HubArts.com

"Crazy For God," Not So Crazy About Bush

The Globe this morning has my long feature on the novelist and author Frank Schaeffer of Salisbury, whose new book, "Crazy for God," is a memoir. As the subhed puts it, "He was raised in evangelism, then he raised the Right. Now Frank Schaeffer sees the other side." Frank grew up in Switzerland, the son of evangelist missionaries, left the church after close encounters with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, and wrote funny/sad novels about his youth ("Portofino," "Zermatt"). Having a son in the Marines made him a passionate supporter of our troops - and just as passionate about his disdain for our current president. "Crazy For God" is a good read, and so, I sez modestly, is the story. You've got to buy hard copy to see Dina Rudick's terrific pictures, though.

Giant Gay Flesh Eating Rats on the Internet! But where??

Kudos to Jess over at the Herald (my former employer) for her piece on these popular YouTube parodies of Mitt Romney and other presidential candidates. But um, couldn't somebody at bostonherald.com have put a link to the actual video? Or given us the URL? Or something? Or maybe even imbedded the videos? Because, um, they didn't, at least not that I can find in Firefox or IE. And searching YouTube under the name of the videos' creator didn't turn them up either, at least until I dropped his first name.

UPDATE: Jess did imbed them already on the Messenger blog. But geez, how many folks look at that as opposed to the main site?

In the meantime, HubArts has done the work for you:

Lori McKenna. For the Tots. How can you lose?

I know there's a bazillion Christmas events, but tonight at the early hour of 6:30 you can a) Hear some cool music, b) support Toys For Tots, and c) give props to one of the Bay State's best and most deserving musicians. Lori McKenna will be performing at the First Act Guitar Studio, (745 Boylston Street, 617-226-7859). Bring an unwrapped toy as the price of admission. And, bonus, you'll be able to get free downloads from her performance at www.newburycomics.com when you buy her new album, "Unglamorous." Although why haven't you bought it already? Pretty much everybody knows that McKenna is a mom from Stoughton who didn't start playing out for real until her late 20s, but she's such a good singer and songwriter that she's now opening for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in front of huge crowds because Hill fell totally under her spell. It's like the nicest music business story ever. So get on over there and tell her Merry Christmas and do something nice for a needy tot. WXRV The River is sponsoring.

Citi Center Policie$ "Generally Consistent" With Other Charities? Really?

That's what the Attorney General's office said in clearing the Citi Center of any legal wrongdoing after revelations in the Globe about President and CEO Josiah Spaulding's compensation. Makes me wonder what the local food pantry and the feline rescue society pay their head honchos. I'm gonna be really surprised if it turns out to be a $1.2 million bonus despite years of budget deficits and reduced programming.

Spaulding already makes more than 400 large, remember. And after a good run in the 1990s, his more recent performance hardly seems bonus-worthy, at least to those of us who aren't on the board. In fact, you'd think it might be time for a change at the top.

From the Globe: "Spaulding has presided over five straight years of budget deficits, cuts to programming, and a dramatic drop in performances at the Wang and Shubert theaters, which the Citi Center operates. The decision to slash the Shakespeare production that ended on Sunday -- the budget was sliced in half, to $481,027, and the free production's run from three weeks to one -- has brought renewed criticism of Spaulding and the Citi Center." And also: "In the latest fiscal year for which figures are available, which ended May 31, 2006, the Citi Center had a $2.7 million deficit, according to figures provided by chief financial officer Peter D. Fifield."

If nothing else, Spaulding is really really good at managing upward.

How About Changing It Up, Hollywood?

Kudos to this Boston blogger who's getting a little tired of seeing Southie become synonymous with gritty crime flicks ("The Departed" at al and now this). It's a trend for which we presumably have Whitey Bulger to thank, although the Southie scenes with Matt Damon in the  much more beloved "Good Will Hunting" may have had something to do with it too. Jason asks, why not "a Disney High School Musical-esque teen flick about summers at Castle Island?" And we say, why not? (Via Universal Hub)

Ailey in February

The Celebrity Series blog has details on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's annual visit to town, which is happening in February this season, instead of April. "Firebird" tops the program for the Feb. 7-10 performances at the Wang Theatre. The blog also points us to this review of the troupe's recent New York performances.

BMAs Live Up (Down?) To Advance Reviews

I was in holiday mode Saturday night but pretty confident that I wouldn't be missing much at the Boston Music Awards at the Orpheum, judging by advance reports. And it seems that was right, although fans enjoyed mini-sets by Bobby Brown with a Berklee ensemble and the reunited Extreme. The Globe was relatively kind, but the Herald and Bostonist beat on the awards show for absentee winners, sloppy tech work and apathetic presenters. Among the missing were act of the year winners Killswitch Engage and Hall of Fame inductees Buffalo Tom. Nobody mentions whether Augustana showed up to sing "Boston," which would be the coup de grace either way, come to think of it. ... Sounds like a lot more fun at Berklee's Christopher Guest tribute on Friday, where the closing rendition of Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom" featured "approximately 50 giddy bassists flooding the aisles" and Berklee President Roger H. Brown on drums. Wrote the Globe's Marc Hirsh: "Any man who can get the president of Berklee to pound out an ode to large posteriors surely deserves the title of 'doctor.'" Amen to that.