Dame Lobster

I ask you, what American actress of such royal caliber as the Great Dame Judi Dench would put on a lobster costume with such panache for a tv commercial ?

Quote of the Day

"I actually met Stephen Sondheim at Hal Prince's house in Majorca a very long time ago.  And we arrived and Steven was in the pool and Hal Prince said to Michael, and Finty and me, 'Oh that's Steve.'  It was not until that evening when we heard him playing, Michael said to me, 'You know who Steve is, don't you?'   And they were actually preparing Merrily We Roll Along.


I say this with not a degree of exaggeration, I think that we've got Shakespeare, the music of Mozart, the music of Beethoven and we have Stephen Sondheim.  I think he's a true genius, not only in writing his music, but his lyrics as well.  I think we're incredibly lucky."

Dame Judi Dench, who played Desiree in the 1995 National Theatre Production of A Little Night Music - Part of intermission interview during  BBC Proms Celebrates Stephen Sondheim at 80

Proms King: Sondheim

BBC Proms devoted a concert to honor Stephen Sondheim's 80th Birthday in London last night (even as Ravinia Festival in Chicago was throwing it's own Sondheim birthday concert).   Performers included Dame Judi Dench, Bryn Terfel, Maria Friedman, Simon Russell Beale, Daneil Evans, Jenna Russell, Caroline O'Connor and Julian Ovenden. It was the first ever all-Sondheim Proms and Mr. Sondheim was in attendance.

What is Proms?  From wikipedia: Proms is short for promenade concert, a term which arose from the original practice of audience members promenading, or strolling, in some areas of the concert hall during the concert. The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, London. Founded in 1895, each season currently consists of over 70 concerts in the Albert Hall, a series of chamber concerts at Cadogan Hall, additional Proms in the Park events across the United Kingdom on the last night, and associated educational and children's events.

The audio of the Sondheim Proms is available  on BBC iPlayer. Click here for more information on this proms, plus links to related radio programs.