Monday morning starts with a cover of an Eagles classic. I have to say, I’m not a big Eagles fan, but Toni, Reina, Josh, and Carson do a fantastic job on this. With Andrew Foreman on bass. And the videography by Kelly Oden is really, really good as well.
More at Reina del Cid
I’ve been looking for this clip for a long time for three reasons!
One: It’s one of my favorite magic illusions. It just looks great to an audience.
Two: When I was in college, I played the role of Houdini in a musical about his life–and I got to perform this illusion.
Three: And finally, the woman in the clip above, performing with Doug Henning, is actress Didi Conn. I was in the play Carousel with her when I was in junior high school–she was a grade ahead of me–and I thought then that she was the best dancer I had ever seen. Later she became famous for her role in the film Grease as “Frenchie.”
A lively round sung by Peter, Paul and Mary. If you’re curious what the song is referring to, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_cake
Why the Swedish subtitles? I dunno.
Thanks to YouTuber Rosa Mannen
Last week I took a look at the theatrics of a classic con game, three card monte. This week, I take a look at some of the most interesting films that have been made about con artists–and there are a lot of them. I managed to con myself into watching or re-watching hours of such movies this week, and if I don’t mention one of your favorites, rest assured this is not a definitive list by any means, just the ones I caught this week. I’ll rate them from one to five stars just for fun.
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear the review as broadcast on the Arts Express radio program today, heard on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the country.
Monday morning, Peter, Paul, and the always rarin’-to-sing Mary Travers with a Dylan favorite. Their level of musicianship and commitment to a song was just wonderful. Mary Travers’ parents were journalists and union organizers for the Newspaper Guild.
I once had the pleasure of driving Mary in my cab! It was sometime in the late seventies and she was going to visit her daughter in Manhattan. She was quite a down to earth person.
Click on the video to play.
Thanks to YouTuber Superannuated Lp Records
This may not be the most magical act, but magician Jo De Rijck has got to have one of the most amusing routines to ever appear on Penn & Teller’s Fool US.
More at Jo De Rijck
I thought I knew the whole Simon and Garfunkel catalogue, but somehow I just found this song, which is from their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM. The song was written by Ian Campbell.
Thanks to YouTuber Big Chuck Lyric Video
This is a radio segment based on an article I wrote a few decades ago about the theatrical elements of hustles like three-card monte.
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear the piece as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
Monday morning, we give thanks that we were born into the time of Judy Collins singing Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne,” as perfect a match between singer and song as there will ever be. Here she is at Tanglewood in 1968.
Thanks to YouTuber Flickering Songs
Yesterday, locally on WBAI FM NYC radio, we were charged with running a fundraising program, so we put together a satire and humor special featuring some of our favorite pieces we wrote for Arts Express over the year. Feel free to skip over the pitching…
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear the broadcast as aired last night.
Monday morning, Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, flying high.
Thanks to YouTuber Vpmatt
Magician Horret Wu with a beautiful short card routine. Penn would probably say something like Horret surpasses and tops himself, but we’ll just enjoy the show.
More at Horret Wu吳何
Comedians Burns and Schreiber at the Lost and Found.
My favorite joke here is the Earl Scheib one. For those who don’t remember, Earl Scheib was a national automotive chain that claimed to paint your car any color you liked for $29.95
Thanks to YouTuber dino4ever
Here in the US, January 6th has taken on a particular political meaning, but for most of the world, it’s the celebration of the twelfth night of Christmas, partridges in pear trees and all that. It’s a traditional time of partying and celebration, and Shakespeare titled what I believe is his best comedy, Twelfth Night. But it might be have been better called, Love Makes Idiots and Fools of Everyone!
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear the rest of the story as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program, heard on WBAI-FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
Monday morning, meteorological musings, as sung by Ms. Baez.
Thanks to YouTuber octubre rojo
Recently here in NYC our mayor authorized a Public Service Announcement which featured a perky young woman telling us what to do in case a nuclear bomb fell. After listing what to do, she applauds us by saying, “You got this!” Well we were kind of horrified by it, so we here at Arts Express thought it might be fun to write our own version of that PSA.
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear our version of the PSA as broadcast last week on the Arts Express radio show, heard on WBAI FM and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
The wild comedic imagination of Eleanor Morton takes the gender switching theme from the Robin Williams film, Mrs. Doubtfire, and transplants it into Robert Louis Stevenson’s horror story. A really brilliant turn by Ms. Morton.
More at Eleanor Morton
Dionne Warwick with another great Burt Bacharach-Hal David song.
Thanks to YouTuber R472 Funk Channel TV.
Twas the end of December and feeling like hell Covid and flu, do these things ring a bell? Pre-emptions and scrambling to get the work done The rain and the snow and the where-is-the-sun? Inspiration was meager, the cupboard was bare There was nothing to say, I had nothing to share I was feeling the blues, and I have to confess I was stuck for a piece for the next Arts Express...
Find out how it turns out in our year-end Arts Express thank-you poem, as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio show heard on WBAI-FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to listen!
Monday morning, Josh Turner sounding more like Paul Simon than Paul Simon.
Great guitar arrangement too.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
