Blog | divamensch

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 9

A Project Runway first - - the challenge is to do whatever they want. The runway show was being held at Four Freedoms Park. The title of...

ladiesvoices

Aug 14, 20236 min read

Fabulous Friday: "Evangeline"

Here's one of my favorite moments in *The Last Waltz* - - Emmylou Harris and The Band doing "Evangeline."

ladiesvoices

Aug 11, 20231 min read

CDA x 4: Friedkin, Koray, Robertson, Rodriguez

Four alerts today! The doors to the pearly gates (if you believe in such a thing) are swinging wildly. First, on Monday my brother Howard...

ladiesvoices

Aug 10, 20232 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 9, 2023

I don't think I've highlighted a Best Cinematography pair yet, have I? In 1983 the winner was Ingmar Bergman's lush, colorful film *Fanny...

ladiesvoices

Aug 9, 20231 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 8

The Real Client Challenge! Their clients were the crew of *Below Deck.* I've seen commercials for this show and it looks like pure...

ladiesvoices

Aug 7, 20234 min read

Fabulous Friday: "Tequila"

This is one of the high points of *Pee-wee's Big Adventure,* a movie chock a block with high points! I hope those shoes are in a museum...

ladiesvoices

Aug 4, 20231 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 2, 2023

The Best Supporting Actress winner for 1982 was Jessica Lange for her touching, understated, menschy performance in *Tootsie.* Another...

ladiesvoices

Aug 2, 20231 min read

CDA: Paul Reubens

I'd never gotten so many alerts in such a short amount of time! First my brother Howard at 1:24pm, then Stephanie at 1:27pm, then...

ladiesvoices

Jul 31, 20231 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR20, ep 7

The episode started with Brandon talking with the designers in the green room immediately after Fabio's auf in the previous episode. He...

ladiesvoices

Jul 30, 20236 min read

Fabulous Friday and CDA: Sinéad O'Connor

I'm doing a combo platter today, mixing the Fabulous Friday with a CDA for Sinéad O'Connor, who died the other day at the age of 56. The...

ladiesvoices

Jul 28, 20231 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 6

My apologies for my column being so late this time. I'm getting it in just under the wire, before the new episode airs tonight... The...

ladiesvoices

Jul 27, 20235 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for July 26, 2023

The Best Picture winner for 1981 was *Chariots of Fire.* Two other nominees were *Reds,* a sprawling epic about revolutionary Russia, and...

ladiesvoices

Jul 26, 20231 min read

CDA: Tony Bennett

My friend Dianna alerted me to the death of Tony Bennett, who died the yesterday at the age of 96. I immediately brought up this video of...

ladiesvoices

Jul 22, 20232 min read

Fabulous Friday: Catherine Deneuve

Here's Madame Deneuve on Craig Ferguson. Hilarious. Two tips: at 6:15 she's talking about being a judge at Cannes and it took me a few...

ladiesvoices

Jul 21, 20231 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for July 19. 2023

We're in the 80s now, people! The 1980 award for Best Foreign Language Film went to the Soviet Union and a film with the menschy title...

ladiesvoices

Jul 19, 20231 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 5

Of course the episode opened with a rehash of the Anna repeat drama from the previous challenge. It was nice of Korto to sort of...

ladiesvoices

Jul 17, 20234 min read

CDA: Jane Birkin

My brother Howard alerted me to the death of Jane Birkin at the age of 76. I first knew her from her supporting roles in two divine...

ladiesvoices

Jul 16, 20231 min read

CDA: André Watts

Stephanie alerted me to the death of classical pianist André Watts, who died the other day at the age of 77. I know him as a figure in...

ladiesvoices

Jul 15, 20231 min read

Fabulous Friday: "Kansas City"

The other day I had a drinks date with my good friend Susan. Of course I showed up early. Something made me remember seeing Peggy Lee on...

ladiesvoices

Jul 14, 20233 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for July 12, 2023

The Best Actor winner for 1979 was Dustin Hoffman for *Kramer vs Kramer.* A menschy role and performance, I suppose, but the supreme...

ladiesvoices

Jul 12, 20231 min read

Orgy and Bess, Nov 7 2025

I saw Heartbeat Opera's Orgy and Bess on Nov 7, 2025. Heartbeat is a scrappy chamber opera company here in town, I've seen a handful of their shows. Last year I saw their production of Salome which was scored for eight clarinet players and two percussionists. A fascinating experiment but not really a viable choice. Their scaled down Faust last spring was much more successful. They do a drag extravaganza every year, a mashup of opera excerpts and pop references, heavy on th

ladiesvoices

57 minutes ago5 min read

Sybarite5 and Curtis Stewart, Nov 3 2025

I heard Sybarite5 at Music Mondays on Nov 3, 2025. They're a string quintet - - two violins, viola, cello, and bass. I heard them in an online concert during lockdown n 2020. I just read that review and I appeared to enjoy the 2020 concert more than this latest one. Maybe I was more eager for a satisfying cultural experience? Or maybe it was just better. They opened with "Movement and Locations" by The Punch Brothers. It had a great energy but the cello solo at the beginning

ladiesvoices

2 days ago3 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 9

Fabulous Friday: "Evangeline"

CDA x 4: Friedkin, Koray, Robertson, Rodriguez

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 9, 2023

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 8

Fabulous Friday: "Tequila"

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 2, 2023

CDA: Paul Reubens

Ryan on the Runway: PR20, ep 7

Fabulous Friday and CDA: Sinéad O'Connor

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 6

Diva/Mensch pair for July 26, 2023

CDA: Tony Bennett

Fabulous Friday: Catherine Deneuve

Diva/Mensch pair for July 19. 2023

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 5

CDA: Jane Birkin

CDA: André Watts

Fabulous Friday: "Kansas City"

Diva/Mensch pair for July 12, 2023

*Orgy and Bess,* Nov 7 2025

Sybarite5 and Curtis Stewart, Nov 3 2025

Orgy and Bess, Nov 7 2025