Ren Auberjonois and Keene Curtis in "A Flea in Her Ear" and "The Misanthrope" at the Mark Taper Forum in 1982. (Photo by Jay Thompson)

Ren Auberjonois, who died on Dec. 8 at the age of 79, was a man primarily of the stage. Certainly his long and robust career took him into film (fromM*A*S*H toThe Little Mermaid), TV (Benson, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Boston Legal), video games, and audiobooks, where he garnered popularity and fame. But from his youth, when John Houseman first advised his parents to send him to Carnegie Tech, he was a leading member of the great American company of players.

He was a founding actor in Bill Balls American Conservatory Theater, not just in San Francisco but in its ur-year in Pittsburgh, where he played Tartuffe and Learyes, Learat age 25. Later, as a member of the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center, he played the Fool to Lee J. Cobbs Lear. Subsequent Broadway work earned him Tony recognition for Coco, The Good Doctor, Big River, and City of Angels. He was a man at home with greasepaint and footlights.

So it was supremely just that one night in November 2018, he found himself in the upper rotunda of Broadways Gershwin Theatre, where the walls are encrusted with raised gilt letters recording the several hundred members of the Theater Hall of Fame. Eight are added each year. Frank Langella was chosen to introduce him as one of that years inductees, along with Christine Baranski, David Henry Hwang, Maria Irene Forns, Cicely Tyson, Adrienne Kennedy, James Houghton, and Joe Mantello.

After noting that he himself was already a member, Langella quoted Robert Edmond Jones invocation of actors, who have in them a kind of wildness and exuberance and for whom to spend a life practicing and performing this art of speaking with tongues other than ones own is to live as greatly as one can. Langella cited just a few of the tongues with which Ren has spoken over the last 50 years: William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Anton Chekhov, Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht, Jean Anouilh, Molire, Harold Pinterthats just a few.

To my great regret, Langella continued, Ren and I have not shared much time on the stage together, which I think is the secret of our long friendship. To watch my friend from the audience has always been a distinct pleasureThe last time I saw the miracle of Ren onstage was in Larry Gelbarts Sly Fox. He was driving the audience apoplectic with laughter, playing a dirty old man prancing and prowling and stuttering with lustThe shaking, the spitting, the moaning, the tongue-darting excess, was just dazzling.

Thus introduced, Auberjonois responded, Maybe you could save that for my eulogy. People laughed. But Langellas praise evoked from Auberjonois an even greater eulogy: a paean of praise of the company of actors with whom he had joyously lived his life onstage.

He first cited the practice of beginning a yoga session with a recitation in Sanskrit, designed to invoke all those who came before, the ones whove handed down the tradition. For him, that tradition was embodied in a mesmerizing litany of history and tribute, this far from complete list, in no particular order. And so be began:

I wish to thank Julie Harris, who explained and embodied her practice of making an entrance onstage as if she were riding an elephant while holding open an enormous green umbrella. I thank Katharine Hepburn for her generosity onstage and off, and George Rose, who schooled me in the art of charming arrogance. Thanks to Misha Baryshnikov, who manifests the genuine humility of a great artist. Thanks for the versatility of Fritz Weaver, the elegance of Nina Foch, and the extravagance of Norman Lloyd.

Thanks to Ned Beatty, Joan van Ark, and Anthony Zerbe for the gratification of teamwork. For gifted collaborators, Richard Dysart, Peter Donat, Michael Learned, and Cicely Tyson. I thank Stacy Keach, Philip Bosco, and Lee J. Cobb for the affirmation of being privy to Lees dream to ascend that Shakespearean Everest. And thanks to Anne Bancroft and my lifelong and lion-hearted friend, Frank Langella, who taught me what onstage chemistry really means.

To Blythe Danner, who personifies the theatre turning to joy; thanks for the vibrancy of Rosemary Harris, Stephen Elliott, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Burstyn. And for the mastery of Keene Curtis and the flamboyance of Jeffrey Tambor, the truthful clowning of Chris Murney and Bob Dishy, the humanity of Eli Wallach and David Dukes, James Earl Jones and his sexy nobility, and Raul Julia with his noble sexiness. Chris Plummer, who never settles for half, and Barney Hughes, Franny Sternhagen, and Marsha Mason for demonstrating authentic sparkle.

For the sheer Bacchanalian lustiness of John Goodman, the exuberance of Dan Jenkins, and the caring partnership of Bob Gunton. To Michael Crawford, for proving that a basically decent person playing a singing vampire could act like a monster. And thank you to Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, models for married artists working together with love and respect. Thank you for the suave gallantry of James Naughton and for Gregg Edelman and Randy Graff, who displayed their mojo in full-throated song.

For all the gifted and committed ensembles full of sound and fury. I believe in ghosts. I believe in the lingering spirit of artists. So I stand here to say thank you to all my peers and fellow artists and ghosts. Thank you.

And thank you, Ren.

Christopher Rawson is senior theatre critic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a member of the executive committee of the Theater Hall of Fame.

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Ren Auberjonois and the Company He Kept - American Theatre

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Everyone has a special memory of their first musical. Mine was My Fair Lady. It had opened in London in 1958 on Drury Lane after taking Broadway by storm, and, as a young child living there, I already knew the tunes when I was taken to see Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. Last night as the first familiar melody in the overture wafted through the Opera House, I was transported all over again. Has there ever been a more loverly, tune-filled musical?

