The News Review:
- When bad things happen to good shows
- Larrikin about
- For some conference title game teams breaking through is very hard…
- Reflections on Christmas 2006 at Camp Moses
- Five Best: UK Family Breaks
When bad things happen to good shows
Toronto Star – Jan 20, 2007
(CBS) ? The Stanley Tucci medical drama was moved up from a midseason replacement show to replace CBS’s cancelled Smith series. It lasted just three episodes before being cancelled itself. Day Break (ABC) ? The Taye Diggs dramatic series was brought in to take the place of Lost until it returned in February. Day Break was pulled after six episodes. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)? Debuted to 13… ne involves detailed strategic advance planning ? which is where Lost now seems to be belatedly headed and of which the sophomore Prison Break is exemplar weaving a complex tapestry of intersecting storylines and characters into its richly textured if often far-fetched plot in the manner of a small-screen Usual Suspects. And then there is the other approach the more organic scattershot flying-by-the-seat-of your-pants technique abused and now abandoned by Lost to which Kring and his Heroes now apparently aspire and of which the writers of 24 are the undisputed martial masters. Since the very beginning the 24 scribes have taken great pride in constantly deliberately painting themselves into plot corners and then coming up with ingenious ways to tap-dance their way back out. n the one hand this ? and the series’ singular "real-time" conceit ? is what gives the 24 storylines their unrelenting kinetic energy. n the other it necessitates the occasional lapse like the episode in which they famously had Elisha Cuthbert being chased by a cougar. This year he promised they would stick to a plan.
Larrikin about
The Age – Jan 20, 2007
Certainly local film and television productionhas been hung out to dry courtesy of the free trade agreement withthe US and lack of interest from the ABC and the commercialnetworks. But what of the rest of the arts?Well it seems to be in surprisingly good shape. The urge tocreate and innovate in dance theatre music and literature cannotbe stemmed by political apathy. And when it comes to working outwhat we are particularly good at creating what might be calleddistinctively Australian look no further than the cliches forguidance. ur wide brown land and our convict origins feed directly intothe two forms of the arts at which we are particularly strong atthe moment: dance and physical theatre. The capacity of ourperformers to “eat up space” combined with the trademark Aussielarrikin approach creates a distinctive dance scene that right nowis probably the liveliest it has ever been. Companies including theAustralian Ballet Chunky Move Australian Dance Theatre (ADT)Dance North Bangarra WA Ballet Sydney Dance Company QueenslandBallet Tasdance Balletlab Leigh Warren Lucy Guerin ForceMajeure Ros Warby Circus z Acrobat Legs on the WallRock’n'Roll Circus Strange Fruit Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs andTwelfth Floor are popular here and overseas… Possibly the best piece of z-made Australian theatre anddefinitely the best piece of Australian musical theatre in the pastdecade was produced by Casey Bennetto in Keating! TheMusical which debuted in a tiny room at the Trades Hallduring the 2005 Melbourne Comedy Festival and has just had anextended run at Sydney’s Belvoir Street that ends on January27. Created by comedy outfit the Drowsy Drivers from Northcote themusical account of Paul Keating’s final years in power is supremelyconfident gloriously funny witty and rough a celebration and apiss take. Bennetto acknowledges that it is quintessentiallyAustralian to break the seriousness of self-examination with adegree of irreverence a “fair-suck-of-the-sauce-bottle” attitudeto artistic pretension. When the Sydney Theatre Company took its productions of TheWhite Devil directed by Gale Edwards and Hedda Gablerstarring Cate Blanchett to New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music inrecent years it was curious to see the response of critics whoperhaps unwittingly commented on an Australian theatre style. Whilethey lauded the scar-anointed Blanchett they were critical ofRobyn Nevin’s direction as they were of Gale Edwards’. Therelentless jumpy energy the breakneck speed of direction andacting was seen as annoying and immature. The artistic director of the Malthouse Theatre Michael Kantorcounters that an Australian style is a joyful antithesis to theAmerican style of theatre and that what Australian theatrepractitioners exemplify is a “willingness and cheekiness to step onpeople’s toes; it’s sweaty loud and allowed to be ugly”.
