1.
Kansas City, Missouri
–
Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri and the sixth largest city in the Midwest. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the city had an population of 475,378 in 2015. It is the city of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a Missouri River port at its confluence with the Kansas River coming in from the west, on June 1,1850 the town of Kansas was incorporated, shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory. Confusion between the two ensued and the name Kansas City was assigned to them soon thereafter. Most of the city lies within Jackson County, but portions spill into Clay, Cass, along with Independence, it serves as one of the two county seats for Jackson County. Major suburbs include the Missouri cities of Independence and Lees Summit and the Kansas cities of Overland Park, Olathe, and Kansas City. The city is composed of neighborhoods, including the River Market District in the north, the 18th and Vine District in the east. Kansas City is also known for its cuisine, its craft breweries, Kansas City, Missouri was officially incorporated as a town on June 1,1850, and as a city on March 28,1853. The territory straddling the border between Missouri and Kansas at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers was considered a place to build settlements. The Antioch Christian Church, Dr. James Compton House, the first documented European visitor to Kansas City was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River. Criticized for his response to the Native American attack on Fort Détroit, Bourgmont lived with a Native American wife in a village about 90 miles east near Brunswick, Missouri, where he illegally traded furs. In the documents, he describes the junction of the Grande Riv des Cansez and Missouri River, French cartographer Guillaume Delisle used the descriptions to make the areas first reasonably accurate map. The Spanish took over the region in the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the French continued their fur trade under Spanish license. After the 1804 Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark visited the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, in 1831, a group of Mormons from New York settled in what would become the city. They built the first school within Kansas Citys current boundaries, but were forced out by mob violence in 1833, in 1833 John McCoy established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail,3 miles away from the river. In 1834 McCoy established Westport Landing on a bend in the Missouri to serve as a point for West Port. Soon after, the Kansas Town Company, a group of investors, began to settle the area, in 1850, the landing area was incorporated as the Town of Kansas
2.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
3.
Dancer
–
Dance is a performance art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement. This movement has aesthetic and symbolic value, and is acknowledged as dance by performers and observers within a particular culture, Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements, or by its historical period or place of origin. Other forms of movement are sometimes said to have a dance-like quality, including martial arts, gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming. Theatrical dance, also called performance or concert dance, is intended primarily as a spectacle and it often tells a story, perhaps using mime, costume and scenery, or else it may simply interpret the musical accompaniment, which is often specially composed. Examples are western ballet and modern dance, Classical Indian dance and Chinese and Japanese song, most classical forms are centred upon dance alone, but performance dance may also appear in opera and other forms of musical theatre. Such dance seldom has any narrative, a group dance and a corps de ballet, a social partner dance and a pas de deux, differ profoundly. Even a solo dance may be solely for the satisfaction of the dancer. On the other hand, some cultures lay down strict rules as to the dances in which, for example. Archeological evidence for early dance includes 9, 000-year-old paintings in India at the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka and it has been proposed that before the invention of written languages, dance was an important part of the oral and performance methods of passing stories down from generation to generation. The use of dance in trance states and healing rituals is thought to have been another early factor in the social development of dance. References to dance can be found in very early recorded history, Greek dance is referred to by Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, the Bible and Talmud refer to many events related to dance, and contain over 30 different dance terms. In Chinese pottery as early as the Neolithic period, groups of people are depicted dancing in a line holding hands, Dance is further described in the Lüshi Chunqiu. Primitive dance in ancient China was associated with sorcery and shamanic rituals, during the first millennium BCE in India, many texts were composed which attempted to codify aspects of daily life. Bharata Munis Natyashastra is one of the earlier texts and it mainly deals with drama, in which dance plays an important part in Indian culture. It categorizes dance into four types - secular, ritual, abstract, the text elaborates various hand-gestures and classifies movements of the various limbs, steps and so on. A strong continuous tradition of dance has since continued in India, through to modern times, where it continues to play a role in culture, ritual, and, notably, the Bollywood entertainment industry. Many other contemporary dance forms can likewise be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, Dance is generally, though not exclusively, performed with the accompaniment of music and may or may not be performed in time to such music. Some dance may provide its own audible accompaniment in place of music, many early forms of music and dance were created for each other and are frequently performed together
4.
Stunt performer
–
A stunt performer, often referred to as a stuntman, stuntwoman, or daredevil, is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career. A stuntman typically performs stunts intended for use in a picture or dramatized television. Stunts seen in films and television include car crashes, falls from height, drags. There is an inherent risk in the performance of all stunt work, the most risk exists when performing stunts in front of a live audience. In filmed performances, visible safety mechanisms can be removed by editing, in live performances the audience can see more clearly if the performer is genuinely doing what they claim or appear to do. To reduce the risk of injury or death, most often stunts are choreographed or mechanically-rigged so that, while they look dangerous, despite their well-choreographed appearance, stunts are still very dangerous and physically testing exercises. From its inception as a skill in the early 1900s to the 1960s. This allows them to break down and plan an action sequence, physically prepare themselves. However, even when executed perfectly, there is still strain, daredevils are distinct from stunt performers and stunt doubles, their performance is of the stunt itself, without the context of a film or television show. Daredevils often perform for an audience, live stunt performers include escape artists, sword swallowers, glass walkers, fire eaters, trapeze artists, and many other sideshow and circus arts. They also include motorcycle display teams and the once popular Wall of Death, the Jackass films and television series are well-known and prominent recorded examples of the act in modern cinematography. Some people, such as Buster Keaton, Harry Houdini, Jackie Chan, Akshay Kumar, Pawan Kalyan, Tony Jaa, the earliest stunt performers were travelling entertainers and circus performers, particularly trained gymnasts and acrobats. This acrobatic discipline required long training in the ring and perfect body control to present a performance to the public. The word stunt was more formally adopted during the 19th century travelling vaudeville performances of the early Wild West Shows, in North America, the first and prototypical wild west show was Buffalo Bills, formed in 1883 and lasting until 1913. The shows which involved simulated battles with the firing of both guns and arrows, were a romanticized version of the American Old West. Egerton Castle and Captain Alfred Hutton were part of a wider Victorian era group based in London, by the early 1900s, the motion picture industry was starting to fire-up on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, but had no need for professional stunt performers. Firstly, motion pictures were so new that even if the producer had a budget for performers, there were more than enough applicants willing to do the scene for free. For instance, if you needed a shot of someone on a steel beam 1,000 feet up on a New York skyscraper, then there was always willing to do the scene for real
5.
Actress
–
An actor is a person who portrays a character in a performance. Simplistically speaking, the person denominated actor or actress is someone beautiful who plays important characters, the actor performs in the flesh in the traditional medium of the theatre, or in modern mediums such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is ὑποκριτής, literally one who answers, the actors interpretation of their role pertains to the role played, whether based on a real person or fictional character. Interpretation occurs even when the actor is playing themselves, as in forms of experimental performance art, or, more commonly, to act, is to create. Formerly, in societies, only men could become actors. When used for the stage, women played the roles of prepubescent boys. The etymology is a derivation from actor with ess added. However, when referring to more than one performer, of both sexes, actor is preferred as a term for male performers. Actor is also used before the name of a performer as a gender-specific term. Within the profession, the re-adoption of the term dates to the 1950–1960s. As Whoopi Goldberg put it in an interview with the paper, Im an actor – I can play anything. The U. K. performers union Equity has no policy on the use of actor or actress, an Equity spokesperson said that the union does not believe that there is a consensus on the matter and stated that the. subject divides the profession. In 2009, the Los Angeles Times stated that Actress remains the term used in major acting awards given to female recipients. However, player remains in use in the theatre, often incorporated into the name of a group or company, such as the American Players. Also, actors in improvisational theatre may be referred to as players, prior to Thespis act, Grecian stories were only expressed in song, dance, and in third person narrative. In honor of Thespis, actors are commonly called Thespians, the exclusively male actors in the theatre of ancient Greece performed in three types of drama, tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play. Western theatre developed and expanded considerably under the Romans, as the Western Roman Empire fell into decay through the 4th and 5th centuries, the seat of Roman power shifted to Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. Records show that mime, pantomime, scenes or recitations from tragedies and comedies, dances, from the 5th century, Western Europe was plunged into a period of general disorder
6.
