Chadderbox

One of my favorite things about this time of year — aside from the impending summer stretch and trips to the beach! — is the influx of theater announcements around town to learn what’s coming next season. It’s always an interesting reveal ... sometimes baffling ... occasionally a mixed bag ... and once in a while, such an exciting, stellar list of shows that I can barely wait for the summer to fly by and new seasons take the stage.

The latter is certainly the case with TPAC’s 2012-13 season! Playing on the fact that Nashville is Music City, local audiences are in for a treat of a season full of nothing but musicals, and some amazing ones are coming. The regular lineup includes Anything Goes (Oct. 23 - 28), Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Nov. 13 - 18), Catch Me if You Can (Jan. 22 - 27, 2013), Traces (Feb. 19 - 24, 2013), Flashdance (March 19 - 24, 2013) and the long-awaited return of Disney’s The Lion King (May 7 - June 2, 2013). There are also two, short-run, add-on specials, American Idiot (March 5 - 7, 2013) and Rock of Ages (April 19 - 20, 2013).

If that’s not enough to get you excited, wait, there’s more! All Broadway shows start somewhere, and this summer (July 24 - Aug. 19), Nashville will be home to the world premiere of a brand-new musical, The Nutty Professor. Comic legend (and star/co-writer of the 1963 film) Jerry Lewis himself is directing and will be in town for the entire run to tweak, polish and sculpt as needed. With book and lyrics by Rupert Holmes and music by the sensational Marvin Hamlisch, The Nutty Professor is sure to be a memorable experience for families. After all, it’s extremely cool that we get to be the first to see it before it makes it on the Great White Way!

Most people agree that art is important for children. At the root is the fact that self-expression boosts a child’s ability to interact with the world around him, important for his overall development. You can easily encourage your kids at home with an assortment of supplies ranging from colored pencils and crayons to paint and clay. You can also take advantage of the many venues in the area that offer art activities for children.

One of my favorites is The Frist Center for the Visual Arts. It’s a great place to take your kids to connect them with art, and at its heart and soul resides the fabulous Martin ArtQuest Gallery on the second floor. What’s more, the activities and museum admission for kids 18 and younger are FREE!

Thirty different stations allow children of all ages to explore their creative minds through a hands-on approach. Here they can paint, sketch, make prints and more all while learning about the necessary elements of art like color, texture, perspective and beyond.

In fact, the different stations introduce kids to three distinct areas of art education: art essentials, art materials and techniques, and art and meaning, which encourages children to think about art and talk about it.

Some of the activities change in concert with current exhibitions in the galleries, so there’s often new projects to explore and learn from to stimulate the creative brain, and it’s so important for children to tap into that side of themselves no matter how old they are. It’s not just for kids, either! Moms and dads, you can have fun exploring your own imaginations right alongside your little ones, which will surely inspire them even more.

As someone who is a creative sort, not to mention an editor, I will admit that I’ve overused the cliché term “pushing the envelope” on probably too many occasions. But there really is something to that notion because of it’s meaning — exploring something out of the ordinary, taking a risk, doing something outside of one’s comfort zone and seeing whether it sticks or has any inherent value that means anything to yourself let alone anyone else.

When you exist in a creative arena, there is a need for what’s swirling around in your mind to resonate with an audience who can share and appreciate the same experience ... and it’s OK to explore things creatively that you keep to yourself ... things that might never be shared or ever see the light of day among the masses.

And sometimes, no matter how old or young you may be, it takes a little pushing from a friend or loved one to make you realize that there is more than meets the eye within yourself.

Case in point. One of my good buddies is a stand-up comedian who performs professionally and also hits open mic nights at a local haunt in town. Several weeks ago, when I was there just for moral support, he excitedly asked, “Are you going up tonight?!” I laughed at the notion before responding, “A world of NO!” I’m not a comedian. After egging me on a bit and a later conversation, I realized my friend saw something in me that I didn’t recognize in myself: that a lot of funny things do come out of my mouth randomly at times.

