The Space Shuttle Enterprise Has Arrived in NYC!

With the end of NASA's Space Shuttle Program, the 4 existing shuttles are going on display in museums around the country.  The Atlantis will be displayed in Cape Canaveral at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida near the NASA launch site.  The Endeavor will be on display at the California Science Center while the Smithsonian Institue's National Air & Space Museum in DC is getting the shuttle Discovery.

The Discovery isn't the first shuttle that the Smithsonian has ever had on display.  The prototype, Enterprise, has been at the Smithsonian since 1985 and on display since 2004.  But the Smithsonian can't have 2 shuttles.  That would just seem greedy!  So, as I mentioned in a blog entry a while back, the Enterprise is coming to NYC to be on permanent display at the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum  starting this summer!!

Some people are annoyed that NYC didn't get a "real" space shuttle and have been calling the Enterprise "fake".  But I for one am very excited to welcome the Enterprise to the big apple!   The value of this test vehicle should not be understated.  Without the information gathered from the Enterprise's test flights in the late 1970's no space shuttle would ever have flown.  She was used for important approach and landing tests plus vibration testing.  She was also used during the investigation following the loss of the shuttle Columbia.   NASA removed a fiberglass panel from Enterprise's wing and shot a foam block at it-- to see if the foam could damage the wing enough to cause destruction upon reentry.  This research was instrumental in determining the cause the Columbia's accident and for setting new safety standards.   So no-- I'm not disappointed by our "fake" shuttle.  I'm proud that the Enterprise will be displayed here in my city and look forward to the day when I can hop of the subway and go visit her at the Intrepid Museum!

And that day is quickly approaching.  This morning the Enterprise finally arrived at JFK airport riding atop a modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.   The aircraft performed a low fly-by of Manhattan flying "over the Hudson River, looping back down around the Tappan Zee Bridge all the way to the Statue of Liberty, and then circled back towards Queens before making its descent into Kennedy airport." [La Times]   In June she will be brought over the Intrepid by sea and then lifted onto the aircraft carrier's deck for display in a temporary pavilion.   A more permanent climate controlled hanger is in the works.

Welcome Home Enterprise!!

[caption id="attachment_1013" align="aligncenter" width="477" caption="(c) NASA's Kennedy Space Center - from their Facebook page"][/caption]

A Tribute to Patsy Cline

I think the show's success is due to the enduring infamy of the real woman. I only really know what I've read about her. I have a biogrphy of Patsy plus a collection of her letters that were published a few years ago. Here's what I can tell you about Patsy Cline: She was a force to be reckoned with. She had a hearty laugh that you hear a block away. She could cuss like a sailor with the boys one night and slip into a gown and fur for a performance a Carnegie Hall the next. She called everybody "hoss" and filled a room with energy when she entered it. She fought with her producers-- who wanted to pigeon hole her into doing the kind of music they thought she was best for. She had fun. She knew what would sell and adapted her image to whatever the current trend was. When "cowgirls" were popular in country music she had her mom make her a custom cowgirl dress with fringe (see photo above). Later, when she broke into pop scene she cut her hair short, put on a pair of bright red Laura Petry pants, and showed the world she was "modern"!

49 nine years ago today the world lost a great tallent when a small airplane crashed in the woods near Camden, Tennessee. Country music legend Patsy Cline died that day along side her manager Randy Hughs and fellow musicians Cowboy Copas & Hawkshaw Hawkins. I've decided to spend some time this afternoon listening to Patsy's music and reflecting on this woman who died decades before I was born. I am a huge Patsy Cline fan.

I grew up listening to country music so it's not surprise that the first time I heard a Patsy Cline song I was just a kid. I remember it well. I was at my grandmother's house playing in the den while she was listening to the radio and cooking supper. Her small transistor radio crackled as "She's Got You" began to play. Even as a kid I was stopped in my tracks by Patsy's voice. I asked "Mamaw, who is that?!" She replied "That's Patsy Cline." in a matter-of-fact way. I was too young to really understand the difference in current music v/s oldies. I had no idea that I was listening to a song that was recorded 25 years earlier. All I knew was that I had a new favorite singer and her name was Patsy Cline!

Fast forward a few years and you'll find me as a very awkward teenager mailing away $10 and a membership application to become part of the Always Patsy Cline Fan Club. While most of my friends were listening to Nirvana, Depeche Mode, or Tori Amos... I was a different kind of "emo kid". I felt that the sad love songs of Patsy Cline best described my tortured suburban teen experience. I mean, lyrics like these are PERFECT for a gay kid crying into his pillow over a crush on some straight boy:

If you loved me half as much as I love you
You wouldn't worry me half as much as you do.
You're nice to me when there's no one else around
You only build me up to let me down ("Half as Much" by Curly Williams)

Of course I outgrew that emo phase-- but my love for Patsy Cline has never died. I was lucky enough to work on a production of the musical based on her life, Always Patsy Cline while I was at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The show has sort of a flawed book, but if you get someone who does a good job portraying Patsy it can be a great show! And that's just what we had in Cincinnati. Molly Andrews did an amazing job of playing Patsy. Always Patsy Cline is one of those shows that a theatre puts in their season to put butts in seats (especially if that theatre is in the South). It sells very well! Do that and A Christmas Carol and the rest of your season is paid for.


