Archive for July, 2009
July 20th, 2009
A few musings about the Bone Soiree fundraiser at and for the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford Saturday night:
1. Ouch. Rockford alderman Joe Sosnowski can bend backwards pretty-back-achingly far. Congrats to him and Laura Gibbs, WREX anchor, who won the Dancing with the TV Divas contest via audience applause, as well as the online vote on my blog. (Yeah, that’s me in the middle in the background, pointing with amused delight. I was a judge with Judge Rosemary Collins and Rep. Dave Winters.)
(Katy Mull/Register Star photo)
2. Ouch 2: The crowd of 185 or so was maybe half the size as last year’s. Blame the economy, publicity, overcast skies.
3. Darn. Wish I would have won the two-night stay in a condo overlooking Millennium Park in Chicago that was donated by the Kalchbrenners for an auction item. It went for way more than double my paltry $325 bid.
4. What a nice kid. Near the end of the night, the pre-teen son of Joe Bruscato, Winnebago County State’s Attorney who competed with Alice Barr of WIFR in the contest, said he wanted to have his photo taken in a photo booth with me. He’d inquired about what the booth was for. I told him and asked if he wanted to have his picture taken with me. Then I thought better of it. “Why don’t you go get your sister or ask one of those pretty diva dancers if they want to have their picture taken with you?” I asked him. “No, I want to take a picture with you,” he said. He probably didn’t want to have to go find someone else. We were standing five feet from the photo booth. But it made my night. If he ever runs for political office, he’s got my vote.
July 20th, 2009
How are you going to change GO?
That was one of the most-asked questions my editor, Lisa Glowinski, and I got Saturday when we talked with Register Star readers while we were at Barnes & Noble bookstore. We were there requesting those who were interested to fill out surveys to help us make decisions on how to spiff up the GO section.
Here’s what I told the people who asked how we might change GO, based on what some of us staffers and editors talked about in a meeting last week:
Our My Last Bite dining out reviews: Maybe sometimes we could tell you all in advance where we’re going and when. You could meet us there. And we’d interview of few of you, maybe get you/us on videotape. We could invite you via social networking to tell us if you’ve eaten there before and if you liked the dessert at such and such an eatery as much as so-and-so, and get your takes on them. Maybe we’d review deli items at grocers.
Boosting the entire personality of the section: Maybe we’ll focus more on local people having fun. We’d make the section look better with bolder colors, better design, give more personality to the section partly by telling you in tidbit style with better insight about stuff to do around town.
These are just a few things we tossed around in a meeting last week. And none of it is for-sure.
Know this: GO daily won’t be going away. It’ll just be getting better and hopefully, bigger.
But we need your help. Tell us what you want and how you use GO so we can make better-informed decisions. Take the GO survey online at
http://tinyurl.com/qlflbb
July 16th, 2009
And the winning couple in online voting for the Dancing with the TV Divas contest is Laura Gibbs, 13 News Today anchor, and Joe Sosnowski, Rockford 1st Ward alderman. They received 470,259 (62 percent) of the 762,405 votes cast.
Voting at my blog (see the post a ways below this post) started July 8 and ended at 5 p.m. Thursday.
In second: Kimberly Nelson, WQRF-39 anchor, and State Sen. Dave Syverson with 251,742 votes (33 percent). They won last year.
Alice Barr, WIFR-23 reporter, and Joe Bruscato, Winnebago County state’s attorney, received 40,404 votes, or 5 percent.
The online poll was just for fun.
The real competition is Saturday at Burpee Museum of Natural History. The Bone Soiree museum fundraiser of dinner, dance contest, dance lessons and auction starts at 6 p.m. For more information, go to burpee.org or call 815-965-3433.
July 16th, 2009
Answers from Rockfordian Michelle Williams, formerly of Destiny’s Child, regarding the role she’s playing in London in the musical “Chicago.”She provided these answers to my questions via e-mail through one of her managers.
(Provided photo of Michelle Williams as Roxie Hart)
Q: Tell me how you are portraying Roxie Hart? What
kind of experiences did you draw from to make this character your own?
A: I am portraying Roxie as feisty, smart and witty!!!
I am drawing from personal experiences. People tell me that I’m funny and that
I have great comedic timing so I kinda draw from that. It really helps me to be
natural with it. I’ve been studying acting and the technique that I use by
acting coach Ivana Chubbock is GREAT!
