The historical Grand Theatre is hosting its final play of the season with “The Odd Couple,” a classic comedy that will be directed by John Blackwell. The play is set to take place Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12th at 8 p.m. and Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. 

Blackwell, who has been directing for 15 years, says he has not faced any problems yet. “The actors know what is expected of them and they deliver beyond my expectations. I let the actors find their characters within my outline of how I think they should be portrayed. They usually surprise me with their interpretations,” said Blackwell.

The two lead actors are being played by Roy Wilbur (Felix), and Damian Muziani (Oscar).

Wilbur has been involved with the performing arts off and on for 35 years, with his most recent production as Merlin in “Camelot” at the Plays and Players Theatre in Philadelphia, Pa. He has worked with several theater groups across the country, from Michigan, to Florida, and New Jersey.

 Wilbur became interested in acting for this play because he enjoys performing in comedic roles. “I’m having a really great time. It’s a role I really didn’t see myself in. I like to do comedy.” 

Muziani, 40, has been involved with theater for roughly 6 years, but has mainly appeared on television. He can be seen on PHL17’s morning show, “Better Philly.”  His most recent performance before this role was also in “The Odd Couple,” at the Devon Theatre in Northeast Philadelphia, Pa.

 He found interest in taking part in this production because it is enjoyable for him. “I like theater a lot. It’s a lot of fun and great playing Oscar. I enjoy coming.”

Wilbur and Muziani are glad to be working together. “I couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with,” said Wilbur. 

 Muziani thinks that an older crowd will most likely be attending the show. “There are gonna be old people. We want to make them think they saw a show in Philly or New York.”

The Grand Theatre has been hosting plays since it opened its doors in 1927. The Road Company Theatre Group has made the establishment it’s home in the past few years.

According to Blackwell, people from the surrounding communities, including people as far away as Philadelphia and Delaware have attended productions at The Grand Theatre.

Wilbur said, “I hope people take a new perspective away with them,” noting the comedic approach toward the seriousness of divorce portrayed in “The Odd Couple.” 

“If we could touch one person it’s worth it,” said Muziani.

Tickets are now on sale, at $18.00 for adults, and $ 15.00 for seniors , children under 12, and students with a valid ID and can be purchased online at mycommunitytickets.com

For directions:

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063374/

This was yet another classic that I have never seen before, but my girlfriend sat me down to watch. The beginning was extremely slow, but it picked up in about 20 minutes into the movie.

Now it seems that every time I see a movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in it, that it seems to be a hit. There is something about how opposite these two guys are that they seem to play the best when they have opposing roles.

Basically the story is that Felix Ungar, played by Jack Lemmon, is getting a divorce after being married for 12 years. Oscar Madison, played by Walter Matthau, offers him a place to stay in his 8-bedroom apartment. No, I’m not kidding you; he literally has an 8-bedroom apartment in downtown New York. I don’t even want to know how much that sets him back a month.

Now Oscar is a huge slob and in the beginning of the movie it is completely trashed. Garbage everywhere, dead plants, can’t see the floor, etc. And it’s basically the hang out place for him and his friends when they go to play poker once a week. Well since Oscar has such a huge apartment and Felix was in the midst of getting a divorce, Oscar offered him a room. Well when Oscar woke up the next morning the apartment was spotless. Turns out that Felix is a so fucking OCD about cleaning that he’s the type of person that puts papers down after moping so that you don’t drag footprints across the floor.

This is onlyt the beginning of the chaos between these two guys. Think about it, a slob who likes it that way, and an OCD clean fucker. My god that’s just asking for trouble. Not to mention the fact that they are best friends.

It actually gets uncomfortable to watch after a while because you tend to side with one or the other. So it actually draws you into the movie more than you would ever think.

Base Score = 6
-1 for a slow into
+1 for Jack Lemmon and Waltar Matthau combo
+1 for opposites living with each other
+1 for dragging you in so far as to have to take sides.
=8/10

What a crazy weekend!

The performances went fine and dandy, just in case any of you were wondering. We were fairly decent, except for this one performance where I totally cracked and cried at the end of it because I was so bad. But it’s all good now. I’m very happy with what we did and I hope my co-actor and director felt the same way! And while we’re at it, our stage manager for the production was a very friendly boy named Adel and he is in a band called Amateur Takes Control. APPARENTLY, THEY ARE WELL-KNOWN IN THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE. Well, whoopee because I did not know this. They are a really good band, very different from the typical mat-rocker types or wannabe-bands. Check ‘em out yourself!

SO.

I can’t believe I have work tomorrow.

If I ever become a full-time theatre practitioner, I WILL GO MAD. I’m neurotic when it comes to acting. It’s the one thing that drives me crazy. I’m not even like this with boys I like. I over-analyze everything people say.

“It was pretty entertaining!”
What I hear: It was only quite entertaining. Meh. Not super entertaining or anything.

“You can act!”
What I hear: Everyone can act…it’s a matter of acting well or poorly.

Nerves hit me like a speeding car. I make trips to the toilet more often than I do in a week. (By the way, how come one always feels like peeing when one is nervous?)

But it means so much to me. It makes me feel so fulfilled and satisfied. It makes me incredibly happy. Thanks guys, for being part of that happiness.

“On November 13th, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence. That request came from his wife. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he also knew that someday he would return to her. With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his childhood friend Oscar Madison. Several years earlier, Madison’s wife had thrown him out, requesting that he never return.

“Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?”

That’s the opening from The Odd Couple television series, starring Tony Randall as Felix and Jack Klugman as Oscar. Please join me in celebrating this and every November 13th the date where it all began. The Odd Couple is one of the few works to have succeeded on Broadway (as wickedly funny Neil Simon stage play originally cast with Art Carney as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar), on film (starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau), and as a weekly TV series. Reruns of the series were a staple of programming on New York’s WPIX-Channel 11 during the 1970s and 1980s (along with The Honeymooners and the original Star Trek). WPIX also used Odd Couple episodes to fill time during rain delays of its New York Yankees telecasts. I’d often root for a thundershower to get a little Felix and Oscar with my hardball.

Beyond celebrating The Odd Couple, what’s the meaning of Felix Unger Day? It has the through-the-looking-glass quality of meaning whatever you want it to mean. For me, it’s about the possibilities and limits of reinventing yourself. TV’s Felix eventually does get over his first wife (at least for a while), he learns to tolerate Oscar (and vice versa), but he’s still Felix, relentlessly neat, obsessively organized, and honking from his allergies. As Oscar says, after he dies, Felix will spend eternity, “Haunting and cleaning, cleaning and haunting.” As I’ve learned in my own journey from New York to Hong Kong and beyond, changing your latitude only gets you so far; you also need to change your attitude.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, financial crisis, and cheap lingerie.

. . . to the false memory of what you and I once had . . .

