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Broadway Star Nick Cordero’s Wife Amanda Reports More Encouraging News: “We are staying positive”
Nick Cordero’s wife, Amanda Kloots, reports that things are looking up for the husband, father, actor, Tony nominee. He’s off the respirator, which is the best news. Nick has suffered an ordeal we can’t imagine.
“It’s Day 17 since Nick went under. Today his body is adjusting. Adjusting to being off ECMO, adjusting to more medications and some sideways steps but we are staying positive. He is no doubt receiving the best care from the team @cedarssinai ❤️ Continued prayers for our guy.”
Alas, Poor Shakespeare in the Park, We Knew it Well: Public Theater Cancels Annual Summer Shows First Time in 58 Years
Shakespeare in the Park will be MIA this summer. The Public Theater has cancelled performances thanks to COVID-19. It’s the first time in 58 years, since Joe Papp started the famed series.
All the planned shows for the Delacorte Theater are cancelled. So are all shows downtown at Joe’s Pub.
“While our stages will remain dark, our commitment to our mission will burn brighter than ever. Our promise to you is that we will keep working tirelessly to bring you glorious work by our incredible artists.”
As with Broadway, off Broadway, and all live shows in New York– the things that make the city hum and tick– this is a terrible blow affecting people in economic waves. We’re going to miss a lot of good stuff, and a lot of people are going to suffer financially as a result.
Comic-Con Has Been Cancelled in San Diego Because No One Wants to Die in a Silver Surfer or Black Widow Costume
Put a pin in Comic-Con in San Diego. The annual July Halloween parade is postponed til next year. This is the first time it’s not happened in 51 years.
Instead, you’ll have to dress up like Black Widow or The Incredible Hulk at home. No one is coming to tout the fall movies since there are no movies and no movie theaters, despite Donald Trump’s assertion that “We’re open! Come get infected!”
Comic-Con was set to take place July 23-26th. Now you will have sit in a sweltering living room and mouth the dialogue to “Ant Man” to yourself.
But what’s worse is that the cancellations following Comic-Con are going to be more heartbreaking. Major film festivals are about to be scuttled. There will be shock and dismay. I am personally going to work on a tuna trawler in Maine, or wherever they trawl.
As for Comic-Con, I don’t go because I’ve heard you stand in long lines, publicists aren’t helpful (oh, by the way, that game is over), and you don’t get your picture taken with the Fantastic Four.
I was looking forward to Steven Spielberg bringing the cast of “West Side Story,” dressed in costume– and a whole auditorium in Hall H (yes, I know the lingo) snapping their fingers in unison.
The good news is that there are online reunions next week of the casts of “Dallas” and “China Beach.” They wanted to do one of “Bewitched,” but none of the cast has wifi.
Taylor Swift Will Not Be Doing Her Four Gigantic Stadium Shows, Just In Case You Were Wondering: She Knows It’s the Right Decision
Just in case you were wondering, Taylor Swift will not be doing those four big stadium shows this year. It turns out there’s a virus, and people don’t want to congregate in a simmering stew of disease even if Tay Tay is going to fly through the air. What will we do? What will she do? Will we still like her when this is all over?
I'm so sad I won't be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please, please stay healthy and safe. I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us. pic.twitter.com/qeiMk2Tgon
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 17, 2020
Bob Dylan Releases Second Surprise Track, the More Commercial “I Contain Multitudes” 2 Weeks After 17 Minute “Murder Most Foul”
The virus has made Bob Dylan feverish with releases. Not prolific with original songs in the last few years, Dylan has now released “I Contain Multitudes,” a more commercial but less profound self-confessional that is as good as anything he’s ever done. “Multitudes” follows the 17 minute “Murder Most Foul,” released just two weeks ago, that even charted on one of Billboard’s odd adjunct charts to number 1.
Where are these songs coming from? Why are they being released now? Were they always on this schedule, or does Dylan think his fans are a captive audience? Is there an album coming with more of them? These are mysteries still to be determined. In the meantime, we are so lucky to have this new music from our poet laureate.
Today, tomorrow, and yesterday, too
The flowers are dyin’ like all things do
Follow me close, I’m going to Balian Bali
I’ll lose my mind if you don’t come with me
I fuss with my hair, and I fight blood feuds
I contain multitudes
Got a tell-tale heart, like Mr. Poe
Got skeletons in the walls of people you know
I’ll drink to the truth and the things we said
I’ll drink to the man that shares your bed
I paint landscapes, and I paint nudes
I contain multitudes
Red Cadillac and a black mustache
Rings on my fingers that sparkle and flash
Tell me, what’s next? What shall we do?