So, I decided to give it a whirl, and much to my surprise, I have found that writing comedy and jokes is something — which I never imagined I would ever do in my life — that I thoroughly enjoy, and after delivering it to an audience, realized I’m not too shabby in that arena. The creative outlet is immense, and I find myself actively making time at home now to pursue this new venture that’s just for fun. It’s definitely a sharp contrast to the style of writing I do for my job. And to think, if it hadn’t been the suggestion and ribbing from a pal, I would have never considering tapping into a part of my brain I never knew existed.

This is a great example of why it’s so important for parents to introduce their young children to creativity, to open doors of exploration and encourage them along the way. It’s also why it’s important when your older kids are plugged into something creative that they are really good at and comfortable with to keep applauding them, but also nudging them into exploring other pursuits and pushing envelopes in other areas they might not have considered but might wholeheartedly enjoy.

It's that time of year again. One of my biggest nights on TV — The Academy Awards. Every year, friends and I compare our lists of who we think will win, and yes, that's taking into consideration the politics involved with award shows.

This year, though, instead of banging out a list of who I think will win, I submit my list of who and what I think SHOULD win based on the actual performances and final product.

Best Picture — The Artist
Leading Actor — Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Supporting Actor — Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Leading Actress — Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Supporting Actress — Octavia Spencer in The Help
Animated Feature — Puss in Boots
Art Direction — The Artist
Cinematography — The Artist
Costume Design — The Artist
Directing — The Artist
Film Editing — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Makeup — Albert Nobbs
Original Score — The Artist
Sound Editing — Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Visual Effects — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Adapted Screenplay — Tinker Tailor Soldier Boy
Original Screenplay — The Artist

Only two more days to find out who wins what, and Meryl Streep will be robbed if she doesn't win for leading actress. Just sayin'.

It was a sad day for Middle Tennessee families when Opryland Theme Park closed permanently on Dec. 31, 1997. Granted, there were some tacky aspects to Opryland, but that was part of the charm. At least there was a theme park here in town. A place fun for families to spend a day.

For years, a lot of folks in these parts, myself included, have whined, wailed, moaned and groaned about how this city needs another theme park ... not only for fun entertainment, but the economical advantages it would bring back to our city.

Well, whine and cry no more! It was so exciting that the great Dolly Parton was in town last month during her 66th birthday, and spent a bit of it making headlines when she announced her Dollywood Company is teaming up with Gaylord Opryland to open a $50 million, 114-acre water and snow park — the first of its kind — here in Nashville, located adjacent to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

Boasting high-energy water activities during the summer months, and snow activities during cold weather months, you can bet that with Dolly’s involvement, it’s gonna rock! She undoubtedly knows how to entertain like no one else. Now, the hard part is going to be exercising patience as the park’s opening is slated for spring 2014 (groundbreaking is due later this year or beginning of 2013), but it sure is nice to have something so great and exciting to look forward to.

What’s more, the two entities are putting their heads together to bring live entertainment to the fold. “I’m so excited about this opportunity,” says Dolly. “We’re all working on new types of entertainment to do in the daytime and nighttime for the whole family.”

So, thank you, Dolly for coming to the rescue and bringing something big and grand back to Nashville. We’ve all been desperately chomping at the bit since 1998!

While enjoying a wonderful evening at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center last night during the Nashville Symphony's Wicked Divas pops series concert, I was greatly reminded of the magic that music possesses. Whether it's a beautiful classical piece, a bouncy pop ditty or an emotional torch song, is there anything else really except for music that wields such emotional power?

I've always loved music of most genres (not a fan of metal, rap or hip hop), but everything else I connect to one way or another. It's funny how my mood dictates what I will listen to at any given moment, whether driving in the car running errands or out at the park doing my daily running routine. And I can always find just the right thing to sate my emotional state of mind. If I'm in a really great mood, I know the roster of happy music that I will enjoy the most, and if I'm angst ridden for any reason, I know what I'll reach for just the same.