Dir:  Chris Milk / Music: Gnarls Barkley / USA 2008

Chris Milk brings some serious heart crooning to life in his second video collaboration from Gnarles Barkely’s album The Odd Couple.

Chiang Mai, Thailand: October 2009

MOZZIE BYTE (Editor): A warm welcome back to all our Daily Explorer readers and greetings to those of you who are joining us for the first time. To our regulars, many thanks for viewing our online publication and for giving us your feedback. Over 23,000 visitors have been to see our site since the beginning of 2008. For new readers, Ray has been living nomadically for nearly four years since he left England in November 2005. In that time, he has visited or lived in 15 countries and we have been publishing news and stories about his journey throughout that period. You can find all of these in our Previous Issues archive.

We always aim to maintain our high standards of journalism and presentation, so please keep sending us your comments and suggestions as to how we can improve what we are doing. You can use the comments box on this site, or email Ray (ray@thedailyexplorer.com) or ‘Mozzie’ or any of our correspondents at mozzie@thedailyexplorer.com

Our latest issue has been compiled for us by our Asian Health correspondent Me So Fit (above), who has been keeping an eye on Ray over the last six months as he prepares for his latest challenge – running in the New York Marathon on 1st November. Since our global nomad arrived in Chiang Mai to start training in mid April, he has clocked up well over 800 miles on the road and running track! In the last few weeks, he completed his second half-marathon (the River Kwai International) and has been battling a series of injuries which could potentially ruin his chances of running the New York marathon in his goal time of under four hours. The “Calling All Angels” fundraising campaign is going well and there is an exciting update from Ivana Getachek about Ray’s recent event in Chiang Mai, which was a runaway success. And as Ray departs Chiang Mai for New York and the big race, we take a brief look at some highlights from his recent social calendar.

In our last issue, Ray set a series of new ‘personal bests’ in his training, for both times and distances, as he progressed towards his goal of running the New York marathon. Me So Fit also revealed how Ray and Nikki celebrated their birthdays, whilst Ivana Getachek announced the original $6,500 target for Ray’s fundraising campaign was reached in just eight weeks. If you missed it, you can read more about it now at: Birthdays and Broken Records

Above: Our global traveller, who celebrated his 49th birthday a few weeks ago (left) is making good progress towards his goal – completing the gruelling 26.2 mile marathon course in New York on 1st November in under four hours – which he has undertaken to raise money for three worthy causes. Ray recently set a series of new ‘personal bests’ in his training, for both times and distances (right), whilst preparing for his big challenge. If you missed it, you can read it at: Birthdays and Broken Records

For the last few months, our global traveller has been in Chiang Mai and travelling has been the last thing on his mind. His intensive marathon training regime means that he exercises virtually every day and when the physical work is over, he gets on the telephone to inspire potential sponsors to add a few more dollars to the growing fund that has already been raised from his ambitious “Calling All Angels” campaign. “This programme has been quite relentless and soon, it will be all over” said Ray when I spoke to him on the phone. “The fundraising is going really well, my confidence and ability to complete the marathon is increasing with every week that passes and I am still on track for a four hour finish. I am due to participate in a couple of weeks in the River Kwai International half-marathon and if I can get a sub two hour finish in the race, it will be a powerful confirmation that I can achieve my goal time in New York” explained Ray. “In July, I ran my first half-marathon in just over two hours and my fitness has improved since then, so barring injuries, I expect to do quite well” he told me. “In the meantime, two of my dear friends from Ko Samui are visiting Chiang Mai and it will be great to take a break from all this for a couple of days while they are here” said our long distance runner.

Above: Chiang Mai – the ‘old city’ is surrounded by this wonderful tree lined moat – is a lovely place to visit, especially at this time of year

Below: James (left) and Susie (right) arrive from Ko Samui – “Nikki and I are really excited about their visit and cannot wait to show them around” said Ray. “We first met them in November 2006 and spent many wonderful days and nights on the terrace of their beach house. They are such good fun and Susie is a fantastic photographer – I am hoping to get some good pictures for The Daily Explorer” added our traveller

Above: The delightful Susie explores the services on offer at ”Supaporn Beauty”

Below: Ray (left) takes James and Susie for a ride in a ‘Songthaew’ – a cross between a bus and a taxi – and keeps an eye out for his favourite vegetarian restaurant – “This is a great city to invite friends to because the food on offer is fresh, abundant and absolutely marvellous value” said Ray. Nikki (right) readily agrees with him!

Above: Nikki and James look like they are up to something as they stop outside Wawee Coffee – one of Chiang Mai’s most popular institutions and a great place to hang out

Below: Susie gets Ray and Nikki to pose for her as she demonstrates her gift for creating great images from behind the camera lens

Above: Ray and Nikki invited James (left) and Susie to join them at their local, friendly Thai restaurant on their last night in town – chosen partly because the seats are actually giant rectangular holes cut into the floor (right) so your legs hang down through to the room below. There is a huge rectangular table placed over the top for food ……

Below: ….. and they also sell the very finest, freshly caught grilled fish in town, as James soon discovers!

Above: Anyone who visits Chiang Mai cannot possibly leave without experiencing a one hour head, back, neck and shoulder massage at the Sunday ‘Walking Street’ market on Ratchadamnoen Road – “It’s bloomin’ marvellous” says Susie

With a background in drama and performing, I found out from Nikki that Chiang Mai’s Gate Theatre Group were staging a production of Neil Simon’s box office hit, “The Odd Couple”. “Stephan Turner is a great actor and director” Nikki told me. “I have seen some of his work and am very impressed. He is directing this production and has lined up a marvellous cast. I am pretty sure the run will be sold out, which for Chiang Mai is really something special” she told me. 

In case you have not seen it, “The Odd Couple” traces the lives of two infamously mismatched roommates: Felix Ungar, a neurotic fusspot news writer and Oscar Madison, a slovenly sports journalist.  At his wife’s insistence, Felix is evicted from his home and abandoned on the doorstep of his childhood friend Oscar.  Deep down, he knows she has every right to kick him out, but he still harbors the hope of someday returning to her once so loving arms.  As fate would have it, Oscar likewise had been given the boot by Mrs. Madison requesting that he never return.  Can two new bachelors share an apartment without driving each other insane? “I really loved the show” said Ray. “It has been a long time since I saw the movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and I remembered just how brilliant the script is. The laughs are just non-stop in this classic hit” said our runner.

