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letterboxd · 4 years

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Pride: 25 Queer Films To Love.

Dating Amber writer and director David Freyne introduces our London correspondent Ella Kemp to 25 of his favorite LGBTQIA films.

A coming-out, coming-of-age film, David Freyne’s Dating Amber follows “baby gays” Eddie (Fionn O’Shea) and Amber (Lola Petticrew), who act as each other’s beards in order to stop speculation about their sexualities. Released on Amazon Prime Video in the UK for Pride month, it’s winning praise from Letterboxd members as a “charming” and “gentle” comedy-drama “full of loveliness that extends beyond the Irish accents”.

Lola Petticrew and Fionn O’Shea as Amber and Eddie in ‘Dating Amber’.

As the number of films by and about the gay and trans community expands, we asked Freyne if he could narrow down a list of ten favorites for us. The answer was no—instead, we got 25!

“There are so many extraordinary queer films beyond this list, but all of these films just really affected me when I saw them. Some were the first time I saw queerness on screen, while I deeply identified with others. And, as a filmmaker, each of them makes me braver to fight to tell stories that aren't always easy to get made.

“They are in no particular order because I don’t want to bump into Barry Jenkins (which is obviously going to happen) and have to explain that he is number five on that list (that he will definitely read) for no specific reason. It’s just a technicality.”

David Freyne’s 25 Favorite LGBTQIA+ Films

My Summer of Love (2004) Directed by Paweł Pawlikowski

Paweł Pawlikowski’s film feels like a dream that sweeps you up along with it, helped along by incredible early performances from Natalie Press and Emily Blunt. The hypnotic use of Goldfrapp's ‘Lovely Head’ is probably my favorite use of a song in any film ever. Their drug-fuelled dancing was a massive inspiration for Eddie and Amber’s baby steps into Dublin’s gay scene in Dating Amber.

Weekend (2011) Directed by Andrew Haigh

I never fail to cry buckets at the end of this heartbreaking gem. It’s small in the best sense of the word. Two people fall in love over one intimate weekend. Their gayness is both incidental and totally fundamental. It’s so delicate and moving. Andrew Haigh is a master.

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) Directed by Jamie Babbit

Jamie Babbit’s debut is a brilliant, campy comedy about a cheerleader sent to a conversion therapy camp. I love it for all the reasons many critics (at the time) disliked it. It is subversive, quirky and defiantly upbeat. And it stars Natasha Lyonne and Clea Duvall. Enough said.

Paris is Burning (1990) Directed by Jennie Livingston

I’m not saying anything new when I say that Paris is Burning is necessary viewing. It’s a hilarious, moving and eye-opening look at the (mostly) Black trans women in New York’s ball scene. It is a glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary people who risked everything to live authentically, for themselves and each other. And at a time when our trans family is so under attack, it is vital to see such iconic figures from our community. You’ve probably seen it. Re-watch it. Also those end notes will make you cry.

Happy Together (1997) Directed by Wong Kar-wai

As with all Wong Kar-wai’s work, it is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It’s a tough watch, a portrait of a toxic, failing relationship. But it looks beautiful. They’re miserable and co-dependent. It’s abusive and awful. But it’s great. It really is a great film. I’m not selling this one well. Just watch it.

Moonlight (2016) Directed by Barry Jenkins

Definitely worth watching after Happy Together. Not just because it will make you feel better, but because Barry Jenkins has noted it as a big influence. Also, Moonlight is a masterpiece. You know that, of course. Side note: I realize I’ll never be able to create a hand-job scene as powerful and tender as Jenkins did here, but, in Dating Amber, I made three comedy hand-jobs. Take that Jenkins!

God’s Own Country (2017) Directed by Francis Lee

You can feel Francis Lee in every frame of this film. It’s personal filmmaking at its very best, with wonderful performances from Josh O’Connor and Alec Secăreanu. And it has the most beautifully romantic ending that you only realize we lack for LGBTQ characters when you see it laid out so wonderfully. When we were trying to finance Dating Amber and people suggested it was too Irish, I’d just reference God’s Own Country, which is so defiantly Yorkshire, and they’d shut up. Also, Secăreanu’s jumper with a thumb hole is my style icon. Bring on Ammonite!

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) Directed by Marielle Heller

Marielle Heller is such a brilliant filmmaker. This film is based on the memoir by Lee Israel who forged letters by famous people to sell. It’s a genre piece that feels like it could have been made in the 70s. But what I love about it the most is that it is a rare example of a film that centers the friendship between a lesbian and a gay man. Why do films usually treat us like we exist in totally separate worlds? Anyway, it’s a joyous watch.

Tangerine (2015) Directed by Sean Baker

I’m obsessed with tightly plotted films and Tangerine doesn’t waste a frame. It’s 88 minutes of pure wit, charm and entertainment in line with the best of old-school Hollywood. You instantly forget that Baker’s film is shot on an iPhone and just get swept up in the extraordinary performances of Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez. It’s such a mystery they don’t work more. (Reader: it’s not a mystery. It’s because they are Black trans women, and the industry is shit.)

Portrait of a Lady On Fire (2019) Directed by Céline Sciamma

We all bow at the alter of Céline Sciamma. This film is perfection. The sparse-but-powerful use of music, exquisite photography and extraordinary performances that burn beneath the stillness. The final shots of Adèle Haenel will feed your soul for a year. (Side note: face masks have never looked so stylish.)

Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) Directed by John Schlesinger

This was John Schlesinger’s follow up to his best-known film, Midnight Cowboy. A middle-aged gay doctor (Peter Finch), and a divorced woman (Glenda Jackson), are both in an open love triangle with a younger, bisexual sculptor (Murray Head). It’s quite low-key and far tamer now than when it was released, but it’s a beautiful film and Schlesinger’s most personal. He was one of the few openly gay directors of his time. And Jackson’s performance steals it.