Shawnee Mission East High School
–
Shawnee Mission East High School is a public secondary school in Prairie Village, Kansas, US, for grades 9 through 12. It is one of five schools operated by the Shawnee Mission School District. Shawnee Mission East High School was established in 1958 in order to serve the population of northeast Johnson County. In January 1994, Shawnee Mission East, along with Shawnee Mission Northwest began offering the International Baccalaureate program, Shawnee Mission East is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A division and are known as the Lancers, extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. Shawnee Mission East High School was established in 1958 to serve the population of northeast Johnson County. In January 1994, Shawnee Mission East, along with Shawnee Mission Northwest began offering the International Baccalaureate program, Shawnee Mission East has been an IB World School since January 1994. The Shawnee Mission East school newspaper, the Harbinger, has won numerous citywide, statewide, the schools news website, which began in January 2006, is called the Harbinger Online and is at www. smeharbinger. net. The Shawnee Mission East school yearbook, the Hauberk, has received many awards on the state. Their identity is often suspected but never confirmed, the paper traditionally features political and social commentary and also includes a page of quotations that are taken out of context from the conversations of unsuspecting students and teachers. The Eastonian is often confiscated by faculty and staff, but the tradition continues, Shawnee Mission East is home to a variety of clubs. One notable club at Shawnee Mission East is the SHARE club and it has many different projects ranging from sock collection to tutoring elementary schools students. SHARE celebrated 30 years of community service in 2016 The Shawnee Mission East FRC robotics team, the Lancers compete in the Sunflower League and are classified as a 6A, the largest classification in Kansas according to the KSHSAA. Throughout its history, Shawnee Mission East has won state championships in various sports. The debate and forensics teams are the 31st largest in the nation in regard to National Forensics League degrees, debate teams have been Kansas state champions more than once. The Shawnee Mission East debate squad has qualified more teams in Kansas history than any other Kansas school to the Tournament of Champions in Lexington, nancy Opel, singer/actress with Tony Award nomination G. P
7.
Prairie Village, Kansas
–
Prairie Village is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 21,447, after the successful development of the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, J. C. Nichols turned toward development of his native Johnson County, just a few miles from the Plaza. Prairie Village was platted in 1941 and was named after Prairie School, in 1949, Prairie Village was named the best planned community in America by the National Association of Home Builders. It was officially recognized as a city in 1951, remnants of the Santa Fe Trail are found in the city. Shawnee, Osage, and Kansa Indians formerly owned the now developed into the City of Prairie Village. As settlers and pioneers headed west, one family decided to make Prairie Village their home, in 1858, Thomas Porter bought 160 acres of farmland. Porter’s children were all raised on this farmland and were engaged in agricultural development and it wasn’t just the Porter family who helped to make Prairie Village home. Porter’s sister, Betty Porter, married Thompson A. Lewis who owned 80 acres between Mission and Roe, henry Coppock arrived in Johnson County, in 1857, before heading further west to work in freighting and farming. He came back in the mid-1860s and bought land in 1865, Coppock built his family home on 900 acres in Prairie Village. Coppocks’s home stood for 30 years, now on his land is Homestead County Club. The original Prairie School was built in 1882 and a new building was constructed in 1912 and this landmark was a community treasure until 1990. In the 1940s, J. C. Nichols, an experienced developer, Nichols bought the farmland from the Porters, Coppocks, and Lewises. There were hurdles along the way including a lack of experienced builders post World War II, Prairie Village continued to expand as the Prairie Village Shopping Center opened in 1947 and the Corinth Square Shopping Center opened in 1955. As of the census of 2010, there were 21,447 people,9,771 households, the population density was 3,459.2 inhabitants per square mile. There were 10,227 housing units at a density of 1,649.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95. 3% White,1. 0% African American,0. 2% Native American,1. 4% Asian,0. 5% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 3. 4% of the population. 34. 1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12. 9% had someone living alone aged 65 years or older, the average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 41.4 years
8.
Bob Fosse
–
Robert Louis Bob Fosse was an American dancer, musical theatre choreographer, director, screenwriter, film director and actor. He won eight Tony Awards for choreography, more than anyone else and he was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for his direction of Cabaret. Fosse was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23,1927, to a Norwegian American father, Cyril K. Fosse, and Irish-born mother, Sara Alice Fosse, the second youngest of six. He teamed up with Charles Grass, another dancer. They toured theaters throughout the Chicago area, after being recruited, Fosse was placed in the variety show Tough Situation, which toured military and naval bases in the Pacific. Fosse moved to New York City with the ambition of being the new Fred Astaire and his appearance with his first wife and dance partner Mary Ann Niles in Call Me Mister brought him to the attention of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Fosse was signed to a MGM contract in 1953 and his early screen appearances included Give A Girl A Break, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis and Kiss Me Kate, all released in 1953. A short sequence that he choreographed in the latter brought him to the attention of Broadway producers, although Fosses acting career in film was cut short by typecasting, he was reluctant to move from Hollywood to theater. Nevertheless, he made the move, and in 1954, he choreographed his first musical, The Pajama Game and it was while working on the latter show that he first met the rising star whom he was to marry in 1960, Gwen Verdon. Verdon won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in Damn Yankees, in 1957 Fosse choreographed New Girl in Town, also directed by Abbott, and Verdon won her second Leading Actress Tony. That year he also choreographed the film version of Pajama Game starring Doris Day, in 1960, Fosse was, for the first time, both director and choreographer of a musical called simply Redhead. With Redhead, Verdon won her third Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Verdon starred in Sweet Charity in 1966, with Fosse again the choreographer-director, and she starred in Chicago in 1975, with Fosse as director and choreographer. Fosse performed a song and dance number in Stanley Donens 1974 film version of The Little Prince, according to AllMusic, Bob Fosse stops the show with a slithery dance routine. In 1977, Fosse had a role in the romantic comedy Thieves. Notable distinctions of Fosses style included the use of turned-in knees, the famous Fosse Amoeba, sideways shuffling, rolled shoulders, with Astaire as an influence, he used props such as bowler hats, canes and chairs. His trademark use of hats was influenced by his own self-consciousness, according to Martin Gottfried in his biography of Fosse, His baldness was the reason that he wore hats, and was doubtless why he put hats on his dancers. He used gloves in his performances because he did not like his hands, some of his most popular numbers include Steam Heat and Big Spender. The Rich Mans Frug scene in Sweet Charity is another example of his signature style and his first, Sweet Charity, starring Shirley MacLaine, is an adaptation of the Broadway musical he had directed and choreographed
9.
Pippin (musical)
–
Pippin is a Tony Award-winning musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto, the musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by a Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. The protagonist Pippin and his father Charlemagne are characters derived from two individuals of the early Middle Ages, though the plot presents no historical accuracy regarding either. The play rather derives from the old Burlesque of Faust, the show was partially financed by Motown Records. As of November 2015, the run of Pippin is the 33rd longest-running Broadway show. Pippin was originally conceived as a student musical entitled Pippin, Pippin, Stephen Schwartz collaborated with Ron Strauss, and, when Schwartz decided to develop the show further, Strauss left the project. Stephen Schwartz has said on Pippin, Pippin that not a line or note that was in the show at Carnegie Mellon made it into the final show we see today. They begin a story about a boy searching for existential fulfillment. They reveal that the boy who is to play the prince, Pippin talks to scholars of his dreams to find where he belongs, and they happily applaud Pippin on his ambitious quest for an extraordinary life. Pippin then returns home to the castle and estate of his father, Pippin also meets up with his stepmother Fastrada, and her dim-witted son Lewis. Charles and Lewis are planning on going into battle against the Visigoths soon, Charles reluctantly agrees and proceeds to explain a battle plan to his men. This charade of war does not appeal to Pippin, and he flees into the countryside, the Leading Player tells the audience of Pippins travels through the country, until he stops at his exiled grandmothers estate. There, Berthe tells Pippin not to be so serious and to live a little, Pippin takes this advice and decides to search for something a bit more lighthearted. While he initially enjoys many meaningless sexual encounters, he discovers that relationships without love leave you empty. The Leading Player then tells Pippin that perhaps he should fight tyranny, Pippin plans a revolution, and Fastrada is delighted to hear that perhaps Charles and Pippin will both perish so that her beloved Lewis can become king. Fastrada arranges the murder of Charles, and Pippin falls victim to her plot, while Charles is praying at Arles, Pippin murders him, and becomes the new king. The Leading Player mentions to the audience that they break for now. Act 2 begins with Pippin trying his best to grant the wishes of as many people as possible, but he realizes that it is impossible to keep everyone happy
10.
