happy thanksgiving all...

sound of music - joy behar show tonight

(If you have my music on...pause it at the bottom of the page)

the whirlwind Today...

(left to right back:) Nicholas Hammond, Duane Chase, Debbie Turner, (front) Kym Karath, Me, Heather Menzies-Urich, Charmian Carr
I stepped off the plane in New York City, and met up with the rest of the non-Trapps for a meal at Gordon Ramsey's MAZE restaurant in the London Hotel. We caught up on our lives and talk about our whirlwind media blitz for the Sound of Music Blu-Ray DVD and our personal Sound of Music memoirs book that will be out in 2011. At the table we have some laughs as we always do and with our tummys full after our yummy 5 course meal we head to our rooms to grab a couple of hours sleep. 4:30 am came pretty fast but we were all raring to go.

Here we are at the TODAY show with the lovely Miss Andrews. What fun it was to all be together again. Meredith Vieira and Ann Curry were so nice.  Even Matt Lauer came out to say hi after his interview with former President George Bush.

 

In the Green Room waiting to go on. If you missed the interview...CLICK HERE

Then Kym and I headed over to MSNBC for our interview with Alex Witt.

In the Green Room before the interview, I'm wearing one of my art.wear creations. This handpainted image is of the gates in front of the Von Trapp villa. My spring collection of clothing will be coming out soon.

The interview we had with Alex will air this
Sunday November 14th in 2 parts at 7:40 am and 9:40 am.
Turns out Alex used to live in my old neighborhood and went to the same school as Kym Karath when she lived in Los Angeles. It was fun talking to her.

After tooling around New York City a bit with Heather and Debbie, and an interview on the Joy Behar Show (don't know when that will air) we had a wonderful Italian dinner with our friends Heidi and Heinrich before going our seperate ways. It was an exhausting whirlwind of a trip...Now I am home once again just chomping at the bit to make some art...I know I'm fortunate to be able to pack so many memories into a coast to coast high speed tornado of an adventure....I count my blessings every day....

nyc bound...

on november 10th

and the music plays on...

I can't tell you how many times we have lined up in this order over the last 45 years....we just kinda fall into our places...that's kinda funny really...

 

So...the celebration is not over yet...we are flying to New York for an appearance on the "Today Show" November 10th...so catch us on that for more about The Sound of Music...the Blu Ray...and our upcoming book, which will be out next year. Thanks for all your questions...we hope to answer the things in this book that people have asked us over the years....

If you can't get enough of The Sound of Music Reunion...or you happened to miss Oprah  because of the date change, here below is the part with the 'kids'... sure makes you feel young when you're referred to as 'the kids". (Don't forget to pause my music box at the bottom of the page.)

And if you want to see more...just enter Oprah Sound of Music and its there on You Tube...

I need to know what you need to know...

I am waiting for a little bird to tell me...what your question would be...I have a serious request for all the "Sound Of Music" lovers out there...If you could ask anything of the seven Von Trapp 'kids' in the movie... What would you ask? 

What burning inquiry have you had for years about a certain scene?...a rumor you've heard?... a behind the scenes query?...

Ask your family...ask your friends...ask your Facebook peeps... What have you always wanted to know about The Sound of Music? 

Write your questions in my blog COMMENT box ...

I need to know what YOU need to know....Won't you help us discover those burning questions you have always wanted answered???

And in advance Thank you from all of us and 'Mi'...

happy haunting...

well that was fun....

So today was that 45th reunion of the entire cast of The Sound of Music. Oprah said it was the first time we had all been together for an interview since the movie had been released. Though we have been interviewed as a group...and with Julie before, it was great and such a pleasure to have Christopher Plummer with us for this reunion on Oprah.  The night before we had filmed the show in Chicago, we had all met  with Julie and Chris for a lovely dinner and caught up on what we had all been doing over the years. That was really fun. 

How lovely were those Von Trapp grandchildren when they sang "Edelweiss"? Did it make you all teary eyed?

Did you hear the announcement about our book that will be out in October 2011?  We are very excited about it. No one can quite tell the story of our Sound of Music tales quite like we can and we will, first hand. I have wanted to do this 'scrapbook' of our behind the scenes adventures for years. So hang on for that...It will be here before you know it.

Thanks for watching...

glad to be part of the '8'

Yesterday was the opening at Gallery 8. What a great turnout and celebration.

The owners are Lauren and Dan Nixon (to my right and left), and the other artists with their work at this new gallery are: Pomm,  Martin Eichinger, Matthew Hasty, Jean Francois Miaule, David Palmer,  David Kelly, Lisa Tate.

where am i? where am i going?

Can you guess where I am here? Summer seems like it was so long ago. We've had some rain here in LA...which reminds us that it is October already. Halloween is right around the corner...next up...the holidays.

I have been going non stop. This weekend a brand new gallery is opening called...Gallery 8. I am very excited that my art.ography (my mixed media and hand painted photographs) will be exhibited here on a permanent basis along with seven other artists. If you are in the area, drop on by for a look around. It's around the corner on Woodbridge, off Tujunga Village, which has some rocking stores and restaurants.  If you can't come by this weekend, drop by anytime.

I don't usually talk politics...but I can't wait till the constant barrage for the election is over. All I can say is...if we want bullying to stop in our schools and with our children...let's lead by example...start with the politicians... Turn off the bad mouthing, rotten attitudes, put downs, blatant intolerance, intentional divisions, lack of respect, people bashing and downright rudeness...stop already...it just makes me cringe...and while I am ranting here...I don't get why people pretend to be what they aren't...like being a poser is something to be proud of? Be authentic for heavens sake...and if you don't like what you are...work on it...no one said this life was easy...buck up...grow up......ahhh...I feel better now...

crescendo: to grow in force or loudness.

