When we arrive at “The Accent on Fun Birthday Party,” we hear women speaking in the next room. Judging by all the accents, it could be a Danish baroness talking about her farm in Africa; a posh, Prada-wearing, devilish fashionista; and perhaps, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. As we come into the dining area, we thrill to discover all those diverse and delightful accents belong to the multi-faceted Meryl Streep.
There are other great accents to tease our ears: the California cool of Brian Wilson, the Texas twang of Ambrose Bierce, the worldly erudition of Anthony Bourdain and the playful, ear-clanging “New Yawk” of Judy Holliday.
The accents are a sound tapestry of America and the accent of this party, which includes dancer/choreographer, Bob Fosse and also Moe Howard of The Three Stooges, is decidedly on—FUN.
JOIN US…
You feel and hear the joy as you enter our party room and appreciate the perfect acoustics of Brian Wilson’s home recording studio. HOORAY FOR THE JOY-GIVERS! (Note: The comments attributed to these famous joy-givers come from words they have written or said.)
PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THESE AMERICAN JOY-GIVERS CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK:
June 19—MOE HOWARD (born Moses Harry Horowitz) with his older brother, Shemp Howard and younger brother, Curly Howard, formed the farce comedy team—“The Three Stooges.” Starting in vaudeville, the slapstick trio performed from 1922 until 1970. They are best remembered for their 190 short subject comedies for Columbia Pictures. Although they never received acclaim from film or television critics, they hugely, joyfully accomplished what they set out to do—make people laugh.
June 20—BRIAN WILSON is considered a music genius by many and acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters of the 20th century. The musician, singer, songwriter and record producer founded The Beach Boys. The multiple Grammy winner is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. By the mid-1960s, he had written or co-written more than two dozen U.S. “Top 40” hits including: “Surf City,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “I Get Around” and “Good Vibrations.”
June 21—JUDY HOLLIDAY (born Judith Tuvim) was an actress, comedian and singer. She began her career as part of a nightclub act before working in Broadway plays and musicals. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and a Tony award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Two of her biggest hits were: “Born Yesterday” and “Bells Are Ringing.”
June 22—MERYL STREEP (born Mary Louise Streep) is often described as “the best actress of her generation.” She is particularly known for her vocal accents and versatility. Her accolades include a record 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and a record 32 Golden Globe nominations, winning nine. She is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
June 23—BOB FOSSE was a dancer, musical theater choreographer, actor, theater director and filmmaker. His distinctive, joy-giving style of choreography included turned-in knees and “jazz hands!” He is the only person ever to have won Oscar, Emmy and Tony awards in the same year (1973). He won a record eight Tonys for choreography, as well as a Tony for direction of “Pippin.”
June 24—AMBROSE BIERCE is one of my favorite American aphorists and I quote him in the musical I co-wrote, “The Original, One-Liner American Diner.” His hilarious book, “The Devil’s Dictionary” was named one of “The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature” by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration.
The prolific and versatile storyteller, journalist, short story writer, poet and fabulist was a pioneer of realist fiction. His horror writing rivals Poe and Stephen King, and his war stories influenced Stephen Crane and Ernest Hemingway.
In 1913, Ambrose Bierce told reporters he was traveling to Mexico to gain firsthand experience of the Mexican Revolution. He disappeared and was never seen again.
June 25—ANTHONY BOURDAIN was a celebrity chef, graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, author and travel documentarian. He first became well-known as the author of “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.” His first food and world-travel television show, “A Cook’s Tour,” ran for 35 episodes on the Food Network.
