XENA MEDIA REVIEW #27 (09/23/97) Borg 2 of 3 =========================== CUT HERE ======== [438] 08-18-96 SUNDAY MAIL. Sunday. Page 14. 1347 words. "She; Devil; She's lovely, she's a mum ...and she's out to rule the world; Xena Warrior Princess comes to Britain" By Ellen Grehan COMMENTARY: This was the first substantive article about XWP in the British Press. "'No one,' they said, 'wants to see a woman beat the hell out of a man.' Boy, were they wrong." The article also included such gems as: "Its rabid fans fall into definite categories...Little girls aged eight to 15, young men 18 to 25 and women in prison. In fact, when the show was screened in Los Angeles during visiting hours at the women's County Jail, prisoners were peeved at having to choose between meeting their loved ones or rooting for Xena. A potential riot was only side-stepped when the local TV station ran repeats of the show later in the evening." The article continued with the usual quotes from Ms. Lawless about her various jobs before starring in XWP. Robert Tapert was quoted as well about Xena being "one tough cookie." The article used dated material because it further stated that "Lucy, 30, a former Mrs New Zealand, is married to school sweetheart Garth Lawless and they have a daughter, Daisy." Ms. Lawless is now divorced and she was 29 at the date of this article. That she was a former Mrs. New Zealand had been only previously reported in The Globe article in April 1996 (tentative XMR219) and was for a long time considered unreliable. However, it turns out it was promotional contest ran by a New Zealand's Woman's magazine (Women's Day? Women's Weekly?) which Ms. Lawless won and apparently received an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas. [KT] REPRINT: The roughest and toughest woman ever is making life hell for men - and she's also making for Britain. And we're not talking about some bimbo who plays dodgems with a supermarket trolley. Xena, the 6ft Amazon warrior princess, beats males at their own game of world domination. Quite often, she just BEATS MALES. After conquering America and taking Down Under by storm, she is set to make it BIG here on satellite TV. When Hollywood moguls were offered a new series called Xena - Warrior Princess, they almost turned it down. She was described as a mixture of Greek myth and Mad Max and the reason for their reluctance was simple... "No one," they said, "wants to see a woman beat the hell out of a man." Boy, were they wrong. There is apparently nothing that the viewing hordes relish more than seeing a woman kick butt and sneer at snivelling males. "You like shoving women around so much?" she asks, "Try me." In the year it has been showing, the programme has beaten Baywatch and Star Trek: Deep Space 9 for top viewing honours around the world. Its rabid fans fall into definite categories... Little girls aged eight to 15, young men 18 to 25 and women in prison. In fact, when the show was screened in Los Angeles during visiting hours at the women's County Jail, prisoners were peeved at having to choose between meeting their loved ones or rooting for Xena. A potential riot was only side-stepped when the local TV station ran repeats of the show later in the evening. Striding through her world, in which she has vowed to protect powerless women, children and the poor, is New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless. With her leather breast-plated jump-suit and 11 stone of solid muscle and shapely flesh, she makes so-called super-models look as substantial as washed-out paper dolls. Lucy, daughter of a senior local government officer, grew up a confirmed tomboy. She says "I have four older brothers and when I was a kid in Auckland I thought anything they could do, I could do, if not better, then just as well. "I could ride, shoot a bow and arrow, run like hell when I had to, and swim like a fish. "And I've led an adventurous life. When I was about 20 I took off for Germany to work as a grape-picker. Bloody hard work." Before striking gold in Hollywood, the muscle-bound six-footer even worked as a gold miner for several years deep in the Australian outback. "That was a killer," she says. "I dug, worked earth-moving equipment, and generally bust my butt." Later came a stint studying acting in Canada, then work on a TV show in New Zealand. That's where she was spotted by Robert Tapert, producer of another hit, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which is also filmed on location in New Zealand. Tapert says: "Xena was a character in a Hercules episode and pretty evil. But audiences responded. So when we decided to do a spin-off series based on her character, we had to make her more sympathetic. "But she's still one tough cookie and the viewers love it." Lucy, 30, a