were pregnant.” Innocent enough on my part; I was telling the truth. But in my innocence, - or idiocy - I didn’t realize that by my comment I was letting her know that I hadn’t been able to tell the difference between regular her or pregnant her. It would have been nice to be able come back with something in a british accent, but how? I wasn’t ready, so I knew I needed to come up with something to keep me prepared at all times in case my mouth starts dripping with stupid.  Gentlemen, in order to help you to be ready - not if, but when - the time arrives to transform your persona into that of a rugged, yet charming Englishman, I’ve created the following four-question test. You have two choices in each scenario, so think it through. If you fail, the only way for you to learn your lesson fully will be to punish you by forcing you to listen to an endless loop of Pat Boone’s cover of Crazy Train. Good luck. The correct answers will be given at the end of the quiz. Situation 1:  The flight attendant on your plane traveling from Atlanta to New York is UUUUUU-GLY! You can’t help but stare at the way her unibrow doesn’t just connect points A and B, but does a funky little high-five number in the middle. Her personality is spot on and she doesn’t even mind you constantly asking her to bring you ginger ale to settle your stomach. After her twelfth trip to pacify you with a smile so your whining doesn’t upset the other passengers, you make an innocent comment.  “I like the way your eyebrows meet in the middle and flip up to do a little celebration like somebody just scored a touchdown.”  Which of the following positions should you take after you realize you’re a moron and she replies, “You’re no prize, yourself. At least you can see my eyebrows, you albino!” Do you say:  A: (With the voice of Dr. Strange actor, Beandip Curlicue) I’ve upset you. My words were certainly meant as a compliment. My auntie Grace had the same beautiful unibrow - a singular stretch of nurturing fur that reminded me of a puppet - and I was simply remembering her face as she sang me to sleep on a summer evening.” or ...  B: (With the voice of Mssr. Thenardier from the London cast of Les Miserables) I’m sorry, Madam. I’s just tryin’ t’save yer fore-edd from what oy thot was wunna them great big poison cattuh-pilluhs, oy was!” Situation 2:  The lady sitting next to you in the movie theatre – a complete stranger - absent-mindedly forgets who is sitting where and plunges her hand into your popcorn bucket. You've noticed earlier that under her fingernails, there appears to reside the remnants of thirty years of digging through garbage. Obviously, you can no longer eat any popcorn from the bucket and you scream at her like a mad man. “What’s wrong with you?! At least have a Haz-Mat team look at your fingernails before you go all Rambo into a dude’s popcorn bucket!”  Which of the following replies should you make once she turns your direction and you realize she’s blind and is wearing an I Plant Flowers For The Poor pin on her shirt? Do you say:  A: “Ello? Wat’re doin’ in this ‘ere movie anyway? Ye can’t see nuffin’!” or ...  B: “Alas, I drive the nail into a coffin of my own making. Would that I have thought before behaving so poorly, good woman. Here, allow me to straighten your pin and wipe that smudge from the face of it.” Situation 3:  You’re at a family reunion you didn’t want to go to in the first place. Your old aunt Grace makes a B-line the moment she sees you and you only make sense of it all after she’s planted a sloppy kiss right on your cheek. Which of the following reactions ought you to adopt?  A: (Like the disagreeable Filch from the Harry Potter series) I nevuh loyked kisses, mum. Not from the likes of a woman wat raises poison Catuh-pilluhs on ‘er face.” or ...  B: (In the style of the loveable, Mr. Bean, you say nothing, but look alarmed whereas you cock one eyebrow, lick your lips, then turn around and walk face first into the door, knocking yourself blissfully out so you don’t have to look at that eyebrow anymore.) Who knew aunt grace was a flight attendant? Situation 4:  You've been invited to the White House for dinner with the President and the First Lady. You are asked to remain standing until they’ve arrived and have been seated first. Once they come in and are sitting at the table, you’re shown to your seat and the dinner begins. You say, “So where’s the REAL president?” Realizing you’ve just insulted him, how should you recover?  A: (In your best Winston Churchill) “Oh dear, I’ve spoken ill. Oh well, they say there’s a kernel of truth in everything, do they not?” or ...  B: (In your best Capt. Jack Sparrow) “Oh dear, I’ve spoken ill. Oh well, they say there’s a kernel of truth in everything, do they not?”  For your scoring, the correct answers were:  A, B, B, A  You’ll notice they spell ABBA, a wonderful musical group from the 70s who have nothing to do with this story, yet here they are.  The point is that while not all of the situations above present an argument, they do offer an uncomfortable situation where you might, in applying the proper British accent, escape by the skin of your tooth.  (In an English accent) I do hope this has helped to further the cause of idiot men who have no filter between their heads and their mouths. By applying these techniques, you can be a winner in the long run. And as we all know, the winner takes it all.  