The new revival of the Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe musical came to Washington by way of the Lincoln Center Theatre production with direction by Bartlett Sher. I had been somewhat concerned that George Bernard Shaws story of a stuck-up, upper-class snob and male chauvinistic pig would not stand up to todays lens of social criticism. Lets face it, the guy thoughtlessly plucks up out of the mud at Covent Garden a lower class guttersnipe for his own amusement and social experiment all to demonstrate his prowess at how he could coach get her to pass for a lady.

If Im honest I was equally concerned that Sher would have put the musical through a politically-correct mangle and flatten the work to an unrecognizable pulp. Im pleased to say there was respect and genuine fondness shown for the works beauty, but Sher was willing to point out the characters acceptance of class-conscious snobbery without totally bludgeoning the work.

The creative team gave the work a fresh look, thereby creating a whos who of artists in last years New York awards. The design elements were stunning. From the painted skyline on the front curtain of Old London Town with the iconic St. Pauls dome and smokestacks leading the eye back to the Thames in the background, all seemed to speak of a soft grey, and yes smog-filled world. Set Designer Michael Yeargan and Lighting Designer Donald Holder worked beautifully together to transform this ever-foggy world into a nostalgic romance, with skies shot through with ultra-violet, mauve, and plum.

Catherine Zubers costume designs for the show swept the New York awards last year. Have there ever been more ravishing looks than Elizas runway fashion gowns? Of course there was the one for the princess-at-the-ball entrance then the startling scarlet wildly-sculptured opera-coat that for a moment consciously broke the shows line and palette, but also there was the glory of her Ascot get-up and over-the-top hat that looked like it might set sail away at any moment. Rather than reproduce the iconic Black-and-White starkness of the original Ascot scene design, Zuber had re-invented all the costumes for the end of Act I with dove-grey, dusty rose, and mauve with lines that felt both elegant and ghostlike in its nostalgia. She added the outsize hats, walking sticks, parasols, and viewing lorgnettes to establish a tradition equal parts magnificent and silly as the scene was intended to show.

Shers staging of the Act I ending, as with so many numbers is screamingly funny. How can we ever forget those pre-botox immovable faces as they followed the horses galloping through the Opera House by way of Sensurround sound? And what a most perfect set up for Elizas famous line, Move your bloomin arse! This is a moment of sheer theatrical perfection where character and audience are giddily as one.

Yeargan made great use of a turntable set with an upstairs downstairs feel and incredible attention to detail, where various interior rooms of Professor Higgins house could be accessed by the characters simply walking through a door while the set was moving. At a show that clocked in at just over three hours, this production nonetheless kept things moving, through assisted rolling set pieces by the cast, in transitions into the many venues called for in the story.

Sher relied on bringing out more nuance and layers to the story and characters through simply bringing things into focus just a little bit differently, lingering a moment here, lighting something to lift it out there rather than re-conceptualizing the entire show.

Eliza Doolittle is introduced in a quiet moment. She walks alone through the dusky London evening as the street gaslights are coming on. She walks slowly and then pauses to gaze steadily at the audience. We immediately get the sense she is fearlessly her own woman and will navigate her own way.

Shereen Ahmed is Eliza, and just by the sound of her name we might be tempted to think the production aims to push the theme of immigrants and equate them with a new struggling lower class to make the show into an updated political statement. This is, thankfully, not the case. Instead, the young New York actress, whom the bio notes has her degree from Towson University in Maryland, is accepted by the Covent Garden lot and delivers on her own terms.

Ahmed has feistiness and confidence in her gestural movements and physical engagement. If the voice doesnt have the size or supple dynamics of Julie Andrews, it is nonetheless pleasing. More importantly, she delivers every acting moment with feeling and commitment: from street vendor who has to be scrappy to survive, to a young woman wounded in love, and finally to someone who can stand up to Professor Higgins and show him his own blindness, insensitivity and shortcomings.

My Fair Lady closes January 19, 2020. DCTS details and tickets

Laird Macintosh is terrific as Higgins. He cut a much younger figure than the original Harrison and therefore showed him driven by a kind of restless arrogance the world hadnt put this entitled preppy greenhorn in his place yet and thus he might find redemption. His ranginess and background as a dancer in the Canadian National ballet has made Macintosh graceful as a cat and imminently watchable. He prowled, pounced, stretched out on the settee as if analyzing himself, then suddenly sit up ramrod straight or spring out of a chair all to deliver the sure dynamics of Loewes melodies and Lerners sparkling lyrics in the service to accentuate his characters lightning fast processing of thoughts. Macintosh, as is appropriate for the character, possesses the intuitive mimicry of a catbird in sounds but hes also a damn ruthless observer of body and gesture. He also was hysterical in the second act as a quivering emotional jelly and mamas boy, utterly undone when forced to face his own feelings for Eliza.