It breaks my heart to think that we will never know what else this woman would have done if she hadn't died at the age of 30. Can you imagine what she'd have been like post women's lib?! What would a Patsy Cline of the 70's have produced? How else would she have reinvented herself? She could have continued to produce music into the 80's and 90s!



[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g6nfU8_Mm8]

Just Like Earth

I've been watching a quite a bit of Star Trek (The Original Series) recently on Netflix and I've noticed something.  The USS Enterprise sure does visit a lot of planets that are "just like Earth".  The producers of the show did this for a number of reasons but mainly because it was cheap.  Why spend a ton of money creating an alien landscape or city when you can just film on the studio backlot or on a location in sunny southern California?  All you have to do is throw in some lines where the crew marvels at finding a planet that's just like Earth.  Something like this scene from The Paradise Syndrome...

MCCOY: Look at those pine trees.
KIRK: And that lake.
MCCOY: I swear that's honeysuckle I smell.
KIRK: I swear that's a little orange blossom thrown in. It's unbelievable. Growth exactly like that of Earth on a planet half a galaxy away. What are the odds on such duplication?
SPOCK: Astronomical, Captain. The relative size, age and composition of this planet makes it highly improbable that it would evolve similarly to Earth in any way.

And there you have it.  We can then film our alien planet scenes near the Franklin Reservoir just north of Los Angeles.  Just hope you don't bump into Andy and Opie going fishing.  That reservoir also served as the filming location for the lake near Mayberry in the Andy Griffith show.  The episodes Miri & City of the Edge of Forever were actually shot on the same backlot as the Andy Griffith show!  You can see Kirk and crew walk right past Andy's courthouse, Floyd's Barber Shop, etc.  Here's a whole web site dedicated to this fact.

Convenience isn't the only reason the writer's used Earth like planets in Star Trek.  Roddenberry wanted to use Star Trek to tell morality stories.  He felt that science fiction is at its best when it holds a mirror up to society and teaches us a lesson. So whenever he wanted to make a political statement about the world we live in-- the Enterprise would just go visit a world like ours to tell the story.

But it seems silly to think that there could be so many other Earth like planets in the universe, right?  Apparently not!  According to a recent article on io9.com,  There might be 2 million planets similar to Earth in our galaxy alone!  Here is a quick excerpt from the article:

 Based on the data from [NASA's Kepler probe], the JPL scientists estimated that 1.4 to 2.7 percent of all stars with the same basic properties as our Sun are home to Earth-like planets. That means a planet between 0.8 and two times the mass of Earth that lies within the habitable zone of its star. When you total up the amount of sun-like stars in the galaxy, that gives you two billion stars. And, of the hundred or so sun-like stars within a few dozen light-years of Earth, at least two of them should be home to habitable worlds.

JPL researcher Joseph Catanzarite points out just how many Earth-like planets there might really be:

"This means there are a lot of Earth analogs out there - two billion in the Milky Way galaxy. With that large a number, there's a good chance life and maybe even intelligent life might exist on some of those planets. And that's just our galaxy alone - there are 50 billion other galaxies."

So there!  The fact that the Enterprise bumps into Earth like planets all the time is suddenly not so far fetched!  As Spock would say, that's fascinating. :)

Welcome, Foolish Mortals...

The Haunted Mansion is by far my favorite ride at Walt Disney World so I thought I'd blog about it!  A grand haunted mansion stands in both  Disneyland in California and in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park in Florida.  One day we'll make the trek out to California and visit Disneyland--- but until then the only Haunted Mansion memories I have are from the park in Florida.

A big part of my fascination with the Haunted Mansion goes back to my childhood. Halloween was pretty much tied with Christmas for the "favorite holiday" award back then.  It wasn't just the candy either-- it was the fantasy of it touching a world beyond our own.  While my sister and I were out trick-or-treating I'd look up to the sky to see if I could catch a glimpse a witch on her broom-- or of a passing specter.  This fascination didn't wain after October was over.  When I was in the 2nd grade I bought a haunted house activity book at the Scholastic Book Fair that became my favorite book!  I spent hours working the puzzles and coloring in the images of goblins and ghouls.   I think it's that same little boy inside me who can't stop smiling whenever I ride the Haunted Mansion.

