The Dorothy Diary... I'm not kidding.

I am a self proposed planner/diary/journal junkie. I mean, seriously ill with this obsession. And what do I say to that? “Oh well... too bad.” Some folks like their vodka, their crack... I like me a planner.

So with 2010 coming, I have been contemplating what my planner for the new year will be. Planning my planner... (see?)

I have been using the planner pad which is/was delightful... a bit large, but that was 2009... an oversized agenda type year. I have been scouring websites and googling “cool new planner” and other such phrases to seek out my 2010 edition. 

Well, randomly, I discovered a site called “writers bloc” and have discovered (pictured to the left) the “Dorothy Diary.” Yes, I hear it shouting across the heavens and the city at large... that has to be one of the gayest things ever invented... but honestly, I HAD to have conjured this up and it manifested itself from my own sheer will. THIS is the coolest agenda I have EVER seen. It's small. But it's is thorough and totally AWESOME! It's undated so it can start at any time. It has stickers! (an obsession in tandem with planners) and it's all about the original illustrations by my hero, W.W. Denslow.

Had you been watching me from across the room as I was googling and surfing, you would have saw my eyes widen and a rather boisterous, “hell-O!!!!!” fill the room. And the fact that it IS called the “Dorothy Diary” just cracks me up! As a journal to Anne Frank was her companion, I will definitely be a “freind” of my Dorothy diary... and look forward to receiving it soon. (Without thinking I ordered it up. But restrained myself to just utilize regular shipping and handling.)

Yay!

Summers end...

Really? Summer is over?
Whoooosh!!!! That is the sound it made.
Did you hear it?
“Who“ was June, “ooo” was July and “sh” was August.
Many people I have spoken with are in fear of the cold setting in. But as far as I am concerned, SUMMER was such a surprise weather wise, we really have no idea what is in store for Autumn.
I have always loved this time of year. I was one of those geeks who LOVED the fact that school was starting again. Just to go and get school supplies! My niece is in College now. So fun to see her in pictures, enjoying it and acting crazy and having so much fun. College truly was a great time.
Autumn.
College.
The smell of burning leaves.
The first brisk night...
...in late, LATE November.

I am organizing my office and going through the piles and piles of paper one at a time.

I am avoiding doing it right now as I type this.
Nothing to really say.
Just procrastinating.
Worthless usage of cyber space.
Cyber clutter... as I avoid real clutter.

Ok... I am off.

Reading the Oz books...

Before I set out to illustrate the first book, I thought I would re-read some of these if not all of these great books. Some I haven't read since I was a teenager!
The entire set to the left is available at “Books of Wonder” click here. For a couple hundred bucks you can own all of them! Quite a deal and all of these are reproductions of the originals with all the wonderful Ozzy artwork. W. W. Denslow AND John R. Neill were both illustrator heroes of mine. If you don't want to buy them, they should be available at your library. Or maybe the text might be online somewhere! All of it is public domain I think.


Here (from Books of Wonder) are all the books and a description of each story...

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1

This stunning edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz features color pictures on nearly every spread. Denslow's 24 stunning color plates capture the high points of Dorothy's adventures, while his 130-plus two-color illustrations surround the text, fill the margins, even have the text printed over them.

The Marvelous Land of Oz #2
Here is the story of a boy named Tip and his travels through the endlessly fascinating land of Oz. Along the way he meets up with our old friends the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman as well as new friends like Jack Pumpkinhead, H.M. Wogglebug, T.E., and the wooden Sawhorse. Their efforts to thwart the wicked plot of the evil witch Mombi and the revolt of the women of Oz.