You say crescendo...I say crescendoh.com ...web spot extraordinaire created by Jenny Doh, ex-editor of Stampington and Art Saves advocate. All this week I am featured on the website Crescendoh.com.  Have you visited there? It is definitely worth the visit. You will find some of your favorite artists, their stories, their favorite things, and you will find lots of artists whose work you have never seen before and are happy to discover. 

The links change below my picture every day this week, and it will turn you on to a few of my favorite places to visit online. Crescendoh is one big network, an exchange between artists and tales of creative passion. Well worth the ride...

'O' mi and Oprah

Getting ready to go to 'O'...

This video released today...

Even though this clip says Friday, October 29th...we were just informed that this show will air on Thursday, October 28th!

Freaks, Fools and Curious Oddities

Well art pal Connie and my sister Veronica joined me at Cirque de Bizarre at Zinnia in South Pasadena this past weekend.

Everyone loves a circus...and everyone came to see the Sideshow of Freaks, Fools and Curious Oddities. Connie and I had 4 Theatre Dolls in the show...Here they are below...The exhibit runs for about a month...if your in the area stop by. There is lots of cool art there to see or to purchase, and Zinnia is just filled with art supplies and curious oddities....

CIRQUE de BIZARRE

It's CIRQUE de BIZARRE this Saturday - October 2nd - - A Sideshow of Freaks, Fools and Curious Oddities. What fun...The show is at one of my favorite art  haunts,  ZINNIA in South Pasadena.You'll be able to see several pieces from our ac studio 9 Theatre Dolls collection.

The exhibit will be up for a month...but the celebration is this Saturday...from 7:00 - 9:00 pm

If you know a Mime, or someone on stilts...Come One...Come All...It's going to be fun...fun...fun...1024 Mission Street

the exclusive...press release

**EXCLUSIVE**

A ONE-TIME ONLY “OPRAH” SHOW EVENT

“THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW” REUNITES THE CAST

OF “THE SOUND OF MUSIC” ON OCTOBER 29, 2010

CHICAGO, IL – For the first time in 45 years, the entire cast of “The Sound of Music” will gather for a once-in-a-lifetime reunion on the “Oprah” show stage on Friday, October 29, 2010.  Stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, along with fellow cast members Charmian Carr (“Liesl”), Nicholas Hammond (“Friedrich”), Heather Menzies-Urich (“Louisa”), Duane Chase (“Kurt”), Angela Cartwright (“Brigitta”), Debbie Turner (“Marta”) and Kym Karath (“Gretl”) will reunite and reveal the stories behind one of the world’s most beloved movie musicals.  Together for the first time in nearly half a century, the cast shares secrets from the set, reminiscences about their time together and what their lives have been like in the years since the movie was released.  Finally, the von Trapp Children – a singing group featuring members of the real von Trapp family – pay their own special tribute to the film that made their family name known throughout the world.

Considered by many to be the most successful movie musical in history*, “The Sound of Music” took home five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in 1965.  Its first release lasted over 4½ years.  It is shown annually on network television; has been released for home entertainment on VHS, Laser Disc, DVD and has recently been digitally remastered and restored for its high definition Blu-ray Disc debut November 2; unites new fans and old through the amazing SINGALONG SOUND OF MUSIC events nationwide; and the soundtrack CD is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, having gone Platinum more than 12 times.   Its landmark score includes some of the most beloved songs in the American songbook including “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Do Re Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and the title song.

*Box Office Mojo:  Adjusted for inflation, its domestic gross box office take would be over $1.13 billion. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

 

About “The Oprah Winfrey Show”

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" has remained the number one talk show for 24 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.** It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 215 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution and to 145 countries by CBS Studios International. 

here.there.and everywhere

The weekend before last found me in Oakland, California for an appearance at the New Rheem Theatre.  It was a quick trip but I had a great time.

This week you could find me in Chicago. What a city. What I love about Chicago...the people, the architecture, the art...what I don't like...the wind. I found myself fascinated by how people kept their hair from looking like mine...wild and crazy. 

I was with my son Jesse and we had a blast. We were lucky enough to find time to visit the best museum ever...the Art Institute of Chicago where we found the most outstanding exhibits.  Henri Cartier-Bresson - The Modern Century left Jesse and I in awe.
 

The museums collection of Impressionist art is astounding, and I found myself standing in front of Van Goghs "The Bedroom"1889... I have always wanted to see it.

 

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec "At The Moulin Rouge" impressed Jesse.

a few pieces of art I was mystified by...

 

Pierre Auguste Renoir. Two Sisters (On the Terrace), 1881
Oil on canvas  39 9/16 x 37 7/8 in. (100.5 x 81 cm

Claude Monet  French, Water Lilies, 1906  Oil on canvas 34 1/2 x 36 1/2 in. (87.6 x 92.7 cm)

 Georges Seurat  A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -- 1884, 1884-86
Oil on canvas  81 3/4 x 121 1/4 in. (207.5 x 308.1 cm)

I could not believe how big this piece of art was. It was huge, with thousands of miniature dots creating a border around it. Amazing...and there were hundreds more pieces of art that were out of this world. O'Keefe, Picasso, Gaugain, Cassatt...I could have spent days...but we had one more exhibit we wanted to see and that was the Thorne Miniature Rooms.

If you love miniatures...you have to see this...

 I was shooting through glass so check out more here

It's all in the details...

If you are a miniature freak like me...You'll love this book. All 69 rooms shown in detail. 

 

 

 

 There was more to this trip...but you'll have to wait...

“I prowled the streets all day, feeling very strung-up and ready to pounce, determined to ‘trap’ life—
to preserve life in the act of living.” 
—Cartier-Bresson in 1952, recalling his work of the early 1930s