Gigi (musical)
–
Gigi is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It is based on the novella Gigi by Colette and 1958 hit musical film of the same name, the story concerns Gigi, a free-spirited teenaged girl living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. She is being groomed as a courtesan in her familys tradition, before she is deemed ready for her social debut, she encounters the bon vivant bachelor Gaston Lachaille, whom she captivates as she is transformed into a charmingly poised young lady. The original Broadway production, produced by Edwin Lester in 1973, ran for a disappointing 103 performances, a West End production played in 1985. Gigi originated as a 1945 novella by Colette, which was adapted for the screen with Danièle Delorme in 1948, in 1951 Anita Loos adapted the novel for the stage, and the Broadway production of Gigi starred Audrey Hepburn in her first major role. Seven years later, while My Fair Lady was in Philadelphia prior to its Broadway opening, although Loewe had vowed never to work in movies, he was charmed by the book and agreed to collaborate on the project. The 1958 film of Gigi proved to be a critical and commercial success. Edwin Lester, founder of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, asked for a version of the film Gigi. They added four songs and a ballet for the stage adaptation, Gigi premiered at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, on May 15,1973, and then embarked on a six-month tour. The musical opened on Broadway on November 13,1973 at the Uris Theatre, arlene Francis replaced the ailing Moorehead later in the run. An original cast recording was released by RCA Victor, louis Jourdan starred in a production that toured the United States in the mid 1980s, not in his original role as Gaston, but rather as Honoré. The West End production opened on 17 September 1985 at the Lyric Theatre, the cast included Amanda Waring as Gigi and Geoffrey Burridge as Gaston, with Beryl Reid as Mamita, Siân Phillips as Aunt Alicia, and Jean-Pierre Aumont as Honoré. A London cast album was released by First Night Records, Vanessa Hudgens plays the role of Gigi. On January 14,2015, it was announced that the Kennedy Center production of Gigi would transfer to Broadway with a cast led by Vanessa Hudgens, the production began previews on March 19,2015 at the Neil Simon Theatre and officially opened on April 8. The production closed on June 21,2015, a National Tour is also scheduled in the 2016-2017 season, and will be available for licensing from Tams-Witmark Music Library. A Broadway Cast Album, produced and engineered by six-time Grammy winner Frank Filipetti, was released on DMI records in June 2015, Honoré Lachaille explains that in turn-of-the-20th-century Paris, marriage is not the only option. His nephew Gaston is a bon vivant, much like his uncle. But Gaston is bored with the life and his series of mistresses
11.
Mack & Mabel
–
Mack and Mabel is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. The plot involves the romantic relationship between Hollywood director Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, who became one of his biggest stars. The original 1974 Broadway production produced by David Merrick starred Robert Preston and it received eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, but did not win any. There was no nomination for Jerry Hermans score, although the original production closed after only eight weeks, the songs were praised, and subsequent productions, especially in Britain, have had success. Ed Lester, the director of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, suggested the project to Jerry Herman, David Merrick agreed to produce, and Gower Champion was engaged to direct and choreograph. Although Champion had initially declined the offer, he eventually accepted, Robert Preston was hired as Mack. For the role of Mabel, several actresses were engaged and then let go, including Marcia Rodd and Kelly Garrett, Mack and Mabel opened in pre-Broadway tryouts in San Diego on June 17,1974 and then Los Angeles, with brisk box office sales in both cities. According to The New York Times, Mack and Mabel has been doing better than its probable guarantee – up to $150,000 in its final seven-day period. The musical received reviews that ranged from fair to phenomenal in San Diego, Los Angeles, the Los Angeles reviews were encouraging but guarded, and warned of the excessive comic sequences, uneven book, and, most especially, the dark ending. Buoyed by the response and initial public enthusiasm for the show, Herman. Neither Sennett nor Normand was a lovable character, and their story was darker than that usually found in a musical. Preston was too old for Peters, and their characters lacked chemistry and his concept of setting the action in the corner of a huge studio soundstage created problems with the set and limited the staging to the extent that it was seen as static and boring. Audiences were not ready for a down-beat saga about a movie queen. Efforts were made to resolve the problems at The Muny in St. Louis, where the musical ran for one week starting August 19,1974, because The Muny was so large, the performers overplayed and pulled the show out of shape. By the Washington, D. C. Kennedy Center engagement, nothing was working, richard Coe in his The Washington Post review stated that it had landed at the Kennedy Center with all the zip of a wet, very dead flounder. The musical opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway on October 6,1974, scenic design was by Robin Wagner, costume design by Patricia Zipprodt, and lighting design by Tharon Musser. In addition to Preston and Peters, the cast featured Lisa Kirk as Lottie Ames and James Mitchell as William Desmond Taylor, Herman, whose melodic score had received the best notices, was not nominated. He was deeply disappointed, since the project had been one of his favorites and he never came to the theatre
12.
A Chorus Line
–
A Chorus Line is a musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Centred on seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line, a Chorus Line provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. Following several workshops and an Off-Broadway production, A Chorus Line opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway July 25,1975, an unprecedented box office and critical hit, the musical received twelve Tony Award nominations and won nine, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It remains the sixth longest-running Broadway show ever, a Chorus Lines success has spawned many successful productions worldwide. It began a run in the West End in 1976 and was revived on Broadway in 2006. The show opens in the middle of an audition for an upcoming Broadway production, the formidable director Zach and his assistant choreographer Larry put the dancers through their paces. Every dancer is desperate for work, after the next round of cuts,17 dancers remain. Zach tells them he is looking for a dancing chorus of four boys. He wants to more about them, and asks the dancers to introduce themselves. With reluctance, the reveal their pasts. The stories generally progress chronologically from early life experiences through adulthood to the end of a career, the first candidate, Mike, explains that he is the youngest of 12 children. He recalls his first experience with dance, watching his sisters dance class when he was a pre-schooler, Mike took her place one day when she refused to go to class—and he stayed. Bobby tries to hide the unhappiness of his childhood by making jokes, as he speaks, the other dancers have misgivings about this strange audition process and debate what they should reveal to Zach, but since they all need the job, the session continues. Zach is angered when he feels that the streetwise Sheila is not taking the audition seriously, opening up, she reveals that her mother married at a young age and her father neither loved nor cared for them. When she was six, she realized that ballet provided relief from her family life, as did Bebe. The scatter-brained Kristine is tone-deaf, and her lament that she could never sing is interrupted by her husband Al finishing her phrases in tune. Mark, the youngest of the dancers, relates his first experiences with pictures of the anatomy and his first wet dream. The 410 Connie laments the problems of being short, and Diana Morales recollects her horrible high school acting class, Don remembers his first job at a nightclub and Judy reflects on her problematic childhood while some of the auditionees talk about their opinion of their parents
13.
Dancin'
–
Dancin is a musical revue first produced in 1978, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, who won a Tony Award for the choreography. Dancin opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on March 27,1978 and it then transferred to the Ambassador Theatre and ran for 1,774 performances. Additional choreography was by Christopher Chadman, after the success of the dance-intensive A Chorus Line, Fosse proposed a show with little dialogue and singing. He stated publicly that the project would free him from the burden of a partnership, When you have collaborators. Im tired of those. So I just decided to meet myself at midnight, Fosse invited choreographer Graciela Daniele to contribute a few numbers, but she declined, saying When you are out of ideas, call me. I have the feeling that once you get into it, youre going to want to do it all, the shows remaining numbers impressed audiences, and because Fosse co-produced the show, it became his biggest financial success in the theatre. The shows choreography was so demanding, however, that small companies were unable to effectively recreate it. A revival was scheduled to be produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54 for 2009, but this had been postponed until the 2009–10 season, and was again postponed indefinitely. In his New York Times review, Richard Eder writes the show is designed to be a musical show — there is no story line. He states that Ann Reinking is clearly the star and she is at her best in the point of the evening, Bennys Number. He sums up by writing precision and style mark the evening at its best, clive Barnes, newly moved to the New York Post, told Fosse that he thought the show was tremendous and fantastic. Dancin ran for a Limited Season in 1983 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in Westminster, dancin at the Internet Broadway Database PBS article
14.