Ozma of Oz #3
Ozma of Oz -- Baum's third magical adventure set in Oz -- reunites readers and listeners of all ages with Dorothy Gale of Kansas as she makes her second journey to Oz. Here you will meet such beloved old friends as the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. You'll also meet new favorites like the Hungry Tiger, whose appetite is never quite satisfied; Billina, the tart-tongued hen; and that ozzy marvel: Tik-Tok the mechanical clock-work man.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #4
Now that Dorothy's found a way to get to Oz, there's no keeping her on the farm. In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, a California earthquake sends Dorothy, her kitten Eureka, her cousin Zeb, and his horse Jim on a fantastic journey through underground fairy realms. And who should they meet below the earth, but the Wizard of Oz himself! Together they make their way to Oz, where even more surprises await them.

The Road to Oz #5
Dorothy is on The Road to Oz again! Joined by new friends Shaggy Man, Button Bright, Polychrome, and Toto, too, she's in a race to reach the Emerald City in time for Ozma's royal birthday party.

The Emerald City of Oz #6
When Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry need a new home, Dorothy comes up with the perfect answer -- The Emerald City of Oz. But while Dorothy and her family are being welcomed to Oz, the wicked Nome King is busily plotting to conquer Oz and have his dastardly revenge on Princess Ozma and Dorothy.

The Patchwork Girl of Oz #7
When Unc Nunkie is accidentally turned into a statue, it is up to Ojo the Munchkin boy and Scraps -- the Patchwork Girl of Oz, to find the magical ingredients that will cure Unc Nunkie. Joining Ojo and Scraps on this daring quest are Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Bungle the glass cat, and the Woozy.

Tik-Tok of Oz #8
Meet the first girl to come to Oz from America since Dorothy Gale! Betsy Bobbin of Oklahoma is swept off a ship at sea and into magical adventures when she meets the Shaggy Man, who's seeking a way to free his brother from the wicked Nome King.

The Scarecrow of Oz #9
When a whirlpool pulls Trot and her peg-legged sailor friend, Cap'n Bill, into an underwater cave, they find themselves at the start of a wild adventure that eventually brings them to Oz. Befriended by the propeller-tailed Ork and Button-Bright -- who's lost once again -- they find their way to Oz, only to run afoul of the evil King Krewl and the wicked witch Blinkie.

Rinkitink in Oz #10
When merry King Rinkitink and his surly goat Bilbil take a holiday on the peaceful Isle of Pingaree, their lives are turned upside down when the tiny island is conquered by invading warriors.

The Lost Princess In Oz #11
Ozma has disappeared! And so have most of the magical treasures of Oz -- including the Magic Picture, the Wizard's black bag, and Glinda's Book of Records! With nary a clue to guide them, all of the Emerald City's most beloved citizens volunteer to search for their missing monarch.

The Tin Woodman of Oz #12
What ever happened to the young munchkin maid who was once the love of the Tin Woodman? In this exciting tale, the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow set out to discover her fate.

The Magic of Oz #13
Ozma's kingdom is threatened once again by Ruggedo, the dastardly former Nome King. This time he's teamed up with a young munchkin lad named Kiki Aru who's discovered a secret word which allows him to transform anyone into whatever shape he pleases.

Glinda of Oz #14
Determined to stop the fighting between the Flatheads and the Skeezers, Ozma and Dorothy set out for their homelands in the far north of Oz. No sooner do they escape the warlike leader of the Flatheads then they are imprisoned by the cruel Queen Coo-ee-oh, who has submerged her city beneath the waters of the Lake of the Skeezers.

Little Wizard Stories of Oz
Baum's The Little Wizard Stories of Oz is a collection of six humorous fairy tales which contain some of the funniest incidents chronicled in Oz history!

More Barbra merriment...

According to the exceptional website barbra-archives.com *

LOVE IS THE ANSWER Publicity Plans

Here's some of the future plans for publicizing Streisand's new album (please note that any of these could change!):

• Barbra will make a number of major TV appearances to set up the album, including an appearance on Oprah the week of release.
• Barbra will be featured in an extensive profile on CBS Sunday Morning prior to release.
• Barbra will be on the cover of Parade magazine the week prior to the album's release.
• Barbra's live club show will be broadcast on the internet

*Matt Howe is the creator and administrator of this great site. If you are a Barbra fan, plan to spend hours perusing the site...