Above: “The Odd Couple” was being performed at Kad Suan Kaew, a huge shopping centre with a theatre on the 7th floor. Whilst waiting for the performance to start, Nikki and friend Ellen Ward managed to uncover one of Chiang Mai’s best kept secrets (left) – a derelict roof area on top of the building giving one of the best views over the city and the mountains in the distance (right)

Below: ”The Odd Couple“ first premiered on Broadway in 1965 at the Plymouth Theatre in New York City. This performance marked the start of the fourth season for The Gate Theater, Chiang Mai’s only English language theatre group. Directed by the group’s founder, Stephan Turner, the side-splitting cast includes Robert Young as Murray, Ron Kasdan as Speed, Brian Brown as Roy and Roberto Toscano as Vinnie

Above: The hilarious play also starred Richard Childs as Felix and Brian Hubbard as Oscar (left) whilst Marisa Lianggamphai and Rachel Clair Morris played the Pigeon sisters (right)

When I spoke to Nikki after the performance, I discovered that she had been preparing an event of her own that would turn out to be quite a hit within the local ex-pat community. “Ever since I can remember, I have always loved ecstatic dancing and a lot of the friends I have made through my yoga connections feel the same” explained Nikki. “Up until now, there has not been anywhere in the city offering this kind of event, so I thought it would be great fun to organise something and see how much appetite there would be for it. Partly inspired by the work of Gabrielle Roth, the “SpiritMoves” event will facilitate people to express themselves through dance to five very contrasting styles of music. If it is successful, I hope it could become a regular event here” she told me.

Above and below: Nikki’s “SpiritMoves” event turned out to be very popular with people in Chiang Mai who want to dance their way to a connection with the spiritual. The facilitated practice focuses on putting the body in motion in order to still the mind. The five rhythms - flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness - when danced in sequence, are known as a “wave.” A typical “wave” can take 45–90 minutes to dance, spending 10–20 minutes in each of the five rhythms in sequence. The dance is usually allowed to express itself with minimal instruction, with the teacher allowing the music (DJ’ed or live) to lead the pace of the class, or simply teaching by example

With just a few weeks left to go before the New York marathon, I was very keen to check in with Ray to find out how his training was going. “Everything seems to be on track at the moment, although for the first time since I started this adventure four or five months ago, I am starting to have some physical problems from the relentless pounding my lower body is sustaining” he told me. “My left hip has been very sore in the last week and no matter how much I stretch, the pain doesn’t seem to go away completely. I am having to get back out on the road to run again before my body has time to fully recover. In order to be able to run a sub four hour marathon, I have to complete a specified number of runs every week at speeds that are set out for me by my coach. If I relax on the schedule, which would help my body recover, I run the risk of not being fast enough to reach my goal time in the race. So the whole thing is becoming a bit of a balancing act at the moment which I have to monitor on a day by day basis” explained Ray. “My immediate challenge is to complete my second half-marathon (in a couple of days) in under two hours, so that I can be confident I am really capable of a four hour finish in New York. And as my body is not quite right, this could be quite a challenge – the first three or four miles of the River Kwai race are uphill!” exclaimed Ray.

The River Kwai race takes place just outside Kanchanaburi, a province which is about 150 kilometres away from Bangkok. “From Chiang Mai, the trip is a bit of a nightmare” said Ray. “To get there, I have to leave the day before the race and fly to Bangkok, then get a bus across the city which takes an hour to the southern bus terminal. From there, it is a two hour bus journey to the town of Kanchanaburi and from there, I will need to take one more bus for about an hour to reach the place where the race starts. In total, the journey will take 6-7 hours” said our dedicated runner. “The race starts at six in the morning so I am going the day before to make sure I reach the start in time. I have been to this part of the country before, in 2006 when I visited the world famous Bridge on the River Kwai, which had been on my personal ’bucket list’ of places to visit for many years” added Ray.

Above: The bus terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport marks the start of Ray’s long journey to the River Kwai – “I noticed that the 550 bus goes to Happy Land, which is where I will be tomorrow if I manage a sub two hour time in the race” joked Ray

Below: “Going on this old, rickety bus made me remember how enjoyable my life on the road as a nomad has been over the last four years and how much I have been missing it while I have been training for the marathon” said our global traveller

Above: The countryside surrounding the River Kwai is quite spectacular (left) and the hotel where Ray stayed actually had a few rooms which were floating on pontoon’s on the river itself (right)

Below: The River Kwai International half-marathon race was very challenging for Ray – “Despite having pains in my left hip during the last six or seven miles (of thirteen), I was determined to run through it and register the fastest time I could” said our ambitious athlete

Above: Ray has really come a long way since April when his 26 week training programme began – “Back then, even contemplating a half-marathon seemed a bit absurd. Now, 13 miles feels like a ’short’ run” he told me. “It is just incredible how the human body adapts to what you need it to do, if you condition it in the right way”

Below: Result achieved! Ray returns to Chiang Mai triumphantly with his official half-marathon time – a blistering 1:59:46!

Above: You can see from Ray’s personal training log for September (which is stored at www.workoutlog.com) that he has been having quite serious problems with injuries and has had to miss several of his training runs – “I think the collective toll on my body is starting to tell” he told me. “I was only able to run/cycle 120 miles in September, compared to 184 miles in August and am hoping that it will not affect my performance too much” said Ray

Below: Maintaining a good diet has been a vital part of Ray’s conditioning for the race. Plenty of vegetables and pasta (left) as well as tons of fresh fruit (right) provide the carbohydrate energy that he needs for training – “Each of my twenty mile runs burns up around 2,000 calories” said our runner. “Like all marathon runners, I shall be ‘loading up’ with carbs for 2-3 days before the race in New York”

With a departure date for New York set for mid October, it had always been part of Ray’s plan to complete his six months of training by taking part in the Amari Watergate “Midnight Run” in Bangkok, which is a 12 kilometre race through the city held every year to raise money for charities. “Matt Campbell (my coach) has done the race a couple of times and we arranged to meet in Bangkok so we could do it together – a fitting way of saying goodbye to each other” explained Ray. “I have achieved so much more than I could ever have imagined in the last six months and I don’t think I could have done it without Matt’s support. He is a brilliant mentor and a very kind man too” added Ray.

Unfortunately, Ray was unable to take part in the race and had to settle for being a spectator for the first time. “It’s what we runners call a “bummer” of a situation!” joked Ray. A couple of days ago, I pulled up after five miles of a twenty mile run when my left calf tightened up so much, I couldn’t even walk. I have since discovered that I have suffered a grade two calf strain injury and the only recovery route is complete rest from training. With four weeks to go until the marathon, I am just hoping that I still have enough time for nature to do it’s work and for my body to heal. Of course, I am doing everything I can to help, including massage and stretching every day. The rest is really out of my hands” said our disappointed runner.