Far From Heaven (2002) Directed by Todd Haynes

Todd Haynes’ stunning film will make you immediately go out and discover all of Douglas Sirk’s glorious technicolor melodramas. Julianne Moore’s performance as a wife who discovers her husband is gay will break you. Dennis Quaid is also terrific as her closeted husband.

The Watermelon Woman (1996) Directed by Cheryl Dunye

Cheryl Dunye’s low-budget debut is a seminal queer film. A video store worker and documentarian (played by Dunye) starts a new relationship while becoming obsessed with ‘the watermelon woman’, a Black actress forgotten by history. It’s lo-fi, funny and a, far too rare, film about race and sexuality.

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) Directed by Stephen Frears

It may have been the first time I saw gay characters on screen and, at the time, it petrified me. But what an amazing film about love, acceptance and the power to change. Fun fact: Daniel Day-Lewis spent a year as a tumble dryer in preparation for his role.

Beautiful Thing (1996) Directed by Hettie MacDonald

Hettie MacDonald’s coming-of-age film is so lovely, honest and tender. James Harvey adapted it from his own play of the same name. The soundtrack is almost entirely The Mamas and the Papas. I am surprised some cigar-smoking West-End mogul hasn’t attempted a musical adaptation. Or maybe they have, I don’t know.

Pride (2014) Directed by Matthew Warchus

Such a purely entertaining film while being urgent, political and deeply moving. Beresford’s script is a masterclass in plotting and if you don’t cry at the end then you are dead inside. Sorry but that’s just science. Also it has the most emotional postscript coda since, well, Paris is Burning.

Love is Strange (2014) Directed by Ira Sachs

Ira Sachs is one of my favorite current filmmakers and criminally underrated. I mean, he’s appreciated, but he needs to be lauded. Love is Strange is such a charming and quietly devastating love story about an older gay couple who lose their apartment and have to couch surf with relatives. It’s one of the most effective films in dealing with the rental crisis in big cities, something he does equally brilliantly in the follow-up, Little Men.

A Fantastic Woman (2017) Directed by Sebastián Lelio

Sebastián Lelio’s film is a beautiful story about one trans woman’s grief after the unexpected death of her older partner. But what makes this film so spectacular is the captivating performance by Daniela Vega. We need to see more of her on screen.

BPM (Beats per Minute) (2017) Directed by Robin Campillo

It’s a film about the AIDS activism of Act Up in 1990s Paris. What makes this so incredible is how joyous it is. Strobe-doused dance scenes punctuate this film that will make you want to take to the streets and fight for your rights.

The Queen of Ireland (2015) Directed by Conor Horgan

This documentary by Conor Horgan follows Ireland’s most famous drag queen, Panti Bliss (aka Rory O’Neill). It’s about his life, a legal battle (a bunch of homophobes sued Rory for calling them homophobes on national TV) and the staging of a show in his hometown. Central to all this is Ireland’s historic vote on marriage equality, something that Panti was a powerful figure in. If you want to laugh and have your heart soar in seeing confirmation of how a once painfully conservative country moved to love and equality, watch this.

The Kids Are All Right (2010) Directed by Lisa Cholodenko

Lisa Cholodenko’s feature is a warm, witty and realistic look at a lesbian couple and their children. Every performance is pitch perfect. I can’t believe it’s a decade old and that we have had so few similar films since.

Booksmart (2019) Directed by Olivia Wilde

We need more joyous films with queer leads and Olivia Wilde’s debut is just that. Set over one night of belated partying, we follow best friends Molly and Amy (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever), one of whom happens to be a lesbian. It is just so much fun to watch.

All About My Mother (1999) Directed by Pedro Almodóvar

I mean this list could just be an Almodóvar filmography, but All About My Mother just happened to be the first of his I saw and it blew my little gay mind. It’s simply about love in its truest sense. Almodóvar said it best with his dedication, “To all actresses who have played actresses. To all women who act. To men who act and become women. To all the people who want to be mothers. To my mother.”

Female Trouble (1974) Directed by John Waters

You can’t have a queer film list without John Waters, and this 1974 classic is my favorite of his. It follows Dawn Davenport (played by the legendary Divine) from teen delinquent to the electric chair. It’s hilarious, irreverent and distasteful in the ways only Waters can be.

Saint Maud (2019) Directed by Rose Glass

Rose Glass’s debut film isn’t out yet and so technically shouldn’t be on the list. But I saw at a festival last year and loved it, so there. It’s a horror film about a private nurse (rising star Morfydd Clark) who tries to save the soul of her deviant and lesbian patient (the always-brilliant Jennifer Ehle). It’s eerie, stylish and the sort of debut all us filmmakers wish we had. Shut up, you’re jealous!

Related content

MundoF’s Opening the Vault: a chronological history of queer interest and LGBTQ+ cinema.

Leonora’s list of Films by Transgender Writers and Directors.

Out of the Closets and Into the Cinemas!: meeting queer folks in dark rooms.

New Queer Cinema

Queer Films Everyone Must See

Queer, Black, 21st Century: A Pride 2020 List

Autostraddle’s Top 200 Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Movies of All Time

Brianna’s list of LGBT+ Animation

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calzona-ga · 4 years

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SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about the season-finale episode of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. While it wasn’t the planned ending, tonight’s Season 16 finale of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, written by Mark Driscoll and Tameson Duffy and directed by Deborah Pratt, was fitting. Indeed, this season was cut short due to the halting of production in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can’t be the longest-running medical drama on television without overcoming some challenges, and Grey’s already has proved its ability to pivot when the unexpected happens. The production shutdown was is the second major curveball for the show this season after original cast member Justin Chambers’ abrupt exit. No word on whether the four unproduced episodes from Season 16 will roll over to the next season. But this episode, titled “Put on a Happy Face,” had enough to tide us over until Season 17.