What's going on...

Had a great show with Laura Freeman yesterday up at Skokie Theatre. “The Judy Garland Duets” was well received. We got a “review” on the JGD facebook page from Michael Horvitch. Here is what he said about “yours truly...”

“Rob's tenor was in fine tune. He was equally excellent at whispering as he was belting out his songs. He almost won the "Who channeled Judy!" contest ...Highly recommended!!!”

It rained buckets just before curtain. And then afterwards too. Funny that one of my songs was “Come Rain or Come Shine.”

TODAY I am going on my first audition in a million years. I have been focusing these last years on web/graphic work and singing concert style and in clubs but wanted to “up my anty” a bit and start auditioning for equity shows again. We will see what happens. Today is a general audition for a couple of the local theatres here in Chicago. I promise not to tweet during it.

No BabFab until Spring...

We cancelled the BabFab show for the fall. It fell on Yom Kipper and we worried that it would seriously impact the attendance of our Skokie performance. Oh well. In a way I am a bit relieved only because I have such a plate full of additional things going on.

On an exciting note (and I am making the official announcement here I guess) I am going to be putting together an audio visual theatrical version of “The Wizard of Oz.” I am going to narrate the story, sing songs and present on a huge screen my illustrations of the story! How's that for an all encompassing Rob Dorn evening? (Actually we will first do the shows Saturday afternoons in December.)
I am going to begin working on the adaptation and the illustrations very soon. I have a LOT to pull from though as I have been drawing versions of this story for more than 40 years! Wow. I feel historic!

Eventually I am going to put together an “OZ 101” presentation that tells the FULL story of the original book it's impact on our culture for more than a hundred years! I always wanted to be an OZthoritarian. (You may have to read that word a couple of times... sorry.)

I will be posting some of the images as I create them on my blog. I like the idea of it being a power point style presentation because it can have (at times) an almost animated effect... kind of in the style of “Reading Rainbow.” See? RAINBOW! It all comes together.

Barbra's new CD...

Here is the cover of Barbra's newest CD, “Love is the Answer.” What is interesting about this project is that you can listen to it in two formats. The first format is with a big studio orchestra with lots and lots of strings! Or (better, I think) you can listen to it with just piano, bass and drum as apparantly Diane Krall originally intended. Simple. Less is More. The way she WAS in the early 1960's with pianist Peter Daniels and “The Three Flames” at the Bon Soir.
I am really looking forward to hearing this. If you go to Streisand's website she is previewing various random tracks from the CD. Sounds good. You will hear it with the orchestra though. You have to understand that I am a die-hard fan of Streisand UNPLUGGED (as in 1961). She sounds great. Relaxed, classic and perfect.
I am presently preparing for my own Streisand project(s). The first one is a revival of BabFab with the original cast at Skokie Theatre. We will be doing a plethora of Streisandia from her many many gold records. In addition, I am presenting, “From Flatbush to Footlights” which is basically a crash course in Barbra's early early career. Before “People,” before “Funny Girl” and before she took the extra “a” out of her name. Myself with the assistance of vocalists Amy Cole and Laura Freeman will sing all the great songs from this magical time in her budding career. Accompanied by Damian Espinoza. I think it's going to be a great afternoon of music.

Songs will include material she sang at her very first nightclub appearance, early tv appearances, theatrical shows and her very first US tour. (She played Mr. Kelly's on Rush Street in Chicago and then came back later and performed at Arie Crown Theatre as her star was ascending fast, fast...) While at Mr. Kelly's she stayed up all night and was photographed all around the city including on Oak Street Beach at dawn. This image became the cover of her “People” album.

I have always loved this time in her career and of Greenwich Village in the early 60's. Talk about a “hey-day.” If you were to go back in time and spend a weekend seeing various shows you would be amazed at who you would be seeing perform. Everyone from Cass Elliot to Joan Rivers and Bob Dylan. And then of course, around the corner and down the steps into the dark dingy nightclub and there she is singing “Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf...” 18 year old Barbra Streisand.

