William Shatner: The Ballet…Not Kidding January 30, 2007
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Shatner , trackback
TV Star, Movie Star, Singer, Pitchman, and now inspiration for Ballet…William Shatner does it all. The Milwaukee Ballet has announced it will premiere "Common People" a ballet choreographed to the Shatner’s recent album ‘Has Been’. The dance will be one of three parts of “Premieres of Passionate Dance" being performed this Valentines Day weekend (February 15–18). In a WKTI radio interview Shatner was quite enthusiastic about the event, saying "I have a life long devotion - more than an interest, less than an obsession, with the ballet and to have this happen to me is so exciting." Shatner said that he would try to make it to Milwaukee to see the ballet if he can fit it between shootings of his show Boston Legal.
Here is a sample of Has Been:
More:
WKTI Radio interview with Shatner’s (MP3)
OnMilwaukee.com: Choreographer inspired by Shatner-Folds composition
Thanks to John Tenuto for the tip
Note: Check back here Thursday for a new ‘Shatnervision’…you wont want to miss it
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Comments»
Well….If this is something he likes - go for it YET I feel its just another attempt to get $$ and his face out to the paying public for his own devices. Sort of sad since it makes me wonder….where will this guy stop? I guess it beats a life in the wheelchair full of regrets though so more power to him!
I’ve died and gone to the Shatnerverse.
Our hero,
whoart in cyberspace,
ridiculed be thy name,
thy hairpeice come,
thy will be combed
on Earth, as it is in cyberspace
Give us this day, our daily girth,
and forgive us for mocking you,
and lead us not into red shirt land,
but deliver us from Nimoy,
amen
Please, spare us the constant updates on Shatner’s money-grabbing exploits. This isn’t Star Trek, it’s just space-filling tabloid trash.
#2 - Josh
Now THAT was funny… :)
Please, keep us up to date on Shatners daily comings and goings!
He is a fun guy that most of us love to hear and se about!!
Yea though I walk through the valley of senility
I fear no evil because that wasn’t as bad as Final Frontier
Thy books and cameos, they comfort me
Remember the old musical group Spandau Ballet? With Shatner’s girth and ever-widening middle can this now be referred to as Bill’s “Expand-now ballet”? Er, sorry…I’ve had a few pints…
Ugh
The Apocalypse is on the way.
As long as he doesn’t ask for a starring role…
Bill in a tu-tu and pumps is too much even for this Shat supporter!
Holy Shatner Bashing Batman! I really don’t think we will be seeing Shatner in a tutu.
#2. Josh
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout! Funny, irreverent and, yet, poignant.
Just continue to use your powers for good. ;)
On Boston Legal, Shatner has appeared in spandex at least twice. The tu-tu could happen!
What’s next: “Shatner: The Video Game?”
Hmmm… as active as he is… it might be entertaining!
13…. As long as it was a Kirk video game, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. How awesome would that be? A James T Kirk video game, where you take him from the Academy to retirement post- STVI. Not just an arcade shooter like Legacy, but a linear storyline where your decisions impact Kirk’s career as well as actual spacebattles (think Bridge Commander with alot of improvements meets like an RPG game).
The Shat is in such high demand and getting so much love recently that there are just not enough outlets for the public to get their “Shat Fix”.
That…and he apparently has a very marketing-saavy agent….
14. Dont forget banging green women
“banging green women”? Isn’t that an Irish band?
#17 - Michael
If it’s not already, that would be a GREAT name for a young band… lol
No, wait, now I remember….”banging green women” was the Hulk’s sole goal in life! His motto was “hey, if they can walk tomorrow, I don’t know my business!”.
In a Kirk video game, bagging space babes could be his energy-charge, kind of like how Mario got more power from the gold coins. :)
Not to sound a note of seriousness in a pretty hysterical thread, but “Has Been” is actually a pretty good listen, and if you haven’t bought it yet, turn in your TrekClub membership cards and prepare to be airlocked.
I could imagine a pretty cool performance based on that music, with the Shat providing the uber-hip narration. Hell, if I lived in Milwaukee, I’d go see it.
Is there a “Laverne and Shirley” Museum in Milwaukee? Hell, if I lived in Milwaukee, I’d go see it.
Shatner can be the Prima Balderina. I just don’t want to be in the front row when he does a pleia.
Lord help me, though, now I’ll finally have to get a copy of ‘Has Been.’
I wasn\’t going to return but after seeing the Shat-bashing going on here, the higher purpose thing is happening and I cannot control it. What\’s wrong with you guys? Mocking the grate Shatner? OUR CAPTAIN?
Tell me there\’s no God™, I\’ll take it less offensively.