At the Wicked Divas show, though, it really struck me as to why I've always loved theater songs. They tell stories, and some pretty amazing ones at that. It was a great treat to hear two wonderful Broadway veterans belting memorable songs from a collection of shows — both classic and contemporary — that stand the test of time. Even the tunes the symphony played without singers struck emotional chords just because of the sheer majesty of a live orchestra. And that's something that anyone of any age can enjoy and experience in his own way on his own journey.

Although the symphony does offer its Pied Piper series for kids a few times a year, and those are WONDERFUL events, especially for the littlest ones in your clan, taking children to the "adult" shows so to speak is, in my opinion, an even greater, grander experience. Music knows no age boundaries, and giving kids opportunities to experience it live can only enrich their overall sense of being.

The biggest thing I look forward to during the month of January is getting to marvel at the amazing works of art on display at Cheekwood during the Scholastic Art Competition exhibit. Running Jan. 27 - Feb. 19, the artwork is part of the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the oldest (and one of the most prestigious) student art competitions in the country — the likes of Red Grooms and Andy Warhol were past winners.

More than 77,000 students in grades 7 - 12 participate in the competition each year, and this is the 20th year that Cheekwood serves as a regional affiliate representing Middle Tennessee. More than 800 works of art submitted by local students include paintings, drawings, photography, digital art, ceramics and sculpture.

A panel of judges select “Gold Key” level works, which are the ones you can see on display in the exhibit. After the exhibit closes next month, the Gold Key pieces will go to New York to be judged in the national competition. Trust me and do yourself and your kids a big favor — see the exhibit! Every year I leave mesmerized and inspired by the high-caliber work of art by young kids. If you didn’t walk in already knowing that the works on display were by the hands of junior high and high school students, you’d easily assume that much older, well-seasoned, professional artists created them ... which makes the viewing experience extra awe-inspiring.

The wonderful thing about art is how something so still in its frame can grip you emotionally whether it’s good or bad, whimsical or terrible. Taking children, even young children, to art galleries is a great way to engage their imaginations. For you, moms and dads, it can become an interesting journey — and sometimes a comical one — to discover what your kids are really processing when asked what they think about a work of art. And the same piece of visual art can mean something different to everyone. Go explore and discover with your kids!

Music is perhaps the most powerful of all art forms in the way it connects us to ourselves, to each other and to the world around us ... how it strikes deep emotional cords within us, be they happy or sad. We’re lucky to live in a city with so much music filling the air, and we’re especially fortunate to have the Nashville Symphony and the world-class Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

I have always appreciated the symphony’s emphasis on music education for kids, but have never been as impressed as I was this past October when I attended my first Pied Piper Series concert. The Pied Piper Series is specifically intended for children. Conductor Kelly Corcoran says ages 3 - 8 is the target range, though all ages can enjoy the shows. Each performance lasts one hour or less — perfect considering short attention spans — and there is a huge emphasis on making the performances fun.

“We want to make the shows both educational and entertaining,” Corcoran says. The show I saw was definitely both. Not only do kids learn about different instruments and sections in the orchestra, but there’s also a huge visual component on stage, too (the day I was there, dancers from the School of Nashville Ballet were on stage). “The visual aspect is an important part,” Corcoran says, adding, “whether there are actors, dancers, projections on a screen ... it ties the music together. We want kids to experience music and let their imaginations take them on an amazing adventure.”

The pre-concert activities that take place an hour prior to the concerts add even more fun to the overall experience. All throughout the wings of the Schermerhorn, kids can find a plethora of things to entertain themselves. A hands-on instrument petting zoo where kids can get their fingers on a variety of instruments is always on tap, and they can also participate in arts and crafts, games and more, all connected to the theme of the concert they will see.

The fun isn’t just for the kids. I can attest that adults have just as much fun during the Pied Piper experience as their little ones do. If you’ve yet to take your kids, I encourage you to do so this month with the next installment, Pied Piper Holiday, taking place on Saturday, Dec. 17, which Corcoran describes as a “holiday instrument workshop.” The gift of music is a tremendous one, and no one does it better than the Nashville Symphony!

