2008 Latin Grammy’s move to Houston

The Latin Grammy’s will be transmitted live from Houston Nov. 13 by Univision. The broadcast from the Toyota Center offers a grand opportunity for the nation’s fourth largest city -- 5.5 million of which 42 percent are Hispanic -- to shine.
Last year’s Grammy’s were in Las Vegas and have previously broadcast from Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City.  Sept. 10 is the target date to announce the nominations for this year. Estimates indicate that the Grammy’s will bring about $30 million in income to Houston from tourists and related venues. The show will reach 12 million viewers in 100 different countries.
On another Houston note, Laredo’s dance wonder Rogelio Rodriguez presented his dancers from Houston’s largest dance studio in his 41st concert, which, as usual, had the familiar tone of a Las Vegas show spectacular. (Remember Ro danced with the Charo show in Las Vegas for seven years.) This year, after the show, came a note from Michael Craig, who as a teen-ager lived in Laredo and later moved to Houston, where he has practiced law. He called participants in Ro’s troupe “marvelous dancers.” He added, “And Bede Leyendecker’s dancers from TAMIU were wonderful, a great addition to the show. Now at age 66 I still remember that we were classmates at MHS. I was blown away when I saw you come out on the Houston stage and you danced as though it were a stroll in the park. I know you’re 65, but how come you are not aging like the rest of us? You looked 30 years old!”
Michael continued philosophically. “We have reached an age where we wonder about just what kind of mark we have left on society, and who we might have influenced along the way. You have been most successful in making an icon of yourself in the flamenco dance world. You certainly have become an institution in Houston. Surely, you have touched thousands of people with your dance art, and all of us are the better for it. You may consider yourself a very successful artist.”
Now to Priscilla Presley Dancing With the Stars and Dolly Parton on American Idol. I have to say that it’s difficult to watch the artistry involved when they are on TV with such botched Botox shots, face-lifts, and reconstructive surgery. It’s hard not to notice. Maybe Priscilla had the first successful head transplant, although we learn from People Magazine that she was doctored by an unlicensed doc, and she’s planning more surgery to fix a situation that may be beyond help. But the question remains -- why did she do all this? Whatever the reason, we are seeing more and more women on TV with major facial work. All the gals in Desperate Housewives have the stretched face look, as does Barbara Walters. Just notice when Barbara is on screen in The View, and you’ll see that nothing on her face moves, except her eyelashes and mouth.
All else on her face is dead, dead, dead. Barbara’s facial work was particularly surreal when she did a TV special a few weeks ago on growing to age 150 in the future. Barbara, by the way, is 78.
But the wildest face make-over still is Joan Rivers, who jokingly in a commercial asks her on-screen partner, “Am I smiling? Am I smiling? I can’t tell!”
At any rate, I suspect we have reached the point where all these face procedures seem as normal as getting braces or contact lenses. The bottom line is that everyone has the right to do whatever is necessary for them to do their job, which is to be in front of the cameras, TV or movie screen. If you want more on this topic, go to Google and search “celebrity facial surgery.”
Let’s close today with a note from Bill Mayo, an ex-Laredoan now of New Braunfels. His youngest of two sons, Nick, graduated from Juilliard in NYC about a year ago, and he is already making his mark on the Broadway stage. Nick’s grandma Suzy Mayo lives in Laredo.
“The tulips and the cherry blossoms weren’t the only beautiful aspects in bloom my April weekend in New York City. I saw my son Nick in South Pacific, the newest show on Broadway this season. I had a wonderful weekend with my brother Jim and my beautiful Aunt Ann and Uncle George. What could be more perfect?
“When Nick came leaping over the sand dune on stage, while the 30-piece orchestra played “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” I felt as though my heart would leap out of my chest, and my uncle nudged me every time Nick was front and center. I caught myself grinning as Nick hoisted Loretta (Bloody Mary) on his young shoulders. What a beautiful production! The frosting on the tropical cake extraordinaire was my Nicky closing the show with the “Broadway Cares -- Equity Fights AIDS” speech, asking for help and compassion from an already submissive and adoring audience.
“Backstage, the warm greetings from the other actors assured me that Nick has a home and a family in a metropolis so far removed from the river tubing and Wurstfests in New Braunfels. I was so proud of my son -- I would walk on my knees to see the show and my son again. By the way, during the Saturday night show, it was hard to contain the tears of genuine happiness. Also, it was particularly significant to see Barbara Walters sitting in front of us. Barbara said this was the third time she had been there to see the show! What a warm and personable lady. (Comedian Billy Crystal, on late night TV, said he had a hard time seeing South Pacific because the Pope was sitting in front of him, with his big hat.)
“I have spent the last six years saying good-bye to Nick and driving away in a musty taxicab, choking back the tears. I have left him in the middle of 42nd St, on W. 72nd St., and on Broadway. But this time I left my son Nick, with his familiar happy walk, going down the street as he headed toward home to check on his dog Archie. There were no tears from me, for the little boy who has arrived in a major top Broadway musical, had suddenly materialized into a young man, full of confidence, purpose, and direction. I had to smile as I watched him from the rear window of the cab, as he continued his dance into life.”
And on that beautiful note, dear readers, it’s time for, as Norma Adamo says:  TAN TAN!
(Dr. Neo Gutierrez in L.A. is a Ph.D. in Dance and Related Fine Arts, Laredo Sr. Int’l USA 2008, Tiger Legend 2002, Sr. Int’l de Beverly Hills 1997.)