COMMENTS OVERHEARD AT “THE ACCENT ON FUN BIRTHDAY PARTY:”
“I grow on people, of course, so do warts.”—Moe Howard
“Beware the lollipop of mediocrity; lick it once and you’ll suck forever.”—Brian Wilson
“Nevvah do nothin’ ya wouldn’t want printed on the front page of The New York Times.”—Judy Holliday
“Always take your heart to work.”—Meryl Streep
“Dance expresses joy better than anything else.”—Bob Fosse
“The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog.”—Ambrose Bierce
“Your body is not a temple; it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”—Anthony Bourdain
“Every time you think, you weaken the nation.”—Moe Howard to a brother
“I believe that music is God’s voice.”—Brian Wilson
“I’m a born and bred New Yorker. Every time I leave it’s like losing a leg.”—Judy Holliday
“The formula for happiness and success is just being, actually yourself, in the most vivid possible way you can.”—Meryl Streep
“The energy doesn’t end at the ‘jazz hands.’ I want such intensity that it feels like light is streaming from every finger.”—Bob Fosse
“Don’t dance for the audience; dance for yourself.”—Bob Fosse
“Love, a noun. A temporary insanity curable by marriage.”—Ambrose Bierce
“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans…are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.”—Anthony Bourdain
“I’m positive about the negative, but a little negative about the positive.”—Moe Howard
“I think in terms of emotions. And, feelings. So sometimes what I say may not always be clear. But creatively, there is a lot to be said for that way of thinking.”—Brian Wilson
“Lovers have a right to betray you…friends don’t.”—Judy Holliday
“You have to embrace getting older. Life is precious, and when you’ve lost a lot of people, you realize each day is a gift.”—Meryl Streep
“Guard your good mood.”—Meryl Streep
“Life is just a bowl of cherries, don’t take it serious, it’s mysterious. Life is just a bowl of cherries, so live and laugh and laugh at love, love a laugh, laugh and love.”—Bob Fosse
“Bore, noun. A person who talks when you wish him to listen.”—Ambrose Bierce
“The journey is part of the experience—an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. You don’t take the ‘A’ train to Mecca.”—Anthony Bourdain
“I’m the best musician in the country but this is the city.”—Moe Howard
“To wear a floral shirt is an experience.”—Brian Wilson
“In repose, my face looks as though I had gone through a terrible deal in the last five minutes. I have to disguise the expression and get a glassy-eyed look. That’s something I learned from my dog.”—Judy Holliday
“We need art as much as we need good works. We need it like food. We need art for inspiration to keep going on the days that we are low.”—Meryl Streep
“Choreography is writing with your feet.”—Bob Fosse
“Egotist, noun. A person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me.”—Ambrose Bierce
“You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money and your time in cheese.”—Anthony Bourdain
“An ounce of sauce covers a multitude of sins.”—Anthony Bourdain
“When you hear the song, ‘The Gates of Hell Are Open,’ that’s when you walk in.”—Moe Howard
“Humor—it helps to make the vibe better—it loosens up the vibrations.”—Brian Wilson
“I consider myself to be a crusader of love. I try to spread love around the world as best I can because I know I have a handle on love.”—Brian Wilson
PARTY MENU FOR “THE ACCENT ON FUN BIRTHDAY PARTY:”
APPETIZER—Bob Fosse Savory Jazz Hands Pies (allrecipes.com)
SALAD—Meryl Streep Vermicelli Accent Salad (cooks.com)
ENTRÉE—Brian Wilson Surf and Turf Kabobs (Pillsbury.com)
SIDE DISH—Anthony Bourdain Mashed Potatoes (foodrepublic.com)
BREAD—Judy Holliday New Yawk Challah (kingarthurbaking.com)
BEVERAGE—Ambrose Bierce El Diablo Cocktail (supercall.com)
DESSERT—The Best Three Stooges Throwed Custard Pie (see below)
ONE TO GROW ON: Actually, here are three to grow on to explore this week’s birthday celebrants. The award-winning feature film, “All That Jazz,” is a cocktail of dance and decadence inspired by the fully-lived life of dazzling choreographer, Bob Fosse. “Love & Mercy” is the 2014 biopic of Brian Wilson—a life that required two actors to play him: Paul Dano as the beach boy and John Cusack as the beach man. Then, lighten things up with the frothy, “Mama Mia” starring a joy-loving and joy-giving Meryl Streep with her own Mediterranean-tinged accent and a Grecian formula for summertime romance.
At the end of “The Accent on Fun Birthday Party,” Moe Howard shared this vaudeville joke in his classic “Stooges” accent: “I was sitting in a bar one day and two women came in, talking in an interesting accent. So, I said, “Cool accent, are you two ladies from Ireland?” One of them snarled at me, “It’s Wales, dumbo.” So, I corrected myself, “Oh right, so are you two whales from Ireland?”
Ladies and gents: Good night. Bonne nuit. Gute nacht.
THE BEST THREE STOOGES THROWED CUSTARD PIE
(source: cooks.com)
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1 ½ cups milk
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Pastry pie shell
DIRECTIONS
- Beat eggs slightly, add sugar, salt and milk
- Line a deep pie pan with pastry. Dampen edge of the pastry and add 1 inch strip of pastry to build up the edge.
- Brush the pie shell with melted butter and pour in the custard filling. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 30 minutes.
TIP: Do not disturb the custard while it’s cooking; leave in oven for 1 hour after cooking to set.
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