All That Jazz (film)
–
All That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a fantasy based on aspects of Fosses life and career as dancer, choreographer. The film was inspired by Bob Fosses manic effort to edit his film Lenny while simultaneously staging the 1975 Broadway musical Chicago and it borrows its title from the Kander and Ebb tune All That Jazz in that production. The film won the Palme dOr at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, in 2001, All That Jazz was deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Joe Gideon is a director and choreographer trying to balance work on his latest Broadway musical with editing a Hollywood film he has directed. His girlfriend Katie Jagger, his ex-wife Audrey Paris, and daughter Michelle try to pull him back from the brink, in his imagination, he flirts with an angel of death named Angelique. He is rushed to a hospital after experiencing chest pains during a particularly stressful table read, the show is postponed, but Gideon continues his antics from the hospital bed, in brazen denial of his mortality. Champagne flows, endless strings of women frolic around his hospital room, cardiogram readings dont show any improvement as Gideon dances with death. As the negative reviews for his feature film come in, Gideon has a massive coronary and is straight to coronary artery bypass surgery. The backers for the show must then decide whether its time to pack up or replace Gideon as the director and their matter-of-fact money-oriented negotiations with the insurers are juxtaposed with graphic scenes of open heart surgery. The producers realize that the best way to recoup their money, meanwhile, elements from Gideons past life are staged in dazzling dream sequences of musical numbers he directs from his hospital bed while on life support. Realizing his death is imminent, his mortality unconquerable, Gideon has another heart attack, in the glittery finale, he goes through the five stages of grief — anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance - featured in the stand-up routine he has been editing. The final shot shows Joe Gideons body being zipped up in a body bag, nairn-Smith herself appears in the film as Jennifer, one of the NY/LA dancers. Fosse himself died from an attack on September 23,1987, at George Washington University Hospital. Reviews have been positive, All That Jazz scores an 87% Fresh rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. Some of it makes you wince, but a lot of it is great fun, a key to the success of the production is the performance of Roy Scheider as Joe Gideon. With an actor of less weight and intensity, All That Jazz might have evaporated as we watched it, mr. Scheiders is a presence to reckon with. The films major flaw lies in its lack of explanation of what, beyond ego
15.
Xanadu (film)
–
Xanadu is a 1980 American romantic musical fantasy film written by Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The title is a reference to the nightclub in the film, which takes its name from Xanadu and this city appears in Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a poem that is quoted in the film. The films plot was inspired by 1947s Down to Earth, Xanadu stars Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, and Gene Kelly, and features music by Newton-John, Electric Light Orchestra, Cliff Richard, and The Tubes. The film also features animation by Don Bluth, a box office flop, Xanadu earned mixed to negative critical reviews and was an inspiration for the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards to memorialize the worst films of the year. Despite the lacklustre performance of the film, the album became a huge commercial success around the world. The song Magic was a U. S. number one hit for Newton-John, the film opens with a large mural of the Nine Muses of Olympia coming to life, with the women emerging from the painting and flying into the sky. One of them returns to Earth, Sonny Malone is a talented artist who dreams of fame beyond his job, which is the non-creative task of painting larger versions of album covers for record-store window advertisements. As the film opens, Sonny is broke and on the verge of giving up his dream. Having quit his day job to try to make a living as a freelance artist, after some humorous run-ins with his imperious boss and nemesis, Simpson, he resumes painting record covers. At work, Sonny is told to paint a cover for a group called The Nine Sisters. The cover features a woman in front of an art deco auditorium. Earlier that day, this woman had collided with him, kissed him. Now, Malone becomes obsessed with finding her and he finds her at the same auditorium, now abandoned. She identifies herself as Kira, but she not tell him anything else about herself. Unbeknownst to Sonny, Kira is one of the muses that emerged from the mural, walking near the beach, Sonny befriends Daniel Danny McGuire, a has-been big band orchestra leader turned construction mogul. Danny lost his muse in the 1940s, and Sonny has not yet found his muse, Kira encourages the two men to form a partnership and open a nightclub at the old auditorium from the album cover. She falls in love with Sonny, and this presents a problem because she is actually an Olympian Muse. The other eight women from the beginning of the film are her sisters and fellow goddesses, the Muses, and her parents, presumably the Greek gods Zeus and Mnemosyne, recall her to the timeless realm of the Olympian gods
16.
I'm Alive (Electric Light Orchestra song)
–
Im Alive is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra, released as a single in May 1980. It is featured in a sequence near the beginning of the feature film Xanadu, the song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu. In the film the song is heard as the Muses emerge from a portrait, Olivia Newton-John, playing Kira. The films version of the song contains a lengthy instrumental introduction. The song has recently covered in the version of Xanadu on Broadway
17.
Electric Light Orchestra
–
The Electric Light Orchestra are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970, by songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of Beatlesque pop, classical arrangements, after Woods departure in 1972, Lynne became the bands leader, arranging and producing every album while writing virtually all of their original material. ELO were most active during the 1970s and 1980s, recording a string of albums that include the conceptual works Eldorado. For their initial tenure, Lynne, Bevan, and keyboard player Richard Tandy were the only consistent members. In 1986, Lynne lost interest in the band and ceased its operation, Bevan responded by forming his own band, ELO Part II, which later became The Orchestra. With the exception of a reformation in 2000–01, ELO remained largely inactive for the next three decades. In 2014, Lynne reformed the band again with Tandy as Jeff Lynnes ELO. From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated twenty Top 20 songs on the UK Singles Chart, the band also holds the record for having the most Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits,20, of any band in the US chart history without having a number one single. On April 7,2017, ELO will be inducted into the Rock, the bands name is an intended pun based not only on electric light but also using electric rock instruments combined with a light orchestra. Jeff Lynne, frontman of fellow Birmingham group the Idle Race, was excited by the concept, in January 1970, when Carl Wayne left the Move, Lynne accepted Woods second invitation to join the band on the condition that they focus their energy on the new project. To help finance the band, one further Move album Message from the Country was also recorded during the lengthy ELO recordings. The resulting debut album The Electric Light Orchestra was released in 1971,10538 Overture became a UK top-ten hit. Lynne, Wood and Bev Bevan were the members of Electric Light Orchestra. However, this line-up did not last for long, first Craig departed, and then Wood, during the recordings for the bands second LP and taking Hunt and McDowell with him, left the band to form Wizzard. Both cited problems with their manager, Don Arden, and a tour of Italy. The new line-up performed at the 1972 Reading Festival, the band released their second album, ELO2 in 1973, which produced their second UK top 10 and their first US chart single, an elaborate version of the Chuck Berry classic Roll Over Beethoven. ELO also made their first appearance on American Bandstand show, the resulting album, On the Third Day, was released in late 1973, with the American version featuring the popular single Showdown. For the bands album, Eldorado, A Symphony, a concept album about a daydreamer, Lynne stopped overdubbing strings and hired an orchestra
18.
Valeria (Conan the Barbarian)
–
Valeria is a pirate and adventuress in the fictional universe of Robert E. Howards Conan the Barbarian stories. She appears in Robert E. Howards Conan novella Red Nails and this was the last Conan story written by Howard, and published posthumously. The name was used for Conans love interest in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian. Valeria, an Aquilonian woman, is a pirate and her antecedents and reasons for taking up such a career remain unknown. She is a swordswoman and can be very ruthless and resort to torture. Previous to the events of the story, she and Conan knew each other but were not particularly close, both of them, for different reasons, left the sea and ended up as mercenaries guarding the south Stygian border against raids from Darfar. However, Valeria killed a Stygian officer for making unwanted advances and was forced to escape quickly. Conan, who was serving as a mercenary on the border, follows her due to his own lust. Both end up in the lost city of Xuchotl, where they get caught up in the mad fighting between the rival clans, each of which seeks the total extermination of its rivals. Conan and Valeria ally themselves with one of the clans and help its victory -, Valeria nearly gets raped by an immensely strong chieftain who managed to disarm her by deceit. Then she falls into the hands of the lesbian witch Tascela, Conan and Valeria finally manage to overcome all the complicated threats of Xuchotl, Valeria finally killing the loathsome Tascela, declaring, I had to do this for my self-respect. Having fought so long and hard at Conans side, Valeria finally consents to accept him as her lover, roland Greens novel Conan and the Gods of the Mountain continues the adventures of Conan and Valeria just after the events of Red Nails. Robert E. Howards description of Valeria in Red Nails is, She was tall, full-bosomed and her whole figure reflected an unusual strength, without detracting from the femininity of her appearance. She was all woman, in spite of her bearing and her garments, the latter were incongruous, in view of her present environs. Instead of a skirt she wore short, wide-legged silk breeches, which ceased a hands breadth short of her knees, flaring-topped boots of soft leather came almost to her knees, and a low-necked, wide-collared, wide-sleeved silk shirt completed her costume. On one shapely hip she wore a straight double-edged sword, and her unruly golden hair, cut square at her shoulders, was confined by a band of crimson satin. She is also described as a superior swordswoman, Valeria is faster and more agile than Conan. Valeria is killed during the course of the film, but assists Conan in spirit form, Valeria appeared as an ally of the player in the MMO Age of Conan and began to rule Tortage after the fall of the tyrant Strom
19.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
–
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, producer, businessman, investor, author, philanthropist, activist, politician and former professional bodybuilder. He served two terms as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011, Schwarzenegger began weight training at the age of 15. He won the Mr. Universe title at age 20 and went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest seven times, Schwarzenegger has remained a prominent presence in bodybuilding and has written many books and articles on the sport. He is widely considered to be among the greatest bodybuilders of all time as well as bodybuildings biggest icon, Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film icon. His breakthrough film was the sword-and-sorcery epic Conan the Barbarian in 1982, in 1984, Schwarzenegger appeared in James Camerons science-fiction thriller film The Terminator, which was a massive critical and box-office success. Schwarzenegger subsequently reprised the Terminator character in the later installments in 1991,2003. He appeared in a number of films, such as Commando, The Running Man, Predator, Twins, Total Recall, Kindergarten Cop. In 2015, it was announced Schwarzenegger would replace Donald Trump as the host of The Celebrity Apprentice and he was nicknamed the Austrian Oak in his bodybuilding days, Arnie during his acting career, and The Governator during his political career. As a Republican, he was first elected on October 7,2003, Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, to serve the remainder of Daviss term. Schwarzenegger was sworn in for his term on January 5,2007. In 2011, Schwarzenegger completed his term as governor. Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Styria, and christened Arnold Alois and his parents were Gustav Schwarzenegger and Aurelia Schwarzenegger. He married Aurelia on October 20,1945, he was 38, according to Schwarzenegger, both of his parents were very strict, Back then in Austria it was a very different world. If we did something bad or we disobeyed our parents, the rod was not spared, Schwarzenegger grew up in a Roman Catholic family who attended Mass every Sunday. Gustav had a preference for his son, Meinhard, over Arnold. His favoritism was strong and blatant, which stemmed from unfounded suspicion that Arnold was not his biological child, Schwarzenegger has said his father had no patience for listening or understanding your problems. He had a relationship with his mother and kept in touch with her until her death. Gustavs background received wide press attention during the 2003 California recall campaign, at school, Schwarzenegger was reportedly academically average, but stood out for his cheerful, good-humored, and exuberant character
20.