Q: How did opening night (July 13) go? What went
well? What do you hope to polish? How many audience members approximately, or
tell me if it was something like a full-house in a 2,000-seat theater, or
whatever.
A: Opening night was FANTASTIC! I wish that the whole
city of Rockford
could’ve experienced it. But I am honored to represent for Rockford
and ‘Chicago’
of course!!!! LOL!!! It was a SOLD OUT show. The audience gave thunderous
applause and a rousing standing ovation. I was moved to tears because I worked
very hard….I get a new bruise every day from this show!!!
Q: How does playing Roxie Hart contrast with other
characters you’ve played on stage?
A: Roxie Hart was always thinking about her next move.
Whereas me playing Shug Avery in the musical Color Purple, Shug had to work for
respect and needed love!! Me playing Aida in 2003….well Aida was a princess
so that was easy as people looked to Aida for strength and wisdom.
Q: What’s better/worse about playing a role on stage
versus singing your music on stage?
A: Well you must be disciplined in both areas
actually!!! In theatre….there are no ‘do overs’!!! If u make a mistake, you
don’t have time to think about it and press rewind…..u gotta move past it
real quick. Plus most of the time nobody but the performer knows the mistake
made!! I can be very expressive acting and really come out of myself!!! I
really enjoy theatre!!!
Q: What’s next for you after this role as Roxie?
A: Hmmmmmmm I’d love to originate a role for a new
Broadway show. Don’t know which one yet!!
Q: Do you have another CD in the works? If so, tell
me what type of music, when it might be released, etc.
A: Right now while I’m n London…I am promoting my latest disc
UNEXPECTED. The song Hello Heartbreak is the single for the UK!!!! When I
return back to the states I will start on my next CD…it will still have the
europop sound but I’d love to funk it up a bit and use live instruments. I
consider myself a student of music and will continue to explore the endless
possibilities.
Q: Anything you’d like to share about your personal
life? Are you dating anyone you’d like to name? Engaged? Prefer not to say?
A: I am in a relationship. I’m very happy where we are
and we prefer to keep ‘mum’ about things. I mean when we’re out in public I
don’t hide anything but I rarely talk about who I’m dating!
Q: When will you be back home in Rockford? In September, after the play closes
in London?
A: I’ll be home the 1st chance I get!! I miss my family
so much!! I miss the home cooked meals. My sister Cameron is always cookin’
somethin!! Shout to the Williams and Washington crew!!! They hold this little
girl down. They’re always praying for me. Always supporting what I do. I hope I
make my family and Rockford
proud.
Q: What else would you like readers to know? What haven’t I asked you about?
A: I’d just like to say thank you to my city for the love. The past 10 years of my life have been an awesome time. I’m so happy to share it with my hometown. I know there are so many talented youth in our city,just know that if you stay focused and keep God first in everythibg you do, you will make it!!! You gotta work really really hard though!!! It’s not as easy as it looks!!!! That’s a whole ‘nother interview though!!! ***************
Here’s a little background on Michelle Williams:
Rockfordian Michelle Williams, a member of the disbanded Destiny’s Child — the top-selling female group of all time — is starring in London in “Chicago, The Musical.”
She plays Roxie Hart, a murderous chorus girl. The show started Sunday and goes through Aug. 23.
Williams is reportedly the first African-American to play the role in the West End production of the musical.
Williams received three Grammy Awards as a member of Destiny’s Child. She also has released solo gospel and dance albums and starred in the musical “Aida” as well as in “The Color Purple” and appeared on the UPN comedy series “Half & Half.”
July 15th, 2009
This story today about the final lineup for the Rockford AirFest reminded me of the time Dave Dacy took me up in an open-cockpit plane. Dacy of Harvard and his Wing Walkers are part of the show.
It was maybe 15 years ago, and I lived in Harvard. I was using my Nikon camera with a long lens to take pictures of cornfields from Hebron to Lake Geneva, Wis. My then-husband was thinking about getting cheaper electricity from Wisconsin to fuel a plant he worked at in Hebron, and he wanted aerials of the landscape.
Well, I’d eaten pizza an hour or so before. And the motion of the zooming in and out of the lens and Dacy banking to this side and that so I could get better pictures did me in. Anyway, I hurled into a coat I was carrying with me. Dacy was polite and tried to make me not feel too embarrassed. But I was.
