Tackles or Theatre

For those of you who read my blog...you know that I love musical theatre...and I love my 'SC football. I contend that the only reason I don't watch too much NFL is because of the lack of a L.A. pro team in the league. At least the 'SC alumni get me to be invested in watching the playoffs and the Superbowl. Congrats to Troy and Lofa for making it to the big game!
Well...now here's a story that concerns both football and the theatre. It seems that part of the Pittsburgh theatre community acknowleges the importance of such a game to it's city. A few days ago, the Pittsburgh Public Theater decided to cancel it's February 5 evening performance so that their patrons could join the rest of steel town in bars and Superbowl parties across the city. The press release follows:

MEDIA ADVISORY
January 24, 2006

GO STEELERS!

TO CELEBRATE THE SUPER BOWL, PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER CANCELS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5 EVENING PERFORMANCE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

At Pittsburgh Public Theater, the home of The Chief, we join with the rest of the city in waving our Terrible Towels to salute the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers! To honor our hometown heroes as they head to Super Bowl XL, we have cancelled the Sunday, February 5, 7 p.m. performance of The Importance of Being Earnest so our audience, cast and crew can join with the rest of the city in celebrating this momentous occasion.

Sunday's 2 p.m. matinee will go on as scheduled, but the post-show talkback has been cancelled.

Ticket holders for the 7 p.m. performance should call the Public's Box Office at 412-316-1600 for exchange options.

I'm sure those who were being brought to the theatre against their will that evening are now breathing a sigh of relief. Good luck, Steelers...let's hope for a fun and exciting Superbowl XL!

7,486

That was the magic number to become the longest running show in Broadway history. Last night, "The Phantom of the Opera" surpassed another Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-musical, "Cats", to claim the top honor.

In June of 1997, when "Cats" reached the top spot, I sent an email to some of my friends...mourning the fact that it had surpassed "A Chorus Line". I'm glad something with a plot and lack of prancing kitties finally overtook it. I would have preferred it be "Les Misérables", in my opinion...the greatest musical ever, but I'll settle for the phantom's dethroning of the felines.

Below is the list of top 15 longest running shows:

1.	"The Phantom of the Opera"	7486
2.	"Cats"	7485
3.	"Les Misérables"	6680
4.	"A Chorus Line"	6137
5.	"Oh! Calcutta!" (Revival)	5959
6.	"Beauty and the Beast"	4816
7.	"Miss Saigon"	4097
8.	"Rent"	4050
9.	"Chicago" (Revival)	3803
10.	"42nd Street"	3486
11.	"The Lion King"	3434
12.	"Grease"	3388
13.	"Fiddler on the Roof"	3242
14.	"Life With Father"	3224
15.	"Tobacco Road"	3182

Red = Still Currently Running

I'm sure the Disney bigwigs crave that top spot. But...here's the sobering news for them. The Beast, Belle, and all the gang must rack up an additional 6 1/2 years of performances after producer Cameron Macintosh finally decides to shutter "The Phantom of the Opera". Since señor phantom is still going strong...I don't see that happening any time soon. Sorry Mickey. It'll be a loooooooooong time before you can call yourself the king of old Broadway.

For now, congrats to the new king: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Let's hope the actors don't party too hard tonight...they still have performance 7,487 to look forward to...and 7,488...and 7,489...

The Pains Of Being A Trojan Fan

This past week has not been kind to Trojan sports fans...

Wednesday, January 4, 2006
The USC football team had their winning streak snapped at 34 games. In the process, we turned the ball over far more than we should have, allowed the Texas offense one too many visits to the end zone and lost the chance to claim a third national championship in a row. What's more...I was there...at the Rose Bowl...in a section primarily filled with Texan...half of them in my row were very loud, drunk Texans. It was not exactly the most enjoyable game in recent memory...

Thursday, January 5, 2006
Former USC baseball coach, Rod Dedeaux, passed away at the age of 91. He coached at the University of Southern California for 45 years, winning 11 national championship titles for the Trojans. He also coached two U.S. Olympic baseball teams, and was instrumental in bringing amateur baseball overseas.

Sunday, January 8, 2006
Former USC quarterback, Carson Palmer, led the Cincinnati Bengals to their first playoff game in 15 years. He threw for 66 yards in his first pass...unfortunately, a couple seconds later, his knee was blown out by a Pittsburgh Steelers defender. Carson was out the rest of the game and watched his team lose 31-17. He tore two ligaments and must now go through major surgery, with an estimated 6-12 month recovery time. Let's hope he heals quickly.

Now...what do we have to look forward to this next week? I have a feeling we'll see many, many juniors enter the NFL draft early, leaving less experienced players to fill their shoes. I guess the bright side is that we still have Pete Carroll. I'm sure he'll whip the new team into shape by next season. So...win or lose...I'll be cheering for them in the stands. Fight On Trojans!

Sheep Cam!

For those of you who are unaware...I have a fondness for sheep. They may not be the smartest animals in the world, but they are pretty cute. Plus...they come in handy if you want a wool sweater!

A couple in Anderson, South Carolina, have a miniature farm of sheep...which includes newborn Baby Sheep Pinky:


Pinky was born on January 6, 2006. If you go to their website (SeeSheep.com), you may be able to catch a live glimpse of the little one with it's mother. Enjoy!