Let me share some cool Haunted Mansion stuff from the internet.  First up, anyone looking for a hitchhiking ghost should go checkout www.doombuggies.com.  This fan created and operatred website has just about everything you ever wanted to know about my favorite ride!  You can download desktop wallpapers there-- or you can click below and download the desktop wallpaper that I made. I took this photo from the Liberty Square River Boat and then photoshopped it a bit to make it into a cool wallpaper. :)

There are many legends surrounding the haunted mansion.  One of the most interesting is that of The Hatbox Ghost-- a one time resident of the original Haunted Mansion in California.  Check out the video below about this happy haunt. :)  I wish he would come back to the mansion.

Museum of the Moving Image (Muppets, Star Trek, & Silence, Oh My!)

Tim and I went to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY yesterday to see their exhibit on Jim Henson.  They were also showing The Muppets Go To The Movies-- a 1981 TV special which was originally produced to promote the feature film The Great Muppet Caper.  Both the exhibit and the movie were a lot of fun!  I highly recommend going to see the exhibit before it closes on March 4th.  If you grew up on Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, or the Muppet Show you'll get a great insider's look at workings behind the Muppet world.

For fans of my current show, Silence! The Musical, might enjoy a visit to the Museum as well.  They have a rather extensive display on the scenic elements built for The Silence of the Lambs film.  The collection includes research materials, drawings, and even full model of the asylum in Baltimore and Buffalo Bill's basement from the climax of the film.  Speaking of Silence!-- make sure you come see the show soon!  I'm only working on it thru the end of February.  We've added a 10:30pm show THIS SATURDAY.  :)  There's also a CD signing event with the cast of Silence The Musical THIS THURSDAY at Barnes and Noble at 86th & Lex!  Come check it out.


Of course Museum of the Moving Image has a section dedicated entirely to Star Trek!  Well, not really... but there is some cool Trek stuff to see.  There is a section of the museum dedicated to the the moving image's influence on pop culture.  They have toys, lunch boxes, models, magazines, etc-- all sorts merchandising that has been released to promote movies and TV shows.  This list of items includes Star Trek action figures from the original series and the first movie, a model of the USS Enterprise (pictured here), a phaser water pistol, a cereal bowl and cup with Kirk & Spock on them, a Star Trek happy meal box from 1979, examples of Star Trek jewelry, several fan produced magazines, etc.  Outside of the world of Star Trek they fun stuff like a C3P0 scotch tape dispenser, a Batman lunch box and many more cool merchandising tie-in items.

There's also a display on Stop Motion animation where you can make your own little movie with paper cut outs.  They have it all set up so that you can make your own animated movie and then have it e-mailed to yourself.  Check out mine below!

I Saw William Shatner on Broadway!

I mentioned a while back that William Shatner was bringing his one man show: Shanter's World to Broadway.  It started previews on Tuesday and opens officially tonight.  The 90 minute (or so) show takes "audiences on a voyage through Shatner's life and career, from Shakespearean stage actor to internationally known icon and raconteur, known as much for his unique persona as for his expansive body of work on television and film." (playbill.com)

Tim and I went to see the show in its second preview last night.  I LOVED IT!  Now I will say-- I'm a pretty biased judge here.  As a Trekkie and as a fan of William Shatner it's hard for me to not love sitting in the same room as the man and listening to him tell stories.  It was really a huge treat.  Shatner seemed at home on the stage.  He was so calm and casual about the whole thing.  I felt like I was sitting in his living room sipping an iced tea while he entertained me with stories of his life.  He talked about his early life in the theatre working with some of the great men of our industry-- men I've read about and studied in college like Tyone Guthrie (founder of the Stratford Festival and the Guthrie Theatre) and Anthony Quayle (one of the founders of the Clarence Brown Theatre Company at my undergrad).  He talked about Gene Roddenberry asking him to do pilot for a space show-- a moment that changed his life.  He talked Star Trek's connection with NASA and described how he felt when he watched man land on the moon. He told us about his horses, talked about his family and briefly about the tragic death of his 3rd wife.  My emotions ran the gamut while I watched this living legend be so honest and human.  True, he rambled a little.  Sometimes the stories didn't really connect with each other-- he didn't tell a cohesive story with an arc from beginning to end. But that didn't really matter to me.  It was a great evening and I recommend that you go see his show too.

After the show we decided to go to the stage door for a glimpse of him up close.  We waiting with a small crowd of fans in the cold for about 20 minutes.  Finally, he stepped thru the door onto the sidewalk. The crowd erupted in cheers.  There was a barrage camera flashes.  Mr. Shatner paused for a moment, raised his hands and thanked us for coming.  I'm sure my face was beaming.  I had my iPhone in my hand and was unconsciously clicking pictures with it (mainly of the back of the head in front of me).  The others were cheering but I couldn't make a sound.  Time slowed down.  I was kind of frozen.  He looked great.  He was right there--- just a few feet from me.  I'm sure he said more, but I'm not sure what it was.  Before I knew it he was in his car and being driven away.   "Goodbye Bill!" I thought.  "See you again one day!"