Time keeps on slipping...

Every once in while in my computing I will go to my own blog and then I am ashamed at the fact that a month or more has gone by where I haven't written anything. I've written this before but I am very used to writing in a private journal. As much as I enjoy attention I am challenged by the idea of a public journal. So listen all three of you who read this... I am going to attempt to become more public. No, not with a sex video or a drunken stumble outside a trendy nightclub, by just writing about the most boring things... for example, I am sitting here typing in my blog while my cat Parker sits to my left watching my fingers dance across the keyboard. I cleaned the kitchen (or am in the process) and I actually did a bit of caulking today.
So you see?
Hello... wake up...
yeah, you were reading my blog.
It's ok. I'm sorry I woke you.
But it's just after two in the afternoon did you really need a nap?
You didn't intend to nap?
Oh.
Wow.
That was harsh.
Ok.
Well, I promise that this is going to get more exciting.
Perhaps if I actually stray away from my computer and involve myself in some excitement I will have something to type about.

I did have an exciting evening on stage with Laura Freeman last night.
The Judy Garland Duets show went very well.
Once a week we become eight year olds playing in the backyard.
I will write more about the show later.

I am actually bored now.

Talk to you soon.

Paperless...

I would like to try an experiment.
I would like to go paperless.
This means live my life without paper.
Can I do this?
Or is it more realistic to just start cutting down on paper but then notice all the moments in life when paper is being used or could be used and what the alternative would best be.
Uh oh...
Toilet Paper.
Uh oh...
Cat just threw up and I need to use paper towels...
Uh oh...

I will get back to this.
But first a word from Bounty! The quicker picker upper.

Summerish...

Today it is summerish. Not summery... but summerish or summeresque. I like it a little cool and sunny.

And that is all I shall write. I'm going out to enjoy it.

Sunday.

I haven't written in awhile. I am so used to having written in a private journal for so many years that sometimes I don't really know how to write in a journal that I know can be read by others. It's a good exercise though. What do I have to hide anyway?

We are going to go down into Lincoln Park to the Paul Frank store. There are a whole bunch of very cool stores on Armitage Avenue. I like stationary stores too and I know of one near there. Sunday kind of stuff to do.

We are wanting to either clean or upgrade the cushions on our front porch furniture. We left the cushions out all winter and remarkably they are still in one piece. But dirty of-course. I washed one of them as a test in our washer and it came out as one big giant puffball. (The batting inside atleast)... Jason thinks that by drying it it might calm down a bit. The other idea would be to dry clean them. I suppose I could always just wash the surface of the cushions by hand. It's one of those things... replacement cushions the right size are HARD to find.

Barbra singing “Funny Girl”

As “BabFab 2” approaches, Three Cat Productions annual Barbra Streisand Birthday tribute show, as writer and directer... and host...(see? just like Barbra!) I am happy to share my love of this artist with other people who love her as well. Here is a clip from her upcoming DVD release of her 2006 live concert. She sings, “Funny Girl” from the movie of the same name. I have to say that when I heard her do this live, it truly sounded like we were all crowded onto the soundstage in 1967 hearing her record it for the first time.
She has grown so far past the “character” she played in “Funny Girl” but can go back to that place with ease. Our golden memories of Barbra are hers as well. Ya know what I mean?

NOTE: The above mentioned clip is no longer available. But you can see Barbra's performance on the recent DVD of her 2006 concert.

Excrutiating... Mmm Hmmmm....

I couldn't even finish watching this it made me so uncomfortable... watch his band mates squirm and look very distressed. Show biz has many an interesting folk... I did like his memories of “Famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine... I TOO was a fan of that and the plastic models he talks about. But everythying about this interview is just PAINFUL... as I said, I couldn't make it to the end... so please tell me how it finishes out.



