This won’t be the first time Spencer Ludwig has performed in the Coachella Valley when he appears at The Chase on April 9 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Ludwig played trumpet for the indie-pop duo Capital Cities, and his solos are featured prominently in…
Max von Essen star has shined bright on Broadway with his magnificent voice and charisma. But in the early days of his career, he sang for his largest audience.
von Essen’s father Thomas was also the FDNY commissioner during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and was one of the first ones on the scene.
von Essen was tapped to sing the national anthem before the first game at Yankees Stadium following the attacks. von Essen’s father accompanied Max on the field. Above is the anthem von Essen sang. At the end of the blog, you’ll find a video of Thomas sharing his memories on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Max von Essen is one of the entertainers at The Chase on April 9 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. To purchase tickets, go to www.daphealth.org/thechase
von Essen had attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and following his graduation, toured with Liza Minelli.
The pinnacle to his career was in 2015, when he was nominated for the Tony Award for his portrayal of Parisian aristocrat Henri in “An American in Paris.” Below, you can see and hear him singing a medley of songs from the play at the famous Birdland in New York.
Prior the Tony ceremony, von Essen did this vlog for Broadway.com, giving people a behind-the-scenes look.
Here’s a look at von Essen and fellow Chase entertainer Eden Espinosa rehearsing for the touring production of “Falsettos”
And here is von Essen performing while wearing a table cloth
And here’s a fun feature from Playbill where you can learn a little more about von Essen and hear him sing “I Could’ve Danced All Night.”
And circling back to the Sept. 11 attacks, here’s a video of von Essen’s father Thomas sharing his memories of Sept. 11.
One of the best things about satellite radio is the diverse programing, and Seth Rudetsky is one of those guys who ads great value to Sirius XM.
He his “On Broadway” and “Seth Speaks” are a riot and the perfect remedy to escape the daily blahs, which was probably even more valuable during the pandemic.
What I liked most about the videos he had was how he campions a lot of these amazing artists. One in particular is Eden Espinosa. But once I saw her with Seth, I went down the YouTube rabbit hole to watch her .
Rudetsky will join a talented cast of entertainers at The Chase (formerly known as the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards) on April 9 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
If you would like to watch Rudetsky, Espinosa, Deborah Cox, Max von Essen, Spencer Ludwig and host Michael Urie of “Ugly Betty” fame, you can purchase tickets at www.daphealth.org/thechase
As a note, the Eden Espinosa rabbit hole is on another post. Here is Rudetsky with some really talented people below.
Also, go to the bottom to watch the beautiful benefit song that Rudetsky and his husband organized for the shooting in Orlando in 2016.
Alright, I didn’t really know anything about Eden Espinosa.
But as I started going down the YouTube rabbit hole, I just found there’s so much to love about her. The one thing I really loved was her cover of the Celine Dion hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs in 2009.
Espinosa returns to Palm Springs as one of the headliners for The Chase on April 9 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. To learn more or purchase tickets, go to www.daphealth.org/thechase
What I loved about the performance was she exudes joy and it felt like it was spending time with your friend at karaoke. Except my friends don’t have that gift of a voice that Espinosa has. Check out the link about.
What people might know most about Espinosa is that she was a member of the original cast of “Wicked” as she was standby for Idina Menzel in the role of Elphaba. She would return to the role numerous times, including the Los Angeles production at the Pantages Theater, which would become one of the most successful musicals in Los Angeles Theater history. During the LA run, Espinosa and the “Wicked” cast had a guest appearance on the TV hit show “Ugly Betty,” which starred Chase host Michael Urie.
For more recent performances by Espinosa, here she is with fellow Chase entertainer Seth Rudetsky in February for the Seth Concert Series.
In addition to stage, Espinosa was part of the animated series “Tangled,” and the song “Waiting In the Wings” won a 2020 Daytime Emmy.
One of the great voices in R&B will perform at the 2022 Chase in Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum R & B/Pop recording artist and actress Deborah Cox.
In 2016, she took on the iconic role of Rachel Marron in the Broadway musical of the hit film “The Bodyguard.” The role was made famous by the legendary Whitney Houston, and features hit “I Will Always Love You.”
Cox was friends with Houston, and the two recorded the song, “Same Cast, Different Script.” Above, Cox talks about the role and her relationship with Houston on the Wendy Williams Show.