former Mrs New Zealand, is married to school sweetheart Garth Lawless and they have a daughter, Daisy. "I was pretty fit when I signed up for the show," Lucy says. "But the producers brought me to Los Angeles to do a crash course in martial art. "It was fine pouncing around the studio in LA and have people telling you you're fab. "But when it comes to doing all that Kung Fu stuff on location in my bloody breast- plate in the bitter cold, it's another story. "Sometimes I actually cry, it gets that bad." Xena, Warrior Princess, cry? Say it ain't so. That could really start a riot in the downtown County Jail. [439] 08-18-96 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Sunday. Page 1C. 1939 words. "Surrender! They've taken over our culture" By Jerome Weeks. COMMENTARY: In an article about the ascendency of comic books, Mr. Weeks added that not only were comic books generating movies and TV shows, but that some TV shows "clearly have a comic-book mentality." XWP was listed as having such a mentality. [KT] EXCERPT: ...This year alone, 25 film projects based on comics are in the works or have been released, including The Phantom, Barb Wire and Bordello of Blood, the Tales >From the Crypt movie that opened Friday. Later this month brings the sequel to The Crow, while the fourth Batman blockbuster, Batman and Robin, is now shooting. And you can't escape them at home. On TV, Speed Racer just became the spokes-cartoon for Volkswagen and ESPN, and there's Lois & Clark plus the whole Cartoon Network. All of this doesn't even count the movies and tube shows that, although they may not have a direct comic-book origin, clearly have a comic-book mentality. Consider Independence Day, The Simpsons, Star Trek, The X-Files, Ace Ventura, anything from Walt Disney, Escape From L.A., Xena: Warrior Queen and just about the entire network schedules of Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and The Weather Channel... [440] 08-19-96 THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville, FL). Page A-1. 663 words. "ABCs of affiliation: More news; TV-21 reports to add Jacksonville flavor" By Terry Dickson. COMMENTARY: Jacksonville's Channel 21 will take over an ABC affiliation next year and replace XWP with Home Improvement and Coach, which the new general manager of TV-21 said would be better programming. As an example of meaningless coincidence, Renaissance Pictures, producers of XWP, earlier this year moved into the offices left vacant by COACH when that show was retired this past season. [KT] EXCERPT: ...That presence has faded since and may wane even more when TV-21's new owner, Perpetual Corp., builds a new station in Jacksonville to take over the ABC affiliation from WJKS TV-17 next year... ...Leonard Firestone, TV-21's new general manager, said the station will still be a presence in Southeast Georgia but perhaps not at the same level.... ...Many Georgia viewers will have a better signal on ABC shows -- and better programming, he said. When the affiliation changes, TV-21's 9-10 p.m. Tuesday slot will switch from Xena: Warrior Princess to Home Improvement and Coach.... [441] 08-19-96 to 09-17-96 NOTE: In a short interview with Ms. Lawless, Ms. Sleinski covered the following: the popularity of XWP ("a complete surprise"); the grueling requirements of the job ("I'm constantly stretched, because the writers go, 'Wow, if she can do this, then let's try this.' We all let our imaginations run wild."); her rise as a role model ("I used to be terrified, just terrified ... Up until I came here this week, and I met so many women and young girls who feel, to use their word and I'm a bit embarrassed, but it's a good word, empowered, by watching. I realized this isn't a burden, this is an honor."); and her daughter Daisy ("She's not entirely sure that she likes Mommy being the focus of everybody's attention...She doesn't like to share me too much."). [KT] [441a] 08-19-96 DAILY NEWS (New York). Monday. Page 62. 440 words. "A Star on the Strength of 'Xena'" By Christy Slewinski. COMMENTARY: Slewinski article. REPRINT: 'XENA' star Lucy Lawless walks through the door, and you can't help but look behind her to see if the Warrior Princess has, by some mistake, been left behind in the lobby. Yes, Lawless is nearly 6 feet tall. But having exchanged her trademark leather-and-metal armor for an ultra-feminine lavender lace shirt and black miniskirt, the TV action hero puts even the most popular catwalk striders to shame with her graceful presence. Just goes to show that Lawless, star of the hit syndicated series "Xena: Warrior Princess," didn't always make a living single-handedly battling Cyclopes, centaurs and armies of grimy-looking marauders. Slim and soft-spoken, the New Zealand native has settled into her one-in-a-million