FOOTNOTE: Ok, I did manage to make it to the end and it seems to have a happy ending. But what an interesting cat he is! Over all, the interviewer handled it very well. They band mates probably just shrug... oh well. This is Billy Bob... chancelor of Cosmic Cowboy music...

JoJo can has Cheezburger...

The infamous JoJo...

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

Now THIS one is ridiculous... I love that my spectrum includes Ashley Tisdale and Dick Cheney!!!

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

This time it got it right... people have told me that Kevin Spacey and I could have been separated at birth. We don't really look like each other anymore though. But this pic does I guess... and Robert Deniro? I like that! Oh, and Richard Pryor and I are just IDENTICAL COUSINS all the way. Me and Rich... one pair of matching bookends...

inspiration...

Do not adjust your screen... YES I am writing a new blog entry! Yay!
I was inspired to write because I just took a stroll through the Fine Arts Building. This is where my office/studio is and I just LOVE this building. Aside from new wiring and some of the light fixtures in this building and the modernized bathrooms and stuff like that, it is pretty much the same as it must have been back in the early part of the 20th century. I marvel at some of the people who have had studios here in the past. For some reason on the 10th floor right in a row are three of the famous inhabitants that worked here. Number one is W.W. Denslow who was the illustrator for The Wizard of Oz. He has been and is one of my inspirations and “heroes” if you will. I discovered him when I was a child and found the original “Oz” books at the library. Ah, the smell of those old books and the delightful illustrations this man provided for the very first book. He only illustrated the first book and then the other Oz books were illustrated by John R. Neil. But Denslow... especially the way he drew the Cowardly Lion has always been a favorite of mine. The photo on the right is a picture of him IN his studio on the 10th floor. And the sea horse icon is his signature. If you see that on an old cartoon/illustration, then you know who drew it. The W.W. stands for William Wallace.

Another “biggie” back in the olden days had his office on the tenth floor right next to Denslows although they didn't work there at the same time. It was this little known architect named Frank Lloyd Wright... have you ever heard of him? He contributed many things to this building including the design of the windows in MY office and some of the other windows and elements throughout the building.

THIRDLY... this is something I just learned today. On the OTHER side of Denslows office was another cartoon/illustrator, John T. McCutcheon. He is famous for the illustrations you see below, contributed to the Chicago Tribune for more than 40 years and won the Pulitzer Prize. I remember this illustration from either seeing it in a book, library, or reprinted... it was originally published in 1907. This STYLE of drawing and the way it was colorized for the newspaper... I have always loved this kind of thing. And also, the fact that it's autumn... you can almost smell the smoke in the cold air when you look at this. That is what I love about some illustrations, they can evoke SO much sense memory and emotion.

What a great time it was in the early 1900's and little did these artists know what an impact they would have on me... another illustrator who has the privilege of working in this great building.

It's been a long long time...

I don't regularly blog because I have so much going on that it's hard for me to narrow down ONE thing to talk about or write about. It's hard to be the stenographer for all the stuff going on in my head. But writing can be a zen like experience. I have done the morning pages routine in which you write three pages full of mind dump. It's theraputic. It seems like it will take forever to do. You have to just write from your train of thought. It is definitely something you KEEP to yourself. But it empties out a lot of the noise up there.
I have a lot of noise. I hide behind the noise. The noise can sometimes get in my way and I let it. Even now as I am typing this there is an inner critic sitting there laughing and saying, “what are you doing? Do you really think anyone cares to read this crap?” and I have to nod and say, “thank you... but shut up ok?”
PROJECTS - O - RAMA!
I have one zillion projects going on. That is the official count. Well, it FEELS like one zillion only because it's a gigantic wall of projects all glued and stuck together like some third grade art project hanging in the hallway. Looking at it en masse it looks like a gigantic mess making absolutely no sense at all. So because I wear the glasses that perceive this, it remains just that.

Fun with my face...