After Jim Henson's untimely death 21 years ago, the Muppets have never been the same, especially after Disney acquired them in 2004. Fast forward to current day, and I will admit I was eager to see the movie, The Muppets, that hit the big screen a couple weeks ago.

Huge disappointment. A bizarre storyline on many counts (including the fact that is mostly a blatant rehash of It's a Very Muppet Christmas, when the Muppet Theater was in danger of being destroyed, et al), and way too much focus on the human characters (in Henson's world, the humans were there to help the Muppets further the storyline, not hog the spotlight).

Being a Muppet purist, having grown up with the original The Muppet Show starting in 1976, it's hard for me to get past new people providing the voices to the felt characters, but what really steams me about the new movie is the gross, in-your-face Disneyfication of it all, not to mention the crude fart-shoe sporting Fozzie Bear (Henson would never have stooped to that kind of humor).

Granted, there are a couple of memorable and fun moments in the movie that will only mean something to those of us who grew up with the TV show, but all in all, I felt like the innocent heart and soul the Muppets used to possess has been destroyed and they would be better off never being seen or heard from again.

If you see it, I hope it resonates better on your end.

All the buzz this week is the opening of the next installment of the Twilight saga, which happened today. Yes, I went to see it, so go ahead and make fun of me. I read all of Stephenie Meyer's books, and with the exception of the first movie (I thought it was terrible and no wonder that director got replaced), I thought New Moon and Eclipse were well done on the big screen.

And I'll readily admit that I've been very eager to see how Breaking Dawn would play out in movie form. Personally, I think it was really well done, but that's not really the point of what I'm writing about at this moment.

When the first Twilight movie came out, I saw it at a 7 p.m. showing on opening weekend, along with a fellow fan of the books who is also interested in vampire lore. There we were, the two "old" people in a theater surrounding by screaming teenage girls...

When New Moon came out, a dear friend of mine and I went to the Thursday midnight showing (because technically it was movie-release Friday at that point), thinking we'd be safe from the teeny boppers. Not the case! Don't they have curfews anymore? Again, a theater full of screaming teenage girls...

I got thwarted the same way when Eclipse hit the theaters, too.

Today, I thought I had outsmarted them... And I did in regard to succeeding in avoiding the teen crowd. I got out of my office early today for my oil-change appointment for my car. Got in there early, and 30 minutes later I was good to go. Was still early afternoon, so I whipped out my iPhone and checked on movie times at Regal Green Hills (the only movie theater I'm willing to go to aside from the Franklin Theater). I could make the 4:10 showing of Breaking Dawn, so I headed to Green Hills thinking no one will be there at that point in the day.

Boy was I wrong. No, the screaming teen girls weren't there. In their place existed their mothers or what could-have-been their mothers! I wound up being one of the only two guys in the packed Auditorium 2. And I felt sorry for the other chap, because I could tell he didn't want to be there.

I had heard about the TwiMoms before, but this was my first personal encounter with them. All I can say is I would have much rather seen the movie with the screaming teenage audience versus the absurdity I witnessed this afternoon. I'm sorry, but there is something just a little bit messed up with a bunch of 40-something-year-old women going overboard, out-of-their-seats nuts over the albeit young, hunky guys in this movie. The reaction from these women is exactly what is expected from their teen daughters.

And taking into consideration that both of the main male characters in the Twilight story are teen boys -- and vampire Edward Cullen is forever an ageless 17-year-old -- there's a little bit of a creep-out factor there, not to mention a double standard. If the genders were reversed and a theater full of 40-year-old men were hooting and hollering in the same manner about a 17-year-old girl, someone would be calling the cops.

I can't wait to see Part 2 of Breaking Dawn, which doesn't come out until November 2012, but I will wait to see it once it comes out on DVD. I can't deal with another audience like this one was.