Above: With strong support from his coach, Matt Campbell, Ray has run over 800 miles (1,300 kilometres), completed two half-marthons and three 10 kilometre races during his six months of training in Asia. And he has amassed a serious collection of runners medals – “I don’t think our readers should get too excited” said Ray. “In Thailand, it seems that you are given a medal for taking part, which is kinda nice” he laughed

Below: Our disappointed runner arrived in Bangkok a few days ago and had to settle for some sightseeing and spectating instead of running. Despite radical treatment to recover from a calf strain, Ray’s left leg was far too swollen to take part in the city’s annual “Midnight Run” – “Of course it’s a shame” said Ray, who sent us this picture with his left leg in a bucket of ice (right), but the priority now is to get good treatment for this injury and try and keep my body working so that I can actually still take part” he explained. “If I am not careful, I run the risk of ending up with legs and feet like our friend in the picture (left)” he laughed

Above: This wonderful photograph of Bangkok at night, and the one above it on the left were both taken by Lesley Fisher from Ko Samui – “She is developing quite a talent behind the lens” said Ray, who is a personal friend and fan of her work

Below: Matt Campbell (right) tries to console Ray minutes before the start of the annual “Midnight Run” in Bangkok – “He has done so well in his training” said Matt. “I just hope that everything comes right for him for the big day. I am sure he will get a great result” added Matt

Above: Before any big race, runners pack in at the start line and wait for the gun -  “In Thailand, it is very humid and there is hardly any breeze so it can get very hot and sweaty waiting for the race to get going. And there were only about 3-4,000 runners for the Bangkok run – there will be over 40,000 in New York!” Ray told me

Below: “And they’re off!” For this years runners, the waiting is finally over and they hit the Bangkok streets on the stroke of midnight

Above: While Matt was sweating in the midnight heat, running his heart out, Ray decided to make use of the after-race massage facilities – “I thought I would sneak in before any of the runners crossed the finish line” said our injured runner

Below: Matt crosses the finish line a few minutes before 1 a.m. (left) and then joins Ray in the bar for a farewell drink (Editors Note: Because he is still in training, Ray’s drink is obviously non-alcoholic!)

With a day in Bangkok for some shopping, Ray and Nikki made the most of it before heading south to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for their flight to London. “We plan to stop in London for a few days before heading to New York, mainly to see family and friends” explained Ray. “And we found a very cheap flight to the UK with Air Asia who have recently introduced a daily Kuala Lumpur – London (Stanstead) service. So tomorrow, we will take a short flight to KL and will have a day to explore the city as neither of us has been there before” said Ray. “But first, we are going to the vast MBK centre to buy a few small things to take back to England”.

Above: The cavernous MBK centre in central Bangkok has four floors the size of a small town and is packed with shops and stalls selling everything from carpets to clothing and movies to mobile phones at bargain prices, if you are good at haggling

Below: “Wait a moment” thinks a slightly confused Ray as he walks through Bangkok. “We are not supposed to be in New York (left) for a couple more weeks. Oh – it’s the name of this apartment building!” Twenty four hours later, Ray was making his first visit to Kuala Lumpur and exploring the streets of the Malaysian city (right)

Above: The mighty Petronas Twin Towers dominate the KL skyline and were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004

Below: Nikki explores the lake and gardens inside one of KL’s city parks

Above:  The park provides a great opportunity for the local kids to play in the water (left), whilst anyone with sight problems may not exactly rush to get help at this clinic (right)

Editors Note: Our thanks to Me So Fit for bringing us the latest update. Ray has now left Asia and will shortly arrive in New York City after a few days in London. Our guest correspondent Nick Elandimer, who is from the Big Apple, will be bringing us exclusive coverage of the race and other aspects of Ray’s visit in a few weeks time. Once more, I would also like to thank every single one of our readers who has made a donation to Ray’s Calling All Angels Marathon Fundraising Campaign. 

“Calling All Angels” Campaign Update

Above: Ivana Getachek, our “Calling All Angels” Fundraising Campaign Manager

Our global fundraising campaign has now been underway for about sixteen weeks and I am delighted to tell you that we have raised $13,644 so far, which means we have surpassed our target of $12,000! Like Mozzie Byte, I would also like to thank everybody who has contributed. Your gesture of kindness will be hugely appreciated by the people Ray is running for. I spoke to him as he arrived in London to find out his thoughts about the campaign. “Well Ivana, I am really gobsmacked that people have been willing to make donations, especially in these difficult economic times. There has been a lot of fantastic support for what we are trying to do and there has been a steady stream of donations which I thought would stop at some point. But they have continued throughout the campaign, which gives me the confidence to believe we can raise even more money. It feels as if we have the energy of a huge, global team of people behind us, which is an amazing feeling. And I will be starting the 26.2 mile race on 1st November knowing that we are creating over $500 for every single mile I run, which is truly incredible. A number of people I have spoken to personally have yet to make their donation. If you are one of those people, please help us by getting online now! All you have to do is click on the button below and have your credit card details ready. I hope people will forgive me for continuously banging the drum about this – I only have two weeks left to raise as much money as I can for these people and they really need our help. If our readers had seen first hand the amazing work they are doing to alleviate suffering, with such limited resources, I am certain they would feel exactly the same sense of passion and intention that I do” said Ray.

DONATE HERE NOW!

As we approach the marathon in New York on 1st November, full details of the amount raised will be published every week on Ray’s “Calling All Angels” campaign page. The campaign is a truly global endeavour. So far, we have received pledges or donations from people in 18 different countries. See how good your general knowledge is by looking at the flags below and seeing how many you can name!

Above: Ray’s Calling All Angels Campaign is a truly global endeavour – we have received donations or pledges of support from people in 18 different countries so far

A couple of days before his departure from Chiang Mai, Ray hosted a spectacular, sell-out fund raising evening for people there and I thought you might like to hear a little bit about it. Taking several weeks to plan, the event took place at a popular vegetarian restaurant called Taste from Heaven, chosen because of its close ties to the Elephant Nature Park and Foundation. “I was very pleased to be given exclusive use of the venue for an evening as it meant we could maximise the numbers of people attending and raise even more money for our fund” explained Ray. Once I knew we had the venue sorted, my main job was to generate some publicity and let the people of Chiang Mai know about it. Roy Fudge, who is the manager at Taste from Heaven helped me get some tickets printed and Nikki helped me spread news about the event through our ever expanding social network. The venue was big enough for about 70 people, which was our target but by the time we got to the day itself, we were sold out and there were about 75 people who came for what turned out to be a really magical evening” recalled Ray. The event raised over $500 for the fund, which is  a relatively huge amount for Chiang Mai and a great result for Ray and his team.