Shatner's World runs on Broadway thru March 4th.  After which, Mr. Shatner will take his show on the road to cities all across the country.  Check out this video from Playbill.com in which Bill talks about his return to Broadway! :)

[I had trouble embedding the video-- but you view it by clicking THIS LINK.]

I Enlisted in Starfleet!

I have been a Star Trek fan (otherwise knows as a Trekkie or Trekker) for most of my life. I remember very vividly when Star Trek The Next Generation premiered in 1987-- I was hooked.   The local Fox affiliate started showing re-runs of the original Star Trek too.  I fell in love with both!   A pretty crafty kid, I was soon converting a flashlight into a phaser, making my own flip top communicator and turning my cassette player into a tricorder.  I even went to great lengths to convert my roll-top desk into a close replica of Lt. Uhura's communications station from the bridge using poster board & construction paper.  My room was the bridge of the enterprise.  The back yard was a wild unexplored planetary surface with danger at every turn.

As time went on and I grew into an adult, that imaginative boy inside me never died.  Today, Star Trek is my main hobby.  I blog about Star Trek, read Star Trek novels, comics, & biographies.  I often attend Star Trek conventions and events.  And, of course, I enjoy watching my DVD & Bluray collection of Trek TV & movies in my spare time. I usually find that re-runs of Star Trek are more entertaining and engaging than the barrage of reality television we have today.

I recently decided to take my Star Trek fandom to the next level, and join STARFLEET - The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. According to their website "STARFLEET is the oldest continuously operating Star Trek Fan Organization in the world. Founded back in 1974, when there were only 79 original live-action Star Trek episodes and no movies yet, STARFLEET has grown over the years to thousands of members. We’re all about having fun, making friends, and keeping the ideals of Star Trek alive and healthy into the future."  

Here is quick primer-- STARFLEET is organized into geographic regions.  For example, Region 1 consists of Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, &  West Virginia.  Each region has a number of individual chapters.  Region 1 currently has 49 chapters.  Each chapter is comprised of at least 5 STARFLEET members (I think that's the minimum - but I'm not sure).   There is both a "real world" element and a "fictional" side to each chapter.  Fictionally each chapter is designed around a ship (or sometimes a space station).  The leader of the chapter is the ship's Captain.  Each member has a rank and position in the chapter (with both fictional and real duties).  Some chapters are also active in the roleplaying video game world Star Trek Online-- where they can play as their fictional ship and an interactive environment.  Some chapters have monthly meetings where they conduct club business, organize charity work like clothing drives, go on outings-- or they just get together and have fun.  Other chapters (like the one I joined) are called correspondence chapters.  These ships don't actually have real meetings but communicate online via e-mail and forums.  I decided to go with an correspondence chapter because I travel so much for work and am rarely in the same place enough to regularly go to meetings.

Did I say that I am already the member of a chapter?  Well, that's almost true.  I am currently applying to be join the crew of the USS Columbia.  According to their website "The USS Columbia is arguably the most active internet-based chapter of STARFLEET. We are a correspondence chapter which draws members from two continents and a half dozen countries. The chapter was launched on ‘Shakedown cruise’ in January 2010 and is currently working towards full commissioning."  The chapter is based out of Kentucky, so it is in Region 1 (just like my home state of Tennessee).  Fictionaly, the Columbia is "an Excelsior class heavy cruiser launched in the year 2295."  

The web site goes on to describe more about this era in Star Trek chronology.  "Though the Kitomer accords were signed a year before her launch peace with the Klingons is still a fragile one at best. The Romulans have been quiet for a while and noone knows what is happening across the Neutral Zone.  New technology is being developed such as holodecks and replicators but they are still in their early stages.  As one of the newesr vessels in the fleet Columbia will take advantage of some of these new technologies while making extensive use of proven ones. Soon she will set out from space dock on her mission of exploration."  (quoted from www.usscolumbia.net)

That's super exciting, right? On the Columbia, it's the year 2297. That might seem pretty specific to you, but that's how Trekkies role -or roleplay rather.  So ship's story is set during the span of time inbetween the Classic Star Trek Movies and the first episode of  The Next Generation.   That's like a gold mine for a fan fiction writer!