Reading Keith Lorias piece on Adam Grupper in the role or Alfred P Doolittle, Elizas dad, I thought it would be more radicalized than in fact it was. Gruppers portrayal of Elizas alcoholic dad played darker more because of what we brought to it our societal condemnation of a deadbeat dad. In fact, Lerner and Loewe argued a water-tight conservative case that Doolittle was undeserving poor more because he refused to accept any responsibilities of work and family his skewering a society that had done im wrong. For all that, Grupper proved a massive stage presence, chilling in one moment but not above a little Knees up Mother Brown with the lads and lasses. Grupper won the audience over with his music hall numbers not with his philosophy, and he didnt come across as your villainous heavy.

The most radical scene in the whole production and the biggest choreographed showstopper was Get Me to the Church on Time which not only had dancing girls doing can-can high kicks but several boys in drag doing a sight more than can-can. Choreographer Christopher Gattelli displayed in the course of the evening his abilities with a wide range of dance styles from the high-centered elegant swaying of the waltzes and the footies of the music hall tradition to the adult-rated aforementioned big number. The eight primary dancers plus the ensemble proved top-notch in all they delivered.

Every role down to cameo performances sparkled in this cast. Gayton Scott as Mrs. Pearce nailed the ramrod housekeeper of the eccentric Professor. Kevin Pariseau made for a delightful Colonel Pickering, short-sighted and silly but full of kindness, a believable throwback to the British Empire in the days of the Raj. Leslie Alexander as Higgins mama was suitably smart with her comebacks and putdowns, first to Eliza and then, when that girl won her over, to her own son. Wade McCollum was suitably oily and over-the-top as Higgins former pupil and rival, Professor Zoltan Karpathy.

Mark Aldrich, Colin Anderson, Shavey Brown, and William Michals with their distinctive, rich voices in the Loverly Quartet were arresting whenever they corralled together and sang. Indeed Loverly! I appreciated many details, including Higgins butler in a cameo, who announced just a little too slowly and perfectly, suggesting Higgins has been a tutor in other social experiments. (I knew just such acquired speakers.)

The most curious and actually radical bit of casting was with Freddy Eynsford-Hill. With the glorious number On the Street Where You Live, one expects and most often gets matinee-idol material and a tenor crooning and winning everyone over simply strolling effortlessly through the song. Sher has gone for something quite different and arresting. Freddy, played by Sam Simahk, is a boyish, even somewhat clownish figure, caught in the stages of puppy love. Simahk gawks, nearly swoons, raises up on his toes, tips off balance, then tries to cover it up. In the swell of music and feeling, he runs downstage to spread his arms as if he would take off and fly. Simahk gives us a likeable but rather pathetic goof, and suddenly we are given to understand Higgins words about what life with Freddy would be like: a kind of Peter Pan never-grow-up figure. An important arc of the story gets clarified in terms of Elizas choices.

The production is almost but not quite flawless. I have two quibbles. I have got somewhat used to American actors struggling with British accents, but in a show about the importance of training the ear to vowel sounds, the migration of such here and there throughout the evening was annoying, especially in the singing. Oh, why cant the British teach their (American) children how to speak?

Most disturbing was the directors curious choice at the end. Im not sure what was intended, but if the story was meant to start as Pygmalion and drift to A Dolls House, then such an event really wasnt supported either by the creators intentions nor an unprepared and unlikely theatrical exit.

In the final analysis, this is an old world musical. Lerner and Loewe were masters of the form. We should revel in the cleverness of the lyrics and the delightful music. Dont we all need just about now a moment where we can pause and go away humming the same tune?

My Fair Lady. Book and Lyrics Alan Jay Lerner. Composed by Frederick Loewe. Based on the play by George Bernard Shaw. Direction by Bartlett Sher. Choreography by Christopher Gattelli. Music Direction by John Bell. Set Designed by Michael Yeargan. Costumes Designed by Catherine Zuber. Lighting Designed by Don Holder. Sound Design by Marc Salzberg. With Shereen Ahmed, Laird Mackintosh, Leslie Alexander, Adam Grupper, Wade McCollum, Kevin Pariseau, Gayton Scott, Sam Simahk, Mark Aldrich, Rajeer Alford, Colin Anderson, Polly Baird, Mark Banik, Michael Biren, Shavey Brown, Anne Brummel, Henry Byalikov, Mary Callanan, Jennifer Evans, Nicole Ferguson, Kaitlyn Frank, Juliane Godfrey, Colleen Grate, Patrick Kerr, Brandon Leffler, Nathalie Marrable, William Michals, Rommel Pierre OChoa, Joanna Rhinehart, Sarah Quinn Taylor, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Michael Williams, and John T. Wolfe. Produced by The Lincoln Center Theatre Production. Presented in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Reviewed by Susan Galbraith

My Fair Lady

Book and Lyrics Alan Jay Lerner

Composed by Frederick Loewe

Based on the play by George Bernard Shaw

Direction by Bartlett Sher

Produced by The Lincoln Center Theatre Production

Presented in the Kennedy Center Opera House

Reviewed by Susan Galbraith

Rating 4

Running time: 3 hours 5 minutes, with an intermission

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Review: Bartlett Sher's My Fair Lady, a fresh, loverly production with a curiously unsatisfying end - DC Theatre Scene

At Christmastide, the old folks often teased us when were young that there would be no more Christmas. And that would spoil our anticipation on the spot.

