PLAY BALL!

Passion for baseball continues to grow in Dallas. People who wonder how the Rangers can consistently draw almost 3 million fans each year don’t understand how deep the baseball roots grow in this area. There are currently four different leagues (not counting church leagues) catering to youth baseball, and these leagues have more than 900 teams with almost 11,000 players. That’s just baseball; throw in softball and the number is much bigger. The highest level is Boys Baseball, Inc., known as BBI, followed by Chamber Baseball, Inc. based in North Dallas, followed by Spring Valley and then YMCA leagues. All these teams need places to play, and practice, which is why there it’s hard to find an empty baseball diamond anywhere, at least until all the season-ending tournaments wrap up by July 4th.

RE: CELEB SPOTTING

And another in-the-know FrontBurnervian chimes in on the spotting of Kevin Sorbo.

Kevin Sorbo is of Hercules fame. He’s also been spotted on the patio of Central Park (the old Manhattan Bar).

Thanks.

RE: FRONTBURNER MILESTONE

A FBvian writes, “This might be a good opportunity for you to post the very first post on FrontBurner.” See for yourself (scroll down).

CELEB SPOTTING

This just in from a celeb-spotting FrontBurnervian:

Kevin Sorbo (in town shooting Walking Tall 2) has been working out at Gold’s Gym in uptown. He was watching the World Cup on the treadmill today.

Never heard of him or of Walking Tall but someone out there has.

THE GRIFFITH-HICKS CONNECTION

A FrontBurnervian sheds some light:

Don’t forget that Griffith and Hicks were both members of Sigma Phi Epsilon at UT-Austin. I’m not sure if they were there at the same time. But Griffith is a former Grand President of the national fraternity, and Hicks has always been a larger financial supporter of the Fraternity, so I imagine the connections run deeper than just Dallas politics.

Ah, yes. The old school tie.

FRONTBURNER MILESTONE

We just registered our 100,084th visit for the month. This marks the first time since we started this thing on March 16, 2003, that we’ve hit the six-figure visit mark in a month. Thanks to all you kind, long-suffering, alert, law-practicing, TV-watching, bald, and, especially, given recent and pending events, Belo-employed FrontBurnervians.

ROBOT HEAD STILL MISSING

Remember that Philip K. Dick robot head that I seem to have a weird fascination with? The one that I told you about when it went missing?

Still missing.

PAUL’S RADIO PERFORMANCE: LIVE BLOG

Transcribing as fast as I can:
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RE: HOT BARTENDERS

A D.C.-dwelling, Canadian Whiskey-swilling FrontBurnervian used to live in Dallas. He chimes in:

Nothing I like wasting my time on more than anything to do with a bar. So, I scrolled through that whole AOL list. And now I’m sharing my thoughts with you. (You’re so lucky.)

A) I’ve been to 11 of the nominees venues. Considering the large number of entrants, I have to assume I’m not drinking enough.

B) Then again, according to Esquire’s Best Bars in America, one of the five things no bar should have is “22-year-old female bartenders who ‘just wanna party.’”

C) I hate to tell you this, but, once again, Miami beats Dallas. Have a look at the ladies from each and you’ll see what I mean.

DALLAS MEDICAL EXAMINER KNOWS WHERE W.M.D. ARE

In case you missed it (and I know a certain local paper who did), the NYT ran a story on Friday about Dave Gaubatz, a Dallas County medical examiner who thinks he knows where those Iraqi weapons of mass destruction are. Gaubutz has been making such claims in the media since early February.

RE: PROGRAMMING NOTE

Imagined partial transcript of Paul’s upcoming appearance on Puggs & Kelly:

PAUL: Dena Schlosser was, in my considered opinion, insane.

PUGGS: What’s her cup size? I’ve always wanted to be with a crazy chick.

SPEAKING OF MUSICALS

Nobody will mistake A Midsummer Nights Dream: The Musical for opera (and thanks, Suzanne).

Rene Moreno took the version developed at the Dallas Theater Center back in the ’70s by Randy Tallman and Steven Mackenroth, updated some of the jokes, and gave the whole thing a retro go-go, very un-PC spin, with lots of frame-breaking, self-referential jokes (a little like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, now that I think about it).

Denise Lee plays Titania, and she has the best musical numbers, as you’d expect. But Anthony Ramirez as Bottom is so funny, especially in Pyramus’ death scene, it’s hard to breathe. The whole thing runs a little long, but who cares?

RE: MEXICO CITY ARTS

An arts-working FBvian notes that the Meadows Museum at SMU will feature a special exhibition–not of Mexican art–but of a first-rate private collection from Mexico, featuring 46 European superstars, this fall. Plan to drop by the campus.
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RE: MISERABLE

Okay, Glenn. This is what Suzanne Calvin at the Dallas Opera says about the musical/opera distinction:

Les Mis is an opera, by the usual rules. I suspect it’s always been called a musical simply as a marketing tool to sell more tickets, especially to folks who might be slightly intimidated by the very word “opera.” Opera neither bites, nor fatigues, nor does it taste bad. Opera is entertainment!”

Now, having said that: not every line in every opera is sung. (Look at Beethoven’s Fidelio or Mozart’s The Magic Flute, with spoken dialogue.) It has more to do with the perception of musical sophistication; however, Les Mis certainly isn’t lacking in the sophistication of either music or text, so, again, I’m betting that it’s simply a marketing decision.