If you want to catch Cox live, she will join a talented cast of entertainers on April 9 at The Chase at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Tickets and information can be found at www.daphealth.org/thechase
Below is the video with Houston and Cox.
At the closing ceremony of Worldpride, Cox sang, “I Will Always Love You.”
Cox began performing in television commercials when she was 12, and then she was a backup singer for fellow Canadian Celine Dion.
When she was 20, she moved to Los Angeles, and she was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis. Her biggest hit was “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here,” from her second album. It would peak at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
The third song from that album, “We Can’t Be Friends,” is a duet with R.L, and hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and her second No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B and Hip Hop chart.
Michael Urie has gone from the assistant to leading man, and he comes to Palm Springs to host the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards to benefit DAP Health on April 28.
To purchase tickets or to learn more about The Chase, go to www.daphealth.org/thechase
Most people discovered Urie as Mark St. James, the assistant to Wilhelmina Slater, played by Vanessa Williams. Urie was cast as a guest star, but his chemistry with Williams led to him becoming a regular and beloved character on the show.
And his most recent project was the Netflix holiday movie “Single All The Way,” as he graduated to leading man status. Above in the Drew Berrymore show clip, Urie talks about both roles.
Below is the trailer to the charming movie.
For those of you who forgot how great he was on Ugly Betty, here’s a clip of him with Amanda, played by Becki Newton
re several snarky clips of Urie as Marc St. James on Ugly Betty, but here’s a really lovely clip from the show that really shows his range.
And here he talks about how Vanessa Williams elevated his role on Ugly Betty.
It was several years ago when I first watched “Saving Face,” renting it from a local video store (yeah, it was a VHS) and was captivated by a film that featured three strong leads, two of which I didn’t know much about before.
What drew me was that it was an Asian American film with an interesting premise. A mother and daughter were keeping secrets from each other. The mother is pregnant and no one knows who the father was, while the daughter was in the closet, but entering a serious relationship.
The film was directed by Alice Wu, who had made the unusual transition from tech to motion pictures. But this is around the time when Ang Lee’s career was launched with two movies that still rank among my favorite’s, “The Wedding Banquet” and “Eat, Drink, Man, Woman.”
It really felt like the launching pad for some extraordinary voices in the Asian American community. Put that into perspective: Lee has gone on to become one of the most celebrated directors in Hollywood and has won three Oscars.
Wu’s debut work in “Saving Face” is that good.
So it was five years ago that my brother and I headed out to Los Angeles for a 10th anniversary screening and Q&A at the Japanese American National Museum.
I figured it would be a large Asian crowd. Well, it was a large female crowd, which I hadn’t expected. But it is a testament that Wu had touched a nerve in different audiences for different reasons.
But it was a cool evening. I got to meet the cast and Teddy Zee, a legendary producer. Another producer on the movie, who wasn’t there, was Will Smith. Yes, the Fresh Prince.
So a few days ago, I had seen the preview for “The Half of It,” which debuts on May 1 on Netflix. When I saw the trailer, I got excited.
It felt like it a fresh new story, but the spirit of “Saving Face.” It also has the feel of “To All The Boys I Loved Before,” a teen movie with a lot of heart and intriguing characters.
“The Half of It,” is about a 17-year-old who starts writing love letters for the star football player, only to also fall in love with the same girl.
What has surprised me is that it’s been 15 years since Wu has written and directed a film, although she has been a script doctor for other productions. Part of it was her returning home to care for her mother, and part of it was writer’s block. You can learn more about Wu in this feature from the San Francisco Chronicle https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/san-franciscos-alice-wu-gets-back-into-directing-with-new-netflix-film-the-half-of-it?fbclid=IwAR28W9xjBSHI4PdnW0-H24Av8WjHssGPwUi3y4W5C1y1x1QE_7_-Hcb6lKs
But Wu’s story in getting “Saving Face” made reminded me of another film maker got his start, Jon Favreau.
Another one of my favorite independent movies is “Swingers,” which Favreau wrote. And he has gone to become maybe the biggest power player in Hollywood having launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe when he directed the Iron Man movies. His long list of accomplishments is too long to list.
