It's come to this. Today is Vin Scully's last game at Dodger Stadium announcing Dodger baseball after 67 years. Fortunately, it's not his last game, yet. That's still be pushed back a few days, since he'll be going up to San Franciso to end the season. And his career. But this is his last game before the home crowd.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers honored the fellow with an emotional ceremony. And here are three videos of that event. It starts with a lovely 3-minute tribute video, "Thank You, Vin," that was played to the crowd on the big scoreboard. I have no doubt that it was a challenge figuring out what to cram into three minutes, and mostly it's some impressive people talking about Vin Scully, but they did a wonderful job.
This is the Introduction of Scully to the crowd, hosted by by current Dodgers radio announcers, Charley Steiner. Not much is said here, but it's not silent. That's because it's three minutes of cheering and a standing ovation, as people like Sandy Koufax, Don Newcombe, Clayton Kershaw, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lasorda, Peter O'Malley and others look on.
And here at last is Vin Scully's gracious, charming speech. There's one oddity -- when mentioning the year he began broadcasting, he says 1958, which is long enough away, but the actual year was 1950. I have a feeling that what he's referring to is when he first began broadcasting in Los Angeles, after the team moved from Brooklyn. That might have been implied, in his mind, but I just wanted to offer a clarification.
And offer his farewell.
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This week's contestant is Andrew Todd, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming -- who is a talented pianist on his own. If you don't get the hidden song within four seconds, you aren't trying...or were distracted and weren't listening. As for the composer style, it's an area where I have a hard time differentiating between a few. And as a result, I got it wrong.
The other day, I wrote about the revival of The King & I in 1977 that Yul Brynner had starred in opposite Constance Towers, posted a video of it. In the piece, I mentioned him performing the same "Shall We Dance?" number at the 1971 Tony Awards with Patricia Morison, who had starred with him on Broadway when she was a replacement 'Anna,' in 1954, and then toured together with the show. Morison had had a very respectable film career, but achieved her greatest success on Broadway in the original cast of Kiss Me Kate in 1948, which I've posted video of that from a TV production she did, as well as a glorious "return" to Broadway she did in her 90s to sing a song at a benefit concert. And here is another gem I just came across. It's from an interview she did with Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter last year -- when she was 100. I've posted an earlier, similar interview that the two did together when she was a sprightly 98, and he seems to pull out the best of her. In this one, they get around to talking about an acclaimed new revival of The King & I being on done on Broadway last year with Kelli O'Hara (who ended up winning the Tony Award) and Ken Watanabe (who came to attention starring opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai). And Feinberg asks if Ms. Morison would like to send a little greeting tribute to Ms. O'Hara and perhaps include a little song. She does, and it's wonderful. Though is a bit hesitant at first and then... But we'll get to that in a moment. First, to help put that moment in perspective, here again is that other moment. The one when she and Brynner re-created their famous "Shall We Dance?" number at the 1971 Tonys. When she was just a kid of 56... And here now is Patricia Morison last year at 100. At first, being an old pro, she doesn't want to sing, no longer being in good voice, but Scott Feinberg does get her to sing very briefly a greeting to her new Anna, though that's all. But don't give up on the video. She is, after all, as I said, an old pro... And a gem of one. Now, 101. There is one huge bonus for living in Los Angeles. Listening to Vin Scully do the play-by-play of Dodger games. As Scully winds down his otherworldly, inexplicably-great 67-year career, I’ve been able to tune in to radio and watch as many of his TV broadcasts as possible. True, I’ve been able to watch and listen to him for the past 40 years, and I have, but not being a big Dodgers fan I haven’t remotely been a steady listener. When I got to L.A. in the mid-1970s, I was okay following the Dodgers -- hey, it was baseball, and a top-notch major league franchise, though only up to a point. I wanted to enjoy following them as a "second team" (after the beloved Cubs, of course...), but there was a hurdle. What I disliked about the team as a Cubs fan (who famously haven't won a World Series since 1908, or even been in a World Series since 1945) is because the Dodgers were in an era when they got to the post-season regularly and fans just assumed it a natural course of life. The attitude really annoyed me for its arrogance. Beyond just that, though, I remember reading a description of Dodgers fans that I’ve found spot-on, which has always part of my annoyance with them and the team. I think it was written by the great Washington Post sportswriter Thomas Boswell. It was basically, “Dodgers fans absolutely love the Dodgers. They just don’t especially like baseball.” But…no, it’s not possible to dislike Vin Scully. He’s pretty conservative politically, and on a very rare occasion that does creep in his commentary, or an interview with him, but you let it pass because it tends to fly by, and he’s just too great. And when I say that, how great it is, it's worth deep perspective. I come from a town which had three Hall of Fame baseball announcers, so my standards for comparison are pretty high. I do have one friend who hates Vin – in part colored by his politics – but his opinion on the subject is nuts, and we nurture him like a special-needs child… So, it’s been nice to “participate” in his send off as the season winds down. His last game in Dodger Stadium is this Sunday. But even though he stopped traveling with the team several years ago for road games, he’s making an exception this year and going to go up to San Francisco to do the final three games of the season there. And yes, to be clear, and to repeat, he’s as great as his reputation. Still. I was thinking of writing a tribute, but didn't think I could do it justice. Especially since there are others who have followed Scully's work far more intimately. And I came across a terrific, new article in GQ magazine written by Keith Olbermann which is wonderful. Overflowing with deserved praise, but in a perspective of Vin Scully being great, but human, with occasional, though rare baseball flaws. Besides which, it's filled with some great tales. One of those concerns a pompous radio broadcast who was "Number One" at the time. Though unnamed, it appears that it is likely Rush Limbaugh. The story is interesting for two reasons -- one, that if it is Limbaugh, it's interesting that Olbermann does name him. And that, being conservative himself, Scully cuts him down to size with grace and subtlety. But it's the last story, that oddly refers to a rare gaffe, this is the most pure-Vin Scully story, and a gem. My only quibble is that though Olbermann references Vin Scully almost becoming John Maddon's partner on football broadcasts, he leaves out that Scully was a football announcer on NBC for a while. And that he also broadcast golf, as well. Eventually, he decided it was all too much, and went back to just baseball. Where he was a master. You can read it all here. That was the main point of this, Keith Olbermann's article. But then I realized that it's not possible to write about Vin Scully and not include a clip of him broadcasting. But what to use? I decided not to have a clip of him doing play-by-play. Though Vin does it far better than all others, everyone does play-by-play, that's the point. (Though how great is he? Okay, here's a link to something I posted previously -- the tale of his legendary call of the final inning of Sandy Koufax's perfect game, and then the call itself: you can read and listen to it here.) Instead, I decide to post Vin Scully not doing play-by-play or A Classic Call, but rather what he does that no one else does nearly no remarkably. And that's telling stories and keeping his listeners informed and entertained between pitches. Here is, calling an game, and all the while filling in his listeners on the history of beards. This isn't necessarily the best of Vin Scully...not even close, but that's what makes him so special. That this is pretty typical of him. And for 67 years. Read the article above, check out the Koufax call, and find out about something you probably didn't know. That's Vin Scully. Sometimes, a low-key journalist has to let go. And of course, just because you're loud and blunt and outspoken doesn't mean you're wrong.