It’s amazing to reflect on the journey of life once in a while, to ponder the process, the peaks and valleys of going from point A to point Z ... whether it’s an artistic journey, a career pursuit or just life in general. In the weeks following Steve Jobs’ death, it’s been extremely interesting to read a lot more about this revolutionary man’s life and career (in fact there’s a newly released authorized biography, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson, available now).

Of all the things I read, the most interesting — and poignant — was Jobs’ commencement address to the 2005 graduates at Stanford University, especially taking into consideration Jobs didn’t graduate from college. The first story he shared with the crowd of young hopefuls was about connecting the dots. After dropping out of college six months in, he took up a calligraphy class out of sheer interest in learning about serif and san serif typefaces, spacing between combinations and overall what makes typography great.

Jobs said at the time, that calligraphy class had no practical application in his life. Ten years later, however, it came back to him when he designed the first Macintosh computer. Had Jobs not dropped in on the calligraphy class, “the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts,” he said. And as we all know, Jobs’ innovation and vision changed the entire world.

Interesting to think what would have been if Jobs’ parents insisted he stay in college or if they had given him grief about tinkering around with the idea of creating a new technology with Steve Wozniak in their garage when he was 20 years old. I’m sure Jobs had no idea at the time what massive impact he would have on the world, and not just the realm of personal computers! 

“You have to find what you love,” Jobs said in his speech. But even in the midst of doing what one loves, there will be hard times (remember when Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he created?) that don’t often make sense, but hindsight always shows the ways the dots connect. Jobs said being fired from Apple freed him to enter one of the most creative periods in his life. And there is no doubt about his creative genius.

As parents, it’s important to encourage our children to find what they love, whether it’s an artistic pursuit, sports, hobbies or future vocation. And when they find it, do your part to inspire them to be innovative, to think creatively into the future, and by all means, to push the envelope. The most remarkable creative minds in the world are the ones who don’t allow themselves to be confined.

Am I the only one fed up with all the bickering going on back and forth between the voice actors on The Simpsons and the Fox Broadcasting Company?

Fox says its too expensive to produce the show now, especially with a waning audience, and the only way to keep it going past its current 23rd season (yes, The Simpsons is the longest running show in television history!) is if the cast takes a 45 percent pay cut.

The main cast countered, agreeing to a 30 percent cut in salary (they each reportedly make $8 million for 22 weeks of work per season) if they were to receive a small percentage of the show's back-end profits via syndication and merchandise. Fox said no.

Harry Shearer, the voice actor who portrays Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Smithers and others, even offered to take a 70 percent pay cut if he were to get a percentage of the profits elsewhere. Again, Fox said no.

If you've ever asked yourself, "How greedy can a corporation be?" look no further than Fox! While I don't blame the voice talent for sticking to their guns, on the flip side, I sure wouldn't complain if I got paid $4 million for 22 weeks of work, and all I had to do was read a script and do voices in a recording studio!

Unless a miracle happens, I doubt we'll see a 24th season of The Simpsons, and while I've also enjoyed the show, I do think it's run its course. We'll see!

Lucky to be on beautiful St. George Island in the Gulf of Mexico recently, I had a first-time experience that made me think about art in a new way.

The beauty of St. George Island is how unspoiled it is and the absence of light pollution (outdoor lights are banned on the beach to save the sea turtles) at night makes for a spectacular view of the unadulterated night sky. My first night there, I was enamoured with the beauty of it all, seeing it in a whole new way. My jaw dropped when I realized I wasn’t experiencing a problem with my eyes trying to focus. What they saw were the stars actually twinkling. It was the most amazing sight I think I’ve ever seen, and I must have spent four hours sitting on the beach late at night just taking it all in.

It really got my head spinning about the sheer art that exists in nature, and how nature itself influences great art. It gave whole new meaning to the nursery rhyme, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” whose lyric came from the early 19th century English poem, “The Star,” by Jane Taylor. It also made me wonder if the night sky that the great painter Vincent van Gogh experienced was exactly as illuminating as mine when inspiration struck for one of his greatest works, “Starry Night.”