A few days ago, Jon M. Chu, the director of “Crazy Rich Asians” tweeted out the New York Times article on Wu and posted:
The @thatalicewu is a pioneer that was ahead of her time when I first was in awe of her and now the world has caught up. Get ready everyone, she has a lot more to say. Keep an eye out on her for years to come. @Netflix #TheHalfOfIt
For that New York Times article, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/movies/the-half-of-it-alice-wu.html?smid=tw-share
With the cancellation of Coachella and tours, we will be without concerts and live music for a while. Although Chris Martin and John Legend said they would do live performances online, which is cool, although I haven’t had a chance to see it yet. You think I would with all this free time.
So here’s a look at some of my favorite live performances I’ve found on YouTube. These all have something unique, like a special guest.
This song always brings out the feels. But what makes this performance so special is how Dave Grohl looks at her and really accents the emotions of this song.
Got a chance to witness this live during Bon Iver’s set at Coachella. There was no introduction, they just started playing and it took me a while to realize he brought out Bruce Hornsby and Jenny Lewis. It was a great moment.
This one keeps getting removed, so enjoy it while you can. There was a better version in the past. Hopefully it will pop up again.
During Jay-Z’s headlining set at Coachella, he brought in Beyonce to cover the Alphaville’s “Forever Young,” for his song, “Young Forever.”
Dave Grohl has some pretty inspired moments on stage and this is another one, with Rick Astley, giving a rock version of the Rickrolled song “Never Going to Give You Up.”
As far as I can tell, this is the first time the two performed “Shallow” together since the release of “A Star is Born,” and it was definitely before their heavily buzzed Oscar performance.
The worst symptom of the Coronavirus might be boredom. So it’s time to go down some of these wormholes on YouTube to get me through the social distancing.
Also, to start writing my blog again.
So I’m going to do different topics, I think mostly music related. This one will be kicked off with some various music series on YouTube that are fun to follow. To be honest, I haven’t checked in with some of these for a while.
This is a fun series where top up-and-coming acts come through and cover a song from a selected list. Some of these can be really inspired.
Other times, you’re wondering what the hell you just watched.
But that’s the pure fun of this series. I haven’t been following this lately. But above is a fun cover of “Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl” from Looking Glass. Or maybe you’ll know it better from Guardians of the Galaxy II,
Below is one of my favorites from the series, which is Ted Leo and the Pharmacist covering “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” It’s just a fun rock-punk vibe to an 80s staple.
And this one might be my favorite, Nada Surf covering “Bizarre Love Triangle” from New Order. This song seems to be a favorite of a lot of people as I’ve seen numerous covers of this song. Nada Surf added some horns and a beatbox (kind of) to this song which makes it fun.
I stumbled across this when I was looking up music from Walk The Moon, and “Anna Sun” was one of those earworms I couldn’t shake off. That’s when I discovered this performance with this chorus in New York. It’s a really good series that’s truly inspiring.
Here’s another fun video with Portugal the Man performing “Feel It Still” with the chorus.
This is an amazing series that features Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates, and he brings in various acts for some amazing jam sessions. This started when I was obsessed with Fitz and the Tantrums and I was blown away when they were on.
I think this one is a real gem with Nick Lowe, covering his hit “Cruel to be Kind.”
And finally, here is Neon Tree with Daryl covering their hit “Animal.”
Let me know what your favorite music series are on YouTube and I’ll feature my favorites in a future blog. I need the inspiration during this pandemic.
I’m always surprised at Sam Boghosian’s patience with me, because I had always been obsessed with his rings.
When we would meet for lunch or early morning coffee, I would eventually ask about the rings, and inquire if he would bring them over. I hope he didn’t think I was more interested in the rings than him.
Sam was that really cool sports figure that I loved to hang around with. People might not know as much about Sam as other sports figures here in the Palm Springs area. But few sports figures are more accomplished as Sam.
In college, Sam played for UCLA and helped the Bruins win their only national championship in football. When you consider how rich their sports history is, I think that makes the football title especially unique.
Sam had also interviewed for the head coaching job at Oklahoma at one point, but then he got a job as the offensive coordinator coach for the expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976.
After his stint in Seattle, Sam went on to join his friend Tom Flores with the Raiders where he was the offensive line coach. There, Sam won two more rings.
So I think I got Sam to bring his rings a few times, sitting in Ruby’s or Mimi’s Cafe. If only the people next to us knew what he was carrying.
I got to know Sam when I worked at the Desert Sun. I can’t remember the story where we met. I’m pretty sure he was promoting a charity event, because he was always giving in that way.
But Sam was great about helping these events as a volunteer. As a journalist, you deal with a lot of PR professionals, and they stink at dealing with the media. They should have hired a guy like Sam.