SEE THIS SHOW

Tristan Prettyman, a favorite of Jenny Block (the following words are hers, not mine), will be playing tomorrow night at the Gypsy Tea Room. This surfer girl from Southern California, who swiped her daddy’s guitar when she was a girl and has been playing ever since, plays a mean acoustic guitar. She got her start on the California coffeehouse circuit and has since toured with big names like Jason Mraz, James Blunt, and G. Love and Special Sauce. Sexy voice, gorgeous girl, and music that could not be any less self-conscious. Gotta love a girl like that.

RE: MISERABLE

I’m with you, Jennifer. If you don’t already know the story, you won’t have a clue what’s going on, because all of the exposition that gets you into the narrative thrust of the plot is sung, as in an opera, and if you can’t hear what they’re saying, what’s the point? My family was a couple of rows behind Jenny on Saturday, and I think her father and I were on the same page.

I’m not much of an opera fan, but when my wife and I saw the Fort Worth Opera’s Dialogues of the Carmelites at Bass Hall back in January, they used a digital screen above the stage to let the audience keep up with what they were singing. Maybe this is common now — and no doubt purists hate it. I thought it helped.

Just out of curiosity — when does a work like Les Miserables stop being a “musical” and become an opera? The distinction escapes me.

PROGRAMMING NOTE

Our own Tall Paul will be on The Pugs and Kelly Show today at 1:30. Paul will discuss Doyle Davidson and the Schlosser murder. I can’t wait (but for all the wrong reasons).

RE: EXTRA $71 MILLION

Blogger Michael Davis also thinks all is not right with the add-ons proposed to the bond package. Especially re a very special shopping center championed by Maxine Thornton-Reese.

GRIFFITH “UNDERESTIMATED”? MAYBE NOT ANY MORE

Discussing the upcoming mayoral race in the print edition of FrontBurner, we noted that City Councilman Gary Griffith–the first to announce he was in the running–is often underestimated by political opponents. That’s likely to change with the news this morning that Tom Hicks has signed on as his campaign finance chairman. He joins the formidable Ebby Halliday, who had already signed up as campaign treasurer.

LES MISERABLES WAS, AT TIMES, MISERABLE

Please. Before you get upset with me, hear me out. The performances by the actors of Les Miserables, now playing through July 2 at the Music Hall, were not to blame. In fact, I agree with Jenny’s assessment of lovesick Eponine, whose performance was heartfelt and moving, and whose songs I could actually hear! It’s the dang acoustics/sound system. Every time I go to a show there, I vow never to return because I can never understand the lyrics of any song. Problem is, that’s the only place to go right now, and even after the Wyly Theatre opens, the Dallas Summer Musicals will still be at the Music Hall. Sigh.

Jenny Block also attended the show last week, and she has nice things to say (read on). But I spent the entire performance explaining to my companion what was going on because he had never seen it. I was only able to follow it because I already knew the story. And there were moments of greatness, which usually involved little or no orchestra to interfere with the voice of whoever was singing. But people here go crazy for these shows, anyway, whooping and applauding after every scene. All I want to do is ask: do you have any idea what they just said? Because I find it impossible to believe they did.
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LIVE CHATTING ABOUT THE W

In case you missed yesterday’s online discussion among the hoi polloi and DMN de facto W hotel experts David Dillon, Dotty Griffith, and “Nightlife Guru Mr. Dallas,” here it is. I guess the live chat is part of the DMN’s putsch. If so, wow. Some of my favorite questions that the W experts tried to answer:

jon333: will paris hilton be at the ghostbar opening
cubzter: Not to be dense, but I keep seeing “N9NE Group” (which I believe owns Ghostbar), but I’m wondering how to pronounce “N9NE” is it “Ninety”?
Richard (via e-mail): Some here suspect that the “W” stands for “George Bush”. Is that true?
Memories: Hello: I am a Certified Wedding Coordinator. Do you know if the W will be offering tours of the facilities for future brides?
cubzter: Just an FYI: “Top Chef” is on Bravo, not the Food Network.

FORT WORTH SPEAKS SPANISH

This is big. The Star-Telegram reports that Fort Worth-based equity firm Texas Pacific Group Inc. has bought the Spanish-language broadcast powerhouse Univision.

REMEMBERING FRIDAY NIGHT’S FESTIVITIES

Girl about town Jenny Block was a busy bee on Friday. First, a stop at Marty Walker Gallery, followed by the ELLE Decor Dining by Design Cocktail Preview Party.

Lest you think I was at home watching Law & Order (though that sounds like heaven), I was out myself, at the Reebok Heroes of Baseball pre-game gala. The headliner was Whoopi Goldberg, who was surprisingly (and thankfully) dirtier than I would have guessed. But poor host Finesse Mitchell. He did the same routine as last year. Sigh. The upside: the Gilley’s bartenders pour a mean margarita on the rocks.

Read on for Jenny’s full report:
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RE: EXTRA $71 MILLION

Have a look at what each of the council members tacked onto the bond program. Road resurfacing, recreation center, neighborhood parks, drainage system, shopping center development. Hey, wait. Shopping center development? Maxine Thornton-Reese, you crafty devil.

RE: RICH CONNOR

Something something new media something blog something something bold frontier something errors corrected in real time something exciting.