After sending out the 36th consecutive Monthly Update last January, I decided to skip February’s edition as a simple nod to Leap Day. Sometime over the summer I realized my nod had become a much larger tribute to Leap Year.
And what a year it was. The election, the Olympics, and the economy dominated much of our time and conversation but we still found the time to see friends and family, to take on new challenges, and to explore more of Los Angeles. Here’s a look back at 2008 in the Cameron/Utt household.
WHAT’S NEW?
In March we both started new jobs. Daryl left Disney Interactive Studios to become the Marketing Manager at ReelzChannel (check your local listings.) He works downtown at L.A.Center Studios, which is home to Mad Men and Numb3rs.
I’m at Universal Studios Home Entertainment working with the Curious George team. This Emmy-winning series is in it third season on PBS (check your local listings.)
Daryl and I succumbed to peer pressure and joined Facebook. It’s a swell tool for catching up with high school, college and work friends but I only check it casually.
The other new thing in our life is Mutineer Theatre Company.
I could tell you all about the awesome people and the collaborative spirit of this new, non-profit company but why don’t you click on the website? It’s much cooler and you can see everyone’s pictures.I’m the Dramaturge for MTC so I look for new plays and, in a production, my job is to make sure that the author’s purpose is clear and that the audience isn’t distracted by plot inconsistencies, factual inaccuracies, or unintended ambiguity.
Daryl signed on as Casting Director and did a great job with the auditions for our first production. It’s called Lie With Me and it was written by Keith Bridges and it opens in March. More details will follow.
In the meantime, you can join us Saturday, January 24 for The Launch Party. We’ll have live music, complimentary food and beverage, a silent auction and more for a $25 donation. Click here for details and RSVP information. If you’d like to donate something for the auction, call or send me an e-mail.
HAPPENINGS
July 10 Daryl celebrated his 40th birthday with dinner and friends at The Polo Lounge in The Beverly Hills Hotel.
July 29 we experienced our third earthquake since moving to LA. It lasted twice as long as the previous quakes or maybe it just seemed to since I was on the 33rd floor.
On September 2, Daryl became a proud uncle as his sister Annette gave birth to Cameron Clark Saunders.
October 25 we celebrated the wedding of our friends Byron and Shephard. This was a beautiful night with a concert, amazing food, old friends, new friends and lots of laughter.
November 4 marked the first time we were close enough to walk to the voting center and it was the first time we attended an election-night party.
INDUSTRY EVENTS
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences saluted Betty White for her 60 Years in Television. It was surreal seeing her and the entire cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show—even Rhoda and Phyllis—in person.
At another ATAS event, Shirley McLaine, Mitzi Gaynor, Toni Basil, Nigel Lythgoe and the Solid Gold Dancers all showed up to celebrate the history of televised dance.
Daryl was at the Academy’s salute to TV Mothers and enjoyed hearing stories from Marion Ross and Erin Moran of Happy Days; Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertinelli of One Day at a Time; Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers of Leave It to Beaver; and Holland Taylor and Charlie Sheen of Two and Half Men.
Although the AFI Night at the Movies was something of a logistical nightmare, we managed to catch Jodie Foster, Jim Carrey, and Jenny McCarthy on the red carpet. The biggest thrill of the evening was being in the same room with Sean Connery as he discussed his classic film The Man Who Would Be King.
Daryl hung out with Lily Tomlin, Paula Poundstone, Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams and others at an awareness event for single payer healthcare reform.
CONCERTS
The Police ended their reunion tour at the Hollywood Bowl with Elvis Costello and Daryl was there to see it. We were back at the Bowl for Warner Bros Night at the Movies and I saw a program of German Romantics.
We went to The Forum to see George Michael in one of his few stateside appearances. It was a laid-back show but he sounded terrific.
We had a great time at the El Portal Theater as Debbie Reynolds sang, joked, recounted stories and shared film clips in her one-woman show.
I was in Santa Monica to see an all-Beethoven program at the opening concert of New West Symphony’s 2008/2009 season. It’s a solid ensemble with a terrific venue.
LOS ANGELES SITES
I finally made it to Skeletons in the Closet—the gift shop at the L.A. County Coroners Office.