Let’s start on a positive highlight. After Richard (James Pickens Jr.) experienced hallucinations as well as a very intense and very public breakdown, fans feared that they might be losing another veteran Grey/Sloane surgeon. Determined not to accept his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) worked around the clock to pinpoint the problem, with DeLuca coming through with a game-changing discovery: His dementia was a result of cobalt poisoning from a hip replacement surgery.

Not a hard fix. Dr. Link (Chris Carmack) was brought in to remove the cobalt, and it appears that Webber is on the road to recovery with his health. However, his marriage to Catherine is not out of the danger zone. Turns out the hallucinations had nothing to do with his marital discord. “Did you stand by me while I was being fired? You buy my hospital to humiliate me, or is that my mind playing tricks, too,” Webber contends before sternly kicking Catherine out of the room.

Meanwhile, DeLuca, who has been exhibiting erratic behavior and angry outbursts all season, isn’t able to bask in his incredible catch. Instead, has a breakdown of his own — signaling that it might be time to address his bipolar disorder-like symptoms, which are similar to his father’s.

DeLuca and Grey have become quite the medical duo this season but still couldn’t figure out how to make their romantic relationship work. It’s unclear where that will land next season as a new contender entered midseason — and he goes by the name of Dr. Cormac Hayes (Richard Flood). The two seem to have a connection, though it appears to be on a friendly level at this point (Hayes was a present sent to Meredith by “her person” Cristina Yang). Could this be the next Grey’s love triangle?

Elsewhere, Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) finally had her baby! And she opted not to have an epidural because she’s an addict, and the epidural has fentanyl in it. While baby daddy Link wasn’t able to be present during the birth (he was performing the surgery on Webber), she had fellow “pregnancy club” sister Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) by her side. The two share a tender moment when Bailey hops on the bed to support Amelia as she is giving birth, calling back to the time when late George O’Malley (T. R. Knight) did the same for Bailey during her labor back in Season 2.

Alas, not everyone got a happy ending. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) were set to walk down the aisle, but Teddy needed her one last go-round with Tom Koracick (Greg Germann). Unbeknownst to her, she somehow recorded it and sent it to Owen, who had to endure the embarrassment of hearing it while in the OR surrounded by his colleagues. The wedding eventually is postponed, with Owen giving the excuse that he was pulled into surgery last-minute. In typical Grey’s fashion, there is never a wedding without drama.

Deadline spoke with Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff, who unpacked the final episode, hinted at what’s to come next season and revealed what storylines she wished they were able to air this season. She also weighed in on the fan reactions to Alex Karev’s controversial exit.

DEADLINE: The Season 16 ender wasn’t what was expected, but like you said in your tweet, it was very satisfying, and a fitting Grey’s ending. How do you plan on carrying over the storyline to next season, or is there a plan to carry over the storyline from the last four episodes to next season? KRISTA VERNOFF: I have not formulated that plan yet. In about four weeks, I’m going to get in a room with the writers, and we’re going to talk about all of it. I know that a lot us are having brainstorms since we have so much time at home. A lot of us are texting each other, and going, “Oh, what if we did this? What if we do that?” So I have a feeling that their stories are going to change some, from what we had planned, and that we’ll repurpose some of what we had written and use it in the early episodes of Season 17.

DEADLINE: The production shut down was the second major curveball for the show, after Justin Chambers’ exit. What were your thoughts on the reaction to his exit?VERNOFF: Well, you know, I haven’t been commenting on this much, but I just did an Instagram Live where I said that, so, I’ll say it to you too. I believe that there would’ve been at least as big an outcry if we had killed that character off-camera, and those were our choices. It was kill the character off-camera, or come up with some believable way that he gets his happily ever after, and some of the fans have posited, ‘well he could have just been off-screen in Seattle like April Kepner, but then you’ve got an actress on the show who doesn’t get to do any of the fun, sexy, playful thrill that we’re known for, then you penalize the actors who are staying on the show by limiting what you could do creatively with them. So I was really proud of that episode. I think Elisabeth Finch did an extraordinary job with a nearly impossible task.

That episode made me cry. It made me laugh. I felt really deeply. I felt satisfaction, and I will say that I have received a great many comments from fans who felt the same way, but the angry people are always the loudest ones.

I wasn’t surprised by the fan reaction, but I know it would’ve been equally angry if I had killed him — so it was like, these are your choices, and I felt really happy with what we chose.

DEADLINE: The fact that you didn’t kill the character off also leaves the door open that we might see them in the future. So is there any chance of [Justin Chambers] or Katherine Heigl, ever coming back? VERNOFF: When I left the show in Season 7, people asked me if there was any chance of me ever coming back, and I was smart enough to say, “Never say never.” Here I am, so who knows?

DEADLINE: Jo was able to accept Alex’s decision in a short amount of time and come to terms with everything. Did that have anything to do with her character’s stint in the psychiatric hospital, at the beginning of the season? VERNOFF: Yes. Jo had had such a dramatic, emotional, painful arc, the second half of Season 15. None of the writers, frankly, none of us wanted to see her go back down into a hole. One of the things about the way the character was written off is that she had a lot of time to wonder, and to fear the worst, and I have found in life that when you have a lot of time to wonder and fear the worst, then when you get an answer, even if it’s terrible news, it feels better than not knowing. And it helps you move on, more quickly.