So, what about me?   How do I fit into this fictional world?  Well, some Starfleet fan club members create elaborate character biographies for their fictional counterparts.  Others focus on the real world social activities.  I think the fantasy is fun though, so while I still haven't worked out my complete character bio, I do have some strong ideas about my fictional life.  I know that I want to be stationed in the Communications division of the Operations Department.  Basically, it all goes back to that construction paper communications console I made for my roll top desk when I was a kid. And I've always idolized Uhura-- the communications officer inthe original Star Trek tvseries. I actually got to meet her last summer!  Nichelle Nichols is a fascinating woman.  She used the fame Star Trek gave her to be a spokesperson for NASA and actively recruited for them in colleges all over the country. Astronaut Mae Jemison (the first African American woman in space) credites Nichelle as her inspiration.   There is other reason I've chosen to be a Communications Officer.  It's actually a similar job to what I do in real life.  A Stage Manager is the hub of communication for the entire production. We have to keep all the production departments on the same page and give all official notices about the production to the cast and crew. We make paging announcements backstage and even into the audience if there's any kind of emergency.  I think I'd be well equipped to be a Comm Officer!   In the Star Trek universe, the Communications Officer position is eventually disolved and merged into the Operations Officer position.  The Ops Officer is even more of a Stage Manager though.  They do things like overseeing internal systems control, communications and sensor system usages, coordinate the scheduling of resources, hardware and system usage for the entire starship.  Now doesn't that sound a lot like what a Production Stage Manager does on a large production? I think so!

The way Starfleet works, I have a very low rank as a new member (thus the crewman uniform above).  I earn more rank by be active, participating in my chapter, and doing STARFLEET Academy training!  Soon enough I'll be able to photoshop myself into an officer's uniform (haha).  *pause*  Ok, I've actually already done that.  But I won't post it yet because I haven't earned it!

I'm really looking forward to my STARFLEET membership helping me to connect with other geeks out there, have some fun, share some ideas, and basically relax.  Hey, some people have sports-- I have Star Trek.  I think I'm attracted to the optimism of Gene Roddenberry's creation.  In the Star Trek future all of people on planet Earth are united.  There is no war, no arguments over religion or politics.  As a race, we have evolved and are exploring the vast galaxy in which we live.  It's really a hope for the future that I find refreshing.

For more about what set's Star Trek apart- check out this article.

Come See Silence! The Musical

My time with Silence! The Musical is nearing an end!  I've been subbing in as the Assistant Stage Manager on this Off-Broadway hit for the last few weeks.  It has been a BLAST and I want EVERYONE to come see the show before I leave it!   I'm only with the show for the rest of February-- so get your tickets now!

If you sit house right you can probably catch a glimpse of me in the stage right wings doing things like catching a head in a jar when it's thrown offstage.   :)  Oh--- I do recommend watching the original 1991 movie (The Silence of the Lambs) before coming.  If the film is fresh in your memory, I think it makes the show all the funnier.   Our show is a raunchy & hilarious parody that don't pull any punches when mimicking the classic film.  You're really gonna love it!

So, what are you waiting for?  CLICK HERE and buy a ticket!!!

UPDATE-- Check out our new commercial!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGvL2hkTUJw]

Star Trek vs Star Wars

Hatfields and McCoys.

Capulets and Montagues.

Boxers and Briefs.

Some rivalries are ages old and none is greater than the battle between Star Trek and Star Wars.  Nerds have been arguing over the finer points of these scifi franchises for over 30 years now.  It all started when the hugely successful Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope premiered in 1977.  Lucas's film a reached wider audience than Star Trek had been able to.  Since Trek's 3 year run on television had ended 8 years earlier, the show had found a strong fan base in re-runs and even prompted the production of an Emmy Award winning animated series.  Avid trekkies were organizing conventions, publishing fan written fiction and generally living in their mom's basements (hey-- these are my people I'm talking about here).   Then this new "Star" came onto the scene.  Star Wars was popular with nerds, cool kids, your mom... everyone.  It basically revolutionized the film industry and proved that a scrappy little space opera can make a TON of money.  Soon all the Hollywood studios were clamoring to compete.  Our friends over at Paramount realized that they already owned a scifi franchise with a built in fan base that might be able to match Star Wars spaceship for spaceship (and dollar for dollar).  They were in the process of developing a new Star Trek TV show called "Star Trek: Phase II".  The pilot episode of which was quickly transformed into Star Trek The Motion Picture and thrown into theaters in December of 1979 (5 months before Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Backwas released).   The gauntlet had been thrown.  It was to be all-out war between these two franchises.  They competed for our attention, devotion and for our allowance money all thru the 80's, 90's, & 00's.   Here is a quick breakdown of the dates

1966-1969 - Star Trek (The Original Series)

1973-1974 - Star Trek (The Animated Series)

May-1977 - Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Nov-1978 - Star Wars Holiday Special

Dec-1979 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture

May-1980 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Jun-1982 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

May-1983 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Jun-1984 - Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Nov-1984 - Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

Nov-1985 - Ewoks: The Battle for Endor

Nov-1986 - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

1987-1994 - Star Trek The Next Generation

Jun-1989 - Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Dec-1991 - Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