Really now, what if theres no Christmas anymore? Just like the story in the World Book years before Charles 2nd ruled as king. In 1649, when the Puritans led by Oliver Cromwell, took over London, they felt that celebrating Christmas had gotten out of hand.

A long round of vigorous feasting, boisterous pleasure-making had been the order of the season. Besides the downright display of excessive eating and drinking, people gambled, held jousting tournaments and pageants. No other group of people had ever spent the Christmas holidays in jollity but with disorder, in gaiety but with lust. The Puritans abolished Christmas and made it just another working day.

They even banned the baking of mince pies because their oblong shape looks like a manger, with a little image of infant Jesus; they found it too religious. But folks rebelled and ran riots. In 1660, they baked mince pies again when Christmas was back under King Charles 2nd.

Seriously, what if a blasphemous, neurotic person in power threatens to stop celebrating Christmas?

What is Christmas time for the kids but a time to warm the cockles of their hearts. As we say, Christmas is mostly for the children. Multitudes of carols waft in the air, children form bands of carolers who serenade enthusiastically some nights before Christmas to turn an honest penny. They amuse themselves of the frills of the Yuletide season the silvery tinsels on lamp posts; the glittering garlands hung at homes; the sparkling Christmas trees in living rooms adorned with neon lights and brightly-colored ornaments, and gift-boxes underneath. Children all bustle up on Christmas day awake with gladness with the whole family until the clock chimes midnight Noche Buena awe with glee to wear a newly-owned clothes and pairs of shoes, await with excitement for the gaily-wrapped gifts to reach their hands. To deprive them of the joys of Christmas is to take away the most-pleasant moments of childhood.

What is Christmas time for the musicians and writers but a time to give us the flavor and taste, sights and sounds and climes of Christmas inspired by their works. The contemporary carols, poems, essays and stories are being added to the wealth of classic Christmas music and literary heritage such as those of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, John Milton, Lord Tennyson, George Bernard Shaw, Dylan Thomas, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams. Or our-very-own Jose Mari Chan for his soulful-Christmas compositions today; international actress-singer Lea Salonga; and the Philippines greatest actress (according to National Artists Lino Brocka and Lamberto Avellana and critic-writer Alberto Florentino) and singer with a golden-voice Nora Aunor, who had recorded nine Christmas long-playing albums, 53 long-playing song albums and 238 music singles. We sing along with the best singers blending their voices so beautifully, or delight in reading fresh uplifting stories from the Christmas writers. To shun Christmas is to do it against the singers and writers creative validation that raises the seasons high hopes and spirit.

What is Christmas time for the faithful but a time to celebrate the real meaning of the birth of our Savior. Aside from the frivolous merrymakings, can we also strike a happy medium why cant soldiers and terrorists keep truce for peace to rule the world, as what Jesus laid down in creed? Why cant the powerful elected-officials feed a crowd of hungry people, serve with sense of loving and giving not with round-the-clock injustices and corruption that flatter and make a fortune all for themselves? To undo the real meaning of Christmas is to unfollow Jesus Christs teachings.

Imagine if we dont live by His rules. The world will be chaotic, topsy-turvy, in complete turmoil. Criminals, bad people and politicians can do just about anything or commit the worst crimes. They pay no mind to Jesus simple yet lofty teachings of giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, shelter to the homeless, consolation to the sick, more help to those seeking just a little. To put the most superficial and the least spiritual meaning to Christmas is in fact to make Christmas dead and done.

Pit M. Maliksi, took his Bachelor of Science degree in Library Science at the University of the Philippines. He taught at the Central Texas College and is an English language teacher at the Liceo de San Pablo. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Penleigh School Tanauan City. He founded the Philippine Axiologists Association and the Sto. Tomas, Batangas (STB) Mga Apo Ni Tomas, a civic society of young professionals. He was the most outstanding professor for 12 years at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, STB, where he is the educational program officer of Kiwanis International STB.

Originally posted here:
What if there's no Christmas - The Manila Times

Christmas lunch can be a particularly tricky moment during what can be a very challenging few days conversation-wise. You dont want to bore your guests, but neither is it right that they should be allowed leave the table without the benefit of your compelling insights into the momentous events of the decade gone by and the year to come.

As a service to readers, the opinion page is offering a few handy pointers that, deployed with judgment, will allow you strike the right balance.

We have put together a list of topics and a range of opening conversational gambits that, delivered with sufficient lan, should keep you going right through to the port and cigars. We offer three gambits for each topic. The first might be described as the woke option. It is best used carefully and sparingly and may put some guests to sleep. But it will at least ensure that you remain on the right side of your daughters hipster boyfriend.

The second option is more centrist Dad and should not offend anyone at the table, although by the same token may not be sufficiently engaging to stop your mother-in-law talking about her hip operation. However, if offers a safe space should options 1 or 3 backfire and you find the table turning against you.

Option 3 is the Fox News take. Like option 1 it is more high-risk. It needs to be used carefully and never whilst under the influence of alcohol, unless your guests have overstayed their welcome or the boredom has just got too much for you.

Climate change

Woke: I do wonder whether we really should be eating meat at all for Christmas lunch, given the carbon footprint of farming.