Half my soul, baby, belongs to you
I relic and I frolic with all the young dudes
I contain multitudes
I’m just like Anne Frank, like Indiana Jones
And them British bad boys, The Rolling Stones
I go right to the edge, I go right to the end
I go right where all things lost are made good again
I sing the songs of experience like William Blake
I have no apologies to make
Everything’s flowing all at the same time
Olive on the boulevard of crime
I drive fast cars, and I eat fast foods
I contain multitudes
Pink petal-pushers, red blue jeans
All the pretty maids, and all the old queens
All the old queens from all my past lives
I carry four pistols and two large knives
I’m a man of contradictions, I’m a man of many moods
I contain multitudes
You greedy old wolf, I’ll show you my heart
But not all of it, only the hateful part
I’ll sell you down the river, I’ll put a price on your head
What more can I tell you? I sleep with life and death in the same bed
Get lost, madame, get up off my knee
Keep your mouth away from me
I’ll keep the path open, the path in my mind
I’ll see to it that there’s no love left behind
I’ll play Beethoven’s sonatas, and Chopin’s preludes
I contain multitudes
Friday, 12 Noon Eastern: Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of “McCartney” on Spotify and “Maybe I’m Amazed” Video
Spotify will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Paul McCartney’s “McCartney” album tomorrow– Friday– April 17th at NOON Eastern time.
There will also be the release of an official video for “Maybe I’m Amazed” at 10am, two hours earlier.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got nothing else to do. I was studying hard for my bar mitzvah when “McCartney” was released. Now I’m praying I don’t lose my mind before May 15th.
It’s time to reminisce about the worst band break up in music history. Somewhere above the clouds, Allen Klein and Lee Eastman are strangling each other, John Lennon is refereeing, and George Harrison is staying out of it.
Below the McCartney video holder is Phoebe Snow singing “Every Night,” my favorite version.
Singer Christopher Cross (Ride Like the Wind, Sailing) Says He Has Temporary Paralysis and Can’t Walk After Surviving Coronavirus
Grammy winning singer songwriter Christopher Cross is really suffering the effects of coronavirus. He says his legs are temporarily paralyzed following having the virus. Back in 1981, Cross swept the Grammys with his song “Sailing,” which unaccountably beat “New York, New York” for song of the year. Cross’s other hits were “Ride Like the Wind” with Michael MacDonald and “Theme from Arthur,” which was about the moon and New York City. He also had a hit called “Think of Laura,” about the soap opera characters from “General Hospital.” He got hit with the virus, couldn’t get a test, but luckily survived without respiratory trouble. Everyone sends him prayers for a speedy recovery.
The Great Actor Brian Dennehy Dies at Age 81 of Natural Causes, Says Family, Was 2 Time Tony Award Winner, and Golden Globe Winner
Brian Dennehy has died at 81 from natural causes. This great actor was a star of all media, particularly theater and TV. He won a Tony Award and a Golden Globe. He was nominated for 6 prime time Emmy awards.
Big and barrel chested with a hearty laugh, Dennehy was from my hometown, Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was married twice and had five children. He won two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play. for “Death of A Salesman” in 1999 and “Long Day’s Journey into Night” in 2003. I can see him in the latter, with Vanessa Redgrave. They were each spectacular.
At one point he had a bad drinking problem. Dennehy said: “I used to be a pretty serious drinker. Heavy in defiance of knowing my family situation, which is chock-full of alcoholism. For a long time I was a functional alcoholic, though it never got in the way of my work. But it affected relationships. I never killed anybody, but I made people unhappy, including myself and people who are extremely important to me, like my kids. It’s easy to say I had a wonderful time and a lot of great years, and I did. There were some bad times, too. So that was not a major give-up. That time was due.”
That never affected his work. He was a constant presence on television dating back to 1977, never missing a year. He recently appeared in 8 episodes of the “Blacklist.” He even had a recurring role on “Dynasty” in the 80s. There wasn’t a minute in the first two decades of his career when Brian Dennehy wasn’t on TV. He had a varied, storied, and remarkable career.
I met Brian often and we chatted a lot. He was a great guy, a real legend in his own time. He will be sorely missed.
UPDATED Encouraging News about Broadway Star Nick Cordero from Wife Amanda: “It’s all about small wins in the ICU”
UPDATE THURSDAY 4/16 2PM: “If the doctors feel confident they will remove the ECMO machine so that his heart and lungs will run on their own. They are also taking a look into his right leg to gage blood flow there as it has been a big issue. I completely trust Nicks medical team who have worked relentlessly on saving his life. So until I hear he is safe back in his room I’ll be praying and thank you for joining me!”
WEDNESDAY Amanda Kloots, the wife of Broadway star Nick Cordero, offered some encouraging news about her husband on Wednesday afternoon. Nick has been unconscious since April 1st in a Los Angeles hospital with COVID-19. Kloots has been through the wringer but things seem to be looking up now. S
She wrote on Instagram: “Small wins! We just some good news and it’s all about small wins in the ICU. Nick is getting stronger and the AMAZING doctors and nurses think they can take him off ECMO soon! This would mean his heart and lungs would be functioning on their own. Anything can change in an instant, but we are staying positive! HE IS HEARING US GUYS! Sing with me at 3pm today! LIVE YOUR LIFE”
Everyday at 6pm Eastern, Kloots has Cordero’s fans singing and praying and sending him messages to get better. It seems to be working. We sure hope it is. Looking forward to more progress tomorrow.