role. Xena was successfully spun off into her own series last year after audiences took note of the fearsome female character in a three-episode story arc of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Now, "Xena" trades off and on with "Hercules" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" for the top spot in the weekly syndie drama ratings. "Xena," which follows "Hercules," airs locally Saturday nights at 9 on WPIX/Ch. 11, and repeats Sunday afternoons at 2. The show, and its runaway success, "was a complete surprise," says Lawless, 28, who swung by New York as part of a whirlwind American press tour. "I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be an action star." And the work, Lawless adds, is fun but grueling. "I'm constantly stretched, because the writers go, 'Wow, if she can do this, then let's try this.' We all let our imaginations run wild." Even the knowledge that she's become a popular role model doesn't bother her nearly as much as it used to. "I used to be terrified, just terrified," she admits. "Up until I came here this week, and I met so many women and young girls who feel, to use their word and I'm a bit embarrassed, but it's a good word, empowered, by watching. I realized this isn't a burden, this is an honor." Of course, the one little girl whom Lawless wants to inspire the most is her 8-year-old daughter, Daisy, who's still adjusting to having a TV-star mom. "She's not entirely sure that she likes Mommy being the focus of everybody's attention," says Lawless, who divorced shortly before she landed the Xena role. "She doesn't like to share me too much." After all, Daisy not only has to answer questions like "Is your mom Xena?" but, Lawless explains with a laugh, she's forced to respond to other, more ridiculous queries, like: "Is your dad Hercules?" "She pretends that she doesn't like it," says Lawless. "But I think in her heart she does." GRAPHIC: Lucy Lawless of "Xena". [441b] 09-09-96 THE DES MOINES REGISTER. Monday. Page 4. 627 words. "Lucy Lawless is a star on the strength of 'Xena'" By Christy Slewinski. New York Daily News COMMENTARY: Another appearance of The Daily News article from 08-19-96. [441c] 09-15-96 THE TAMPA TRIBUNE. Sunday. Page 48. 338 words. "Actor finds "Xena' role grueling but fun" By Christy Slewinski of the New York Daily News. COMMENTARY: Another appearance of The Daily News article from 08-19-96. [441d] 09-17-96 PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Tuesday. Page D-3. 385 words. "'Xena' Wins Fans' Admiration" by Christy Slewinski, New York Daily News. COMMENTARY: Another appearance of The Daily News article from 08-19-96. [442] 08-19-96 ALTARED STATES. Episode no. 19. First release. Guest stars: David Ackroyd (Anteus), David de Latour (Icus), and Karl Urban Mael). Cast: Teresa Woodham (Zora); Sean Ashton-Peach (Zealot #1); Graham Smith (Senior Zealot); Jack Dacey (Brawny Zealot); and Peter Ford (Zealot Guard). Written by Chris Mannheim. Directed by Michael Levine. Ratings round up: 1st release (04-22- 96) ranked 2nd with 5.0 (1st ST:DS9 at 6.5; 2nd XWP at 5.0; and HTLJ at 4.9); 2nd release (08/19/96) ranked 2nd with 4.4 (1st HTLJ at 5.2; 2nd XWP at 4.4; and ST:DS9 at 4.2). To date ALTARED STATES has been released only two times, while TITANS has been, well, let's just not go there! [KT] COMMENTARY: See XMR253 for synopsis and commentary. [443] 08-20-96 THE ADVOCATE. Pages 81-83. 1160 words. "Flirting with Xena." Producer Liz Friedman hits Hollywood's big time with the series Xena: Warrior Princess. by Anne Stockwell. COMMENTARY: Tough, smart, funny, and good with a sword; now that's what I like in a woman. Or at least, that's what Liz Friedman claims to like. In this interview with producer Friedman, we get a much-needed look at the dynamo who makes XWP go each week. And calling XWP a mix between "Go Fish" and "RoboCop" shows us just where Friedman's sensibilities lie, on a very hip, quirky, smart line. But we knew that already. Because THE ADVOCATE is a gay/lesbian/bi paper, Friedman's interview is very a candid, refreshing read that doesn't reek of the canned copy that so many publications have churned out on XWP. Let's see more press on Ms. Friedman. REPRINT: "Would I date Xena? Yeah, in a heartbeat, says coproducer Liz Friedman, speaking of the main character in Xena: Warrior Princess, the hit syndicated TV show she helped to create. "Xena's perfect! She's tough, smart, funny, and good with a sword. I'd just worry that I wouldn't be able to keep her around." Few TV executives would care to discuss their homosexual attraction to the heroes of their own programs. But the peppery 27-year-old Friedman is ready and willing. Openly lesbian herself--"I never had a man phase," she says flatly-- Friedman is unabashedly