Conan the Barbarian (1982 film)
–
Conan the Barbarian is a 1982 American fantasy adventure film directed and co-written by John Milius. It is based on stories by Robert E. Howard, a fiction writer of the 1930s, about the adventures of the eponymous character in a fictional pre-historic world of dark magic. Buzz Feitshans and Raffaella De Laurentiis produced the film for her father Dino De Laurentiis, ideas for a Conan film were proposed as early as 1970. Pressman and associate producer Edward Summer began an effort to get the film made in 1975. It took them two years to obtain the rights, after which they recruited Schwarzenegger for the lead role. Pressman lacked capital for the endeavor, and in 1979, after having his proposals for investments rejected by the major studios, Milius was appointed as director and he rewrote Stones script. The final screenplay integrated scenes from Howards stories and from such as Kwaidan. Filming took place in Spain over five months, in the regions around Madrid, the sets, designed by Ron Cobb, were based on Dark Age cultures and Frank Frazettas paintings of Conan. Milius eschewed optical effects, preferring to realize his ideas with mechanical constructs, Schwarzenegger performed most of his own stunts, and two types of swords, costing $10,000 each, were forged for his character. The editing process took over a year and several violent scenes were cut, academics and critics interpreted the film as advancing the themes of fascism or individualism, and the fascist angle featured in most of the criticisms of the film. Critics also negatively reviewed Schwarzeneggers acting and the violent scenes. Despite the criticisms, Conan was popular with young males, the film earned Schwarzenegger worldwide recognition. Conan has been released on home media, the sales of which had increased the films gross to more than $300 million by 2007. The films success led to the 1984 sequel Conan the Destroyer. A sword is forged by a blacksmith, who shows it to his young son, Conan, as he tells him of the Riddle of Steel, an aphorism on the importance of the metal to their people. One day, the Cimmerians are massacred by a band of warriors led by Thulsa Doom, Conans father is killed by dogs, the children are taken into slavery and then chained to a large mill, the Wheel of Pain. Conan survives into adulthood, building his muscles after years of pushing the heavy grindstone and his master eventually trains him to be a gladiator, after winning many pit fights and receiving training and education in the East, Conan is freed. He soon stumbles upon a tomb and retrieves a fine sword
21.
Red Sonja (film)
–
Red Sonja is a 1985 Dutch-American sword and sorcery action film directed by Richard Fleischer. The film introduces Brigitte Nielsen as the character with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Ronald Lacey, Ernie Reyes, Jr. Paul L. Smith. The film features the sword-wielding Marvel Comics character Red Sonja, created by Roy Thomas, the films character of Red Sonja was based on Red Sonya of Rogatino, a character created by Robert E. Howard appearing in his short story The Shadow of the Vulture. The film acknowledges that it was based on the created by Robert E. Howard in the introductory credits. As in Howards stories of Conan, the takes place in the Hyborian Age. The film was shot in Italy, on location in Celano and the rest of the Abruzzo region, having trained under a sword master and becoming distrustful of most men, Red Sonja is found by Lord Kalidor, who takes her to her dying sister Varna. Varna is a member of an order of priestesses who were preparing to destroy a light-powered relic known as the Talisman that created the world and whose growing power now threatens it. However, Gedrens army and her aide-de-camp Ikol slaughtered the priestesses, before dying, Varna tells Sonja of the events at her temple while urging her to find the Talisman and destroy it. After turning down Kalidors offer to accompany her, seeing a storm in the distance, there she meets the young Prince Tarn and his servant Falkon, learning Gedren completely wiped out Hablock when Tarn refused to surrender. Tarn announces that he is raising a new army to crush Gedren and she declines while told that Gedren is based in Berkubane, the Kingdom of Eternal Night. Sonja kills Lord Brytag after he refuses her passage through the mountain passes and his troops surround Sonja, and Kalidor, who has secretly been following her, attacks their rear, allowing Sonja to escape. Sonja comes across Tarn and Falkon in the mountains, Tarn is being tortured by bandits. Falkon rejoins Sonja to help her kill the brigands and free the prince, at Castle Berkubane, Gedren and Ikol watch Sonja and her party approaching on a magic screen. Gedren recognizes Sonja and orders that she be back to the fortress unharmed. She and Ikol use the Talisman to conjure up a storm, Gedren unleashes an Icthyan Killing Machine in the cavern. Kalidor reappears, and helps Sonja blind the beast, Kalidor challenges her and they fight to a draw. Kalidor, Sonja and Falkon then infiltrate Castle Berkubane, to protect Tarn, they convince him to stay behind in order to prevent Gedren from escaping. Sonja confronts Gedren, while Kalidor and Falkon deal with her guards in the dining hall
22.
Low-budget film
–
A low-budget film is a motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the circuit with inexperienced or unknown filmmakers can also have low budgets. Many young or first time filmmakers shoot low-budget films to prove their talent before doing bigger productions, there is no precise number to define a low budget production, and it is relative to both genre and country. What might be a film in one country may be a big budget in another. Modern-day young filmmakers rely on film festivals for pre promotion and they use this to gain acclaim and attention for their films, which often leads to a limited release in theatres. Film that acquire a cult following may be given a wide release, low-budget films can be either professional productions or amateur. They are either shot using professional or consumer equipment, some genres are more conducive to low-budget filmmaking than others. Horror films are a popular genre for low-budget directorial debuts. Jeremy Gardner, director of The Battery says that fans are more attracted to how the films affect them than seeing movie stars. This allows horror films to more on provoking a reaction than on expensive casting choices. Thriller films are also a choice for low-budget films, as they focus on narrative. The money flow in filmmaking is a system because of the uncertainty of demand. The makers of the film do not know how well the film they release will be received and they may predict a film will do very well and pay back the cost of production, but only get a portion back. Or the opposite may happen where a project that few think will go far can bring in more profit than imaginable, a big gambling variable that is also involved is the use of stars. Frequently stars are brought on to a project to gain the film publicity and this process can be profitable, but it is not a foolproof mechanism to successful funding. Well-known actors may join a film for a portion of the gross. One of the most successful films was 1999s The Blair Witch Project. It had a budget of around $60,000 but grossed almost $249 million worldwide and it spawned books, a trilogy of video games, and a less-popular sequel
23.