DEADLINE: I want to just touch on Richard’s illness. Is it safe to say that he’s out of the danger zone? Also, did his illness contribute to anything that had to do with his relationship with Catherine? And what can we expect from that couple in the future?We’ll start with the illness — is he in the safe zone now that they’ve caught it early and treated it? VERNOFF: Yes, and I thought that that was one of the most amazing things about this diagnosis was that the cobalt poisoning thing is real and it really can cause all of those symptoms. It can cause dementia-like symptoms. It can cause Parkinson’s-like symptoms — tremors, hallucinations — and the amazing thing about it is that once you diagnose it, and you get the leaky hip out of your body, you can recover, totally. That felt, just as the storyteller, an amazing thing because it let us give Jim Pickens this really rich, rich material, without us having to permanently disable his character. I think that that was an amazing ride for the fans, because the outcry of we’re showing symptoms that don’t feel like they have cures.

There’s not really a cure for Parkinson’s. There’s not a cure for Alzheimer’s. So I know everyone was in a panic, and so, we got to tell this really satisfying story, and we got to let people know that sometimes, there’s another diagnosis for those symptoms, which we found fascinating, as a group of writers who write medicine, that it’s so rare to see something this satisfying.

DEADLINE: Did the symptoms from the cobalt poisoning have anything to do with his attitude toward Catherine? What’s in store for them? Can we still hold out hope for that couple? VERNOFF: I think you can always hold out hope for any couple on Grey’s Anatomy. You never know where it’s going, and I think that the way we designed this was that the fracture, the real fracture in Catherine and Richard’s relationship predated the cobalt poisoning.

So the way we imagined it was that, with the depression, everyone thought it was related to his divorce, and it was actually a symptom of cobalt poisoning. And then the tremors were a symptom of cobalt poisoning, and then the hallucinations, so that when he forgave her, he forgave her in a hallucination. And when he was well, he remembered the actual events from his life, for which he has not yet forgiven her. The reason that I hold out most for that couple is that Catherine rediscovered her deep and profound love for Richard when she almost lost him. I think that that may enable her to apologize in the way that Richard will need to hear.

DEADLINE: Speaking of forgiveness, in true Grey’s fashion, there’s never a wedding without any drama, as we saw with Teddy and Owen. We’ve seen their relationship woes throughout the series, and this season felt like they were going to finally get it together and find each other and have their happy ending. Why haven’t they quite found that happy ending, and can Owen forgive Teddy? VERNOFF: I think that those are questions that we will have to explore in Season 17. I will say that of all the storylines that were left hanging, that is the one that I was the most disappointed about. Actually, there were two: I’m disappointed that I cannot give Teddy — we had an episode coming up where we were able to better articulate and better understand what’s prompting Teddy’s behavior, and we don’t get to air it. Who knows, maybe it’s going to change between now and when we’ll actually shoot it for Season 17, but I feel for Kim Raver. The amount of standing is high, and we’ve left her in a strange place. It’s compelling, and why? Your question is big. Why? Why would she sabotage — why, when she was finally getting her happy ending, did she sabotage it? I think it’s the super-rich area personally.

And then the other story that I was really disappointed that we couldn’t complete — and I will tell you that I haven’t told this to anyone else, but we did a story where there as a victim of human trafficking, like two episodes ago, and DeLuca we got recognized it but he was in such a mentally compromised, manic state that nobody listened to him and the girl left. We had an episode where she comes back, and I am really sad that we can’t air that episode this season because it felt important to offer that kind of hope to people who are living that experience. I may still complete that story next season.

DEADLINE: I want to touch on DeLuca, who has gone through this really rocky journey with Meredith this season. Although they haven’t really been able to figure out their personal relationship, they’ve proven to be a great medical team. What can you tease about this couple? Last season, we talked about Meredith being ready for love. What can we tease about this couple in the future? Is somebody else going to throw a wrench in everything? Somebody by the name of Hayes? VERNOFF: There is hope for Meredith and DeLuca, and I think that there is hope for Meredith and Hayes. I will be fascinated to see how that storytelling emerges in season 17 because this story played in a way that I didn’t picture. You know, you write a thing, and then the actors play it, and then it gets all put together, and then you know what the story is. You don’t know how it’s going to play when you write it. It’s been amazing for me to watch this story this season. I feel like Giacomo has been so compelling, and DeLuca has risen so much, and simultaneously, Hayes has been really compelling and feels very much like Meredith’s equal. At this point, I’, not even sure which couple I’m rooting for, and that’s always an exciting thing.

DEADLINE: Yeah. We love our love triangles on Grey’s. VERNOFF: Yeah. Yeah.

DEADLINE: One couple might have found their happy ending, it seems, is Amelia and Link. The birth of the baby was such a nice ending to a season full of ups and downs. Was that one thing you were excited about? To see Amelia who had her complications with her first pregnancy, and this one turned out fine. VERNOFF: Yeah. I love that story and I am so grateful that … we got to air it this season. It would’ve been really a bummer if we hadn’t made it there, this season. So, that was just luck and I’m grateful that it was in that episode. I love that scene where Bailey gets in the bed with Amelia, and we call back to when George got in the bed with Bailey and it’s just so beautiful. It was pitched by Meg Mooney, who’s been with the show for 15 years. It made me cry when she pitched it, and it makes me cry every time I watch it. I, like everyone else, at this point really am loving Link and Amelia, and I was so happy. That ending for them felt so hard won this season.

DEADLINE: Is the next season being envisioned as the final season since it’s the second of the two-year pickup, or are you guys having conversations about potentially more seasons? VERNOFF: You know, what I always say to this question, is my answer again today, and that is: I will not start planning the end of Grey’s Anatomy until Shonda [Rhimes] and Ellen and ABC all sit down together, tell me that this really the end this time. The truth is those conversations might be being had if we weren’t dealing with a global pandemic, but everyone’s gone home, and I suspect we’ll start talking about that in a month, or two.