thrilled to be calling the shots on a hit series that also seems destined to become a lesbian cult classic. "We never wrote Xena to be a lesbian, she admits. "But it's not our show, its the audience's show. If the fans want to read Xena that way, great." For anyone not yet initiated, Xena is the hugely popular offspring of the hit series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Filmed in New Zealand for Renaissance Pictures, the company run by horrormeisters Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, both programs showcase Raimi's trademark mix of spine-tingling action and deadpan humor. Xena, played by Lucy Lawless, is a downright-surly female warlord with a short temper and a shorter toga who first appeared on Hercules as a bloodthirsty villain. Now, as star of her own series, Xena roams her mythical land determined to atone for her sins. She defends the powerless, chastens the wicked, and pulverizes armies of bad guys. And at the end of each episode, Xena rides off into the sunset not with a man but with her female sidekick, Gabrielle, played by Renee O Connor. The pair's bantering affection immediately pricked up lesbian ears on the Internet, notes Friedman. What's more, adds Judy Dlugacz, founder of Olivia Cruises & Resorts, Xena mania has spread to the high seas. "The first Xena group came aboard for a cruise in June," she reports. "They brought costumes, jackets, everything they needed for a weekend of crazed warrior-princess behavior. I think its the beginning of a new and expanding cult." For Friedman, all this adulation reflects a sad vacuum on traditional television. "The reaction to Xena shows how few substantive portrayals of women's friendships we see on TV," she observes. "In terms of what's explicitly presented, Xena and Gabrielle are very close friends who, I do believe, love each other, whether or not there's a degree of sexual intimacy." But despite these disclaimers--and despite hints of a future male love interest for the warrior princess--Friedman and company have welcomed Xena's lesbian fans, even writing sapphic double entendres into scripts. "One episode starts with the camera looking at some bushes," Friedman explains. "We hear Gabrielle asking, 'How was that?' Xena answers, 'Very nice!' Gabrielle says, 'Really? I wasn't sure," and Xena replies, 'No, no, you're doing great.' The we see them, And they're fishing--naked!" "They're such a perfect little butch-femme couple," Friedman concludes, laughing. "What they do between episodes, I don't know." [around this point there is a picture of Xena and Gabrielle. Xena has sword in hand, glaring toward unseen attackers, and is motioning "stay back" to Gabrielle, beside and behind her.] [Caption reads: "Galloping gal pals: Lawless, O'Conner"] Actually, it seems doubtful there's anything about the warrior princess that Friedman doesn't know. Just five years after she migrated west from Boston and nabbed her first Hollywood job as Raimi's assistant, Friedman oversees every phase of Xena's production. She hires directors, casts actors, cooks up stories, and supervises editing. She's young for the job, and in rising to the challenge, Friedman has won vocal admirers among her colleagues. "Liz Friedman is _gay_?" cries Xena star Lawless. The glamorous six-foot tall New Zealander, so unshockable as Xena, lapses into stunned silence. Finally--after a nerve-racking pause, --Lawless hoots with laughter. "If I'd only known! She's the first woman I've worshipped! I'd crawl 40 miles through broken glass just to wank off in her shadow!" Turning serious, Lawless offers definite ideas about why Xena turns women on. "Xena doesn't apologize," she says. "She doesn't accept that being a woman is a disadvantage in this world. Neither do I-- and neither does Liz. She doesn't knuckle under to any b*llsh*t. She's a star on the rise." Friedman's ascent began at Wesleyan University, where she wrote a controversial sociology thesis on gender roles in the horror genre known as slasher films. "I had read an article that stated, 'Feminists can say these movies are about mutilating women, but they have some of the strongest female characters around,'" says Friedman. "I started watching horror films, and it was like, that's absolutely right!" Her thesis won an award and clinched Friedman's interest in a film career. After moving to Los Angeles at 21, Friedman found herself working for Raimi and Tapert just as their company was branching out into TV. Under Tapert's watchful eye, she learned the trade as an assistant and then associate producer on Hercules. When Xena became a reality, however, Tapert was tied up in other projects. Friedman had to make the leap and take control. "They said, 'Here. Do this. Try not to f*ck it up,'" Friedman recalls. "I