El Gallo's Voice Is Stilled

Jerry Orbach dead at 69

That is so sad. :-(

I rarely watched Law & Order, it's just not my kind of program. But it also gave me mixed-in-a-blender emotions as an actor who mostly does musicals and operettas. Jerry Orbach was a phenomenal operatic-quality baritone, and he created the part of El Gallo in the off-broadway classic The Fantastiks. I grew up listening to his singing and monologues on the original cast album, and though I have seen and heard many productions of the show since then, none have equaled his.

Orbach also created the Broadway roles of Billy Flynn in Chicago and Julian Marsh in 42nd Street.

L&O made me sad to see such great musical talent go unused and unacknowledged, but happy to see a fine actor get the appreciation for dramatic acting which he also deserved.

Interesting side note, Jerry's first credited film role, according to IMDB, was playing Joe 'Mumzer' Sanchez, street gang leader, in the 1958 film Cop Hater.


Thanks to wicked_wish for the link.

Credit Where Credit is Due Department

The TV in my bedroom comes on at about 7 o'clock every weekday morning, and this morning it woke me just in time to see the video of Pres. Bush coming out of hiding to give a press conference on the tsunami.

For once in his life, he said all the right things, said them with sincerity, and my hat is off to him for this. For those who missed it,
( here's the text of his speech )

The Prez also fielded well most of the questions about the relief effort:

Q Mr. President, were you offended by the suggestion that rich nations have been stingy in the aid over the tsunami? And is this a sign of another rift with the U.N.?

( his answer is behind the cut )

For the full transcript of the press conference, which includes his soon-to-be-famous quote "I am not a geologist", see http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/12/20041229-1.html

More relief generosity

A co-worker is supposed to be on a plane to Mumbai, India (aka Bombay) Sunday to install a system there. Looking for news of tsunami effects there, I found this page which says Mumbai was not hit, but it has a long list of companies donating to Indian and Sri Lankan relief efforts.