Centrist Dad: The coming decade will hopefully be the inflexion point in the fight against global warming

Fox News: What is up with Greta Thunberg? Does she really have to look so cross all the time?

Brexit and the British

Woke: This is really an existential moment for Europe and the values of the enlightenment that it embodies. I cant believe the British have done this to themselves.

Centrist Dad: I think Johnson will go for a soft Brexit in the end. I mean, really, what choice does he have. Its all about realpolitik.

Fox News: What time is the Queens speech. Its gonna be a doozy this year.

Irish politics and the coming election

Woke: This really could be a breakthrough year for the Greens. People are really beginning to get them.

Centrist Dad: It will be the same-old-same-old. Its Fianna Fils turn to be in government and what harm?

Fox News: You would miss Mick Wallace and Clare Daly all the same, wouldnt you?

Dublins urban landscape

Woke: I cant believe we are going to build a 25 million white-water rafting course in the middle of the IFSC. Its wrong on so many levels.

Centrist Dad: I dont see a problem with taller buildings in central Dublin. Its an answer to the housing crisis. But it must be properly planned.

Fox News: I never heard of the Bernard Shaw pub until they closed it. Looked like a bit of a dump to me.

The North and reunification

Woke: I think people are getting ahead of themselves with all this talk of a united Ireland. We need reconciliation before unity.

Centrist Dad: Its time for a national conversation on what a united Ireland will look like. And I can tell you one thing. It wont be a 32-county republic.

Fox News:Do we really want reunification? Its going to cost a fortune and those northerners can be very needy.

Direct Provision

Woke: As we sit down to eat this fabulous meal we should spare a thought for all the people in direct provision this Christmas.

Centrist Dad: I accept the system has its flaws but it is the only viable solution for a country like Ireland.

Fox News: Oughterard is overrated. I much prefer Clifden.

Lisa Smith

Woke: She must face due process. We owe that to the victims of Isis.

Centrist Dad: She is an Irish citizen and has the same rights as the rest of us.

Fox News: I dont know what is the better look for her; hijab or Air Corps uniform.

Social media and technology

Woke: Will you turn that alexa off. Its making me feel uncomfortable.

Centrist Dad: This could be the year that we finally wake up to the dark side of big tech and the way these companies manipulate us using our own data.

Fox News: Look, look, I got an iPhone 11 Pro Max .

The rise of China

Woke: The US and China are clearly falling into the Thucydides trap like Sparta and Athens in the Peloponnesian War. Conflict in inevitable.

Centrist Dad: The Chinese are not entirely immune to international opprobrium. Look at the tolerance shown towards the protesters in Hong Kong and the closure of the Uighur detention camps in Xinjiang.

Fox News: Its spelt Uighur and pronounced weegar. Thats mad.

Donald Trump and America

Woke: I know impeachment is a lost cause but it is the morally correct course of action.

Centrist Dad: The democrats will rue the weaponisation of the US constitution. Impeachment will become just a regular feature of US politics.

Fox News: Oh look, Trump is tweeting.

International affairs

Woke: The international rules-based system and the institutions that underpin it have never been under more threat.

Centrist Dad: Its a bit early to write off liberal democracy as the most sustainable form of Government. I agree with Churchill.

Fox News: I think we will go to Majorca again this year. I love Italy.

Sports

Woke: Really looking forward to seeing the Irish womens hockey team smashing it in the Olympics next summer.

Centrist Dad: Maybe breaking up Dublin into two teams isnt the worst idea in the world.

Fox News: John Delaney is the real victim in all of this FAI stuff.

Abbey Theatre

Woke: Its shameful that the vision of WB Yeats and Lady Gregory should have descended to this.

Centrist Dad: I dont see why the national theatre should not be paying its own way. These actors have no more right to a job than I do.

Fox News: Whats on Netflix?

Opinion editors guides to Christmas lunchtime conversation

Woke: We shouldnt be poking fun at these serious issues.

Centrist Dad: Many a true word is spoken in jest, or as Joyce might say, in risu veritas.

Fox News: I dont do irony.

See the article here:
The Irish Times opinion editors guide to Christmas lunchtime conversation - The Irish Times

It can feel like a step forward and a step back in the current Dublin music scene.

A great band appears; a venue closes. A new festival appears, an old one like Beatyard threatens to disappear off the map.

As culture fights an ongoing battle for space and affordability in our increasingly cluttered city, here are our nods at the best (and worst) of music events from 2019

Beyond a few stand-outs, Rock music is not all that fashionable right now we live in the era of immaculate production values, autotuning, boisterous Hip-Hop and one-off-hits.

The scene has always been strong, however, and is really on the rise in Ireland at the moment.

Theres always been Slane, of course, but the introduction of next summers Sunstroke a first Rock and Metal-specific festival in some time is a big moment.

There are some great gigs on the horizon, too.

While the cultural landscape of cities has always changed, the slow death of some of Dublins key venues is really quite pervasive.

The Tivoli, which closed its doors early in 2019, was arguably at its highest ebb when it did so.

Like the original Bernard Shaw pub, which has relocated but will struggle to regain its original status, itll be replaced by a hotel.

Beatyard, a casual, summery festival in Dun Laoghaire, was once a summer highlight and looks likely to depart from next summer, too.