took to it, and here I am." Friedman emphasizes the fact that she's never hidden her sexuality on the job "Rob tells this story about when I first started working here," she says. I was wearing my leather jacket, and I turned around, and there was my big Queer Nation sticker on the back that said, QUEERS BASH BACK. Rob was like, 'OK, that answers that question.'" Coming out to her family wasn't quite as easy. "My parents are both psychiatrists, and they both remarried other psychiatrists," says Friedman. "So I guess I thought I wasn't going to have all those coming-out problems. But my father didn't deal with it so well at first, and my mother was pretty shaken up. Later they both came around." Nowadays Friedman has few problems to report. In her personal life she's happily settled into a three year relationship with partner Yvette Abatte. "She's the greatest," crows Friedman. On the work front Friedman promises that Xena's lesbian fans can look forward to lots of gal-pal action in stories to come. "We've already shot one episode," she offers, "where Gabrielle almost dies and Xena gives her mouth-to- mouth resuscitation. Lucy did an unbelievably great job with the scene." Asked about her plans for life after Xena, Friedman guardedly admits she'd like to bring stories to the big screen. "TV has been the world's greatest education," she stresses. "But I still hear that siren song of the big feature movie, and I'd like to try it eventually." "Still, it's tricky," adds Friedman. "I have such odd, diverse tastes. I loved Go Fish. Then on the other hand, I loved Robocop." Friedman grins, hit by a sudden insight. "in this weird way, Xena's the perfect mix of the two." [444] 08-22-96 DAILY VARIETY. NEWS. Page 6. 459 words. "Syndie Punch: Shows Rally After Atlanta." By Jenny Hontz. COMMENTARY: Ratings for IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE (#24), 1st release, 07/29/96. Ranked as the 2nd action hour with a 3.9 rating. [HTLJ took 1st place for the sixth straight week with a 4.6 and ST:DS9 took 3rd with a 3.7]. On it's repeat 7 weeks later, DOCTOR would rank 13th, sharing the no. 2 spot with BAYWATCH and HERCULES with a 4.3 rating. It is times like these I wish they had a good falafel stand in Bakersfield. [KT] EXCERPT: Syndication ratings recovered from nearly a month of Olympic doldrums during the week ending Aug. 11, according to Nielsen... ...In weekly action, MCA TV's "Hercules" and "Xena" ran first and second for the third straight week. "Hercules" was up 2% to a 4.6, but down 16% year-to-year. "Xena" was second, despite falling 3% for the week to a 3.9, its lowest ever. Also hitting a new low was Par's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," which tumbled 5% to a 3.7, off 30% from last year at this time. [445] 08-23-96 ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE. Friday. Page 2W. 720 words. "Sweet Smell of Success Wafts from Rosie's Show" By Ellis Widner COMMENTARY: Critic Widner complained of the time the Rosie O'Donnell show appeared in Little Rock (midnight), but when he found out Lucy Lawless was going to be a guest, he finally watched it. The article was essentially a review of the Lawless show. Widner concluded, "Gore helped stage a contest with a member of the audience and Lawless sang the cowboy classic 'I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande).' Yes, Lawless sings quite well, thank you. Jones was in good voice and O'Donnell clearly appreciated this legendary performer." Widner is also near and dear to my heart for taking an early stand on the BAYWATCH vs. XENA debate that XENA is no BAYWATCH. [KT] EXCERPT: There's a lot of good talk about Rosie O'Donnell's new talk show. I've had more than a passing curiosity about it, but since "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" doesn't come on here until midnight on weekdays on KATV-TV, Channel 7, I haven't exactly gone out of my way to see it. But my curiosity finally got the better of me. I checked the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's TV Week the other day and, lo and behold, Lucy Lawless was one of the guests. That did it. Being a big "Xena: Warrior Princess" fan, I set up the ol' VCR, taped Rosie and watched it over the weekend. I've always kinda liked O'Donnell. She's pretty darned funny and was a real standout as the host of VH-1's stand-up comedy show. O'Donnell's also been in several movies, including "A League of Their Own" and the current "Harriet the Spy." She also won acclaim playing Rizzo in Tommy Tune's revival of "Grease" on Broadway. There were reasons to be hopeful that O'Donnell's brassy, smart-mouthed, likable style would translate well to the talk show format. But then, I reminded myself, The Mommies were funny stand-up comics, too, and