Sunday, March 29, 2009

WE LOVE BLEND APPAREL




ATTENTION FACEBOOK FRIENDS:

Join me at- WE LOVE BLEND APPAREL.


(I feel a rainbow blending now...)

Also, David Watters has an interesting project called 'Never Blend In.' I am doing an interview to help promote my gay-friendly "The King of Diamonds," with' Never Blend In.' David is a fine young writer, producer and (most importantly) teacher in London and he's found creative ways to get his message out;I am proud of David and honored to do the interview.*

*Actually, doing interviews makes me feel weird and I tend to grow impatient during the Q & A and, ya know, often insult the person asking me questions.(Last week's 'thetrial,' available on my facebook notes page quotes me as insulting Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I am embarrassed by my crudeness and owe the entire stupid island of England an apology. I say 'owe,' because I'm not giving them one, but am looking forward to Never Blend In continuing to do great work.)


OK, join the cool guys (and girls) and support Blend Apparel.

I am wearing an 'Im perfect' shirt now (I rarely take it off,---Man. I love Jon Marro so much and I keep thinking his talent will rub-off on me!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

"CONDO: THE STORY OF HOW LAS VEGAS GOT HIGH''





So a very nice guy emailed me, asking how I write the characters in my novels- are they real people or do I actually create them?

And the answer is: I just start writing and (hopfully) they come into being as I go. And, usually, after a while, I do, in fact 'see' them; they do become real, to me.

Case in point- "Condo: The Story of How Las Vegas Got High." I am writing about a guy, a 30-something attorney, Roy Richards. The story opens on our hero. He is walking down the street and catches his reflection in a tinted window. OK, great- now I can describe him, or at least, describe how Roy looks to Roy. This forces me to figure out what he looks like. And (I swear to goodness this is true) a week or so after 'seeing' him, I actually saw him- in the person of actor JASON BEHR.

I think I remember Jason Behr as that kinda alien-looking clean-cut kid from Roswell repeats. But now? He's grownp- up. The hair is long and he's real cool. Very cool, man. And that voice? Deep and masculine and exactly as I described my character prior to seeing Jason.

Maybe I'll turn the novel into a screenplay. If I do, it'll be easy to cast the lead.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

thetrial

Q: When did you first know that you wanted to be in show business?

A: Wow, that's a good one. Making the distinction of working, rather than performing, I'd say, it had to be when I was a kid, must have been 12, and I saw Victor Borge. My uncle managed the civic center in Saganaw Michagan and so when I'd visit, I'd see the shows and I will always rememeber seeing his second and third night and 'getting it,' being in on the fact that the wonderful ad libs were a part of a well written show. I guess I decided then that I'd like to write, to be a writer.

Q: What was the first thing that you wrote that you saw in print or on stage?

A: Well, that would be back in school. Even in high school, I was writing and producing plays and shows. But, if I might say, there was a specific moment in Frank Sinatra's dressing room that did it for me. You'll remember that Sinatra loved writers, screenwriters and especially composers, and always made a point to give credit to the writer of the song, the writer of the arrangement, and one night, I was a kid, but at the time the cartoonist Gary Trudeau was doing a series of rather nasty cartoons dipicting Sinatra in poor light. It was cheap and everybody knew it, so I made a pretty mean-and pretty funny comment, to Jilly Rizzo and he said, 'Come on, you gotta tell the old man,' so he takes me into his Caesars dressing room and man, it was filled with big shots, like major league baseball guys and others. And Sinatra looks over at me, those blue eyes, and says "Well?" Jilly hits me on the arm and I tell Mr. Sinatra the line and he laughed, I mean, really laughed and then said, "Write that down, I'm using it." And he did, he said it on stage a time or two. And after that, I always felt like a writer, that Sinatra thought of me that way, you know?

Q: Tell us something about Frank Sinatra that we don't know.

A: Well, there has been so much written. My friend Will Friedwald did the best book, "The Song is You," just great, but, I think the thing that always amazed me is how much Sinatra really loved his fans, and how hard he worked to make sure they got a good show. I mean, if the curtain was late, he'd be pissed. Can I say pissed? He really loved his fans and I was one, and as a younger guy, I think he liked to hear my opinion from time to time.


Q: What is your favorite Vegas story?

A: Well that's funny you should ask because I've been after my old friend, impersonator Frank Marino to join me in doing a book based around performers' favorite Las Vegas stories. And, it is Las Vegas, not Vegas, mate.

I think the night I watched a very wealthy Saudi guy, a very polite man, by the way, bet every hole at a 21 table, upstairs at Caesars. And- here's the thing: he would stand on the first two cards, no matter if the total was less than eleven, he's stick and I watched him amuse himself, betting I think $100,000 per spot all night, that's one hundred G's times seven. He went through millions and after two hours, ended up about even, but it was wild, watching a guy whose income was estimated to be a million a day gamble and screw-around like that, buying us all Piaget watches and getting into the gaming.


Q: You are a bit of a pop culture expert.

A: Well, no, come on. I did take one of the first college courses on American popular culture, back in the 80's.

Q: You were the youngest contestant on NBC-TV's Name That Tune, winning $100,000.

A: Actually, much of it was paid in Creamettes. Seriously, I lived on those little pastas for years.

Q: But your articles, blogs and show reviews seem to capture that spirit, and you write with a clear voice that it is fair to ask you your opinion of Amercian culture.

A: Well, if you mean am I blue about anything, I am not. Ask a kid what music they listen to and they'll say 'everything,' and they mean it. The IPod generation, and I love it.


Q: What's on your IPod?

