S: Is for sustainable

Is reading next to Godliness? Well, if it wasn't before, it is now. This old Dominican church now contains the keys to enlightenment. After months of renovation this magnificent structure constructed in 1294 has opened its doors to the public as a bookstore in the heart of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Now this historic architecture is ripe with information. In the 13th century, the structure was a Dominican church until Napoleon invaded. Since then, it has been a parish, a warehouse, an archive and a giant parking lot for bicycles. The architecture firm Merkx + Girod, are the geniuses behind this resurrection. In a bit of humor the bookstore also installed a cross-shaped reading table where anyone can sit and flip through the magazines and newspapers kept in the slats of the table. The design has won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize. The book store is owed by Selexyz Dominicanen and maintains a wide selection of books across all subjects, even boasting a sizable collection of books in English. As more and more churches are being abandoned due to redundancy, maybe this is something for Barnes and Noble to think about. Can you image St. Patrick's as the newest reading spot? If God has a sense of humor that could soon be a F.A.C.T.

T: Is for Taxes run a muck

We need to be focused on the bigger picture. As ACORN makes headlines, this reporter wrote about ACORN and the part it has played in our economical demise. I stated how ACORN was one of major concerns with President Obama. I am still worried. We have to accept a tax cheat as our treasury secretary — Tim Geithner. A guy who wants to de-develop our economy and redistribute the wealth in and among nations. Geithner was a part of the Group of 30 until I questioned them. http://www.group30.org/members.htm. What is so interesting about this group is who the chairman is...Jacob Frenkel the chairman of AIG. So is Paul Volcke. When President Obama was running for President, he had this to say: " Let me tell you who I associate with. On economic policy, I associate with former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker." President Obama has long supported our tax dollars go to an organization that has demonstrated its corruption over and over again. This is just not on the local level, but goes all the way to the top — to the power brokers at the highest levels of ACORN and in our own halls of Congress and administration —again it will be a sham.

Did you know Peter F. Geithner, Timothy's father was with the Ford Foundation and oversaw the work of Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, developing what are called microfinance programs in Indonesia? Did you know The Group of 30 is run by some of the same financial institutions that got federal bailout money. This include American International Group, Goldman Sachs and Citi, among others. Because it has a web site and publishes an annual report, all of this seems open and above board. But the fine print reveals that some of the meetings are by “invitation only.” The entire list of “contributors and supporters” of the “Group of Thirty” is quite impressive. You will find not only U.S. financial institutions getting bailout money, but central banks around the world and Arab financial interests. In addition, you also find private financial interests, including the hedge fund operated by billionaire and Obama contributor George Soros.

Our taxes keep getting higher and yet no one questions...why? These are F.A.C.T.S. we nee to figure out.

C: Is for Catherine Zeta-Jones

Academy Award–winner Catherine Zeta-Jones, five-time Tony Award–winner Angela Lansbury and Olivier Award–nominee Alexander Hanson will star in the first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Tony Award–winning masterpiece A Little Night Music, directed by Tony Award-winner Trevor Nunn. The production begins previews on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 and opens on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street).

Catherine Zeta-Jones, in her Broadway debut, will play the role of Desirée Armfeldt. Angela Lansbury will play Madame Armfeldt. Alexander Hanson will play Fredrik Egerman, a role he created in the recent Trevor Nunn production at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory and in the West End.

The cast will also features Aaron Lazar (Les Misérables) as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, Erin Davie (Grey Gardens) as Countess Charlotte Malcolm, Leigh Ann Larkin (Gypsy) as Petra, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as Henrik Egerman, and Ramona Mallory (The Fantasticks) as Anne Egerman. The cast also includes Bradley Dean, Marissa McGowan, Betsy Morgan, Karen Murphy, Jayne Paterson and Kevin David Thomas. Additional casting, including the role of Fredrika Armfeldt, will be announced at a later date.

Based on Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night, featuring a score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler the originally opened in 1973 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre and ran for 601 performances. Produced and directed by Hal Prince. The production garnered six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score. The Sondheim score features one of the composer's best-known songs, “Send in the Clowns,” as well as “Every Day a Little Death,” “The Miller's Son” and “A Weekend in the Country.”

This is one revival that has my singing with joy and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for art awards

In order for theatre to survive and thrive, it needs to be nurture, honored and recognized. Last night at New World Stages the Innovative Theatre Awards, other wise known as the IT Awards were held. Julie Halston MC'd the event and was hysterically funny. Best known for playing Bitsy Von Muffin, the women who destroys Charlotte's marriage in "Sex and the City," to new York theatre goers she is known as a wonderful comedian and stage actress. Her stories of Liza Minilli in the bathroom at the Barbara Sriesand concert, were riotous. Charles Busch, Andrew Lippa, John Patrick Shanley, Kevin Chamberlain, Austin Pendleton, Elizabeth Swados and Jackie Hoffman all presented awards. Keep these names and theatre company's in mind when choosing your next show: The Amoralist Theatre, Here Arts Centre, The Apple Sisters, Austin Mcormick, The Gallery Players, NOVA Arts Festival, Julian Eifer, The Brick Theatre, Material for the Arts, Elyse Mirto, Suzi Takahashi and New York Neo-Futurists. They were some of the big winners last night. The winners, however were the creators of this award. In attending, you realized the need for off off Broadway and what it brings to society. Without it's contribution we would not have plays that speak out, that are un-afraid to challenge society and artists that have a place to grow. Bravo to the IT Awards and all the nominees and winners. You keep us thinking and that is a F.A.C.T.

F: Is for Farewell my friend

My computer was out of commission, so I could not write about the death of Patrick Swayze. He was a someone who touched my life with his art and his soul. I knew Patrick. We met while performing together in Disney on Parade. He was older and took those of us, younger than him, under his wing. When he moved to New York, we kept in touch. While there, he performed in a new musical called Goodtime Charley. He sent me the song "To Make the Boy a Man" and I sang at many an audition and performance while doing cabaret. He went on to play Danny Zuko in the long-running Broadway production of Grease. Later when I played Sandy in LA production, he sent me flowers and well wishes. When he became a star, in his film debut as the dance instructor Johnny Castle in "Dirty Dancing," we lost touch. What most people don't know was he sang. "She's Like the Wind," in the films soundtrack, was also co-written by him. His love of dancing was enhanced by the Harkness Ballet Company, the Joffrey and the Eliot Feld Ballet company as a principal dancer. He gave up his love of dance to star in such hits as "Ghost", "The Outsiders," "Red Dawn," "Road House," "Donnie Darko," "Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" (Golden Globe nomination), and "Point Break." He regained his dance career back with In 2005, with his wife, Lisa Niemi, in the feature film, "One Last Dance." Lisa also wrote and starred in the film as well as making her directorial debut. People magazine recognized him for what we always known ....one of the "Sexiest Man Alive." In 2006 Patrick re-gained his Broadway roots on the London stage, debuting in Guys and Dolls as Nathan Detroit. Patrick claimed the stage, film and TV and on September 14th death claimed him. Patrick gave us his soul and that will be a missed F.A.C.T.