DEADLINE: Speaking of this global pandemic, obviously Grey’s is known for taking things that are happening in the world, and incorporating it into the series. Are there any plans to reflect on this current pandemic on the show for next season? VERNOFF: I haven’t had a minute yet to sit with the writers and talk about it. So, we’re all at home, and we’re on hiatus, but in about four weeks, we’ll gather, and we’ll talk about it. I have a hard time imagining that we don’t have to acknowledge this massive thing that we’ve all gone through, in our fictional world, too, but I have no idea how. I don’t know what it’s going to look like.

DEADLINE: Station 19 — we still have more episodes coming with that series. Are we going to see any of the Grey’s characters in the final couple of episodes? VERNOFF: Yes. Happily, yes, you are. The Grey’s characters are all over the last two episodes of Station 19. So, that is a really nice treat for the fans, too. Many of our Grey’s characters are in Episodes 15 or 16 on Station 19.

#grey's anatomy #krista vernoff #deadline #scoop

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networkingdefinition · 5 years

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Avocados Quotes

Official Website: Avocados Quotes

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• And perfect happiness? Man, that’s a…the pool is about 92 degrees, the Jacuzzi is about 102 and an avocado farm. – Jamie Foxx • Avocados, it’s a food that ain’t worth injuring yourself for. If it’s a hassle to get into, leave it to the experts. – Karl Pilkington

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'Avocado', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '68', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_avocado').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_avocado img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); ); • English muffins with avocado is one of my favorite breakfasts. – Mia Hamm • Flesh isn’t the only source of protein. You can get all the protein you need from a varied plant-based diet. Protein is found in greens, veggies, beans, grains, nuts & seeds, avocados and so on. And there is no need to consume these foods in any special combination. – Sharon Gannon • He created the flavors! He created the colors. He created it all, and he did it all out of the overflow of his perfections. It’s not like he was thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got some fajita flavoring over here. I know: let’s put it on the cow and the chicken.’ He created the avocado to have a certain flavor; he created the skirt steak, the fillet, and the tenderloin to have certain flavors. That was God’s doing. So every aspect of creation, from the largest galaxy to the tiniest burst of flavor in food or drink or seasoning, radiates the goodness of God. – Matt Chandler • How many fingers am I holding up?” he inquired. Lucille regarded him blearily and said, “Avocado. – Sarah Rees Brennan • I do love my avocados, which are great for the skin. I eat pretty healthfully. – Mary-Louise Parker • I don’t like to leave what I’m going to eat in other people’s hands, so I’ll pack my own lunch. I chop up a salad with lots of greens – everything from spinach, baby spinach, arugula, cucumber, avocado, radish, cauliflower, and green olives to parsley and cilantro, all chopped really fine – with a piece of wild salmon. I even bring my own tea in a Thermos. – Miranda Kerr • I don’t think I’ve ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I stopped and I lost a lot of weight because my appetite was less. I’m not skinny now – I’m spindly. I eat an extremely simple diet – mostly salmon, avocado, feta cheese, chicken, eggs, peanut butter, blueberries, and quinoa. – Nick Antosca • I feel old and vulnerable. I now realise that I knew nothing and know nothing, but back when my career was beginning, I thought I was a man when, in fact, I was a dewy-eyed boy who’d not seen an avocado or eaten a tomato. – James Nesbitt • I have this wonderful personal chef who sources and stocks all my organic produce and I basically live on five smoothies a day. I’m totally vegan. I blend this green concoction with kale, cucumber, broccoli, string beans, avocado. My protein comes from protein powder. There is absolutely no milk, butter, cheese. – Larry Hagman • I love things that are indescribable, like the taste of an avocado or the smell of a gardenia. – Barbra Streisand • I normally don’t love green juices, but Body & Eden makes theirs tasty by blending ingredients like avocado and banana with the usual suspects like kale and spinach. Delicious as they are, they’re low calorie, and the drink names are catchy: I Have Balance, I Have Energy, and my favorite, I Have Calm. – Gayle King • I see my large nose, like half an avocado. I broke it falling downstairs when I was six, and it now resembles a large blob of play-dough. – Arthur Smith • I spent years working in low-budget horror films. When you’ve done ‘Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death,’ you can handle anything! – Adrienne Barbeau • I suppose there are people who can pass up free guacamole, but they’re either allergic to avocado or too joyless to live. – Frank Bruni • I think a lot of education has to be involved. If they would have alternative items, so that, say, for a dollar more, you can get breakfast tacos stuffed with egg whites, and olive oil, and avocado; not guacamole, because they put the salt in it. Just ask for fresh avocado slices, and you could have that. – Sandra Cisneros • I use a lot of spices, fresh veggies and fruit, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, avocado, soybeans and organic ingredients as often as possible. We need fat in our diets and using the healthier fats is key. – Todd English • I use color as my chief guide. But I always squeeze an avocado – you want the fruit to feel close to the skin. If you can feel a separation, the avocado is past its prime. The avocado should have a little give, but not much. – Dorie Greenspan • I’d go to the farmers’ market in Santa Barbara, and I’d put out my guitar case, and I’d test out these little ditty songs that I would write, and I would get a couple of avocados, a bag of pistachios, and, like, fifteen bucks. That was a lot of money for me. – Katy Perry • If we got an educational program going, we could tell people, “Instead of butter, use avocado.” That’s something we eat, it has the good fat, and it has a good texture, and it tastes better. Just imagine if you substituted that. Or if we switched to olive oil, the extra virgin olive oil, we could still have our taquitos, but put a little oil on them and put them in the oven and bake them. – Sandra Cisneros • If you have nothing but love for your avocados, and you take joy in turning them into guacamole, all you need is someone to share it with. – Jason Mraz • Just to have my kids be in the sun every day-picking avocados, going for a swim, she says. “Even for two years or something, and come back when they go to senior school.” Just what kids want to do, pick avocados. Also: senior school? – Gwyneth Paltrow • The avocado is a food without rival among the fruits, the veritable fruit of paradise – David Fairchild • The California I knew, old rancho California, is gone. It just doesn’t exist, except maybe in little pockets. I lived on the edge of the Mojave Desert, an area that used to be farm country. There were all these fresh-produce stands with avocados and date palms. You could get a dozen artichokes for a buck or something. Totally wiped out now. – Sam Shepard • The cucumber and the tomato are both fruit; the avocado is a nut. To assist with the dietary requirements of vegetarians, on the first Tuesday of the month a chicken is officially a vegetable. – Jasper Fforde • The real secret to guacamole is that you use exactly the elements that you need, which is cilantro, onion, tomato, and jalapenos. And, of course, avocado. – Demian Bichir • This is my breakfast: Two poached eggs, turkey bacon, and a half avocado. The yolks in a poached egg are alkalizing. Avocados are a great source of fat and vitamin E; great for your skin. Its super light and not too heavy. Sometimes I like a little sweet as well, so I have a cup of plain yogurt with blueberries. – April Bowlby • Three days a week and Im home at the ranch in Fallbrook with my avocados. – Martin Milner • We don’t care if these girls want to eat their men. That’s the Piranha Man’s problem. We just want the avocados. – J. F. Lawton • We’re [Avocado League] trying to just urge people to add avocado into their diet. It’s healthy and full of vitamins and minerals. – Jennie Finch • What peaches and what penumbras! Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!–and you, Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons? – Allen Ginsberg • You can’t sow an apple seed and expect to get an avocado tree. The consequences of your life are sown in what you do and how you behave. – Tom Shadyac