GQ, of all publications, seems to be getting political these days. First, Keith Olbermann doing daily commentaries on the GQ Channell on YouTube, and now this -- as direct a political screed as you might ever read about a presidential candidate. Written by Drew Magary, the piece...well, let's just give you the title because that pretty much gives you an idea: "If You Vote for Trump, Then Screw You." The short version is that Mr. Magary is through trying to have reasonable, pointed discussions with people who make very clear they don't want to participate in return and revel with pride in being called "deplorable." And so, rather than continue a one-sided debate, he's had enough and explains as clearly as he can why. Thanks to Eric Boardman for bringing this to my attention. You can read the whole thing here. And if you agree with the title, you should. It's very cathartic, and a vibrant case of tour de force writing. If you don't agree with the title...well, come back later, we'll have something more fun for you this afternoon... A while back, I posted a video of Yul Brynner singing the iconic "Shall We Dance"? number on the 1971 Tony Awards with Patricia Morison (who had been the final replacement 'Anna' on Broadway in 1954, and then went on the national tour with Brynner). Twenty years later, in 1977, Yul Brynner revived the role and went on another national tour, this time with Constance Towers starring with him as 'Anna.' It's a production I saw in Los Angeles that was memorable -- not just for the show itself, but Brynner's masterful curtain call which is too difficult to describe properly. But I'll try. For the curtain call, everyone has made their entrance on stage for their bows, but Brynner, who of course is last. The audience waits, and then finally he strides on. And I mean, he strides on -- not as Yul Brynner taking his bows, but as the king. Owning the stage, powerfully storming in. And then he stops downstage center, and waits, hands on hip, legs spread far apart, still glaring at the audience. Because he is The King. You know the pose, I'm sure. And the audience cheers and cheers. And yet, Brynner just keeps holding the pose. Almost interminably, it seems. Probably a good, long minute, most likely longer. Just standing there, glaring out, as the audience keeps cheering. And this is a man who knows this role with every fiber of his being, having ultimately played it 4,625. Knows the role, and knows the curtain call. And knows every nuance of every moment. And so he waits. And waits. And waits. Refusing to break character. And waits. As the audience keeps applauding and standing and cheering. And then...FINALLY...at the exact, right, perfect moment -- he throws his arms high in the air and breaks out in a major smile, and at last Yul Brynner accepted with great warmth and appreciation the cheers. Which at this point, not surprising, turn to roars. It's a phenomenal, memorable stage moment. Glad I saw it. This is a man who knew that role. Which is why it must have been a challenge, if not a bit intimidating for an actress to play opposite him. Keep in mind, too, when the show initially opened on Broadway, the main role was 'Anna,' and the star was Gertrude Lawrence. She was who had her name over the title. Alone. In huge letters. The King was the supporting role, and Yul Brynner's name was below the title. That he became the star and iconic with the show speaks volumes about how challenging it must have been to play opposite him. And all the more so in this number, the famous "Shall We Dance?" One of the great stage moments in Broadway history. (I absolutely LOVE the moment -- the moment -- when the King finally places his hand behind Anna's back, there is a pause...and then they burst into their fierce, graceful waltz around the stage -- at which point the audience always bursts into emotional applause. Here is that moment from that 1977 revival with Constance Towers, performed in a TV studio in New York (where the show was then-playing) but sent by satellite to the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. And if it wasn't clear how much Yul Brynner owns the stage in this role, and how intimidating a challenge it was to perform opposite him, consider as you watch this video how riveted you are by Yul Brynner at the beginning when Constance Towers is the one singing...and He is Saying Nothing. For some of the time, he is even DOING NOTHING. But just owning the stage with his presence. It isn't just that he is standing there, but how he holds his body standing there. And what's remarkable, too, is if you see him in his Oscar-winning performance of the film in the 50s, and his performance with Patricia Morison and this in 1977, a quarter of a century later, all of his performance are near spot-on the same down to the little nuances, yet fresh and vibrant, as if it was his first performance. Aspiring actors take note. All the more credit to Constance Towers who holds her own wonderfully and performs so well. But when you've played the role for 4,625 performances, which is the equivalent of almost 12 years (!), you have a head start... |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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