Obviously, there are a lot of great reasons to engage your kids with connecting to nature, and further inspiring young creative minds in artistic ways, whether they enjoy drawing, painting, sculpting, dancing or capturing something gorgeous on camera. Most children have a inherent inclination toward nature, and it’s fascinating to see them turn it into art.

A couple weeks ago, I was babysitting a couple of kids for a friend at my house. Outside on the back deck, I have an elaborate butterfly garden, which attracts all sorts of winged beauties. Seven-year-old Maisy loves to draw and color, and she’s also a big fan of butterflies. After spending a couple hours outside watching them and doodling on her pad, she came in for dinner and proudly stuck her work on the fridge — an ornately colorful drawing she dubbed “Butterfly City.”

If your artistic youngster ever feels like he’s in a non-creative rut, why not recharge him with a good dose of nature and see where it leads.

By the way, “Butterfly City” is now in a frame hanging in my hall.

Recently, while working on a creative project with one of my best friends, Janet, she flung her hands over her head in exasperation and cried, “WHY do I have to care so much?!?” I couldn’t help but laugh in response. I wasn’t being rude; it’s just that I know her SO well that I understood where she was coming from, and taking the easy way out is never an option in anything truly artistic.

It had been a long day already and a long process with what we were working on, and her exclamation came from a position of being physically and emotionally tired, but not willing to throw in the towel and just stop ... because the product — although perhaps “sufficient” at that juncture — really wouldn’t have been complete, nor the absolute best that she knows she is capable of producing.

When it comes to any artistic endeavor — whether you’re a musician, actor, painter, dancer, writer or graphic designer — “pain” is an asset. If you don’t feel it, there’s something askew. The best end result often comes from a lot of labor and the proverbial blood, sweat and tears (and sometimes cursing!) along the way. An actor worth his salt can’t just glide into a character. He has to study it. Breathe it. Live it. Embrace the sheer uncomfortable aspect of it. I wish Heath Ledger was still alive, because I’d love to pick his brain about the process he went through in order to portray the dark, demented Joker as brilliantly as he did in the The Dark Knight. Likewise, I’d love to know Daniel Radcliffe’s journey to bring Harry Potter to such amazing life as he did so well in the film franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s infamous book series. It certainly took a lot more from him than just reading the books and memorizing a script to pull of the dynamic character for which he’ll always be known. He had to really get inside the head of Harry Potter, quirks, fears, hopes, ambition, etc., etc.

There is bold truth behind the “no pain, no gain” sentiment which parlays itself into all aspects of life, but most importantly the creative self. Nothing truly worthwhile in any art form occurs by happenstance, just so easily. It’s a process, and no matter how fabulous the final result may be when you put it out to the world, it can still be improved upon. And there’s the rub that exists with every artistic soul. While you may achieve great things and garner appropriate praise and accolades for a given work or performance, if you are genuinely a true artist, you’ll always seek a way to make it even better the next time.

The same goes for artistic kids, regardless of the art form they pursue. It might drive your child to the brink of pulling out his hair when practicing and practicing and practicing his number for the upcoming piano recital. But once he gets it down and masters it, he’ll enjoy the extreme thrill of artistic success.

When I was a kid growing up in the ’70s (yes, I’m 40 and proud of it!), I loved coming home from school in the afternoon and catching cartoons on network TV for an hour or so before dinner. One of my favorite Merrie Melodies cartoons would pop up at least once a week. I Love to Singa, originally released to theaters in 1936, is a tribute to Al Jolson’s film, The Jazz Singer. (Watch the cartoon here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akAEIW3rmvQ).

In the cartoon, a young owlet named Owl Jolson is born into a classical music family. When his three siblings hatch prior to him, they emerge from their shells pleasing their classical music teaching father — one sings opera fare, one plays violin, the other plays the flute. When Owl pops out, he’s wearing a red jacket and blue bow tie, and much to his father’s chagrin belts out a jazz number: “I love to singa about the moona and the june-a and the springa ... about a sky so blue-a and tea for two-a ...”