1993-1999 - Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Nov-1994 - Star Trek Generations

1995-2001 - Star Trek Voyager

Nov-1996 - Star Trek: First Contact

Dec-1998 - Star Trek: Insurrection

May-1999 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

2001-2005 - Star Trek Enterprise

May-2002 - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Dec-2002 - Star Trek Nemesis

2003-2005 - Star Wars: Clone Wars (animated series)

May-2005 - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Aug-2008 - Star Wars: The Clone Wars

May-2009 - Star Trek (JJ Abrams)

May-2013 - Star Trek 2 (JJ Abrams)

I totally understand why the Hollywood types behind these franchises love the competition. It's a friendly rivalry that generates press and sells more tickets.  How can we really have an opinion about which is better if we haven't seen them both?  So let's all go out to the movies so we can compare and contrast them fairly, right?  Who wins in this scenario?  Well, everyone does.  The producers sell their films and merchandising. The actors get paychecks and future contracts. And we get some amazing Science Fiction films and TV shows (not to mention toys, books, comic books, models, games, clothes...).  So yes-- rivalry is good for business.

But why do some fans get all bent out of shape over "which is better"?  Maybe it's because to most of the world they're the same thing!  I don't know how many times I was given Star Wars birthday cards when I was a kid by well meaning relatives who had no idea I was really a Trekkie.  For that matter, they had no idea there was a difference between Star Trek and Star Wars.  "Isn't that the one with Darth Vader and Dr. Spock?"   I've been dealing with this for years.  You see, I got into Star Trek when the Next Generation premiered in 1987.  But I didn't see a Star Wars movie until A New Hope was re-released in theaters (with added scenes new special effects) in 1997!  I grew up thinking of Star Wars as "that other space show"-- far inferior to my beloved Star Trek.  You see, Star Trek was beamed into my living room 5 times a week (well, once a week for TNG and 5 times for reruns of TOS).   To me, Star Wars was just a movie at the video store that I never asked my Mom to rent.  Aside from references to it on The Muppet Babies, I wasn't really aware of it.   But the Star Wars merchandising was (and is) EVERYWHERE!   That's one thing the Lucas people do much better than the folks at Paramount.  They licensee the hell out of their product and make it very easy to find Star Wars candy, comics, underwear, etc etc at any big box store you walk into like Wal-mart or Target.  As a Trekkie I can find this infuriating.

BUT-- do I really hate Star Wars?  Of course not!  Now that I've matured a little I can watch those Star Wars movies (especially A New Hope) and appreciate them as really good films.  There are some rich characters in Star Wars.  George Lucas created a fascinating reality and it's fun to get lost in.  I see Star Wars as different that Star Trek.  Not better or worse-- but just different.

Recently, there's been a lot of Youtube traffic from some of the Stars of these franchises going back and forth about the rivalry.  It all started over on William Shanter's youtube channel. He randomly started talking trash about Star Wars.  Carrie Fisher responded to which Shanter fired back.  Finally George Takei stepped in to talk some sense into the two of them (after all, he can't let Shanter get all the press).  Watch and enjoy George's response...

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvTCr5Z-0lA]

Batman Knows Santa Claus?

For some reason I'm in a Batman kind of mood today.  Maybe it's because we're deep into the Christmas season.  You see, when I was a kid, Christmas time usually meant it was time for me write a letter to Santa asking him for Batman action figures or other toys.  I've closely associated Christmas with the Dark Knight for years.  But this association goes back much farther than me.  Batman and Santa Claus are old friends!   Saint Nick appeared in a Batman comic book over 50 years ago.  (see the cover to the right)  He also made a cameo on the Batman TV show.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4_5jngpLkY]

Of course those examples are from a time with Batman was a little more light hearted.  But once Batman turned more serious, Santa stuck around:



I'm not sure if Kris Kringle is going to make an appearance in the current Batman comic books, but we have been given a little Bat-present this season!  The 2nd trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises was just released.  Check it out----

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gFwvozMHR4]

I Got Legos for Christmas!!

A few weeks back I was shopping in Myrtle Beach with my parents when we came upon a toy store that sold Lego playsets.   This reminded me of a sore spot from my childhood.  I had once asked for Legos for Christmas but by Mom told me that "Legos are a pain!  Those tiny pieces will get lost in the carpet then mess up the vacuum cleaner!"  So instead of legos I got some pretty kick ass Thundercats figures and my very own Sword of Omens!  My little kid brain quickly forgot about my desire for legos since I was so happy with my other toys.  But later in life I'd occasionally get jealous of my friend's Lego masterpieces that they've saved over the years.  (Yes I have those kind of friends).    But I never asked my Mom for them again because I knew in my heart of hearts that she was right.  We had a thick shag carpet in our house-- dark green, light green, gold, & beige in splotches.  It was probably the ugliest carpet I've ever seen but it could hide a Kool-Aid stain and would surely also hide that essential Lego piece that would just ruin my Castle playset.