Hell Comes to Frogtown
–
Hell Comes to Frogtown is a 1988 cult film that was created by Donald G. Jackson. The screenplay was written by Jackson and Randall Frakes, the film was directed by Jackson and R. J. Kizer, and stars professional wrestler Roddy Piper as well as Sandahl Bergman, Cec Verrell, William Smith and Rory Calhoun. This film is set in a wasteland where few fertile men and women exist due to atomic fallout. As a result, the government places a priority on those that can still breed. Shortly before the movie opens, a group of mutant amphibians capture a group of women and are using them as sex slaves. Sam Hell is a traveler who wanders the countryside. Their original plan was to use him as breeding stock with their collection of fertile women, with their own attempts to capture the women failing, the group presses Hell into service as a mercenary, he is to infiltrate the mutant city and rescue the women. To make sure that the rebellious Hell follows his orders, he is forced to wear an electronic protective codpiece that will explode if he disobeys or tries to abort his mission. Having already taken numerous samples of material from him, he is now deemed far more expendable than the women themselves. To aid him in his mission, he is paired with one of the nurses, Spangle, and an aggressive guard named Centinella. During their journey to Frogtown, Hell tries numerous times to escape, despite their rocky start and Spangles initial cold demeanor, the pair grow closer during the journey and eventually fall in love. When they reach Frogtown, everyone involved is captured, the frogs second-in-command, Bull, tortures Hell and attempts to remove the codpiece for its technology. Meanwhile, a slightly drugged Spangle is forced to work as a slave, proving more successful than she had wished, the nurse soon finds herself at the mercy of the aroused commander. However, with the now removed, the escaped Hell rescues her along with the group of fertile women held captive. None of the original cast returned, toad Warrior was released in 1996 and later re-released as Max Hell Frog Warrior in 2002. According to Jackson, the film was intended as a stand-alone story and it was made using an improvisatory technique known as zen filmmaking in which no scripts are used. The title inspired the television series Family Guy episode title Hell Comes to Quahog. Hell Comes to Frogtown at the Internet Movie Database Hell Comes to Frogtown at AllMovie Hell Comes to Frogtown review on the When Wrestlers Act podcast Hell Comes to Frogtown at Horrordrome
24.
The Singing Detective (film)
–
The Singing Detective is a 2003 American musical crime comedy film directed by Keith Gordon and loosely based on the BBC serial of the same name, a work by British writer Dennis Potter. It stars Robert Downey, Jr. and features a supporting cast that includes Katie Holmes, Adrien Brody, Robin Wright Penn, nothing is ever solved from this, only a vague plot. Notably, all of the people in the film noir are played by people who are people in Darks life, for example. The present reality, in which Dark is tormented by incredible pain, Dark interacts with the various people around him, as the doctors and nurses attempt to help, but are dismissed by Darks anger and bitterness towards everyone. His sense of reality then collapses into hallucinations as the people randomly sing choreographed musical numbers, in the end, his reality is blended with the film noir and he is abducted by the two mysterious men, only to be shot by the titular singing detective. Darks traumatic childhood in the past, which explains Darks repulsion toward sexuality, potters screenplay had been circulating in Hollywood for many years as Potter was enthusiastic about a film version. Robert Altman was at one time attached to direct with Dustin Hoffman in the lead, but financing proved difficult and it was eventually discovered by an executive at Mel Gibsons production company Icon Productions, who loved it and got Gibson on board to produce. The screenplay had also been imagined as a film directed by genre veteran David Cronenberg. The film scored a 39% Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus being Delightful performance from Robert Downey Jr. cant save The Singing Detectives transition from TV to the big screen. While some critics, such as Roger Ebert, liked the film, others, like Joe Baltake at the Sacramento Bee, the soundtrack to The Singing Detective was released on October 14,2003. The Singing Detective at the Internet Movie Database The Singing Detective at Box Office Mojo The Singing Detective at Rotten Tomatoes The Singing Detective at Metacritic Senses of Cinema review
25.
Airplane II: The Sequel
–
Airplane II, The Sequel is a 1982 American parody film. It is the sequel to the 1980 film Airplane, released on December 10,1982, the film was written and directed by Ken Finkleman and stars Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Chad Everett, William Shatner, Rip Torn, and Sonny Bono. The team who wrote and directed the original Airplane, had no involvement with this sequel. In the near future, the Moon has been colonized and supports a station on its surface, a lunar shuttle known as Mayflower One is being rushed to launch from Houston. The head of the crew, The Sarge, does not like what is occurring. On the flight crew are Captain Clarence Oveur, navigator/co-pilot Unger, also on board is computer officer Elaine Dickinson. Elaine has long left Ted Striker and is now engaged to one of the flight crew, Simon Kurtz. Striker has in the meantime been committed to an asylum, as he was declared mentally incompetent in a lawsuit following a test flight that Ted piloted. When Striker reads of the lunar shuttle launch, he escapes the asylum. During the flight, Mayflower One suffers a short circuit, causing the artificially intelligent computer ROK to go insane, Unger and Dunn try to deactivate the computer, but are blown out of an airlock. Oveur tries to stop ROK, but the computer gasses him, Kurtz abandons Elaine and leaves in the only escape pod. Once again, Striker is called upon to save the day, Striker manages to wrestle the bomb from Seluchi and uses it to blow up ROK and set course for the Moon as originally intended. Using the bomb to destroy the computer causes collateral damage to the shuttle, on the way to the Moon, control of the flight is shifted to a lunar base, commanded by Commander Buck Murdock. He has a level of contempt for Striker because of Macho Grande. They manage to land the craft on the Moon, Ted and Elaine fall back in love and are married at the end. After the wedding, Seluchi looks into the cockpit and asks for his briefcase back, a postcredit scene shows a screen that says Coming From Paramount Pictures, Airplane III. Murdock is then seen saying Thats exactly what theyll be expecting us to do, variety magazine commented that It cant be said that Airplane II is no better or worse than its predecessor. It is far worse, but might seem funnier had there been no original, roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars, saying it never really seems to know whether its about a spaceship
26.
Helix (band)
–
Helix is a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band. They formed in 1974, and are best known for their 1984 single Rock You, the history of the band has been marked by many lineup changes, with Vollmer being the sole constant member and only remaining member of the original lineup. Although Hackman was killed in a bus accident in 1992. Helix have toured with such as Kiss, Aerosmith, Rush, Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Heart, Quiet Riot. Ian Gillan and Motörhead among others and their most recent studio album is Bastard of the Blues. Helix were formed in 1974 for a battle of the bands contest in Kitchener, Ontario and their original name was The Helix Field Band, soon shortened to simply Helix. Trembley left after a few months, making the band a five-piece, soon after, Helix scored some crucial shows as Del Shannons backing band on some Canadian dates. However, the lineup dissolved by 1976, and three new members entered the fold. Replacing Simmons, Watson and Arnold were guitarists Brent The Doctor Doerner and Paul Hackman, Brian Doerner only stayed four years, but returned as a member and a guest several times before joining Saga in 2005. During the sessions for Breaking Loose, Helix recorded a cover of the Del Shannon hit Thinkin It Over and their second album, White Lace & Black Leather, brought more lineup changes with drummer Leo Niebudek taking over for Brian Doerner. Michael J. Fox auditioned to replace bassist Keith Zurbrigg but the job went to Mike Uzelac. With Zurbrigg gone, Brian Vollmer was now the last remaining original member, changing their image from that of a standard bar band to a more image-conscious metal band, Helix finally signed to Capitol Records after being rejected by them three times. In 1983, they released No Rest for the Wicked, with Greg Fritz Hinz on drums and this album featured Canadian hit video Heavy Metal Love, which featured their new look. Under Seips advice, Helix dropped their T-shirts and jeans in favour of leather clothing in order to stay current, the tour for this album cycle was not without drama. Mike Uzelac, whose use had become problematic, left the band to be replaced by a bass player named Peter Guy from London. Guy was unable to travel to the United States due to a drug conviction. When Uzelac had fulfilled his commitment, Mark Rector of Kitchener was hired on bass and he was let go at the conclusion of the tour. With the addition of bassist Daryl Gray completing the bands classic 1980s lineup and it sold over 100,000 copies in Canada, and over 400,000 internationally
27.
Possessed by the Night
–
Possessed by the Night is a 1994 erotic thriller directed by Fred Olen Ray, who also co-wrote and had a brief appearance in the film. When a horror writer named Howard Hansen buys a jar containing a strange-looking pickled monster from a tiny shop in Chinatown. Not only can he churn out manuscript pages like never before and his unusual change begins to trouble his wife, Peggy, particularly after the arrival of his new sexy blonde live-in secretary, Carol. What Howard and Peggy dont know is that Carol is conspiring with her partner Murray, Howards greedy agent, to steal his manuscript
28.