Above: Ray puts up one of a few posters at ’strategic’ locations in Chiang Mai to make sure everyone knows about his fundraising event – “Tickets went on sale for about five pounds, which included two free tickets for a prize winning raffle worth one pound each” said Ray. “We managed to persuade many local businesses to donate prizes to the raffle. In the end, we had over 50 prizes to give away worth well over a thousand pounds in value” he told me

Below: Ray got some valuable help from Libby Turnock, who just happens to be from New York and has been volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park – “She was great to work with” said Ray, “and she helped me craft a press release that I sent to the New York Times and other organisations in the media about my campaign. Although I wasn’t expecting anyone to grab the story, I thought something could happen if we put some energy out there” explained our optimistic fund raiser. “Libby will be joining us when we get to New York for the race, which I am delighted about” added Ray

Above: The Chiang Mai Mail were happy to run with a story about Ray’s event (left), which was taking place at the Taste from Heaven Restaurant (right) near Thapae Gate

Below: Ray (left, rear) greets one of his guests as people queue up to enjoy the amazing vegetarian buffet at Taste from Heaven (Photograph: Valerie Klein)

Above: Ray was fortunate to have two fabulous, glamorous assistants to present the prize winning raffle draw – Nikki Ashley (left) and Ellen Ward (right)

Below: Matt Campbell and his family enjoy the wonderful vegetarian food (left), whilst Ellen charms and encourages some guests (right) to purchase additional raffle tickets (Photograph: Valerie Klein)

Above: Ray warmly welcomes everybody who has come to the fundraiser and excitedly lets them know what treats are in store for them over the next 2-3 hours! (Photograph: Valerie Klein)

Below: Our intrepid traveller returned to the podium about an hour later to explain to the crowd gathered what had made him decide to take on the goal of running a marathon – “It was a decision I mulled over for quite a long time” he told everyone “and I wanted to let people know why it was important in terms of the impact the money we have raised will have. And most people were curious to hear more about what my training has been like” he told me (Photograph: Valerie Klein)

Above: The appearance of Lek Chailert (founder of the Elephant Nature Park and Foundation) was eagerly awaited by everyone who attended – “She had flown back to Thailand from Canada the previous day, so I was expecting Lek to join us for about fifteen minutes and then quietly depart” recalled Ray. “Not only did she stay for the entire evening, she was so excited about everyone who came that she invited every single person who attended, free of charge, to spend a day at the Elephant Nature Park (Photograph: Valerie Klein)

Below: (Left) Our two glamorous raffle hosts, Ellen (left) and Nikki (right) are joined by the charismatic Phoebe Campbell (centre) who did a great job announcing draw numbers and running prizes over to each of the winners. (Right) Two beautiful framed pictures of elephants in the park, taken by local photographer Peter Thomson, were donated for the raffle. Amazingly, each was won by one half of a very happy German couple (right)

Above: Chiang Mai Magazine publisher, City Now! sent one of their photographers to the event to capture some images for their social calender pages on the Internet. (Left) Nikki and Ray with Lek. (Right) From left to right, Armand, Gaston, Laurence and Jennie

Below: The Campbell family did very well in the raffle, scooping several prizes, but there was a fair amount of disagreement amongst the family members when it came to guessing the right answer for the “Spot the Ball” competition (left). Meanwhile, Australian Kat Quinlan and Jo Ibbett from the UK had a wonderful evening

That’s about it for now until after the New York Marathon, which we will be featuring in our next issue. If anyone would like to ask Ray about his training or fundraising, or would like his help with travel plans, you can send an email to ray@thedailyexplorer.com or to me at mozzie@thedailyexplorer.com. If you would like to have a chat with me, Ray or anyone on The Daily Explorer team about any aspect of the campaign, let me know and I will have them contact you. If you have not seen it yet, please take five minutes out of your day to find out what the “Calling All Angels” campaign is all about. And if you feel inspired, please make a donation! It doesn’t matter how much – really it doesn’t – every little bit helps. Together, we could really make such a huge difference. If you would like to talk to Ivana, you can reach her anytime at ivana@thedailyexplorer.comWe always aim to maintain our high standards of journalism and presentation, so please keep sending us your comments and suggestions as to how we can improve what we are doing. You can use the comments box on this site, or email Ray or ‘Mozzie’ or any of our correspondents. We will keep you posted!

MOZZIE BYTE

Today’s highlight was lunchtime.I actually sat by some drama club people today, and, due to some unknown circumstances, was shoved out of my chair.

It was mostly my fault. I was the one who started the rowdiness, the roughhousing, the shoving match. It was  who turned that bright red color thought to be toxic to humankind. Yep, I broke the laws of facial expressions today.

I couldn’t keep a straight face today in band, either. I kept smirking unless I bit my lip really hard. Sorry if it looked like I needed a helmet today. Too many inside jokes can lead to injury.

After school, I was going to go to Academic Decathalon, but a certain someone forgot to tell us it was cancelled. I called my mom to see if I could get picked up right then, as I lack a car, but her phone was turned off. So I waited an hour and a half after school let out.

First, I went to the band room, but it closed because the band director needed to take his daughter to the doctor’s. I could, at that point, pretty much watch cross country practice or sneak within the theater. I chose the latter. I accidentally interrupted a rehearsal, which was mildly embarrassing, and tried to make up for it by waving. Not my best move, but what can I do now? I walked straight into the lobby’s bathroom and just stood in there a while, not wanting to be disturbed. But that got old fast.

So I walked into the silent, empty lobby and plopped down on some random chair. My awesome friend, Kaleigh, had just lent me this really good book, Sold, when she heard I’d be staying after school for quite some time, so I took it out and started reading. It’s really good so far. It’s sad because the narrator has no idea what’s happening to her… It’s that kind of rip-your-hair out touching. I’d read it if I were you. I probably got 90 pages into it, and it’s fun to read.

For anyone who actually goes to my school, I think this is really disgusting: in the theater lobby, there’s a ceiling light with a whole bunch of dead, silhouetted flies that have collected over the ages. I haven’t seen any moving since band camp.

Haha, I know how to get into the theater, and you don’t.

So that was my day in a nutshell. Kind of exciting, compared to most. Ugh, I sound like I don’t have a life at all.

Chris Brennan says:

hmmm, yeah – pretty sure i wouldn’t let you do any of these things for me…

i may be interested in your sign making services though.

(photo by Chris Brennan)

While clearing out the fridge Lorelai looks at a pizza in the bin wondering whether it is still edible.

Rory: Don’t.
Lorelai: It’s in the box…
Rory: Oscar!
Lorelai: Felix!

The Odd Couple (Gene Saks, 1968)

Photo by Ed Kohler - http://www.flickr.com/photos/edkohler/2486464985/

In the new movie Funny People, Adam Sandler is at a friend’s house for Thanksgiving when he walks out on the patio and interrupts an intense argument between buddies.

“Now it’s starting to feel like Thanksgiving,” he quips.

That feeling — of being surrounded by people who alternately bring you the greatest joy and most exacerbating irritation — is known universally as, well, family.

I mention this because one of my favorite people in the whole wide world — my husband — can drive me batty.

During the first couple of weeks of marriage, I was rushing around, readying for work, when I placed my toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink counter. I walked away to fetch an old tshirt to throw over my blouse. When I returned, the toothpaste and toothbrush had been neatly placed back into the medicine cabinet. Before. I. Even. Used. It.

Given that one of my degrees is in literature, the ominous soundtracks of foreshadowing should of instantly cued in my ears. But those pesky lovestruck stars twirling around my head distracted me. Sigh.