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equitiesstocks · 5 years

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Avocados Quotes

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thatstrueonline · 5 years

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BMI celebrated the songwriters, producers and publishers of the past year’s most-performed R&B/hip-hop songs during the 2019 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards held at the Sandy Springs Arts Center in Atlanta. Multiple-award-winning singer/songwriter and actress Brandy received the BMI President’s Award in recognition of her powerful impact on the entertainment industry and her timeless hits, which have secured her place in R&B history.

Hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton, the evening included stellar performances by some of the hottest artists on the music scene. The ceremony kicked off with a moving tribute video in honor of the late rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle to celebrate his musical legacy and remarkable philanthropic work. Atlanta-based rapper Gunna followed with a medley of his biggest hits, ending with his smash “Drip Too Hard,” featuring Lil Baby, who joined him on stage for the performance. Afterwards, Gunna received a special award in recognition of the song garnering one billion streams. Television personality and comedian, DC Young Fly then presented Memphis rapper NLE Choppa with the 2019 BMI Social Star Award.

The evening also featured a series of special tributes to Brandy, beginning with contemporary R&B singer/songwriter Jade Novah performing a beautiful rendition of “Talk About Our Love.” The tributes continued with Samoht singing a stripped-down version of “Brokenhearted,” followed by gospel singer Kierra Sheard’s sultry performance of two of Brandy’s ballads, “Have You Ever” and “He Is.” Eric Bellinger rounded out the tributes with “Baby” and “Nothing” which had the audience singing along. Brandy’s brother, Ray J, took to the stage and serenaded his sister with “Best Friend” before she was presented with the BMI President’s Award. Brandy accepted the accolade with an impromptu performance, encouraged by the audience, of “I Wanna Be Down,” before singing her iconic hit “Almost Doesn’t Count.”

The event also honored the top producers and songwriters of the previous year’s 35 best-performing R&B/hip-hop songs in the U.S. from BMI’s repertoire of more than 14 million musical works. Wheezy Beatz tied for Producer of the Year with Tay Keith. Keith also received the coveted Songwriter of the Year award, an honor he shared with Post Malone, marking his second tie for the evening. Song of the Year went to “God’s Plan” by Yung Exclusive and Marciano and Sony/ATV was named Publisher of the Year for having 18 of the most performed songs of the year including “Sicko Mode,” “I Like It” and “In My Feelings.”

As the 2019 BMI President’s Award honoree, Brandy joins previous recipients Curtis Mayfield, Ludacris, Toni Braxton and Will.i.am, among others in sharing this distinction.

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MAJOR WINNERS: 2019 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards

R&B/HIP-HOP SONG OF THE YEAR God’s Plan Daveon “Yung Exclusive” Jackson Brock “Marciano” Korsan Annuity Songs Nasrock Music Publishing Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Yex Publishing

R&B/HIP-HOP SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR BryTavious “Tay Keith” Chambers Look Alive Nonstop Sicko Mode

Post Malone Better Now I Fall Apart Psycho

R&B/HIP-HOP PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR Sony/ATV Music Publishing Be Careful Better Now Boo’d Up Butterfly Effect Fefe Finesse (Remix) I Fall Apart I Like It In My Feelings Lucid Dreams MotorSport No Limit Nonstop Pray for Me Psycho Sicko Mode Sky Walker Taste

R&B/HIP-HOP PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BryTavious “Tay Keith” Chambers Wesley “Wheezy Beatz” Glass

PRESIDENT’S AWARD Brandy

SOCIAL STAR NLE Choppa

BMI 35 Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

All the Stars Kendrick Lamar SZA Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Songs of Universal, Inc.

Bartier Cardi Samuel “30Roc” Gloade Jaucquez “London Jae” Lowe Darryl “Cheeze Beatz” McCorkell Lamont “EZ Elpee” Porter BMG Platinum Songs US Have We Got Music For You Mushie Music Ten Down Muzik TJK Forever Publishing Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Be Careful Adam “Frank Dukes” Feeney (SOCAN) Ghostface Killah Lamont “U-God” Hawkins Jason-Scott “Rebel-INS.” Hunter Method Man Ol’ Dirty Bastard RZA Jorden “Pardison Fontaine” Thorpe Corey Woods EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. MYNY Music Sam Fam Beats Sony/ATV Ballad Sony/ATV Songs LLC Universal Music-Careers Wu Tang Publishing, Inc.

