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Valley of Bones
The forensic memorial service that I attended Monday was on the news last night. Dr. Bill Bass said it was only the third time the ceremony had been recorded on video and the first time by an American television station. The footage was on WTNZ at 10:00 p.m. and on WBIR at 11:00 p.m.
During the memorial, UT Medical Center Chaplain George Doebler read a Bible passage from the Book of Ezekiel, chapter 37. The scripture is about a vision of dry bones covering the landscape. The song “Dem Bones” is based on the same chapter.
The 11:00 broadcast also included a live interview with Dr. Bass. My favorite part was the video from 1981 that they showed while he spoke.
Stamp of Approval
Earlier this month, WBIR and WTNZ aired a report about the Body Farm and its connection to the movie “The Blind Side.” After the broadcast, producer Amanda Dill contacted me with an idea for a follow-up. She still had more Body Farm footage to use before the end of November sweeps.
Susan Seals of BoneZones.com wants the U.S. Postal Service to honor Dr. Bill Bass on a stamp. After the dedication ceremony for the William M. Bass Forensic Anthropology Building, Susan asked me to help spread the word via Facebook and Twitter. Susan told Amanda about the campaign and Amanda asked me to give them a sound bite for Monday’s newscasts. It would publicize the Facebook page for the stamp campaign and serve as a tease for a longer story on Tuesday night about a memorial service for those who donate their bodies.
They shot an interview with me on Friday at Star 102.1 but a technical glitch made the audio unusable. Amanda asked if I could redo the sound bite after the memorial service on Monday. The service was held in the classroom space at the new Bass building. Dr. Bass introduced two chaplains from the UT Medical Center, who each led a prayer. Several students attended, as did Dr. Lee Meadows Jantz and Dr. Dawnie Steadman. They recorded me in the lab, in front of an as-yet-unused autopsy table.
Dancin’ Fool
It took repeated viewings of a DVD but I finally figured out how to do the simple dance step that had been vexing me. The DVD was the 2008 performance of “The Nutcracker” by the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association. On Saturday morning, I programmed my DVD player to repeat a section of the party scene over and over again while I mimicked the dancers on the screen.
Heather Tang, who played “The Governess,” had a look of surprise when I didn’t step on her foot as I had in most of the rehearsals. I played “The Governor,” who arrives at the party and gets a little rambunctious. I may have played him a tad more rambunctiously than previous Governors. And by “a tad,” I mean “a lot.” I chose to have the Governor egg-on Fritz and the other boys when they wave mice at the party girls. After we toast and drink, I led Heather in an out-of-control waltz.
The roles of the Nutcracker Prince and Clara were each shared by a pair of dancers. David Maccree played the Russian soloist on Saturday night and the Nutcracker Prince on Sunday afternoon. Bob McClure did the opposite. On Saturday, Bob went to his Eagle Scout ceremony between our morning “encore” performance and the night show. Julianna Romanoski and Kylee Haskell split the role of Clara.
ORCBA’s artistic director Molly Koon Quist was in charge of the show. She was assisted by Sharon Nicklow-Cousins. Most of the scenes in “The Nutcracker” are perfect for young kids. In fact, many of the dancers are young kids who play mice, polchinelles, gingerbreads and other parts. The Arabian Coffee scene is a little different. Famous choreographer George Balanchine reportedly said the Arabian dance “gives the fathers something to look at.” I learned that tidbit from Molly’s husband, Brian Quist. Their daughter Katrina played the Arabian princess.
Instrumental Health
Maestro Frank Graffeo was contacted by a television producer who told him that they wanted to bring a camera to the Joy of Music School for a documentary. When a large number of crew members showed up with high-end equipment, Graffeo suspected that it was a bigger deal than he was originally led to believe. It wasn’t until the big reveal that the Maestro realized he and his staff were going to be on a show called “Secret Millionaire.”
Maestro Graffeo told the entertaining story in detail on Sunday morning’s East Tennessee Report. The public-affairs broadcast also served to promote the upcoming Holiday Sparkles & Spirits fundraiser on December 9 at Cherokee Mills.
Media File: FrankMurphyInterviewsFrankGraffeo-JoyOfMusicSchool-11-20-11.mp3
Causing a Komo-tion
Jamie Lynn Drohan broke the news last night on her Facebook page. She is leaving Knoxville for a job at KOMO-TV in Seattle. Her last day at WATE-TV will be December 2. She starts at KOMO in January.
I often saw Jamie Lynn around town at various fundraisers and tweet-ups. Most notably, she earned a perfect score at Star 102.1’s 3rd Annual Dancing with the Knoxville Stars. Her dance costume was reminiscent of “I Dream of Jeannie.”
Once she’s settled in the Emerald City, I hope Jamie Lynn looks up my friend Bean and his wife Donna. Donna designs fashions and is the owner of Elsie Katz Couture. I also recommend a trip to the Space Needle and a Duck tour.
When she visited Seattle for her job interview, Jamie Lynn saw ABC’s Bob Woodruff using the KOMO studio to file a report for the network. When she commented on Woodruff’s presence, the person giving her a tour of the newsroom said, “Welcome to the top 15.”
Waltz and Schmaltz
The two professional dancers decided to arrive a day earlier than originally planned. Noel Dupuis and Melody Staples will perform this weekend in the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association’s production of “The Nutcracker.” They rehearsed with the company on Thursday and will do so again on Friday.
I rehearsed my steps in the “grandfather dance” and then practiced the waltz that leads into my pratfall. ORCBA member Alyshia Fields, who works in the wardrobe department, has been taking hundreds of pictures at the rehearsals. She shared a few with me, two of which are included here.
Mouseketeers
They use a real dog in the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association’s production of “The Nutcracker.” Herr Drosselmeyer gives it to Frau Stahlbaum as a Christmas gift before he gives Clara the nutcracker. The mice are not real. They are played by costumed children, some as young as four. Wednesday’s full-cast rehearsal was my first opportunity to see the little ones run out through the fireplace and grandfather clock. On Thursday and Friday we have dress rehearsals with the UT Chamber Orchestra.
I have a small role as a governor-general who can’t handle his liquor. The drinking bit is not included in the shortened “encore” show on Saturday morning. If you want to see my drunken pratfall, you’ll have to come on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.
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