See festivals in particular, but also big gigs selling out time after time.

Ive been creating the gig listings for this publication all year, and the number of sold-out shows in Dublin is astonishing; the demand is consistently huge.

Electric Picnic expanded, and still sells out. Other festivals arent too far behind, and there are more and more of them.

Irelands appetite for music is astonishing.

Sure, tours are the main way that musicians make their money now, and thats much of the reason why tickets are so disproportionately expensive compared to a decade ago.

With tickets in the three-figure price range not unheard of today, though, its hard not to feel its all got a little bit elitist and out of hand for the average gig-goer.

Thats not a good thing.

For many years, there was no vinyl production facility in Ireland, which especially for relatively small productions made the reality of producing vinyl records more difficult for Irish acts.

Dublin Vinyl established itself a couple of years ago, but 2019 has definitely been their best yet, with the launch of subscription service, Loves Vinyl, and, shortly, a new Vinyl Hub online store.

Not a big deal to the consumer, perhaps, but its huge for the industry in a time of vinyl revival.

Yes, simple common sense tells you that when you reach a certain age, people who grew up as part of your life (in this case, musically), start to die, but thereve been some major losses in music this year, ones that its hard to contemplate a music scene without.

Keith Flint of groundbreaking ravers The Prodigy stands out, as does experimental legend Scott Walker.

More locally, we suffered the loss of Danny Doyle, whos Rare Ould Times still resonates with heft in the city.

The likely loss of Beatyard in particular is a damaging one, but there are already rumours it might be replaced by something equally impressive in Dun Laoghaire.

A little more firmly booked in are Sunstroke, a new Rock festival, and a Dublin version of Brightons brilliant new-music showcase, The Great Escape, both of which should offer lots of colour.

Its a bright looking year ahead, and who knows what else 2020 might bring

The rest is here:
A look at all the highs and lows of music in Dublin in 2019 - Dublin Gazette

Stay positive.

Happiness is hard. Its not just a mood that you can just switch from on to off. Happiness is something that you have to put effort in achieving.

The best way to reach true happiness is by having the right mindset, but it doesnt always come naturally. You have the choice to be optimistic and try to see the good side to every situation. Putting your best foot forward isnt always the easiest choice, but it will lead you to happiness.

RELATED: 9 Ways To Accept (and Love) Your Life Today For Real Happiness That Lasts

To find happiness, you must do what gives you the most joy and serves you best. Only you know what you need to do in order to live a happier life. If you know that you need to take time for yourself or go shopping in order to get in a better mood, then do those things! You need to do what you need to do to find your happiness.

If youve been feeling down, sometimes you just need to be reminded that you have a support system. You can always reach out to a friend, family member, or loved one who would love to cheer you up. Human connection can give you immense happiness. It can feel comforting to know that everyone has their troubles, but we can get through them together.

When searching for your own happiness, it is important to continue spreading your positivity and encouragement with everyone around you. You can gain great happiness by being kind to others.

Finding happiness is easier said than done, but sometimes we make life more complicated than it has to be. Happiness can appear when you arent holding on to things so tightly. It can be scary, but we have to learn when to let go and trust instead. You always have the choice to open up and let love and happiness in. The first step towards happiness is deciding you want to seek happiness in the first place.

To help you on your journey to happiness and positivity, enjoy these happy quotes that are bound to give you an optimistic outlook on life.

To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others. Albert Camus

RELATED: 6 Words You Use Every Day That Are Crippling Your Self Esteem (& What Empowering Words You Should Use Instead)

It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy. Lucille Ball

Dont underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you cant hear, and not bothering. Winnie the Pooh

"Don't go out much at all. I've never been the type to call. I realize to be happy, maybe I need a little company." Marina Diamandis

Happy people plan actions, they dont plan results. Dennis Waitley

RELATED: 7 Simple Steps You Can Take To Prioritize Happiness In Life (& Become A Happier Person Naturally)

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. Herman Cain

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions. Dalai Lama

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. Helen Keller

It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. L.M. Montgomery

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

RELATED: 20 Things Really, Really Happy People Do Way Differently

Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. Bertrand Russell

Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it. Andy Rooney

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. James Oppenheim

Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness. Buddha

We dont stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. George Bernard Shaw

RELATED: Why Your Life Feels Empty (And 6 Ways Practicing Self-Love Will Fill The Emptiness)

Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you. Mary Lou Retton

I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives. Dalai Lama

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. Abraham Lincoln

Being happy doesnt mean everything is perfect. It means youve decided to look beyond the imperfections. Unknown

"Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too." Unknown

RELATED: How To Totally Master The Art Of Being Happy In 6 Steps (Or Less!)

"Every day is a new day." Carrie Underwood

"The most important thing is to enjoy your life to be happy. It's all that matters." Audrey Hepburn

"The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are." Goldie Hawn

"When it rains, look for rainbows. When its dark, look for stars." Unknown

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist." Oscar Wilde

RELATED: The Qualities All Happy Women Have In Common

"If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." Roald Dahl

"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Marcel Proust

"There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons." Stephen Chbosky, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'

"You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness." Jonathan Safran Foer

"Happiness is a state of mind. It's just according to the way you look at things." Walt Disney

RELATED: 7 Things People Who Stay True To Themselves Have That Others Don't

"Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well-lived." Eleanor Roosevelt

"The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up." Mark Twain

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss

"If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway." Mother Teresa

"Being happy never goes out of style." Lily Pulitzer

RELATED: 10 Things You Can Start Doing Every Day To Almost Instantly Feel Happier

Jaycee Levin is a writer who covers pop culture, astrology, and relationship topics.