Dangit, ABBA! _________________  One thing I've learned from a couple of decades of chewing on the matrimonial croutons of my life salad is that once a couple has spent enough time with each other, they tend to break from the mold of the world's traditions and create their own. Even anniversaries have specific precious items that mark the years spent together. 25 years is the “Silver Anniversary”. 50 years is the “Gold Anniversary”. I think 70th is “Comfy Coffin.” For my wife and I, the traditions don't mean much and that tends to confuse people. Take Valentine's Day …   The Fakest Day Of The Year  My wife doesn’t care a bit for Valentine's Day and I love the crap out of her for it. I know that sounds like such a man thing to say, but it's true and you're not the first person to think that I'm kidding myself. The reason is because my wife has the keen ability to spot bull hockey. (If you need to dive further into the definition of the word “hockey”, listen again to the last story from episode 3 called, I Can't Work In These Conditions. It means what you think it means, by the way.)  This ability was sparked in my wife at a young age and it made her a skeptic that doesn't believe you. That's not an incomplete sentence. She doesn't believe anybody about anything without having every fact available and I think she's better for it. We have no Ginsu Knives or anything else bought off late night TV for three easy installments of $19.95. She knows what she knows and once she knows it, she knows to know that she knows it and that's all that matters. In other words, my wife is a No-Nonsense kind of gal.  On top of that, she's not mysterious. She tells me exactly what she wants and she doesn’t veil it in riddles no normal man can figure out.  Early on in our marriage, we came to a mutual decision that gifts were to be things given due to a truly emotional desire to make the other one happy and in a manner and time that it's clear the gift isn't being given because we're “supposed to.” That agreement has made things incredibly easy throughout the years. As long as I'm thinking about her and showing my love for her in both tangible ways - flowers just because, her favorite candy if I pass it in the grocery store, or “I love you” written in the soap scum and mildew on the shower wall, she’s fine. Also the intangibles – like holding down a job, walking on the sidewalk between her and the road so I’m the one that gets sprayed by passing cars or splattered by a texting driver, or lighting a candle if my bathroom visit is longer than it takes to read the sports section. Just don't tell us when we “have” to give gifts or show our affection. The world isn't the boss of us and with that idea in mind, we're perfect for each other.  Enter Valentine's Day. We appreciate that it’s a day set aside for making that extra effort to show the one you love that you care. We just don't buy into it, nor do we need to. I verbally tell my wife “I love you” at least five times a day, sometimes more, and she does the same thing for me. Add to that the fact that we do things for each other to show it throughout the day, and there's no need for cardboard hearts full of chocolate.  We don't buy it because we see it for what it’s become – a day for dudes to cram into a department store because they waited until the last minute to buy the flowers, candy, cards, jewelry, perfume, bath salts, spa sessions, etc. Thanks, but no thanks. We've decided to actively protest Valentine's Day. We schedule a dinner on the weekend before or after and if I need to be out of town on the fourteenth of February, I go. People don't believe me when they ask what I'm doing for my wife for Valentine's Day and I reply with a haughty I'm-Better-Than-You look on my face, “I'm providing a dang home.”  “What are you REALLY doing?”  “I’m working.”  “Yeah, but what at you getting for Kayla for Valentine's Day.”  “Bacon.”  “Bacon?”  “You heard me, Bacon. I'm bringin' it home, buddy.”  And the beautiful things is, she's good with that. Together, we thrust our middle fingers upward at the world's expectations and shout, “Take that and drive all the way to Valentown!” If we get those little heart shaped sugar candies with words on them, we try to spell out “Kiss it, V-Day!”  Every day is Valentine's Day for me and my wife and if you don't believe us? We don't care. If you think we're missing something in our marriage, we might listen - and I emphasize the word “might” - if you've got more years of happy wedded squishiness under your belt than we do. But, if you don't, we'll just tell you to shove it up yer Valentush before we plant a big ol' kiss on each other and connect our fingers in a tangle that's as natural and real as the love that no holiday could ever dictate. _________________  Relationships are a part of life and it's up to each individual to decide how strong one will become.  

Even if your feet's too big come to the heavyside layer and join Rob and Kevin as they sit down with the incredible star of The Wiz, Ain't Misbehavin, Cats, and the iconic The Nightmare Before Christmas, the warm and wonderful Ken Page. Ken pulls back the curtain on his career to discuss how a young boy from Missouri became one of Broadway's most beloved actors, what it was like learning to play a cat, and why he still loves being the Oogie Boogie. Also, Ken shines the spotlight on The MUNY, Trevor Nunn, Nell Carter, and Tim Burton! Become a sponsor of Behind The Curtain and get early access to interviews, private playlists, and advance knowledge of future guests so you can ask the legends your own questions. Go to: http://bit.ly/2i7nWC4