His mother faints in horror and his outraged father proclaims, “We will teach him to sing the way WE want him to!” Despite a classical singing lesson, little Owl can’t constrain his true passion for jazz which results in getting kicked out of the house. Later, he finds his way to radio station G-O-N-G which runs an amateur singing contest hosted by Jack Bunny. All the forest critters before him get the gong, but when Owl breaks out with his jazz number, he wins first place, and the happy ending is when his parents show up to congratulate him and support his artistic passion.

It’s interesting how poignant those old cartoons are to this day. From a parent’s perspective, it’s natural to hope and want your child to gravitate toward shared passions, but it’s one thing to wish and another to force. No one can dictate what anyone else’s artistic and creative quest should be. That inherently exists by nature, and all a parent can (and should) do is encourage and nurture the talent and passion each child possesses ... and be proud of their child’s pursuit of any realm of the arts.

It’s funny — and really kind of sad — to realize how some certain “stigmas” of childhood and adolescence transcend generations and seem to keep a nasty grip on kids to this day.

I remember all to well what it was like being labeled a “band geek.” I took music lessons when I was little, which included piano, drums and trumpet. It wasn’t until my junior high (that’s what we called it back in my day) years, though that my so-called peers started taking issue with it. Ribbing came from the kids on the sports teams as well as the self-professed “cool” kids on campus. The rest of us who were in band, led by Mr. Gerdt, were labeled “nerds.” Come to think of it, Mr. Gerdt actually was a nerd, but not because he taught band.

Granted, we’re all geeks in somebody’s circle, but when you’re a kid, labeling can be highly toxic. It can kill budding passion and talent, especially in the world of creativity. I was a kid who naturally drifted toward the arts and had absolutely zero interest in sports. I’m still that way to this day. By the way, what was that “World Cup” thing people were obsessing about recently? Weirdos! See? It goes both ways. Of course, the basketball and football teams were a little more than hypocritical in their making fun of us, because they sure did like having a live band there to play at their games.

A dear friend of mine recently told me that her son quit band after three years of playing trumpet — and he was really good at it! The reason he quit: It just wasn’t “cool” to be in band on his school campus. Some kids are willing to give up their passions in the school environment fraught with stigmas about this or that.

Each of us (for the most part) has something we’re good at and that’s what we should gravitate toward, whether it’s playing music, dancing, acting on stage, painting or playing football. And for the lucky few who can master several different things, bravo! As parents, it’s invaluable to instill in your children that we’re unique for a reason, and regardless of what anyone — or everyone — else thinks, to follow your passions. Several things in life will capture one’s eye, but few will capture one’s heart; those are the ones you go for. After all, it’d be an awfully boring world if we were all football players and cheerleaders and had no band playing on the sideline!

One of the things I resented getting as a present when I was a child was a paint by numbers set. Not that I hated painting, but I detested the fact that someone else’s “rules” dictated what color of paint goes with each number, especially since I thought different colors were more interesting. So, yeah, I ignored the numbers and used the colors I liked best. Of course, there was always a pesky certain person who had to point out that I was doing it “wrong.” It’s the same reason I hated coloring sheets in kindergarten when Mrs. Genenetti strolled behind our desks reminding us to “stay inside the lines!” I much preferred just a blank piece of paper and the bucket of crayons to enjoy free-form creativity. Where conformity exists and is expected, artistry cannot thrive. Think of all of the different eras and styles in the history of the art world and how utterly boring and dull it would have been had pioneering artists not pushed their envelopes to do things differently. The creative minds of young children are quite fascinating to explore when you engage a youngster about their work, even if — to you — it looks like a nonsensical blob of colors. I learned a long time ago the worst thing you can ask when a little one proudly shows you his artwork is, “What is THAT?!” During a recent visit to a friend’s house, her almost 5-year-old took me to the kitchen to show off his “exhibit” of work on display all over the fridge — most of it superhero and Disney character pages with some pretty wild colors. When I said to him, “Wow! What an interesting choice of colors you used!” he agreed and then launched into a pint-sized “dissertation” explaining each one and why he picked them. Just goes to show that what’s brewing around in a little head is more than meets the eye sometimes, and it’s perfectly OK to color outside the lines!