IF any of you want a copy of HAS BEEN, [Editors NOTE: I suggest you buy it]
For the rest of you, be nice. This is so Godfather III. “Every time I think I\’m OUT, they keep pulling me BACK IN”
still hurting,
=h=
I agree with Hitch…this ballet is not some money making scheme, it is something that they wanted to do. I am sure that the ballet pay the standard ASCAP type fees for using any recorded material.
And yes, this site will continue to cover Shatner because he is invovled (in some way) with Trek XI and Trek’s future…and because he is the Shat!. Note we do not cover the dozens of other Trek stars and whatever they do like other sites…but we do cover the Shat.
Wow! Reminds me of the time when I went to see Star Trek: the Ice-Skating Show at Paramount’s Great America in the Bay Area in the 1980’s.
#24. AP DAWG (Sorry, just a little tip of the hat to hitch!)
Damn right, my guinea brother! Keep coverin’ The Shat!!
He’s bigger than the world he inhabits and I don’t mean his girth but in the best sense of occupying space… intellectually… spiritually… dramatically… comedically and the most important part… HE’S TUNZ ‘O’ FUN.
So, keep it comin’ until my Shat runneth over!
#23. hitch
Baby… Boobala… So, nice to hear from you. I’m sooooo glad you decided to stop being “PC/poopey in the pants.” I know we’ve never formally had intercourse before but I gotta tell ya’… I’ve missed ya’!, you crazy uber-wordsmith!
Please stay and play… ’cause even though I only understand about half of what you write, I really miss the cool Trademark symbols.
A suggestion… For us older folks, dial back just a hair… especially since my Universal Translator is on the fritz. But it is just that… a suggestion… you gotta be you, after all. I’ll just have to work harder. ;)
Please keep the Shatner updates coming!
(Old joke) How do people refer to the incident when William Shatner smacked an overly ardent admirer?
Answer: “Oh, you mean when the Shat hit the fan?”
Bad, I know, but I just had to share…
George Takei as the sugerplum fairy
Thou Shalt Not Bash Shat!
Welcome back Hitch… it only took Shat-bashing to smoke you out.
Anthony, thanks for the updates. You’re navigating nicely between interesting tidbits and the electronic equivalent of getting an unsolicited 8X10 glossy in the mail. (Got one years ago from Biff Yeager — anyone, without Goggling?)
GOOGLING
#30. CmdrR.
First season TNG? Commander or Lt. Argyle?
Correct! You’re either a big TNG fan or Biff’s love child.
#33. CmdrR.
I am both appalled and excited by either appellation…
But serious folks… wasn’t he one of TNG’s first season revolving chief engineers or something?
Yes, #34. According to the writers’ handbook (of which I got a cheap copy) Rodenberry felt that for TNG the job of Chief Engineer was too big for just one person. So, you had a woman, Argyle, and a few others. Ultimately, Geordi got the gig in Season 2. Argyle was likeable enough, but IMHO was too much like an inferior effort to redo Scotty.
I can’t listen to him. He sounds too much like the stereotypical pervert.
#23… wait, I’ve been gone for a few days. WHO DROVE OUT HITCH?! Hitch is t3h Mac in the Pants. No attacks will be made against t3h Hitch.
Oh dear.
Somehow when I saw the headline I was thinking “Shatner in tights” and that was frightening enough. I like the guy …Good actor…one of the three reasons I watch Boston Legal .. I imagine I’ll have to get “Has Been” myself one of these days. Not the filler news I was expecting though.
#36. James Heaney
WAY OUTTA LINE, FELLA!
He may sound like a pervert… However, The Shat is anything but stereotypical! ;)
Remind me to not visit Milwaukee.
My brother, my partner and I went to see this today. I was quite pleased and pleasantly surprised. My partner is not a ballet buff and even he enjoyed the performance. It was easy on the eyes, vibrant, and full of energy. The audience seemed to respond with high praise as well. The applause didn’t seem to end.
I’ll admit.. even though I’m a fan of the Shat - hearing “Shatner: The Ballet” had me quite skeptical and I was not quite sure what to expect. Like any self-respecting trekkie I went in with an open-mind.. :)
His poetry was fun to listen to, and Ben Folds 5’s music was neat. The only thing I disliked about the show was that the music overpowered the lyrics. There was so much going on that I found it difficult to concentrate on both the poetry and the ballet.
Neat show!
Hey, thanks for posting my music video up on this. I hope you didn’t think it was the official music video to it, but I’m glad you liked it. If anyone wants to see the rest of my work so far (all being sketch comedy), check out my youtube profile.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=image0434
Thanks