posted July 19, 2016 01:16 AM            

quote:

---

His version of "Over the Rainbow" has the poignancy of Judy Garland's and the shimmering vulnerability, but these days it's heard so often on TV and in the movies, a younger generation may only know Israel's version. It's become so popular, it is now the most requested version of the song by far, according to music publishing house EMI. That's quite remarkable for a rendition with one voice, accompanied only by ukulele.

"In Hawaii, we talk about this thing we call mana," says musician Del Beazley, who grew up with Israel and wrote two of his songs. "Mana is like an energy that you get. We believe we get ours from the elements first, the Earth, your sky, your ocean, your God, and all that is inside of us. And when we open our mouth to speak, to sing or to play, that's what we let out. But it's that that makes him [Israel] special, because his mana always came out."

---

posted July 21, 2016 12:22 PM            

Today, the Michael Todd’s facade, along with that of the Cinestage (both saved when the theaters were torn down), now form part of the facade of the new Goodman Theatre complex, which moved from its long-time location at the Art Institute of Chicago.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1203

posted July 21, 2016 12:35 PM            

quote:

---

Avrom attended Consolidated Grade School occasionally but, with the exception of history, he had little interest in studies and no time for homework. He was too busy playing in the Working Boys Band and commuting to Minneapolis. The only
thing to which he gave anything at school more than passing attention was the annual play, The Mikado. He did not rest until he had promoted the job of stage manager. He and his friends made up parodies to "Three Little Maids From School Are We" and "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime" but prudently did not sing them within earshot of any members of the faculty.

"Another day, another dollar," sighed the conductor as he stopped at Avrom's seat.

"This is my last trip," the boy said and held out his hand.

The conductor's face clouded. "Lost your job or something?" He grasped the boy's hand affectionately.

Avrom shook his head. "The family is moving to Chicago," he said. "My father has a big opportunity there. So have I!"

No use telling the conductor that the general store, in less than two years, had gone the way of all Goldbogen enterprises. No use telling him that his father was going to Beth Ahren Congregation, a small synagogue in the Wicker Park section of Chicago's North Side. He might not think it was a big opportunity.

"You'll do all right in the Windy City, son," the conductor said.

Avrom was ready for Chicago. Keep moving, keep changing, keep hustling: that was the only way to keep from dying, at least from stagnating. He had not read much but he had opened Alice in Wonderland once and he hadn't forgotten what some character called the Red Queen said:

It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else you must run at least twice as fast as that.

Where would you go, he wondered, if you ran three times as fast?

---

^Quoted from Art Cohn's The Nine Lives of Michael Todd

posted August 26, 2016 04:29 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by HRH-FishAreFish:
Melissa Anne Snyder, the Pisces, daughter of William H. Snyder and Mary Alice Kemery, and born on March 7, 1950.

Mike Todd died in a plane wreck on March 22nd, 1958...fifteen days after what would have been...or should have been...Melissa's 8th birthday.

---

I want to say Melissa Anne Snyder died from an inflammation of the meninges, or meningitis, but I can't remember why I feel so certain of that. I don't specifically recall having a conversation with Michael Goodman about (his sister) Melissa's cause of death, but it could have happened.

posted August 28, 2016 01:34 PM            

Crystal Jean, the Pisces, died on February 22, 1993.