About First Night . . .

When it was announced that the Big Apple Circus would be performing at the First Night 2011 celebration this New Year's Eve in Montclair, New Jersey, I thought, "Wow, that's astonishing! Montclair is still having a First Night celebration this year?"

Well, maybe not. The ongoing economic slump and drastic cuts in municipal budgets of even an upscale suburb like Montclair, New Jersey, have cast doubt on its ability to have a First Night celebration of any kind this year. The Big Apple Circus is in fact a big name in these parts, and landing them for First Night is a major coup, but so far that's all the organizers can afford. They can't even pay for police protection, promotional materials, or ticket printing. Marc Dashield, Montclair's township manager, had hoped that the town could stage a pared-down celebration, but with time passing quickly and little planning having been made, hope is dimming. They don't even have a cultural affairs coordinator in Montclair anymore; that position was eliminated in a mass municipal layoff. On top of that, vendors involved in such big events want their money up front, even as it takes the municipality that's organizing the whole darn thing months to get the necessary approvals and the like.

So, eh, how much money have the First Night organizers raised? A paltry $20,000. That's enough to buy a base Hyundai Sonata. It's also enough, apparently, to book a big-name act for a First Night celebration, but not enough to pay for anything else.

Look, I'm no municipal budget expert, but if you have twenty grand to spend, and you're still bringing in donations from folks who don't want to see First Night go down in flames, but it's still not enough to book the Big Apple Circus and pay for everything else, well, how about this for an idea? Ditch the Big Apple Circus! We don't need Grandma the Clown and all that lot! Spend the money you have on putting it together, not attracting big-name entertainers! Get small-time entertainers to donate their time and talents! They're just as good, they're just not as famous! I myself know several performing artists who might be interested. Heck, Montclair has plenty of entertainers among its population. They also have plenty of empty stores to have the performances in! So get the landlords involved!

You know, this reminds me of a story about how Lionel Richie planned to have big names appear on his second solo album, but he ditched the idea when he realized that getting big pop stars to make guest appearances on his record was less important than finding musicians who could best serve his songs. That album ended up winning a Grammy and producing three hit singles. So, maybe having the Big Apple Circus for First Night is less important than actually having a First Night. Because without First Night, folks will be spending New Year's Eve either going out and drinking or staying at home and watching the ball drop in Times Square while munching on bite-size egg rolls from the toaster oven. Because for many people, First Night is the only real public gathering opportunity for New Year's Eve under any circumstances.

Sorry, Grandma.

Lynn and Lena

Two notable passings in the entertainment world occurred recently. . . .

Lynn Redgrave was a British actress as familiar to Americans as a Beatles song on the radio. She had the relative (no pun intended) career impediment of being a good actress in a family with a great one. But Lynn was able to get out of sister Vanessa's shadow in good fashion. First introduced to moviegoers in the title role in Georgy Girl, a 1966 movie about a young woman dealing with a weight problem, Lynn Redgrave came out of Swinging London swinging with talent, a talent that made her a ubiquitous presence in movies, theater, stage and television. She distinguished herself in various stage roles, both plays and musicals, and considered no role too small; only a couple of years ago, she starred in a production Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest in New Jersey. Lynn Redgrave died of breast cancer last week at 67. Her death comes a a bad time for sister Vanessa Redgrave, who lost her daughter Natasha Richardson last year and her brother more recently.

Meanwhile, I don't think I can say anything about singer/actress Lena Horne, who died Sunday at 92, that hasn't been said already. So I'll just say what's on my mind. Lena Horne was always referred to as the first black woman to be major star in Hollywood, but what makes her career important is that she succeeded in being a female Hollywood star who happened to be black. Her success paved the way for future stars such as Halle Berry, and Horne was able to succeed without having to re-invent herself. She never had to erase her accent, and she adapted to changing times without changing her style. Her 1981 one-woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, proved that she was still relevant, glamorous, and talented at 64.

Both women will be missed. RIP. :-(