There were other signs. His clothes, arranged by type, then by color, were perfectly aligned in the closet. When we folded laundry, his pile resembled a giant stack of neatly placed dominos to my Leaning Tower of Pisa. His office desk was stark, save for a few key items, lovingly placed at 90-degree angles. He typed iteneraries for our out-of-town guests.

Just for the record, I am no Oscar Madison. I keep my house and work areas neat and tidy, but I am not — how do you say it? — a detail person.

As a result, I often gloss over the little things, like leaving those tiny plastic tags on my clothes. For years. And so what if my entire family is deathly afraid of the abyss that is my purse? I also have self-diagnosed myself with Freethrow-itis — a serious disease that causes me to miss the trashcan by miles when I’m throwing light items, like gum wrappers and tissues.

That particular ailment also prevents me from picking said items up off the floor. Bless my heart.
  

Not a problem. My husband, for more than 20 years now, took care of it. Of course, what I once thought was cute, started getting on my nerves. To wit: 

• There was the time he objected to the Colonial-style G.I. Joe outfits I purchased on clearance for the kids because the dolls were World War II soldiers. (“They can’t carry bayonets,” he insisted.)

• After I shove all the cups and plates in the dishwasher, he sneaks into the kitchen and rearranges them.

• He instituted a recycling system in our house, complete with a family workshop (which, by the way, the teenagers LOVED) and now inspects the trash every night for any flagrant violations.

Last weekend, though, he pushed me over the edge. I was born with Beverage Container Dispose-ism, which forces me to have several drinks (a mug of coffee, a Diet Coke) at various levels of consumption strewn around the house. But sometimes I come back for them.

So last weekend, ready to workout, I went searching for my blue Powerade Zero, which I knew, for a fact, had 75 percent drink left in it. (Let it be noted here that I don’t like plain water. And this was my LAST Powerade Zero.)

“I drank it,” my husband said, rather smugly, I might add. “You never finish them.”

By Bill Loytty - http://www.flickr.com/photos/weloytty/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

It’s possible I pitched a fit. Just a little, tiny age-appropriate one. Until my daughter discovered a new container of Powerade Zero tucked behind the kitchen island.

A few days later, I had cracked open another Powerade Zero in anticipation of a gym class, took a sip and placed it on the counter.

I turned my back for a moment, and swung around to catch my husband guzzling it down. “You were done with this weren’t you?” he asked.

Just as my blood pressure spiked, he stepped away from the counter to reveal my beverage still sitting there, where I left it. He had opened a new one.

I have had several fantasies about how to hurt him. But the truth is this: He always makes me laugh. And he is, indeed, the ying to my yang. I would have it no other way.

We are the perfect match.

Frankenstein 1970

Release Date: 20 July 1958

Tagline: “The One…The Only KING OF MONSTERS as the new demon of the atomic age!”

Plot Summary: Baron Victor Von Frankenstein has fallen on hard times; he was tortured at the hands of the Nazis for not cooperating with them during World War II and he is now badly disfigured. As his family’s wealth begins to run out, the Baron is forced to allow a TV crew shooting a documentary on his monster-making ancestors to film at his castle in Germany. However, the Baron has some ideas of his own: using the money from the crew’s rent he buys an atomic reactor and uses it to create a hulking monster, transplanting his butler’s brain into the thing and using it to kill off the crew for more spare parts.

   This project was proposed because of the success of the “Shock Theatre” package of Universal horror films released to television. The other contributing factors were the recent successes of the British-made The Curse of Frankenstein and the low-budget American International release I Was a Teenage Frankenstein. This low-budget film had the advantage of being shot in CinemaScope.

   This film was originally going to be entitled “Frankenstein 1960″ but it didn’t sound futuristic enough. It was also thought to be too far fetched that an independent researcher could obtain his own atomic reactor in 1960.

Howard W. Koch (Airplane!, The Manchurian Candidate, The Odd Couple) was the Director

Boris Karloff as Baron Victor von Frankenstein

George Bau (The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939, House of Wax, Around the World in Eighty Days 1956) was the makeup artist
Gordon Bau (It’s a Wonderful Life, Dirty Harry, Cool Hand Luke) was the makeup supervisor

Label: Atlantic
Rating: 4 Guns

Buy On:

“Runaway, run children, run for your life” because “The Odd Couple” known as Gnarls Barkley is back on the scene! Out of all the albums I have reviewed, this was the one I was waiting for. I am a huge fan of Dangermouse’s work with the Gorillaz and the Jay-Z/Beatles mixup “The Grey Album”.

Dangermouse and Cee-Lo are coming correct on their second album with a Wall-Of –Sound-vibe, horns, soul and psychedelic blues. The first single “Run (I’m A Natural Disaster)” is a natural disaster. The beats sound like charging horses and and when Cee-Lo tells you “Either you run right now/or you best get ready to die/you better/move/I said/move,” you fuckin’ move.

“Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” is pure gospel soul. You can feel the pain rising up in Cee-Lo when he sings “Who’s gonna save my soul now/I know I’m out of control now/tired enough to lay my own soul down”.

“Surprise” is a blend of 60’s surf rock and pop. “Don’t be surpised” when situations, relationship and life weigh you down or break your heart because that’s the way it goes.

“Charity Case” which is the first song on the album is a perfect chillout song. Speaking to the problem when you can help everyone but yourself, but maybe “if I help somebody, baby there’s mercy for me”.

“The Odd Couple” is very well rounded and mature. The emotions are honest and the music pulls from the best of all genres. I think the criticism in the press that there’s not a new “Crazy” on this album is bullshit.

The problem with albums and the music industry is that it is so generic. Everyone is worried about crafting hits and beats and there is no focus on honest songwriting and being inventive. So if being honest and inventive is odd, then I guess calling Dangermouse and Cee-Lo the “Odd Couple” is very fitting.

by Sharon Falduto

A 2009 staging of The Odd Couple in Iowa is set against a completely different cultural backdrop than an original staging in the 1960s. It’s hard to watch Neil Simon’s play, about manly men doing manly things and living together in a manly way, without putting it in the context of a gay marriage. Of course that wasn’t Simon’s intent, and the Old Creamery Production plays it straight, but the nods are definitely there — especially in the character of Felix, the persnickety character with a penchant for the traditionally female roles of cooking and cleaning.

The play starts with that most masculine of pursuits, a poker game. We are introduced to most of the cast, a quintet of poker players helmed by Oscar Madison (because it takes place in his apartment). This group of men did an excellent job of making the poker game look real, a contrast to later hubbub and hilarity as they chase a despondent Felix around and through the apartment.

The actors making up the gang are a roundup of local celebrity stunt casting, including Dennis Green from KCCK, Joe Jennison of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, Ric Swann from Z102.9, and Old Creamery favorite Steve Weiss.