I’ve made the transition from writer to handling media relations and marketing. My success with it is really based on how Sam did it. He was friendly, informative and knew how to sell it.
In fact, Sam did it better than people who made a career of it.
And Sam would introduce me to people, some who would become interesting stories. I met Bob Newton, who was on the offensive line during Sam’s time with the Seahawks.
Bob is a man who had battled addiction, overcome it and has been a successful counselor for several clinics in town, including the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage.
And of course, I got to know Tom Flores, the former Raiders coach, through Sam.
It was Sam, who alerted me to the fact that Flores is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, despite the fact he won two Super Bowls as a head coach, one as an assistant coach and another as a backup quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
He had pushed for Flores to be inducted, and now I try to do what I can to help Flores. I mean, the Raiders have never won a Super Bowl without Tom Flores. The Raiders are the only Southern California team to win a Super Bowl. And Flores is also the first minority coach in the NFL, let along the first to win a title.
Sadly, Sam won’t be around to see Flores inducted into the Hall of Fame.
On Sunday, Sam has passed away. He had Alzheimer’s and his health had been declining.
It took me a while to pick up that Sam had Alzheimer’s. He would always ask me many times how I was doing. But even before he had the disease, he would ask me multiple times how I was doing because he sincerely cared about me.
I’m not the only one who Sam really cared about. Flores would tell me how Sam would have so many friends around the area. He was a lovable guy.
Sam also seemed like a larger-than-life kind of guy. Although he was only 5-foot-9, he just seemed like he would be tough as nails if you pushed him.
I’m not really how Sam would react in a adverse situation, because I never saw Sam angry. Well, that’s if you don’t count the times when he expressed his frustrations over Flores not being in the Hall of Fame.
I had gone through some tough times. Each time I spoke with Sam, he would want to figure out a way to help me. During those times, I wasn’t sure how I could help myself, so I didn’t know what to ask for.
The last time I spoke with Sam was during the holidays. I wanted to wish him a Merry Christmas. He was repeating himself a few times, but it was always wanting to know how I was doing.
To me, that was the same old Sam.
I’m really going to miss him.
Below is what Sam’s daughter Jody Boghosian Schiltz posted on Facebook.
My daddy, the man that taught me how to love, live and respect has passed away. It’s all fresh and raw. I am grateful for the unconditional love and comfort that he gave me and taught me how to give in return.
My daddy was my hero. ❤️
Sam Boghosian was born in Fresno, CA on December 22, 1931 and passed away in his Indian Wells home on February 23, 2020. With his wife Judy, and daughter Jody by his side.
Sam Boghosian was a man of many talents.
He graduated from UCLA as an Academic All American and asset to the 1954 National Championship Football team. His success at UCLA set the groundwork for the man he would become. His passion for people and football lead him into coaching with jobs at UCLA, Oregon State University, the Houston Oilers, the Seattle Seahawks, and lastly the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Sam helped coach the Raiders to two Super Bowl Championships.
Dedicated to cultivating lasting and meaningful connections, Sam lived his life in commitment to excellence and to all those around him that he loved so dearly. It was in his blood to help others and leave an impact on every person he met on his journey. As a member of the Triple X Fraternity and the NFL Alumni Association, he utilized his platform to do just that. He raised money and awareness for countless charities, helped facilitate and organize fundraisers, and was always up for a round of golf in honor of a good cause.
Sam Boghosian was a man of integrity, passion, and dedication.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Judy, and their daughter, Jody Schiltz, son-in-law, Brian, and grandson Braden. He now joins his son, John James Boghosian, who preceded him in death. Sam was a beloved son and brother leaving behind his sister, Joyce, brothers, Marty and Joe, their families, and the families of his siblings that passed before him.
We all love Sam dearly.
On behalf of my father, and in lieu of flowers; please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association as they continue to search for a cure for this debilitating disease. Or please send a monetary donation, in my name, Jody Schiltz, for my mother, Judy Boghosian, who also has Alzheimer’s Disease and needs to be placed in a memory care home. I will be moving Judy to a care facility near my home in Georgia so she can be near my family and receive the care she needs to live the rest of her life with as much dignity as is possible. Thank you for any help you can give, as my parents were not financially prepared for the expenses that are needed for this level of extensive care.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/judy-boghosian-memory-care-fund?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-7a — with Brian Schiltz.
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