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25 Positive Quotes About Happiness That Will Put You In A Good Mood - YourTango

From the lap of luxury to chill-out spas weve rounded up the best short breaks between Christmas and the New Year

Twixmas a mini break between the madness of Christmas and excitement of new year has become quite the trend. A host of hotels have competitive deals and pampering options there for the taking.

And why not? Imagine no more turkey leftovers.

Ballynahinch has the Downton Abbey option.

This cosy, yet stylish Victorian country house and estate on its own stretch of river in the heart of Connemara oozes luxury, history, and tradition.

Expect simple pleasures here in the festive wind-down good food and good company.

There are professional guides on hand for walking tours of the trails, sitting on 700 acres of woodland. Or explore the greenway on free bikes.

One night with dinner costs 395 per couple. Available from December 27-30

Savour and extend that Christmas feeling in West Corks Inchydoney. Board games, festive movies, beach walks, and more are on tap from Dec 27-30.

Two-night stays are on offer with afternoon tea in the lounge. Plus theres access to the pool and spa. An oasis and a retreat from the city and the sales, perfect for recharging the batteries.

Get away from 350 per person sharing.

inchydoneyisland.com.

Its all about the kids at the Rose Hotel in Tralee. Junior guests can enjoy dinner at 5.30pm with festive games for afters gingerbread-men decorating, pin the red nose on Rudolph, and Christmas charades.

Meanwhile, the grown-ups can rest in Dotts bar or the serenity spa.

The best part of the package? A family pass to the Aquadome or the cinema.

Available for one night with breakfast and dinner for 231 for 2 adults and 2 kids from Dec 27-30. http://www.therosehotel.com.

http://www.rosehotel.com

Cosy up and chill out at the Ice House Hotel with their Christmas calm package, running from December 26-30,

Be their guest and be pampered after a busy Christmas Day.

This hotel is an eclectic mix of contemporary chic and traditional elegance. Think quirky details original artwork and goose down duvets. The ultimate indulgence after Christmas. Two nights B&B plus dinner on one evening from 335 per person

There may be 12 days of Christmas but how many of those days do you find yourself doing what you really want to do? Make the most of the festive season with a break in beautiful West Cork just after Christmas but before New Year.

Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff, West Cork is a destination wellness resort focused on old-world charm. Steeped in over 250 years of history, its guests have included WB Yeats, Maureen OHara, and George Bernard Shaw.

You can relax in style at by sampling the recently-opened Spa and Wellness experience, a total mind and body rejuvenation experience and the perfect tonic to recover from the hectic Christmas festivities.

You can experience all that the Eccles Hotel has to offer with an overnight stay from 119 per night. In the treatment suite youll have the ultimate selection of VOYA organic Irish seaweed- based therapies and wellness experiences at your fingertips, with a large outdoor thermal area in natural surrounds featuring a large sauna, seaweed baths, relaxation loungers, and two hot tubs that overlook the bay.

Meanwhile, the menu prepared by head chef Eddie Attwell is sourced locally from West Cork artisan food producers.

While youre in the area, explore the Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve and Gougane Barra or simply walking off the Christmas over-indulgence across the Beara Way.

Visit http://www.eccleshotel.com for more information or to book your stay now.

The five-star Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate in Galway is one of the countrys hidden treasures.

Savour a festive break away between Christmas and New Year relax in the comfort of your luxurious room or beside the cosy log fire in one of the elegant lounges. Take advantage of the wild westerly fresh air and enjoy a round of golf on the nine-hole course designed by Ryder Cup legend Christy OConnor Jnr. On the afternoon of your choice, take the time to indulge in a traditional cream tea.

For an extra special dining experience, savour a delicious meal on one evening aboard The Pullman Restaurant set in two original carriages of the aboard the Orient Express. Enjoy a delicious breakfast cooked to order in the River Room Restaurant overlooking Lough Atalia each morning. This package costs from 364 per person sharing and includes two nights of luxury accommodation, full Irish breakfast each morning, dinner on one evening, cream tea, round of golf.

See http://www.glenloabbeyhotel.ie for more information or to purchase vouchers online.

Now heres an affordable post-Christmas getaway. Escape to the city just after Christmas at the four-star Limerick Strand Hotel. Until December 30, they have rates that could see you get a night away for just 70 pps.

Retail therapy, a gourmet getaway or a night of festive frolics its there for the taking. The city is on your doorstep.

strandlimerick.ie.

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Thinking of a festive mini break? If so here's some Twixmas breaks that might suit! - Irish Examiner

I also wonder: In embracing miracles, dont we reject our own rationality? In my travels, Ive met all kinds of faith healers who claimed to make the lame walk or the blind see. I dont believe them and Id be even less likely to believe accounts that were written six decades after the fact by someone who had never met the healer (like the accounts in the Gospel of John). Why be skeptical of eyewitness accounts of U.F.O.s but not of Gospel accounts written decades later by people who werent even eyewitnesses?