look what happened to them. They were stuck with a really rotten sitcom. Then there was Ricki Lake. I liked her work in the John Waters films "Hairspray" and "Cry-Baby" and enjoyed her when she'd pop up on late-night talkers. But Lake's own talk show turned out to be another sleazy slimefest that wasn't any different from "Geraldo" or the rest of the rotten pack. Lake is younger and gives sleaze a younger appeal. Big whoop. Still, I was hopeful for O'Donnell, even if she was in that dreadful "Exit to Eden" movie with Dan Ackroyd. And guess what? My hopes were not in vain. Rosie really is in bloom on TV. "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" is a lot of fun. It's hip and funny, without the sometimes acerbic, mean edge of Letterman and none of the make-fun-of-the-guest shtick of Leno. And there's none of the sleaze that typifies much of daytime talk (O'Donnell's show is broadcast in many markets in the afternoons). The episode I watched featured Tipper Gore ("first vice lady," as O'Donnell called her) hawking a book of her photographs, Lawless hawking her popular syndicated series "Xena: Warrior Princess," country singer George Jones hawking a new album and book and actress Marietta Harley hawking a theater tour. Hawking, of course, is what these shows are all about. If these folks didn't have something to sell, it's not likely many of them would drop by for the fun of it. Although, they just might, where O'Donnell is concerned. It's a loose-limbed, casual show that's friendly and frank and more than a little goofy. Gore helped stage a contest with a member of the audience and Lawless sang the cowboy classic "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)." Yes, Lawless sings quite well, thank you. Jones was in good voice and O'Donnell clearly appreciated this legendary performer. The fast-paced hour was over before I knew it. Channel 7 moves the show to 10 a.m. weekdays on Sept. 10, so you can bet O'Donnell will stay on my must-tape list. It sure beats the heck outta that daytime talk bunch. Maybe even Jay and Dave. Check it out.... [446] 08-23-96 WWW.TVGUIDE.COM. "Short Circuits" By John Walsh. COMMENTARY: Lesbian fans are singled out and appreciated. EXCERPT: ...THE GRRRL CAN'T HELP IT Lucy Lawless is tickled pink over the loyal legions of lesbian fans who have made Xena: Warrior Princess a cult hit. The sinewy action star, whose varied resume includes stints as a grape picker in Germany's wine country and a gold miner in Australia's rugged outback, is a popular pinup gal in women's prisons, according to series producer Rob Tapert. Fans on Usenet's alt.tv.xena newsgroup post enthusiastically about the seeming sexual chemistry between Xena and the willowy blonde Gabrielle, played by Renee O CONNOR. "Everything about the show is sexy," Lawless says. "We want to take people out of the humdrum."... [447] 08-25-96 THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Sunday. Page 9. 1836 words. "What's new with syndicated shows" By Mike McDaniel COMMENTARY: Brief mention twice of XWP appearing this season on local channel 39. [KT] EXCERPT: ...SOMETHING old, something new, something ""borrowed" - such is the world of syndicated television, those shows produced and marketed independently from the networks. In Houston, Channel 39 rules with such campy syndicated fare as "Hercules" and "Xena," and this season is about to serve "Sinbad," as well. Channel 11, meanwhile, will be offering an all-new "Tarzan. "... ...Channel 39: "Baywatch," "Baywatch Nights," "Flipper," "Hercules," "Highlander," "Soul Train," "Xena. "... [448] 08-26-96 THE DAILY NEWS (Taranaki). Page 19. 1200 words. "Taranaki schools will miss Allan Purdy" By Harry Brown COMMENTARY: In a section about Wolfgang Mozart, Mr. Brown explains how Mozart went from a middle name of Gottlieb to Amadeus. He also observed that "Amadeus" was "nearly as catchy as Lucy Lawless". A non-sequitor...or is it? [KT] EXCERPT: ...ALMOST every concert you attend includes at least one item by Mozart. Singers like him, orchestras love him, audiences adore him. It may be true that the angels in Heaven play Bach, but en famille they probably play Mozart. Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart. What a lovely name to get your mouth round. It's nearly as good as saying Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, (try it). Off on a concert tour of Italy, the child prodigy was all booked up and ready to play when his father (now there was a mercenary for you) decided he'd better Italianise that German mouthful so took Gottlieb (God, lover) and swapped it around to Amadeus (Love God) Easy, isn't it? Nearly as catchy as Lucy Lawless (try it).... =========================== CUT HERE ======== XENA MEDIA REVIEW #27 (09/23/97) Borg 2 of 3