Better Now Adam “Frank Dukes” Feeney (SOCAN) Post Malone Austin Rosen Electric Feel Music EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. MYNY Music Posty Publishing Sam Fam Beats Songs of Universal, Inc. Sony/ATV Songs LLC

Big Bank DJ Mustard Nye “NANO” Lee, Jr. Nicki Minaj YG Ce A Million Music Irving Music Kjack Publishing Mustard on the Beat Publishing Songs of Roc Nation Music Songs of Universal, Inc. Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Boo’d Up DJ Mustard Larrance Dopson Ella Mai Blue Nike Publishing Ella Mai Publishing Mustard on the Beat Publishing peermusic lll, Ltd. Songs of Roc Nation Music Songs of Volume Ventures Sony/ATV Ballad Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Butterfly Effect Felix Leone (SOCAN) Travis Scott Sony/ATV Ballad Travis Scott Music

Crew Brent Faiyaz Teddy Walton Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Teddy Walton Publishing

Fefe Kevin Gomringer Tim Gomringer Andrew “Trifedrew” Green Nicki Minaj Tekashi 6ix9ine Create Digital Music Songs of Universal, Inc. Sony/ATV Ballad

Finesse (Remix) Ray Romulus Jonathan Yip Music for Milo Please Enjoy the Music Sony/ATV Songs LLC Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

God’s Plan Daveon “Yung Exclusive” Jackson Brock “Marciano” Korsan Annuity Songs Nasrok Music Publishing Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Yex Publishing

Good Old Days Ben Haggerty Andrew Joslyn Bengal Yucky Publishing D.B. Joslyn Music Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing

Him & I Dakari Ashley Frangipane Edgar “Edd Grand” Machuca 17 Black Music BMG Platinum Songs US Cider Sounds Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Songs of Universal, Inc.

I Fall Apart Carlo “Illangelo” Montagnese (SOCAN) Post Malone Posty Publishing Songs of Hear The Art Songs of Universal, Inc. Sony/ATV Ballad

I Get the Bag Southside Leland “Metro Boomin” Wayne Irving Music Pluto Mars Music Royal Legend Publishing Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

I Like It J Balvin Edgar “Edd Grand” Machuca Luian Malave Marcos Masís “Tainy” Tony Pabon Manny Rodriguez Jorden “Pardison Fontaine” Thorpe Anthony “J.White Did It” White BMG Platinum Songs US EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. EMI-Longitude Music Co. Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Songs of LVS Music Publishing Sony/ATV Ballad Universal-Música Unica Publishing

In My Feelings Jim Jonsin Lil Wayne Magnolia Shorty Adam “BlaqNmilD” Pigott Benny Workman Rex Zamor Eighth And Groove Music EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. Jimipub Music Laumar Music Co. peermusic lll, Ltd. Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Songs of Volume Ventures TrapMoneyBenny Songs Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. You A Genius Publishing Young Money Publishing, Inc.

Lemon Rihanna Monica Fenty Music Publishing Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Look Alive Paul “DJ Paul” Beauregard BlocBoy JB BryTavious “Tay Keith” Chambers Jordan “Juicy J” Houston Patrick “Project Pat” Houston Bloc Nation BMG Bumblebee BMG Platinum Songs US Lakeith Legacy Publishing Tefnoise Publishing LLC Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Lucid Dreams Juice Wrld Dominic Miller (PRS) Nick Mira Taz Taylor Sting (PRS) Artist 101 Publishing Group BMG Platinum Songs US Electric Feel Music EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. Nick Mira Publishing Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Songs of Universal, Inc. Taz Taylor Beats

MotorSport Kevin Gomringer Tim Gomringer Nicki Minaj Songs of Universal, Inc. Sony/ATV Songs LLC

Nice for What Jerome “5th/Ward Weebie” Cosey Ghostface Killah Lamont “U-God” Hawkins Jason-Scott “Rebel-INS.” Hunter Mannie Fresh Method Man Ol’ Dirty Bastard Adam “BlaqNmilD” Pigott RZA Bryan “Baby” Williams Corey Woods Fresh Is The Word Money Mack Music Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Songs of Universal, Inc. Universal Music-Careers Wobblemart Publishing Wu Tang Publishing, Inc. You A Genius Publishing

No Brainer Nick Balding DJ Khaled Nolan Lambroza David Park BMG Platinum Songs US Give Thanks Publishing Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

No Limit A$AP Rocky Jay Anthony Edgar “Edd Grand” Machuca Jorden “Pardison Fontaine” Thorpe A$AP Rocky Publishing LLC BMG Platinum Songs US Sony/ATV Ballad Sony/ATV Songs LLC

Nonstop BryTavious “Tay Keith” Chambers Sakata Oatis Kenza Samir (SOCAN) EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. Great South Bay Music Lakeith Legacy Publishing Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Plug Walk Grant “Lab Cook” Dickinson (SOCAN) JRHITMAKER Tay Taylor Annuity Songs Artist 101 Publishing Group Electric Feel Music JR Hitmaker Publishing Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Songs of Universal, Inc. Taz Taylor Beats

Pray for Me Adam “Frank Dukes” Feeney (SOCAN) Kendrick Lamar Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. MYNY Music Sam Fam Beats Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing Sony/ATV Songs LLC

Psycho Tyrone “Ty Dolla $ign” Griffin, Jr. Post Malone Austin Rosen Electric Feel Music EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. Its Drugs Publishing Posty Publishing Songs of Universal, Inc.

Ric Flair Drip Leland “Metro Boomin” Wayne Songs of Universal, Inc.