Hollywood needs a big dose of creativity. A remake of Footloose is due out this fall. Why? Why would anyone remake a classic? No wonder the advance reviews are horrible. And the remake of the 1978 Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve is coming soon, too. Again. WHY???? Hasn't Hollywood learned its lesson yet about the dangers of walking down the Remake Road?

Only a select few movie remakes have made sense and proved successful, among them, True Grit, King Kong and Cape Fear. The list of doozies is a mile long with the likes of Psycho, Godzilla, The Hitcher, The Fly and House on Haunted Hill leading the list.

I'm so tired of the lack of creativity in Hollywood these days, whether it's movies or TV (I can't stand all those stupid reality shows). If the Hollywood hot shots can't come up with any more original ideas, why not get out of the way and let someone step in who DOES have an imagination do something instead of ripping off classic works?!

After numerous setbacks during the past couple of years, notorious problems, an unprecedented 183 preview performances with the opening date rescheduled several times and a high-profile change in directors, the much talked about (and made fun of) Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark FINALLY achieved its official Broadway opening a couple of days ago.

And with it came mixed reviews. The critic at New York Magazine referred to it as an "embarrassing dud." While it sounds like many improvements were made since reviews leaked out while the show was still in previews back in February ... which, by the way, I have mixed feelings about. It is not standard practice for reviewers to publish their opinions while a show is still in previews working out kinks. However, considering the extreme number of previews and the fact that high-priced tickets were sold to the public, not to mention all of the catastrophic occurrences surrounding Spidey, I kind of gave those NY reviewers a reprieve.

I suppose only time will tell whether Spider-Man's web will stick for very long. It will certainly take years to break even on the $70-plus million production cost, the highest in Broadway history. But I'm not so sure anyone should write Spidey off too soon, despite whatever harsh reviews come out of the hotbed of all-things theater. I think there are enough die-hard Spider-Man fans who will keep the show alive and spinning for quite some time.

And while most critics offer valuable and honest opinions, they don't always gel with the taste of the theater-going public. There are many shows that opened to poor reviews but were fan favorites and enjoyed long runs on the Great White Way. Take for instance one of the longest running shows in theater history, Les Miserables. When it first opened almost three decades ago in London, the critics bashed it. The audience, however, loved it and Les Mis to this day is a popular treat.

We'll see what happens in regard to Spidey's tangled web. But one thing's for sure, we can enjoy a few jokes at the show's expense. Wise cracks were made during this year and last year's Tony Awards... All kinds of spoofs have and continue to surface, including this newest one from Sesame Street featuring our furry pal, Grover, as Spider-Monster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR1DdMeVqTw

Hope it makes you LOL as it did me!

This Sunday night (June 12) is one of my biggest nights on TV — the annual Tony Awards where the best of the best on Broadway is showcased.  It's always fun to make predictions about what show and who will win. Here are my predictions in the bigger categories:

Best Play — Jerusalem

Best Musical — The Book of Mormon

Best Original Score — The Book of Mormon

Best Revival of a Play — The Importance of Being Earnest

Best Revival of a Musical — Anything Goes

Best Actor/Play — Mark Rylance (Jerusalem)

Best Actress/Play — Frances McDormand (Good People)

Best Actor/Musical — Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon)

Best Actress/Musical — Sutton Foster (Anything Goes)

Best Direction/Play — Anna D. Shapiro (The Mother****er with the Hat)

Best Direction/Musical — Cashey Nicholaw and Trey Parker (The Book of Mormon)

Best Choreography — Kathlenn Marhsall (Anything Goes)

Best Scenic Design/Play — Jerusalem

Best Scenic Design/Musical — Anything Goes

Best Costume Design/Play — La Bete

Best Costume Design/Musical — Priscilla Queen of the Desert

 

Tell me, who do you think will win; who are you rooting for?