A: Everything. I must add, speaking to the UK, that I am a huge fan of Jamie Cullum. I got to speak with him, briefly, after a show and man, he's the best thing that's happened to jazz since Nat Cole. And his audience? He draws all ages. I mean, he's the nuts.

Q: The nuts?

A: Sorry. It is a poker expression, meaning the best possible thing ever.


Q: Your novel The King of Diamonds is about poker?

A: Well, no. The character's dad is known as a poker guy, he's a Hollywood big shot with a high powered poker game, but the story is about the son, an 'impossibly handsome' pop singer and illusionist, named Darin Diamond. I think it could make a hell of a movie.

Q: In your book, Steve Wynn is the man who brings Darin Diamond to Vegas. What is your opinion of Mr. Wynn?

A He's the best thing that happened to Las Vegas since, forever. I don't know him, but he's great.

Q: There are reports here about his divorce.

A: None of my business, and none of yours, I'll bet. I'd like to go back to something you asked, or maybe should have asked, about music. I think that good music is timeless. Jason Mraz is by far the best lyricist writing today. Nobody even close. Bella Luna and Life is Wonderful will live forever. Vinnie Falcone, the great pianist and conductor, was in Lake Tahoe with Andy Williams, oh, several years ago, and Andy put on some great shows, doing new takes on classics like Claire de Lune etc and I remember Vinnie telling me that great music exists, it lives in a timeless place.

Q: What art inspires you.

A: What art? Well, I dream about St. Alexander, the Bergamo Cathedral. In Florence, Guilano Romano's frescos in Mantua, and of course, Michelangelo.

Q: When were you first in Italy?

A: Never been. Seriously. I dream about, read books and am self-taught in art. I'm part Italian and dream to go meet my people. I'm also a Scot, so that's a combo for you.


Q: Like Jay Leno?

A: Jay is great, and he's going to do well. Very nice man.



Q: Do you have a favorite writer?

A: Matt Taibbi. As a journalist, he's the best. There's a guy here in Las Vegas,Steve Freiss, who is just all over every story. That dedication to gettig it right is so cool. I was crazy about the late David Foster Wallace and am getting into Jonathan Franzen but, as I'm banging-away on a new novel, I try not to read too much fiction now.


Q: Your seem to know an awful lot about magic.

A: OK. I'll take that. I've worked with some of the best magicians, booked many, written some magic acts and even created a few illusions. The King of Diamonds is about a magician and he's the guy who makes magic cool again, not unlike some great young guys in real life, like Jason Lattimer and R.J. Cantu. There's a guy, a super-star on college campuses called Justin Kredible and he's great. He's made magic so enjoyable. He's like so likeable. I was telling my old friend Valentino that his Masked Magician television specials really broke it wide open for so many great young guys.

Q: Do you see Las Vegas as a home for magic?

A: It already is. I mean Lance Burton is getting it done night after night and Criss Angel is going to be fine. As long as we stop bringing in Cirque and friggin Andrew Llyod Webber shit.

Q: Not a fan of Sir Andrew?

A: He did Starlite Express and it still smells at the Hilton where he did it. He is the most overrated, he's the worst. And Cats? Where do I go to get that goddamn song out of my head?

Q: Webber is working on a new show right now.

Q: God save the Queen!


William Watters novel, "The King of Diamonds, the magical life of Darin Diamond, launches this summer

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Take Note




OK, I'm not really familiar with all of the changes in this movement...

Willie Watters

Sunday, March 8, 2009

2009 American Idol Winner Will Be--- KRIS ALLEN




Two years ago, House of H2o made the right pick when there were five.

Last year, we called it for David Cook when there were twelve.

This year, I'm thinking, "Why wait?"

The winner of American Idol, 2009 will be... announced right after this word from...

NO, come on, let's cut past the chase, K?


KRIS ALLEN will win. It'll be close. They'll be some drama, maybe something hinky, perhaps some weirdness. Things will get itchy, but, in the end? It will be KRIS.

Oh, I know I know, there's that cute girl, and that guy with the thing, and the other one with that personal story and bla bla bla.

If you gots to watch, fine, but otherwise, why not do some charity work? Or read a book? Maybe read to your kids?

Tomorrow, when you're around the water cooler, remember what H2o predicted: Kris Allen.

Friday, March 6, 2009

BLOCKIN' OUT THE SCENERY, BREAKIN' MY MIND



So I've pretty much lived in the same neighborhood my entire adult life.

And I kinda like it that way, so's ya know.

I often walk over to the neighborhood Barnes & Noble (actually? I was one of this locations opening day customers, many years ago- wow).

Today was a Sunny & 70-ish day and the guys on their skateboards buzzed by me. I like those guys.

The kid with the long blond hair high-five'n me as he went around my right. Nice kid. He always says Hi. And I always remind him "don't do drugs,' which for some reason, makes them giggle.

So as they pass I look up and see this stupid sign. This is Las Vegas! We don't need no stinkin' signs!

And WTF? The first red circle, on the left? It looks like a ban on uni-brows and the other one? What is that? A prohibition on dancing? Did that bastard lose his contact lens?

Now under the "No spookie eyebrows" and "no hula-hooping" sign is another, really funny one. It reads:

"SPEED LIMIT 10"


Ha! My bros on the boards were doing that!

I am reminded of my friend, the very funny Max Alexander, and his routine about getting pulled-over by shopping mall police for doing 14.

"Impossible," Max would tell the mallcop. "My car shimmies at 11."

About Me

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My profile is considered: "HIGH" 40-ish, 6 foot-ish, slim-ish, trim-ish straight-ish, late-ish, creative-ish... I am an unashamed HETRO* *Heterochromatic(one green eye, one hazel-ish).