Dennis Green is Ray, Oscar’s accountant—a thankless job, since Oscar has been losing money his entire life. He plays the part straight and narrow, a regular guy in thick glass. He doesn’t, perhaps, stand out as a personality in the show, but he helps to keep the game grounded. In counterpoint to Roy’s affability, Joe Jennison is a bottled up ball of rage ready to explode. He chomps a cigar throughout the play in a manner which leads the audience to suspect he may bit right through at any moment. Steve Weiss as Vinnie and Ric Swann as Murray are the happily (?) married men in the group, but their henpecked stature shows in the slope of Vinnie’s shoulders as he shrugs to the door, and in Officer Murray’s distracted fingerplay as he expresses his envy of bachelors Felix and Oscar.

Deborah Kennedy and Jackie McCall round out the supporting cast as the Pigeon sisters, two fun birds from Britain who bring a literal splash of color with their neon outfits and their outrageous entendres.

The stars of the show, of course, are the dysfunctional couple Felix and Oscar. The premise of the play (as if you didn’t know) is that Felix has been cut loose from his marriage, and he moves in with his slobby friend Oscar… and hilarity ensues.

Tom Milligan is perfectly at ease as Oscar, inhabiting what appear to be Jack Klugman’s exact costumes as he slobs about in his eight room apartment with no one to hold him responsible for his mess. His body language is open and free, every bit the lady’s man with no troubles in the world, in spite of the large amount of money he owes in child support.

Seth McCall’s Felix was, unfortunately, the sour note of the show. His Felix was overacted and so obnoxious that every time he whine “No wonder Frances left me!” the audience was inclined to agree. His delivery verged on Jerry Lewis “nice LA-DY” territory all too often. His physical comedy, on the other hand, was a thing to behold: body twisted in on itself in reaction to slight injury, obnoxious moose noises to clear his adenoids, and all.

The set for this show was absolutely amazing. Every detail evoked a bachelor pad recently vacated by a woman. The door to the offstage bathroom opened to reveal decorative panels in the entryway, and in my favorite stroke of set design genius, the door to the offstage kitchen pushed open to reveal a kitchen with an actual stove, and jello molds hung on the wall.

The pacing for the show was a bit off. My companion and I agreed that at times we found ourselves thinking it should be moving along a bit more quickly. Do pay attention to the shadows during scene changes, though, as you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

If you go to the Old Creamery and are under 30 years old, remember to bring an ID. The theatre offers a hefty discount for the under 30 set. The Old Creamery’s Odd Couple features a wonderful ensemble, but the heart of the matter — the platonic “marriage” of Felix and Oscar — didn’t ever seem to quite gel.

Sharon Falduto has been involved with theatre for many years. Notable roles include Corrie in Barefoot in the Park with Dreamwell and Myra in Hay Fever with ICCT. She has directed God for the now defunct student group, West Side Players, and Of Mice and Men for Dreamwell. She is currently out of the theatre scene, as she is busy directing the lives of Rachel, Samantha, and Piper at her home in Coralville. She still enjoys the stage, however, and hopes to trod the boards again in the future.

For posterity, I will now relate this embarassing story from seventh grade.

Just hours ago I was trying to move some old pictures to another folder. In my stupid haste I deleted the freaking folder. Because it was on my flash drive it didn’t go the recycle bin – and now those photos of me are gone forever. So I’m just going to describe them in words here.

In seventh grade I was in the Bottom Locker production of “The Odd Couple”. Many will remember it as the day Grapes wore a dress onstage. I don’t need to imagine how awkward I must have looked up there, and I probably ranted on my blog later about “what’s the big deal?”. Needless to say, seventh grade was embarassing. Not as in constant tripping over my feet or anything, just that I second-guessed myself way too much and thought everyone thought I was a loser. Which, if I acted that way, probably was true.

I had also yet to get a real bra. DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNNNN. Turn away children, before it’s too late.

You didn’t. You fatteh.

Because of the low-cut nature of the dress, I had been really careful to always wear my closest-to-normal-bras on rehearsal days. Then, one day…I forgot and put on my high Taiwanese “training bra”. And it was Friday. And I had to wear that stupid low-cut dress.

Of course I freaked out. But I do believe it was dress rehearsal – and the show had to go on. So I went up there and did my thing, slouching to hide my nasty bra. By the way, it was plain white and cotton, so looking back it couldn’t have been that bad.

Horror of horrors, months or years later when I was stalking people I knew on xanga, I came across one of my castmates. And she had posted up some pictures of “The Odd Couple” – but they were that of the nasty bra incident.

Nevertheless, I saved them in a Word document as seventh graders are apt to do instead of just saving the picture.

And that was what I deleted, when I saw how it was the only thing in my “7th grade” folder.

I don’t really want to forget that incident, so here it is. For when I’m sixty. Don’t laugh, future grandchildren. Let’s see you go through that in two years. Or however many. Especially you, Samanfar. Who are you to laugh, with that nasty name? What? I named you? Whell then. More cake? That’s right, fatteh up.

I feel some loss, but at least I still have my video of the actual performance.

In other news, tomorrow’s the picnic. I’m so excited. Miya’s bringing red velvet cake and Nobu’s bringing jello. GIGA PUDDING! I’ve also finished my human stop-motion screenplay and we’ll be asking people tomorrow at school. Huzzah.

We’re starting a club – Club Retrospect. I hope some seventh grader doesn’t think it’s a pun for “respect”. But we do those things when we’re young and naive.

I’m seriously afraid of junior year. You hear horror stories but…it’s surreal. Will I even have time to keep writing? Blogging in itself takes up at least an hour a day. Plus, I’ll have to wake up an hour early next year. Nine classes plus two clubs – leadership positions?

I also need to clean my house and ask my dad about the “Public Enemies” premiere. I always agree to things with my friends because I’m so idealistic about it. Like 80’s movie marathon – I agreed to let them come over – but my house is a mess.

Today I was telling Miya about the premiere, and how we’d have to camp out. She said, reluctantly, which means there was true emotion behind it and not just the casual “fatteh”, “I don’t know…sometimes you tend to…overglorify Johnny Depp.”

I was pissed for a minute, of course. I don’t know if she could tell because I’ve been getting really contemplative recently. That’s how I plot out my screenplays – by being quiet and staring into space. I hate generalizations like that – because people are so much more complex than those statements. I love Miya, really – even if I gag when she tries to hug me. And not in a rainbow flag way either – she’s just a pretty great person. But I would never overglorify Johnny Depp as to think that he would have more fans than he does. I may be overexcited about many things, but underneath I am very logical about them. I did my research – and I’ve heard different reports – so better safe than sorry. I don’t know how to explain, but I knew that something had gone wrong with people started making generalizations like that – exactly what I ranted about every three months.

Even when I suggest honestly great movies they attribute it to some crush I have on Johnny Depp. And it’s retarded, because “Donnie Brasco” really is a great movie. It’s one of the underrated mobster movies, a really compelling story.