During this shopping trip I jokingly  reminded Mom about my desire for Legos as a child.  I said to her: "Remember how I always wanted legos but 'No, they'll get in the carpet' you used to tell me?" She didn't remember this but said that it sounds like something she would say and we laughed about it.  Fast forward to  yesterday when my parents and I exchanged gifts.  Guess what was waiting for me under the tree?  It was a lego playset!!   It was a small kit was for a speedboat with a cool little driver!  I didn't hesitate to tear open the box and packaging and spread all the tiny pieces out on the living room carpet and start building!  :) Mom thought it was hilarious and I couldn't be happier.

William Shanter Coming to Broadway!?

I woke up to some great news this morning!  All my NY news sources (i.e. Playbill) are saying that William Shatner is coming to Broadway!  The 80 year old TV and movie legend (and god to some Trekkies) is said to be bringing a one man show to the Music Box Theatre in February!  This should be no big surprise.  Shatner just ended his Canadian tour "How Time Flies: An Evening With William Shanter" that played in 6 cities in October & November of this year.   And back in April he was in Australia & New Zealand with another one man show called "Kirk, Crane & Beyond: William Shanter Live".  Clearly he was trying out material in preparation for a US run.  According to Playbill.com he's changed the title again calling it "Shatner's World: We Just Live in It."  The article goes on to say that "The Broadway engagement will kick off a 15-week national tour."  Smart. Very smart.   Shatner's official web site and twitter feed (@WilliamShanter) are silent on the topic.  I'm sure his people will make a more official announcement soon.

SOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

20 Years Ago....

I'm a very inconsistant blogger.  I know that.   My posting lapses often coincide with when I'm busy working.  Like right now I'm pretty busy with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Nashville TN.  (If you're in town, come check it out!)  But that's not really a good excuse.  I have 3 "1 show days" each week when I don't have to be at work until 6:30pm.  I could be blogging all day prior to that.  But, alas, I do not.  And I think I know why.  I think I see blogging as a way to interact with other people.  And when I'm working I get the chance to interact with lots of people every day at the theatre.  That being said, here I am... BLOGGING!   So, let's get to it!

Star Trek VI was released 20 years ago this week!  My god that makes me feel old!  The release of Star Trek VI coincides with the year that I became a hardcore Trekkie.  The stars were aligned back then.  The Next Generation was in their 4th (and arguably best) season.   The Original Series was airing on our local Fox affiliate 5 times a week-- and I was LOVING it.  And then that same amazing original cast came back for one more movie-- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.  Man, what a great movie!  Ah... life was so good 20 years ago!  I was in 7th grade and enjoying having little responsibility.    It was also around the same time as my first Star Trek convention!  John DeLance (Q) was the guest of honor, as I recall.  the convention was in downtown Knoxville in what is now the Knoxville Convention Center- near the Sun Sphere.  Star Trek VI wasn't out on VHS yet-- but you could pick up a bootleg copy at the convention.  Not that I did that!

Ok.  Nostalgia done.  Please return to your regularly scheduled programing.

Star Trek to begin filming....

I am SUPER EXCITED about this news.  TrekMovie.com is reporting that filming will begin on the next Star Trek movie on January 15th 2012!   The film is supposed to be released that same year, but I wouldn't be surprised if it gets pushed back to Summer 2013.  Still I'm taking this "official start date" as the first good news we've heard about Star Trek in a while.  JJ Abrams and team seemed to have put the project on hold while finishing and promoting Super 8 as w
For more details head on over to TrekMovie.  ell as tackling a number of other endeavors.  It sounds like 2012 will be their time to really dig into some Trek and make an great movie!   Here's hoping they redesign the engineering section of the ship so that doesn't look like a brewery anymore (I'll get off my soapbox now).  ;)

A Grand Ole Theatre

I'll never forget the first time I walked onto the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House.  It was during load in for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in 2009.  I was a Production Assistant on the show and  Tim (my partner who also happened to be the Associate Company Manager on the show) was showing me around-- giving me a tour of the building that would basically be our home for the next 2 months.  As we walked thru the wings to the stage he asked me "Are you ready for this?".  I didn't know it at the time, but I wasn't ready.  Suddenly we were standing  in the center of a massive stage looking out onto a house filled with church pews.   "Oh my God!  I'm on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House!"  I said.   Although they were covered by a dance floor for the show, I knew that I was walking on the same boards as legends like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and many others.  Chills ran over my whole body.  Then Tim showed me a circle in the floor downstage center (that can be seen subtly thru our dance flooring).  That circle of wood is actually from the stage of the Ryan Auditorium.  So when I stepped into that circle I was standing on the same boards as even bigger legends like Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams and many others!   I... was... speechless.