Glendale’s Forest Lawn cemetery has a museum with rotating art exhibits. We wandered through the new Tiki exhibit and saw their impressive stained glass recreation of DaVinci’s Last Supper.
We visited the beautiful grounds of the historic Greystone Mansion which has appeared in films like X-Men and Ghostbusters.
Charles Phoenix’s Moonlight Roller Jubilee was equal parts slide show, organ recital, roller-skating performance and nostalgic kitsch. The event was so popular he created a Christmas edition.Daryl got to tour the Bradbury Building. Although architecturally significant for its 1890’s design, the Bradbury is just as popular with fans of the movie Blade Runner.
We spent a beautiful summer afternoon with friends sailing from Marina del Rey to Malibu.
Rose Tree Cottage, one of our favorite haunts, moved into its new home. As difficult as it was to leave the old Tudor-syle house the new location seems to be working out pretty well. The tea room and shoppe were very busy during the holidays.
TRAVEL
We were in Las Vegas for a long weekend in April and Daryl returned in September to see Donny & Marie and Barry Manilow.
We spent the second week of September in Cancun. There was some rain and rough seas as Hurricane Ike made his way up to Texas, so we didn’t spend much time at the beach. Luckily the weather was clear the day we visited the pyramid and ruins of Chichen Itza.
In October, Daryl was in North Carolina to meet nephew Cameron for the first time and to attend his dad’s 70th birthday party. It was the first time his extended family was in the same room and nobody took a picture!
THEATRE
This year we saw 9 to 5, The Joy Luck Club, Spring Awakening, Ann Landers: The Lady With All the Answers, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Joan Rivers: A Life in Progress By a Work in Progress and the 16th annual Young Playwright’s Festival.
MOVIES AND TV
Some our favorites released this year (in no particular order) are Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, Frost/Nixon, Wall-E, Bolt, Dark Knight, Hamlet 2, In Bruges, and Mamma Mia! Disappointments included Australia, Benjamin Button, Indiana Jones, and The Women.
We’ve only stuck with three of the new TV shows: CBS’s Worst Week, BBC America’s Gavin & Stacey, and—no one could be more surprised than me at this one—Fine Living’s Whatever, Martha.
08-08-08 was a great date to have a TV as the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics unfolded inside the Bird’s Nest. I was hooked as soon as those light-up drummers began the countdown, but the most memorable image of the night was Li Ning running the torch around the stadium ceiling. Awesome.
STAR SIGHTINGS
In Neiman Marcus, Daryl spoke briefly to Jennifer Lopez about the Christmas selection of Fortnum & Mason biscuits. While shopping in Whole Foods he bumped into Melora Hardin (Jan on The Office) and got to tell her how much he enjoyed The Dinner Party episode.
At the Arclight movie theatre in Hollywood, we either saw Cher or a surgically altered impersonator. We were in the audience with playwright David Mamet at an Upright Citizen’s Brigade improv show.
Driving through Los Feliz, we pulled up next to Hellboy Ron Perlman. At a drugstore parking lot, we took the space vacated by Fantastic Four star Chris Evans. At the LA Farmer’s Market Daryl saw Ugly Betty’s Ashley Jensen.
At the Las Vegas airport we congratulated Christian Siriano on his Project Runway win. At the L.A. Times Festival of Books at UCLA, I saw author Christopher Rice and Avenue Q’s John Tartaglia but Daryl got to see the man—the legend—Kirk Douglas.
Daryl got Richard Simmons to take a picture with Flat Stanley.
We were standing in the grocery section at Joan’s on Third wondering why it was so deserted…until Daryl realized he was standing between Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and their bodyguard. Like everyone else, we gave them their space. The next day the internet was abuzz with pictures of the couple leaving the store. We felt so trendy.
WHAT’S MISSING?
Normally, I include the names of friends and family members who accompany, invite, or visit us, each month, but in the interest of space, I’ve opted to leave those out. I trust you’ll forgive this omission.
THANK YOU
However, I can’t wrap up the wrap-up without thanking friends and family for calling, e-mailing, visiting, hosting, inviting, advising, listening, sharing, encouraging or for doing all the wonderful things you do.
Until next time,
James