Hart to Hart
–
Hart to Hart is an American mystery television series which premiered on August 25,1979, on ABC. The series was created by novelist and television writer Sidney Sheldon, the series concluded after five seasons on May 22,1984. The premise of the show is summed up in the credits sequence, narrated by Max as he introduces the characters, This is my boss – Jonathan Hart. This is Mrs. H – she’s gorgeous, by the way, my name is Max. I take care of them, which aint easy, cause their hobby is murder, beginning with Season 2 onward, the opening lines were slightly changed, This is my boss – Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. This is Mrs. H – she’s gorgeous, she’s one lady who knows how to take care of herself. By the way, my name is Max, I take care of both of them – which ain’t easy, ‘cause when they met, it was murder. Jonathan Hart is the CEO of Hart Industries, a Los Angeles-based global conglomerate and his wife Jennifer is a beautiful freelance journalist. Living the jetset lifestyle, the Harts often find themselves involved in cases of smuggling, theft, corporate and international espionage and, most commonly, murder. At their opulent Bel Air estate, they are assisted by Max, their loyal, gravel-voiced butler, cook, the Harts beloved pet dog is a Löwchen called Freeway, so named because he was a stray that they found wandering on the freeway. The opening credits sequence also shows Jonathan Hart driving a red Dino 246 GTS and they also own a Grumman Gulfstream II private jet, which is featured at the start of the opening credits. Screenwriter and novelist Sidney Sheldon had originally written a script for CBS entitled Double Twist in the early 1970s about a couple who were also both spies. The script remained unfilmed for several years before producers Aaron Spelling and they offered the script to screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, who had by that time written several screenplays including three of the James Bond films. Their instruction to Mankiewicz was to update the script to make it more contemporary and they also told Mankiewicz that if his draft was successful, he would also be able to direct the pilot episode himself. Mankiewicz reworked Sheldons original script and it was renamed Hart to Hart, Mankiewicz also made his directorial debut with the pilot episode as planned, and remained a creative consultant to the series afterwards. Spelling and Goldbergs initial choice for the role of Jonathan Hart was Cary Grant, however, Grant had effectively retired from acting some years earlier. They then decided to find an actor who might embody the same style, zest and persona that Grant was famous for. But no one will begrudge RJ a nickel, ABC wanted Wagners real life wife Natalie Wood to co-star with him as Jennifer Hart but Wagner didnt think it was a good idea
29.
Moonlighting (TV series)
–
Moonlighting is an American comedy-drama mystery television series that aired on ABC from March 3,1985, to May 14,1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes, the shows theme song was performed by jazz singer Al Jarreau and became a hit. The show is credited with making Willis a star, while re-launching the career of Shepherd after a string of lackluster projects. In 1997, the episode The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice was ranked #34 on TV Guides 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time, in 2007, the series was listed as one of Time magazines 100 Best TV Shows of All-Time. The relationship between David and Maddie was included in TV Guides list of the best TV couples of all time, the series revolved around cases investigated by the Blue Moon Detective Agency and its two partners, Madelyn Maddie Hayes and David Addison Jr. The characters were introduced in a pilot episode that preceded the series proper. The shows storyline begins with the reversal of fortune of Maddie Hayes and she is left saddled with several failing businesses formerly maintained as tax write-offs, one of which is the City of Angels Detective Agency, helmed by the carefree David Addison. Between the pilot and the first one-hour episode, David persuades Maddie to keep the business, the agency is renamed Blue Moon Investigations because Maddie was most famous for being the spokesmodel for the Blue Moon Shampoo Company. In many episodes, she was recognized as the Blue Moon shampoo girl, the show would parody this Shakespeare play in the Season 3 episode Atomic Shakespeare. Cybill Shepherd as Maddie Hayes, Maddie Hayes is a chic, Left bankrupt when her accountant embezzles all of her money, she is forced to make a living by running the detective agency she had previously owned as a tax write-off. Using her celebrity as a model, she brings in clients. By the time he had written 50 pages for the pilot to the show, a week before shooting of the pilot began, Caron, Shepherd, and Willis watched Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday. Bruce Willis as David Addison, David Addison is a cheeky, chappy, Glenn Gordon Caron had to fight with ABC to put Willis in the lead role having already signed Shepherd for both the pilot and series. ABC, according to Caron, did not feel that anyone viewing would think there could possibly be any sexual tension between Shepherd and Willis. Allyce Beasley as Agnes DiPesto, Agnes DiPesto is the extremely loyal, in season two, it is revealed that she lives at 6338 Hope Street. As problems arose with getting Willis and Shepherd on screen due to personal issues, as Herbert begins to shine in his duties, he gets promoted to working real cases as a junior detective. Debuting in season three, he appeared in 36 of the series 66 episodes, jack Blessing as MacGillicudy, MacGillicudy is a Blue Moon employee and became a foil for Herbert Viola and a rival for Agnes’s affections. Debuting in season three, he appeared in 17 of the series’66 episodes, in addition to the primary cast, several notable actors appeared either as guest stars or made cameos on the series
30.
Mame (film)
–
Mame is a 1974 Technicolor musical film in Panavision based on the 1966 Broadway musical of the same name and the 1955 novel Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis. It was directed by Gene Saks, and adapted by Paul Zindel, the cast also stars Bea Arthur, Bruce Davison and Robert Preston. The story focuses on the life of Mame Dennis, which is disrupted when she becomes the guardian of her deceased brothers son. She marries a wealthy Southern plantation owner, is widowed, yet through it all, with the help of her dearest friend, Vera Charles, manages to keep things under control. At the reading of the will of young Patrick Denniss father, taking a train to New York City, Agnes and the boy arrive at Mames home, where they walk into a wild party that Mame is giving for a holiday she herself created. Patrick asks if he may slide down her banister, then reveals his true identity, Mame introduces the boy to her friends, including a renowned stage actress, Vera Charles. Mame decides that she wants to fill the childs life with adventure and she enrolls him in the School of Life, a very non-traditional school. But when Vera inadvertently leads Babcock to the school, Patrick is taken from Mames custody, simultaneously, the stock market crash leaves Mame penniless. Vera offers her a role as The Man in the Moon in her newest operetta about a lady astronomer. Mame flubs her one line and causes the play to be a disaster, Patrick, who was in the audience, reassures Mame that he still loves her. Mame works a string of jobs, one is in a department store, where she meets Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside, to whom she attempts to sell a pair of roller skates. She cannot write up an order and is fired. Unable to remove the skates she has demonstrated, Mame roller skates home, dejected due to her inability to pay manservant Ito or Agnes, who have loyally stayed with her. Mame decides to lift spirits by decorating the house for Christmas and giving everyone their Christmas gifts early. Agnes and Ito surprise her with the news that the bill has been paid. Beau, who has been looking for Mame since she was fired, appears at her front door, Beau falls in love and brings Mame and Patrick to his familys plantation in Peckerwood, Georgia, where theyre greeted coolly by Sally Cato. A number of Beaus relatives, especially Mother Burnside and Cousin Fan, are unhappy about Beau marrying a Yankee, Sally decides to invite Mame to a foxhunt. Despite not knowing a thing about riding a horse, Mame accepts, after a wild ride, Mame accidentally captures the fox
31.
She (1982 film)
–
She is a 1984 Italian post apocalyptic film directed by Avi Nesher. Set 23 years after an event called The Cancellation, the film follows Tom and he sets out to find and rescue her, while avoiding the dangerous tribes he encounters along the way. Sandahl Bergman plays She who ends up aiding Tom after he escapes from her and she decides to help after learning of a prophecy given to her by a local seer. The heroes have to face a giant, a psychic communist, toga-wearing werewolves. She She She at the Internet Movie Database Review
32.
Stewardess School
–
Stewardess School is a 1986 American comedy film starring Brett Cullen and Don Most. It is also known for being one of voice veteran Rob Paulsens very few onscreen roles, the destruction is then revealed to be a simulator and the duo was taking an exam in pilot school, causing the two to be attrited for unsatisfactory performance. Unemployed and out of options, the duo enrolls in Weidermeyer Academy, the group has standard classes about emergencies, etiquette and antiterrorism, which they work through. Also as part of a test is a replica of an airplane with people to wait on. The group starts to gel together, with George learning to start applying himself to a career, as she fails to wash them out, she resorts to her secondary plan as she is responsible for jobs. When everyone graduates, stewardesses are given jobs with reputable airlines such as Pan Am or TWA, the group is introduced to their owner, Mr. Stromboli, a kindly immigrant whose airline is on the verge of Chapter 11 unless his final flight can prove reputable. The group agrees to work together to make it a profitable flight, still not content, the school dean has gotten herself assigned to be purser, saying she will oversee them and if Stromboli goes bankrupt, they are doomed to unemployment
33.