Although,  he’s 46 today – or rather, earlier today, because it’s 12:32 AM of June 10th now. I never really kept track of his birthDATE. Year, age, month, all that, I knew. I just never bothered to commit the nine to solid memory – because I felt knowing his complete birthday would be taking the obsession way too far. Not that I didn’t succeed on that front without it. So, Johnny Depp – happy birthday and thanks for all you’ve indirectly done to my personality. And possibly my gait, and posture, and hand gestures. And accent. For a while i was also slightly European sounding. And now I’ve got “about you” and “aboutchoo” mixed up. You’re not quite old yet, I guess. For me, 50 is the aging mark.

With this club thing I’ve been really whiny and schizophrenic. One minute I want to go for it and the next I don’t, partly because it’s a big commitment. Junior year – remember? It’s scary. And I feel differently hanging out with different people – some of them give me a negative vibe and I don’t want to do it anymore. My whole mood changes from optimistic to anxious.

Today I asked Miya about it in chem for a final time – and she was tired of the word “club” by then too. So she was really discouraged about it – but it amazed me how the moment she said those words my body chemical makeup completely changed and I too was discouraged. I could honestly feel the mood swing.

One thing I’ve come to learn is that I’ve got be self-decisive. And as church-y as it sounds, why didn’t I ever ask God about this? I can never bring myself to take the first step – reading the Bible daily, confessing, etc. By the way, confessing is different from confession. Just so you know, parce que I am not Catholic.

I kept running around asking different people, until I hated the sound of my own voice. That’s not condusive to being a director. People have to be running around asking you for the final decision. I need confirmation from people. I guess I’m not that far from seventh grade.

Good night. I wrote this post so people would have something to read tomorrow morning. Now go kick a soccer ball outside or eat lunch on the grass or something. Stop reading this – I’m really going to end it now. Have fun!

Rating: 4 out of 5

The duo of rapper/crooner Cee-Lo Green and producer Dangermouse that make up Gnarls Barkley return for a second serving of exotic tunes with “Odd Couple”, a thirteen-track bliss-ride into a dimension all their own.

After a smooth, airy start with the enchanting “Charity Case”, and the hollow, empty sound of “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” the album picks up speed with “Going On” and the current single “Run.”

Their ability to produce the sound of a full-feature band coming from two artist shines throughout, as Dangermouse’s retro-but-futuristic production joins with the easily identifiable stories of Cee-Lo. The high-pitched southerner is able to experiment and explore while Dangermouse plays the background providing the canvas.

Gnarls Barkley goes places unimagined to their respective genre’s, which makes them a very unique pair; the primitive self-actualization of “Open Book”, the teenage rebellion of “Whatever”, the love lessons of “Surprise” and the playful undertones of “Blind Mary” define the group as having no definition.

It’s an old-school sound that’s refreshing, something rarely found in music today. Although short with a majority of the songs clocking in slightly over three minutes, the group pushes the envelope and leaves you wanting more. Fitting into no categories, Gnarls Barkley is truly an Odd Couple that meshes perfectly to produce some great music.

Downloads: “Surprise” “Blind Mary” “Open Book”

ITAC and Old Creamery – Both professional theaters in Amana have shows opening this weekend. Old Creamery has The Odd Couple by Neil Simon while Iowa Theatre Artists Company offers Squabbles by Marshal Karp.

ITAC’s website offers a description of the lesser known Squabbles.

Jerry Sloan is a successful writer of advertising jingles married to Alice, an equally successful lawyer. Living with the happy couple is the not-so-happy Abe Dreyfus, Jerry’s curmudgeon of a father-in-law. Abe’s presence turns the young couple’s lives slightly upside down, but it is not until Jerry’s mother Mildred is added to the household mix, that the recipe for disaster boils over. Strong-willed Mildred and the equally strong-willed Abe form a mutual animosity society that provides plenty of complications as well as lots of laughter. Meg Merckens and Patrick O’Brien team up in this wonderful comedy to play two cantankerous senior citizens forced to move into the home of her son and his daughter, with one hilarious confrontation after another.

Of course, most everyone has heard of The Odd Couple, one of Neil Simon’s most popular comedies. Oscar Madison with his beer drinking, poker playing buddies and Felix Unger with his neat-freak ways, will take the stage this weekend. The cast includes Old Creamery favorites Sean McCall as Felix and Tom Milligan as Oscar, with local radio personalities Dennis Green, of Jazz 88.3 KCCK-FM, as Roy; and Ric Swann of Schulte & Swann morning show on Z102.9, as Murray. Joe Jennison of the Cultural Corridor Alliance will portray yet another poker player, while two other Old Creamery Company favorites, Jackie McCall and Deborah Kennedy will play the Pigeon Sisters, Cecily and Gwendolyn. Rounding out the cast is Old Creamery regular Steve Weiss, as Vinnie.

Check out Amana for some great theatre!

This Day in Hollywood History

4/27

Births

1922 – Jack Klugman – American actor who appeared in films but is most notable for his memorable roles on television.  He won two Emmy Awards for his portrayal of slovenly Oscar Madison in the TV adaptation of The Odd Couple.  He later had a successful run playing Quincy, M.E. in the late 70s and early 80s.  He died in 2007 at the age of 83

1932 – Anouk Aimee – Popular French film actress.  She starred in A Man and A Woman in 1967, a film that brought her international fame as well as a Golden Globe for Best Actress and and Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.  She was married to British actor Albert Finney from 1970 to 1978.

1937 – Sandy Dennis – Academy and Tony award winning American actress.  She received the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of George Segal’s alcoholic wife in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  She died on March 2, 1992 from ovarian cancer.

1959 – Sheena Easton -  Scottish singer who has made some occasional forays into acting.  She had a string of hits in the 80s, most notably, For Your Eyes Only, the theme from the 1982 James Bond film of the same name.

1962 – Grant Show – He rose to fame as Jake Hanson on the popular Melrose Place TV drama.  Most recently he starred as a swinger in the cancelled series Swingtown.

Deaths

1965 – Edward R. Murrow – An acclaimed broadcast journalist of the 30s, 40s and 50s.  During WWII, he made regular broadcasts from London, often as a blitz was occurring and began each show with the  famous line, “Hello America.  This is London calling.”  In the post war era, he hosted several programs including Person to Person and became known for his signature sign-off, “Good night, and good luck.”  He was a life-long heavy smoker and died from lung cancer at his home.

1996 – Joan Bennett – American film, television and stage actress.  Her film career began in the 1920s with silent movies.  In 1966, she starred in one of her most famous roles as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard  in the cult TV soap opera, Dark Shadows, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination.  Bennett died at the age of 80 from a heart attack.

Events

1981 – Former Beatle’s drummer Ringo Starr marries actress Barbara Bach.