Every time I hear about Dacy and his Wingwalkers making appearances at the Rockford air show or at the one in Janesville, Wis., I get dizzy all over again just thinking about the stunts they’re pulling.
Dave Dacy and the Wingwalkers
July 14th, 2009
UOK Stage.
It’s a texting statement. “You are OK,” as in “You are cool.” Not UOK? as in “Are you OK?”
That’s my first submission for the name-the-”Next-Generation”-stage contest for On the Waterfront. The new stage at the corner of Wyman and Elm streets will have children’s entertainment in the afternoon and a variety of music geared for young adults in the evening. Waterfront staff say it promises to be the new festival “hot spot.”
I could have submitted “UROK,” as in “You are OK,” but then someone would think it means “you rock.” And the stage isn’t intended to feature rock acts. It’ll more likely feature poppier bands such as Smash Mouth and the Chicago-area cover band Dot Dot Dot, though Waterfront is holding up these bands as examples, not necessarily saying they’ll perform.
The winner of the contest gets four free passes to the Sept. 4-6 downtown Rockford music festival, and the chance to introduce one of the stage’s headlining acts.
Well, maybe the UOK Stage wouldn’t work, with some adding the question mark and changing my intended meaning. So I’m going to submit another texting acronym: BCNU Stage, as in “Be seeing you.”
You can submit as many name suggestions as you like to win@onthewaterfront.com before midnight tomorrow. The winner will be chosen and notified by Friday.
Share your stage names here in the comments section, if you’d like.
July 8th, 2009
I’m out of the office until then. My son is getting married. I’m so excited for him and his bride-to-be. They are the best.
July 8th, 2009
Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford holds on to its No. 1 status in ranking by a premiere publication on Japanese gardening.
Sukiya Living this year again ranked the Rockford gardens tops out of more than 300 public Japanese gardens in North America, a top ranking it has held since 2004. The overall quality of its construction and maintenance is what separates Anderson Japanese Gardens from the others, and its stonework, architecture and paths add to the package, the magazine’s publisher, Douglas Roth, said in a news release.
Register Star file photo at Anderson Japanese Gardens
July 8th, 2009
Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York City” has been picked up for a third season but might feature a new group of Manhattan socialites, the Hollywood Reporter says. Bravo is “casting for additional housewives” amid reports about a salary dispute between the cable network and the six cast members: Alex McCord, Bethenny Frankel, Jill Zarin, Kelly Killoren Bensimon (a Rockford native) LuAnn de Lesseps and Ramona Singer.
Kelly Killoren Bensimon; photo at insider.com
The Reporter says that the New York Housewives was up double digits in the ratings this past (second) season, when Bensimon joined. But it’s well below the viewers that the New Jersey edition recently drew for its first-season finale.
I watch both shows once in awhile. Tall and tan model Bensimon’s hard-butt attitude and over-the-top cattiness is entertaining as far as upper echelon lives go. But she’s got nothing on cute Teresa Guidice, with her curly, long, dark hair, diamond-heavy jewelry and table-turning temper. Yowser!
Teresa Guidice (insider.com)
Which "Housewives" show do you prefer?
July 8th, 2009
AND THE WINNING COUPLE IN THE ONLINE VOTING IS: Laura Gibbs and Joe Sosnowski with 62 percent of the 762,405 votes cast. Congrats, and we’ll see you Saturday night at the Burpee for the real competition, where audience applause determines the winner.
- Kimberly Nelson (WQRF-39 anchor) and Dave Syverson, state senator 251,742 33% of all votes
- Alice Barr, WIFR-23 reporter, and Joe Bruscato, Winnebago County states attorney 40,404 5% of all votes
- Laura Gibbs, 13 News Today anchor, and Joe Sosnowski, Rockford first-ward alderman 470,259 62% of all votes
Total Votes: 762,405
(The following ran in this space before voting ended at 5 p.m. July 16.)
Vote for your favorite couple in Dancing with the TV Divas, Rockford’s Original Charity Dance Contest.
The competition is part of the Bone Soiree — A Continental Evening at Burpee July 18. The event is a fundraiser at and for the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Online voting is just for fun.
See Sen. Dave Syverson/Kimberly Nelson dance.
See State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato/Alice Barr dance.
See Alderman Joe Sosnowski/Laura Gibbs dance.
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