Raw Nerve (1991 film)
–
Raw Nerve is a 1991 film directed and written by David A. Prior. The film stars Glenn Ford in his film role, Jan-Michael Vincent. A series of grotesque murders plagues the city of Mobile, Alabama where a serial killer is killing women with a pump-action shotgun. A young race car driver, named Jimmy Clayton, goes to the police where he talks with Lt. Detective Bruce Ellis and his superior Captain Gavin claiming that he has been having visions about the killer. Unfortunately, the police do not take him seriously, and Jimmy gets locked up as the suspect, a lady reporter named Gloria Freedman, who happens to be Elliss ex-wife, falls in love with Jimmy and sets out prove his innocence and find the real killer. Meanwhile, a biker named Blake Garrett learns about the murders. He follows and accosts Gloria, telling her to stay away from Jimmy, then Blake kidnaps Jimmys younger sister Gina and attempts to leave the country with her, claiming that he is protecting her. When Lt. Ellis begins to believe Jimmys claims of innocence, thinking that Blake is the serial killer, the police chase him through the airport and in his pickup truck through the city where they corner him on a top ledge of a parking garage. When Jimmy attempts to talk to Blake, he releases Gina but drives his truck off the ledge, when Captain Gavin finds a shotgun in Blakes truck which forensic tests prove it to be the murder weapon, the case of the shotgun slayings is closed. In the final scene, Gloria goes to Jimmys house one evening for them go out on their first date when Jimmy begins acting strange toward her and it is revealed here that Jimmy really is the killer all along and that he committed the murders under a split-personality. Blake knew the time about Jimmys D. I. D
34.
Ice Cream Man (film)
–
Joe Bob Briggs hosted the film on TNT, when it was shown on MonsterVision and Howard made an appearance, discussing the film with Briggs. It was released on DVD in 2004, in a black-and-white prologue, a young boy witnesses the murder of an ice cream man in a small town. Years later, the boy, named Gregory Tudor, returns to the town to become an ice cream man himself and he has spent the intervening years in a mental hospital. He kills some people while doing his duties as ice cream man, leading to suspicion from local kids, the ice cream man even goes so far as to mix parts of people hes killed into his frozen treats, making his customers unwitting cannibals. On October 9,2014 a kickstarter campaign backed by star Clint Howard was started to fund a sequel entitled Ice Cream Man 2, Sundae Bloody Sundae to coincide with the films 20th anniversary. However the campaign was closed on October 30,2014 after only 70 backers and just over $4,000 was made, Ice Cream Man at the Internet Movie Database Ice Cream Man at AllMovie Ice Cream Man at Rotten Tomatoes
35.
Cheers
–
Cheers is an American sitcom that ran on NBC from September 30,1982 to May 20,1993, with a total of 270 half-hour episodes spanning over eleven seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with Paramount Network Television, the show was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. The show is set in a bar named Cheers in Boston, Massachusetts, where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, the shows main theme song, written and performed by Gary Portnoy lent its famous refrain Where Everybody Knows Your Name as the shows tagline. After premiering on September 30,1982, it was canceled during its first season when it ranked almost last in ratings for its premiere. Cheers, however, eventually became a highly rated show in the United States, earning a top-ten rating during eight of its eleven seasons. The show spent most of its run on NBCs Thursday night Must See TV lineup and its widely watched series finale was broadcast on May 20,1993, and the shows 270 episodes have been successfully syndicated worldwide. Nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series for all eleven of its seasons on the air, the character Frasier Crane was featured in his eponymous spin-off show, which aired until 2004 and included guest appearances by virtually all of the major and minor Cheers characters. During its run, Cheers became one of the most popular series of all time and has received critical acclaim. In 1997, the episodes Thanksgiving Orphans and Home Is the Sailor, aired originally in 1987, were respectively ranked No.7, in 2002, Cheers was ranked No.18 on TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked it as the eighth best written TV series, before the Cheers pilot Give Me a Ring Sometime was completed and aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four employees in the first script. Neither Norm Peterson nor Cliff Clavin, regular customers of Cheers, were featured, in later years, Woody Boyd replaces Coach, who dies off-screen in season four to account for actor Nicholas Colasantos death. Frasier Crane starts as a character and becomes a permanent character. In season six, they added a new character Rebecca Howe, Lilith Sternin starts as a one-time character in an episode of season four, Second Time Around. After she appears in two episodes in five, she becomes a recurring character, and later featured as a permanent one for season ten. Ted Danson portrays Sam Malone, a bartender and an owner of Cheers, before the series began, he was a baseball relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox nicknamed Mayday Malone until he became an alcoholic, harming his career. He has an on-again, off-again relationship with Diane Chambers, his class opposite, during their off-times, Sam has flings with many not-so-bright sexy women, yet fails to pursue a meaningful relationship and fails to seduce other women, such as intellectuals. After Diane is written out of the series, he tries to pursue Rebecca Howe, at the end of the series, he is still unmarried and recovering from sexual addiction with a help of Dr. Robert Suttons group meetings, advised by Frasier. Shelley Long portrays Diane Chambers, an academic, sophisticated graduate student, in the pilot Diane is abandoned by her fiancé, leaving her without a job, a man, or money
36.
Hard Time on Planet Earth
–
Hard Time on Planet Earth is an American science fiction series that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in 1989. Airing for 13 episodes, the series starred Martin Kove and was created by Jim, scheduled opposite NBCs Unsolved Mysteries and ABCs Growing Pains on Wednesdays, Hard Time on Planet Earth ranked 65th out of 81 programs upon its premiere. Ratings for the series never improved and the series was canceled by CBS in May 1989, the last episode aired on June 21,1989. The main character was an alien Elite Military Officer who served in an interplanetary war. Along with him was dispatched Control, a floating robot in the form of a mechanical eye with the mission of overseeing Jesse to make sure Jesse kept his violent behavior in check. Control also provided relief to the series, usually by assessing the events with the catchphrase Negative Outcome. Each episode followed Jesse as he reluctantly helped different people in need and he derives much of his information from television shows, giving him a skewed sense of Earth culture. At first, Jesse only helped those in need to earn Controls approval in order to put an end to his exile, but he slowly became fond of the goodness he encountered from some of Earths people. According to People Magazine, About 20,000 RPM - thats how fast I reckon Walt Disney must be spinning in his grave with shows like this on the air. It is just one long, bad commercial. It did, however garner a small but loyal fanbase throughout its time on the air, the show is sometimes cited in lists of One-Hit Wonder TV shows from the 80s and 90s. Hard Time on Planet Earth at the Internet Movie Database Hard Time on Planet Earth at TV. com Hard Time on Planet Earth at epguides. com
37.
Freddy's Nightmares
–
Freddys Nightmares is an American horror anthology series, which aired in syndication from October 1988 until March 1990. A spin-off from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, each story was introduced by Freddy Krueger, a mob of parents eventually corners Freddy in a boiler room, leading to him being torched by the police officer, dying and gaining his familiar visage. The series was produced by New Line Television, producers of the film series and it was originally distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures. Television would assume syndication rights after acquiring Lorimar-Telepictures in 1989, on October 2,2015, the El Rey Network announced that it would begin airing the series toward the end of the year, and on November 3,2015, the series began airing on the network. Instead the producers created a series, employing a new crop of actors to be used for each episode. Though the Freddy Krueger character would play a part in the plot. Kruegers primary function was to host the series, one element that makes the series unique is its two-tier story approach. Most of the episodes feature two different stories that take up the first and second halves. Every second story, however, usually built on a character who played a role in the first. Due to budget restraints, the producers of the series were forced to use unknown actors, the only actor from the film series retained for the TV series was Robert Englund, as Freddy Krueger. The tapes released were, The Nightmare Begins Again, No More Mr. Volume 2 was also planned for later that year. In 2011, a Blu-ray collection of the original seven A Nightmare on Elm Street films was released in the US, the set included a DVD with special features, which included two episodes of the show. In 2006, AOL teamed up with distributor Warner Bros, Television to bring Freddys Nightmares to its new In2TV broadband service. NBC Universals horror and suspense-themed cable channel Chiller previously aired Freddys Nightmares with marathons once a month, season one and two were shown one after another, with commercial breaks, however, the channel ended the run on March 31,2011. In the UK, Sky and Virgin Media customers could watch the entire first series, one episode per night, at 8pm on Zone Horror, in Sweden TV4 Guld was airing the show every week from 2010-2012. El Rey Network has been airing the series since November 3,2015, Freddys Nightmares at Nightmare on Elm Street Companion Freddys Nightmares at the Internet Movie Database Freddys Nightmares at TV. com
