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The redneck wits of Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road have gone a little more posh in this, their final appearance together. Performing in the gorgeous, historic Warner Theater in Washington, D.C., there's an air of class about the proceedings quickly and good-naturedly undone by the quartet's material. Bill Engvall discusses what it was like to assemble a trampoline for his kid and make a couple of discoveries while trying it out: "One, the dog doesn't like to jump. Two, I'm 20 feet in the air, and now my high school geometry kicks in. If you jump at an angle, you bounce at the opposite angle." He has another fond remembrance of youth: "Remember when you discovered you could burn ants with a magnifying glass? Then I saw an ant on my arm." Ron White, with trademark drink and a smoke in hand, talks about dieting tips for clean living: "Skinny people tell you: drink a lot of water, you'll be less hungry. You know what? Drink a lot of water, you'll be less thirsty." Redneck everyman Jeff Foxworthy comes armed with fashion tips for the Wal-Mart crowd: "There's no shame in having a spare tire around your waist. Just cover it up." He's also got vasectomy clinic slogans you don't want to hear: "Half-off. Everything must go." Finally, Larry the Cable Guy continues narrating his journey through cluelessness: "I got married seven months ago. We're already having trouble. Apparently, you can't talk dirty to your wife's sister." A little sidebar about the comedians' special trip to the White House is a cute diversion, while special features include a brisk question-and-answer session with a sharp audience. --Tom Keogh
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Blue Collar Comedy Tour - One for the Road was an incredible movie! Both Jeff Foxworthy and Larry The Cable Guy were amazing! The great cast includes Jeff Foxworthy, Larry The Cable Guy, Bill Engvall.
I think Grace Bumbry and Jon Vickers worked wonderful in Bizet - Carmen. The great supporting cast includes Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Justino Daz, Mirella Freni, Olivera Miljakovic.
I left some information, immages, and video previews of Bizet - Carmen below.
Summary of Bizet - Carmen:
Bizet's tale of the fiery gypsy and her naive, ultimately murderous lover, is an operatic staple but few versions boast such well-acted, brilliantly sung leading roles. Grace Bumbry's Carmen is a beautiful, witty temptress, amused at the deliriums she induces. Bumbry's facial expressions and body movements help create a nuanced character, and her singing is compelling, especially effective in the big moments; the Habanera done with languorous flirtatiousness, the Seguedilla entrancing.
One of opera's greatest singing actors, Vickers portrays the unworldly soldier of Act One before morphing into the tortured hero torn between love and duty of Act Two and finally, the insane outlaw of the finale. He and Bumbry strike sparks in the tavern scene and his "Flower" aria is the vocal and emotional highlight, begun in a throaty half-voice and building into an overwhelmingly intense cri de coeur. Mirelli Freni's Micaela, the village girl Don Jose abandons for Carmen, acts and sings her arias with vocal beauty and charm to burn. Justino Diaz is a straightforward Escamillo in a part that wants more flair and self-centered smugness. Smaller roles are adequately done.
Herbert Von Karajan directed and conducts. He's seen during the Prelude and the entr'actes in his closed-eyes mode of conducting. This Munich-made film is based on 1967 Salzburg Festival performances. It's without obvious lip-synch problems, but busy camera work indulges in many meaningless close-ups, including a shoe-top view of von Karajan's hands. Not as cohesive as Kleiber's DVD or Levine's MET production, but a must-have for Bumbry and Vickers. --Dan Davis