S: Is for Art Showing the way

After 911, I wanted to start a museum called The World Art Project at the Winter Garden. It was to hold art from an adult and a child from every country. The reasoning behind this, was if we don't know of another country and see how they think, then we don't see each other as people and hate can grow out of ignporance. A few days ago I discovered The Hope and Optimism Portfolio. This global art project has no geographical, political or cultural boundaries. Launched in May 1990 and supported by prominent artists and major cultural institutions from all over the world and was started by the late Namibian artist John Muafangejo. The National Gallery, or equivalent body in each country of the world was approached to nominate a leading artist to represent that country. The artist selected contributed a limited edition of two hundred original, signed and numbered graphics in any medium of their choice to a maximum paper size of 56 x 76 cm (22 x 30 ins). There are etchings, screenprints, stone and plate lithographs, linocuts, woodcuts, plastographs, monotypes, photographs, computer generated images, aquatints, collages, handcoloured works and so on. http://www.hopeandoptimism.com

I may not have been able to give The World Art Project a home but this site shows art can change the world and that is a F.A.C.T.

T: Is for Drug $ trade off's

The nation's drugmakers are ready to spend $150 million to help President Obama overhaul health care this fall. This is a some what surprising political alliance.
PhRMA's this is supposedly under the condition of anonymity. Right now the industry is the major contributor to Healthy Economy Now, which recently completed a $12 million in advertising nationally. Ken Johnson, senior vice president of PhRMA, said, "We will have a significant presence over the August recess, both on television and newspapers and on radio." Health care bills that make it to Obama's desk will add 50 million to the drug companies pockets. A new pool of potential customers is developed by the signing of these bills. Obama's Health Plan restricts
your freedom of choice and control over your health care, raise, not lower, health costs, impose sharp tax increases that would leave America with more deficits and debt.

Medicare and Medicaid underpaying doctors and hospitals. Medicare pays doctors 20% below market rates, and hospitals 30% below market. Medicaid pays 30% to 40% less than Medicare. This may not mean much to you but how do you think doctors and hospitals make up the loss? By those who don't have this plan. it will eventually drive out the private competitors, leaving you without the choice of keeping your current insurance plan. Doctors and hospitals will begin to restrict their care to fit what the government will pay. Investors will no longer finance new hospital facilities or clinics, and what of the maintenance of existing ones? The supply of doctors, surgeons and specialists will decline. But the question is whether your doctor will be willing to keep you? Many people will suffer or die unnecessarily as a result.

The CEA says the government will reduce health costs by deciding for doctors and hospitals across the country what health care works and what doesn't. It will decide what health care is cost effective, which means the government will decide whether your health care is worth the cost, not you and your doctor. The polls show the public has turned in decisive opposition to the Obama health plan. We need to be informed. We need to speak out and we need to know thge F.A.C.T.S.

C: Is for Child Podigy

Yesterday the audience in Times Square got a real treat as Yuto Miyazawa the nine year old guitarist played along side the Naked Cowboy. The strains of Purple Haze drifted through the muggy streets as tourists and New yorkers gathered in awe of this pint size wonder.

Yuto Miyazawa is a Japanese child prodigy in music. Miyazawa has been named "The Youngest Professional Guitarist" by Guinness Book of World Records in August, 2008.

He has appeared at Madison Square Garden, B. B. Kings, The Cutting Room, and Rodeo Bar in New York City. Yuto has also performed at many summer music festivals including Gathering of the Vibes, Bamboozle and Kidzapalooza. This weekend he will be performing in Chicago along side Depeche Mode, The Killers and Lou Reed among others at Lollapalooza

In May 2009, Miyazawa appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he performed Crazy Train with his guitar and vocals.

check out the happening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvQjkVTRHw0

This is one musical F.A.C.T.

A: Is for art coming our way

There is a sucker born every minute and it sure isn't Hugh Jackman. Twentieth Century Fox has signed Jackman to star as P.T. Barnum in a new musical "The Greatest Showman on Earth" which will be written by Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City). Producers Laurence Mark, Jackman and John Palermo are talking with singer-songwriter Mika to help with the score. That warbly songbird Jenny Lind is said to be being written for Anne Hathaway. In 1980 Jim Dale showed he was up to playing that legendary showman as he took home a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Barnum. Michael Crawford a year later reprised the role in London and proved he was no slouch as he took home the Oliver.

Jackman and Daniel Craig start staring on Broadway on September 10th in A Steady Rain which is sure to bring a multitude of sighs, during it's limited 12 week engagement.

Jackman will also star in 20th Century Fox's film comedy "Avon Man."

Hugh Jackman won a 2004 Tony Award, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Award for his role in The Boy From Oz. He also did Carousel at Carnegie Hall and Oklahoma at the National Theater in London. In his native Australia he was Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, and that beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Looks like the Great White way has stole his heart.

On Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 11:45AM to celebrate the box office opening at Broadway’s new Henry Miller’s Theatre (124 West 43rd Street, ticket buyers and fans of Bye Bye Birdie are invited to:

● Purchase $10 tickets for the 1st preview of Bye Bye Birdie, made possible by Bank of America. Limit of two tickets per person.

● Meet the actor who will play “Conrad Birdie” (Nolan Funk from Nickelodeon’s “Spectacular!”) & meet the award winning Composer Charles Strouse & Lyricist Lee Adams.

● Win big prizes! The first 50 fans in line will receive a Bye Bye Birdie lunchbox and one lucky lunchbox will contain 2 tickets to the opening night performance - and after party with the cast - courtesy of Bank of America!

● Additional fans in line will get the chance to receive an original Bye Bye Birdie Playbill from 1960 and have it autographed by Charles Strouse & Lee Adams.

Bye Bye Birdie stars John Stamos (Albert Peterson), Gina Gershon (Rose Alvarez) & Bill Irwin (Mr. Harry MacAfee) with Jayne Houdyshell (Mrs. Mae Peterson) & Dee Hoty (Mrs. MacAfee).

Bye Bye Birdie received the 1961 Tony Award for Best Musical and features such beloved songs as “Put on A Happy Face,” “Kids,” “The Telephone Hour” and “A Lot of Livin’ To Do.”

Now that's a hummable F.A.C.T.

F: Is for food that offers a better world.

Montenapo, is an architectural wonder of lightness and clarity that is Renzo Piano’s New York Times Building. 5200 square-foot, glassed-in space, facing the birch-moss garden courtyard of the building, has a modern, luminescent aesthetic that fits perfectly with the structure’s contemporary design and compliments the classic, yet new-world inspired Italian menu. Chef German Lucarelli is at the helm of Montenapo after having enjoyed a long career at Bice restaurant in Paris. The eclectic menu, offers appetizers like herb-cured buffalo carpaccio with celery and mustard drizzle, pancetta-wrapped green asparagus in tallegio cheese sauce, and poached egg with aged Parma ham, burratina cheese and Sicilian tomatoes, modern pasta like dry vermouth and lemon zest trofie pasta with baby scampi bisque, or more classic dishes like large home made pappardelle with lamb ragout and thyme, and baked lugurian filet of dentice (red snapper) with fingerling potatoes and olives. This place is expensive but its woodsy design, greenhouse architecture, towering birch trees, and clean, fresh tasting food is a reminder of a time before money was so scare and luxury was a given and that is a F.A.C.T.