For some conference title game teams breaking through is very hard…
USA Today – Jan 20, 2007
The Eagles lost three consecutive conference title tilts beginning in 2001 against the Rams before finally breaking through against the Falcons in 2004 and reaching Super Bowl XXXIX. “If you get crushed like we did losing three championship games in a row — the city of Philadelphia was hungering for a championship game win like you can’t imagine” Lewis says. “Did the pressure build to break through and go to the Super Bowl? You’re talking a Mount Vesuvius-like pressure buildup when we went to that fourth straight championship game. There is something about the stakes of being on the Super Bowl doorstep that infuses the conference championship game with a unique pressure all its own. “It’s harder to break through in the championship game” Lewis says. “Here the Eagles are — our second straight crack at the championship game and we’re playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home in 2003. It’s our last game at Veterans Stadium and it’s really cold… It was ‘h my God if we don’t win we’re going home and we don’t get to the Big Dance. ‘ Whereas before the Super Bowl it’s almost a calming feeling of ‘Win lose or draw I’m in the show. ‘ “– Trevor Pryce defensive end on the Broncos’ Super Bowl teams in 1998 and 1999.
Reflections on Christmas 2006 at Camp Moses
Arusha Times – Jan 20, 2007
Three weeks without classes might sound attractive for those of us fortunate enough to have the freedom to pursue other activities. However classes form the backbone of the children’s time here and their absence created a big void in their routine activities. Luckily Pastor Wambura (our director’s husband) had an idea! He organized for an instructor to teach the children a gospel dance routine during the Christmas break. This fulfilled a number of needs for the children. Firstly it helped fill up their time with some good fun physical activity and it gave some structure to their days as they practiced almost all morning in the church. It also uncovered some hidden talents as many of the children have shown themselves to be ‘naturals’ in dancing. Another benefit was that the confidence of the children visibly grew over the course of the lessons.
Five Best: UK Family Breaks
Independent – Jan 20, 2007
Under 12s sharing an adult’s room pay £40 for high tea and breakfast. Children in their own room pay 70 per cent of the adult half-board tariff5. CenterParcsFor many parents a mini-break at CenterParcs has become a modern rite of passage. Whether you visit Elveden Forest in Suffolk Sherwood Forest in Notts Longleat Forest in Wiltshire or Whinfell Forest in Cumbria you’ll find a long list of hearty activities – from horse riding and dance classes to zip wires and “adventure golf” – amid hundreds of acres of car-free cycle-friendly woodland. Grown-ups will gravitate to the treatments at the Aqua Sana spa centre but the biggest draws all round – especially when the weather isn’t great – are the flumes slides rapids and whirlpool baths of the Subtropical Swimming Paradise an indoor waterworld of its own. A 3-bedroom Comfort villa sleeping 6 people starts from £319 per villa for a 3-night weekend break and £229 for a 4-night midweek break… Children in their own room pay 70 per cent of the adult half-board tariff5. CenterParcsFor many parents a mini-break at CenterParcs has become a modern rite of passage. Whether you visit Elveden Forest in Suffolk Sherwood Forest in Notts Longleat Forest in Wiltshire or Whinfell Forest in Cumbria you’ll find a long list of hearty activities – from horse riding and dance classes to zip wires and “adventure golf” – amid hundreds of acres of car-free cycle-friendly woodland. Grown-ups will gravitate to the treatments at the Aqua Sana spa centre but the biggest draws all round – especially when the weather isn’t great – are the flumes slides rapids and whirlpool baths of the Subtropical Swimming Paradise an indoor waterworld of its own. A 3-bedroom Comfort villa sleeping 6 people starts from £319 per villa for a 3-night weekend break and £229 for a 4-night midweek break. For more details and booking information call 08705 200 300 or see.