Most scholars believe that eyewitnesses such as Matthew, Peter, John and Mary were major sources for the Gospels accounts. That said, I agree with your main point. Miracles are overrated as a basis for faith. Jesus disciples, who had seen miracles, all deserted him at his hour of greatest need. Jesus himself refused to perform miracles on demand, to impress the doubters. Most of them came about as a compassionate response to a needy person.

It seems strange to me that we keep wanting God to intervene in the material world. God is spirit, and all the great masters emphasize instead that we need to learn spiritual disciplines to commune with God.

You broke your neck once, and you recovered. Do you believe that was because of prayer? I accept that prayer provides a calm optimism that can promote physical healing, just as a placebo can. But can prayer cure cancer or, say, a broken neck?

I received a lot of prayer support after my broken neck, and it helped in just the way you suggest. Im grateful for the good outcome, but my case doesnt qualify as a miracle. I do have personal knowledge of a few very few apparently miraculous healings. Theyre not the norm, which is why we call them miracles, not ordinaries. Far more common are the gifts of healing that a community of faith can provide by surrounding those who are suffering. Doctors caution that stress, anxiety and fear can be impediments to recovery. If a community surrounds you with practical love, by providing meals, caring for your children and helping out with expenses, that can abet the bodys ability to heal.

Yes, I completely agree. But I note that people claim cases of miraculous cures where there is room for ambiguity, such as cancer going into remission. But prayer never seems to help an amputee grow back a limb.

George Bernard Shaw is said to have wryly observed that although he saw crutches and wheelchairs at shrines of healing, he saw no artificial limbs, glass eyes or toupees. Jesus did not come to earth to solve all our problems. In person, he affected only modest numbers of people in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But he set loose a movement with the mission of bringing the good news of Gods love across the globe.

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Was the Virgin Mary a Virgin? Does It Matter? - The New York Times

TMI: It's not just applicable to the stuff your best friend posts online about their kidney stones. There's too much information in general, online and everywhere. Too many opinions, facts, strategies and stories - but that doesn't mean some of it isn't worth knowing.

That's likely why BookNotes is getting solid reviews on the App Store. Its mission is to take all those books you say you'll get around to reading and give you the gist in 15 minutes or less.

BookNotes' library of book summaries includes titles from Eckhart Tolle, John Gray, Tim Ferris and other heavy hitters in the business and self-help world. It's also got fiction classics like 1984 and The Great Gatsby. There's even a few original mini-books, plus summaries of top Netflix documentaries like Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates.

They're all distilled into tightly-organized snippets that give you the key ideas, plot summaries, and takeaways. And since they're also available on audio, you can soak up a great book on every daily commute.

You can access the app from any device, and a lifetime subscription is now a full 90% off the retail price. Get your own BookNotes account and start getting the information you need, when you need it.

A classic robotics video from Boston Dynamics in 2015. Think of how much more developed the robots are now! Yikes. [YouTube]

The US Navy has issued a policy banning the social media app TikTok from government-issued mobile devices, saying the China-owned video messaging service is a cybersecurity threat.

Google and Apple remove app

You know those cooking shows where you see chefs furiously stirring their broth or risotto? Thats the only time stirring has ever looked cool. For the rest of us, its an unbearable time-sink and a quick way to get sore arms especially if youre preparing thick foods like mashed potatoes. For that reason, we []

Wine is great, but wine poured with an aerator is even better. Its true that a jolt of oxygen does wonders for the flavor of a wine just before its poured. This Electric Wine Aerator & Dispenser makes sure that every pour gets its fair share of air, delivering oxygen over a wide surface area. []

How many times a day do you wipe your glasses clean? If you actually care about your specs, youre using a microfiber cloth and not your shirt. In which case, good for you. But even so, youre just removing the surface dust on those lenses not the grime and oil that accumulates on a []

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Get insights from the world's best business books in 15 minutes - Boing Boing

What are you reading right now?

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and Cant Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds byNavy Seal David Goggins.

What is your favorite book youve written?

Why A Students Work for C Students. I was a terrible student, but I love to learn. I just didnt want to learn what they were teaching and how they were teaching it. Now, A students work for me!

What do you do for fun?

Make money! Life really can be like Monopoly. Its only a game!

Robert Kiyosaki on Failure

Ive lost hundreds of millions of dollars, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me because I got smarter and came back. You learn by falling, but our schools punish those who fall down. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose millions, but a real winner is one who gets inspired losing. The average person avoids losing, so they never win. How can you win if youre afraid of losing?

On Job Security

People pay a high price for job security. In prison its called maximum security. I visited a prison in Australia and saw their version of the worst punishment. It was being locked in a room and I thought thats where most employees are. Theyre in maximum security. Its the worst punishment in the world. And unfortunately, thats what most kids come out of school looking for.

On Taxes

How do I make millions and not pay taxes? Invest in real estate! But, you have to understand the tax laws. Tax laws hurt small businesses and those with 401ks. I love passive income that is taxed at zero.

Read our December feature on Robert Kiyosaki.

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A Brief Query with Robert Kiyosaki - Think Realty