 

Self portrait using Photo Booth with my Mac.

I'd like to name this “person” Bruno.

It's been too long...

Sorry I haven't written in this blog for twenty seven years.
I have been very busy. I directed a holiday show, starred in my OWN holiday show, did a house concert out in the burbs and performed at the Chicago Cultural Center. Meanwhile hardly a present has been bought.
I am awaiting the arrival of my “planner pad.” I know. Planners. My sickness. But it is so frustrating waiting for this thing to arrive... I feel like I am five years old running down to the mailbox and then slumping away shoulders sagging, head hanging, letting out a big sigh. “All I got was a rock...” But I will get it soon. And I am determined... here's the thing... I am DETERMINED to actually USE it for an entire year.
Nobody thinks I can. You see, I will start with a system... that's what we planner geeks call our calendar book things... a system... and then about a month... a week... sometimes a DAY into it, I don't like it anymore and I set up a new system. Meanwhile all the things I am “Planning” on doing are on hold. It's such a ridiculous catch 22. To have ADD and use a planner is something I have been struggling with for years. It's a sick twisted mess and a waste of calendars... I am determined to use the planner pad... the choice for calendar 09... for ONE WHOLE YEAR.
Do you think I can do it?
If you said yes, I say thank you. But even I know that it is going to be a challenge.
Oh, and if you WANT a planner, I can make one for you with all the planner back-wash I have.
Just let me know.
For awhile I thought I would do this as a side job... put together planners for people. Kind of like a planner broker or as I like to call myself, “The Planner Whisperer.”

Hey... atleast I'm not addicted to heroine.

Parker...

My drawings...

I have begun a new blog (in tandem with this one) that will showcase a daily drawing. Either something from my vast archive (seriously) or something I did that day (usually on the train!)
So go lookie look... here

in dreams...

I have the coolest dreams.
So real, I go about the next day feeling like it wasn't a dream but something that actually happened. (I know... Dorothy...) but the one I had last night was very interesting. I was time traveling. I was back in the early seventies. So I was wandering around and seeing how different everything was. I was in Chicago looking at buildings that used to be there and how things were “back then.” One of the funniest moments in the dream was when I was at a bar with the group I was hanging with (my Mom included). Someone was having drink after drink and as they went up for another round, I warned them that they might be over-spending. I said, “Careful... those drinks are 75 cents!” (Knowing full well that in future years they would be marked up enormously.
I wonder how much drinks WERE in the early seventies?

At other points in the dream, I turned on tv to watch an old kids tv show that I had forgotten about. I sang the theme song along with it. (Ofcourse I did!)
I opened up a fridge and saw a slice of cake my mom had made (from the early 70's but fresh and new!) So I ate it. It was amazing.

And well, that is about all I have to say about that.
And guess what? Yay! I get to go to bed again!!!!

Andrea McArdle interview

Anyone who knows me KNOWS that I am a fan of the show “Annie” and of Andrea McArdle. I have loved her ever since I saw her on “The Annie Christmas Special” way back in December of 1977. Although I never saw her perform the role onstage, I DID see her portray Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” at the iconic Palace Theatre on Broadway.
Any hoo or rather, “annie-hoo” (yuck yuck) here is a very delightful interview of Ms. Mcardle while she is in New Hampshire performing the role of Fantine in Les Miserables. (Note: with her now twenty year old daughter playing Eponine... which she points out.) My favorite part is her impression of Carol Channing.

Stepford Sam...

This freaked me out. I was browsing through the tribune online and saw a picture off to the side and thought, “what the hell is Sam's picture doing in the news?” Well, it was (of course) another cat, but I was startled (yes, startled) by the similarity... it's Sam's long lost twin brother! Or perhaps, a “Stepford” version of Sam. Same looks but a really banal and creepy personality? Doesn't really care to wake me up in the morning. Obeys everything we say...
I like the real “smoolie” better. (That's Sam's nickname... don't ask.)