Not everyone has this reaction to the Opry House but I grew up listening to Country music.  As a 6th generation Tennessean, it's in my blood.  I was listening to greats like Conway Twitty, George Jones, & Tammy Wynette while in the womb.  To this day I have to pinch myself when I work at the Opry.   Whether I'm running the show backstage or calling the show from the wing, or just eating lunch in Studio A (once used to film Hee-Haw!) I feel SO LUCKY.

Here is a cool video of Dolly Parton performing on the stage at the Grande Ole Opry last month.  Isn't she just amazing?  You can really see the circle of wood from the Ryman in this clip too.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9eG9uKVtG4]

It's Almost Christmas!

In a couple days I fly down south and go back into rehearsal with the world famous Radio City Rockettes.  Over the next month we'll be preparing for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN.  This will be the 10th year that the Rockettes have performed in Nashville--- quite a tradition that I'm happy to be a part of.

Check out this clip of the ladies performing at the Opryland Christmas Lighting ceremony last year.  Fast forward to 3:15. ;)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ldPUd6E_s4]

Star Trek TNG in HD!

A while back I heard that CBS/Paramount was planning to release Star Trek The Next Generation on Blu-ray.  I wasn't too excited about this news since I've only owned the DVD's for a a year and a half.  I love the DVD's and am more sure I'm ready to go thru the expense of replacing them with Blu-ray so soon.  Plus, now that it's all on Netflix streaming it's easy for me to get my Trek fix while I'm on the road with no discs to lug around.

So, I don't have any plans to run out and buy this new edition-- but I do have to admit it's tempting.   They've completely remastered the show & cleaned it up for this new set.  I be it will look AMAZING!   According to the official press release:

Transferring STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION® to high-definition presented numerous challenges – The series was originally shot on film and then transferred to videotape, which was used to edit episodes together.  In order to create true HD masters, CBS is going back to the original uncut film negative – all 25,000 plus film reels of it – and cutting the episodes together exactly the way they originally aired. The visual effects were all shot on film and will be painstakingly recompositioned, not upconverted from videotape. The newly cut film will then be transferred to true high-definition with 7.1 DTS Master Audio. Denise and Mike Okuda are consulting on the project.

So, like I said... I'm not running out to buy them any time soon... but I might eventually own them.  :)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av35kFHdS50]

I Found Star Trek on Broadway??

Once a year theatre professionals, actors, stage managers, stage hands, dramatists, volunteers, retailers, theatre managers, etc pull their resources and hold a big ole yard sale for charity!  The annual Broadway Flea Market benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.

At this year's flea market (last weekend) I managed to have a Star Trek fueled geek-gasm.  At the Love, Loss, and What I Wore booth they were selling autographed playbills, posters, etc from the show's long celebrity filled run.  Of course, Kate Mulgrew was in the show for a stint last year.  That's right!  Star Trek Voyager's own Captain Janeway was in an Off Broadway show.   Unfortunately I was out of town during her time in the show so I didn't get to see her.  But thanks to the flea market now I have her autograph! Amazing, right? Hopefully she'll come back to the big apple soon and do another show so I can finally see her in person.  She's just amazing-- so tallented!

Kate's sig wasn't the only bit of Trek at the Broadway Flea Market.  There was a book booth that randomly had some Star Trek TNG coloring & activity books from 1997!  Hilarious, right?  Of course I had to have them.  I'm not sure if I should color them and recapture my youth, save them to give to some awesome kid (a niece/nephew or child of a friend) one day-- or just save them as collectable.  In any case, I'll totally scan them in and share soon!

Star Trek / Batman Crossover

Hello all!  I haven't had much time for blogging lately.   I got home from vacation (Disney World) just in time to jump into rehearsal for 4 shows or something like that.  But tonight I'm at home, making tacos, playing fetch with Lola and watching Batman The Animated Series.  A familiar voice just rang a bell in my head!  Is that Kate Mulgrew I hear?  YES!  IT IS!  Our very own Captain Janeway provided the voice for the Red Claw in a 2 part episode which also featured the introduction of Catwoman entitled "The Cat and the Claw".   I bet she had a lot of fun recording such a larger than life role.  Don't you just love it when geeky genres combine?! :)

Star Trek (2009) @ Movies on Market Square!

I'm back in Tennessee visiting my parents this week and I just heard some very good news for Trekies in Knoxville.  The Knox County Public Library announced the line up for their 2011 "Movies on Market Square" series.   For the past 9 years the library has shown movies on the Square as a way to highlight their movie collection-- available for checkout.

This year if Trek fans head down to Market Square on September 30th they'll get to see Star Trek on the big screen as part of the series!

Head over to WBIR.com for more info about this event.