Sicko Mode Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown Busta Rhymes Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell Rogét Chahayed BryTavious “Tay Keith” Chambers Mike Dean Rick Finch Kevin Gomringer Tim Gomringer John Hawkins Bryan Higgins Chauncey “Hit Boy” Hollis James “Dinco D” Jackson KC Travis Scott Fred Scruggs, Jr. Tyrone “Sonny Seeza” Taylor Cydel Young BMG Platinum Songs US EMI-Longitude Music Co. Fat Pat Lives Music Ill Hill Billy’z Muzik, Inc. Lakeith Legacy Publishing Mr. Redan Music of Ever Hip-Hop Music of Evergreen Papa George Music Songs of Universal, Inc. Sony/ATV Ballad Sony/ATV Melody Travis Scott Music Tziah Music U Can’t Teach Bein’ The Shhh, Inc. Universal Music-Z Songs Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Sky Walker Rogét Chahayed Happy Perez Travis Scott Songs of Universal, Inc. Sony/ATV Ballad Travis Scott Music

Stir Fry Harry Palmer (PRS) Embassy Music Corporation

Taste Cameron Forbes Tyga EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. Sound of Money Tygaman Music Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Walk It Talk It Grant “Deko” Decouto DJ Montay Harbosky Martiniz Gordon Frederick D. Hall “Jamezz Bonn” Donald B. Jenkins Brian Nash Korey “Big Oomp” Roberson Howard “MC Assault” Simmons Southern Style Techniques, Inc. Top Quality Publishing Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Yes Indeed Branden Brown aka B-Rackz Wesley “Wheezy Beatz” Glass Annuity Songs Songs of B-Rackz Ultra Empire Music

Brandy Honored with the BMI President’s Award at the 2019 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards BMI celebrated the songwriters, producers and publishers of the past year’s most-performed R&B/hip-hop songs during the 2019 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards held at the Sandy Springs Arts Center in Atlanta.

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biofunmy · 5 years

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Who Won and What Happened at the 2019 Tony Awards

‘Hadestown’ wins best new musical.

“Hadestown,” a pulsing, poetic contemporary riff on an ancient Greek myth, won the Tony Award for best new musical Sunday night, triumphing over film adaptations, a musical comedy and a jukebox show.

The win, coming at a time when Broadway is enjoying a long-running box office boom, marks the sixth year in a row that Tony voters have chosen an inventive show nurtured by nonprofits over more commercial fare.

“Hadestown,” dreamed up by a Vermont singer-songwriter who as a child became fascinated by the doomed love story of Orpheus and Eurydice, is at once tragic and hopeful, suggesting that the very act of storytelling can be a salve for sadness.

Fueled by a seven-piece onstage band, the blues-and-folk-styled show is set in a jazz club that morphs into an oil drum, and alludes to climate change, labor strife and, indirectly, immigration. The show’s most resonant song, written before Donald J. Trump became president, is called “Why We Build the Wall.”

The musical beat out an original musical comedy, “The Prom,” about a group of narcissistic actors who try to advance their careers with an act of unwanted do-goodism, as well as two stage adaptations of well-known films, “Tootsie” and “Beetlejuice,” and a jukebox musical, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.”

All four cost more to bring to Broadway than “Hadestown,” which is also notable for the number of women at the wheel — still a relative rarity in commercial theater.

Two of its lead producers are women, as is the lead producer of “The Ferryman,” which won as best new play, and “Oklahoma!,” which won as best musical revival.

The 73rd annual Tonys ceremony, held at Radio City Music Hall, was a night more buoyant than surprising.

The inventive director of “Hadestown,” Rachel Chavkin, who previously brought “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” to Broadway, picked up her first Tony for directing the new musical. She was the only woman nominated as a director of any show this year, a fact that she noted ruefully during her acceptance speech. And she is only the fourth woman ever to win a Tony as director of a musical.

“I wish I wasn’t the only woman directing a musical on Broadway this season,” she said, before calling for greater gender and racial diversity among theater artists and critics.

“This is not a pipeline issue,” she added. “It is a failure of imagination by a field whose job is to imagine the way the world could be.”

“Hadestown” was conceived and written by Anaïs Mitchell, a singer-songwriter with no ties to Broadway (besides a childhood affection for “Les Misérables”), who won a Tony for her score. She began the musical as a DIY community theater project in 2006, touring small Vermont venues in a silver school bus packed with props.

Among the lessons Ms. Mitchell said she learned from working on the show for so long: “Nobody does it alone.”

The show’s other winners included André De Shields, a theater veteran who in 1975 broke out as the title character in “The Wiz.” He won for playing Hermes, a Greek god who serves as the musical’s narrator and travel guide.

“The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing,” the 73-year-old Mr. De Shields advised as he accepted the award for best featured actor in a musical.

“Hadestown” picked up eight awards in all, including for scenic design by Rachel Hauck; orchestrations by Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose; lighting design by Bradley King; and sound design by Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz.

The show is shaping up to be a hit, despite a lack of name recognition and a very crowded theatrical marketplace. Since opening in April it has been selling well, and word-of-mouth appears strong.

The other musicals did not go home empty-handed: Santino Fontana, the virtuosic star of “Tootsie,” won as best actor in a musical, and the show’s book writer, Robert Horn, won in his category. “Ain’t Too Proud” picked up an award for Sergio Trujillo’s electrifying choreography.

‘The Ferryman’ ends up on top in a strong season for plays.

“The Ferryman,” a sprawling Irish drama by the English writer Jez Butterworth, won the Tony for best new play, fueled by admiration for its sophisticated storytelling, which manages to be suspenseful and funny and romantic and eerie — all at once.

The category was quite competitive this season, which saw an unusually ambitious assortment of dramas and comedies, heartening doomsayers who have long fretted about the health of plays on Broadway, where the big money and big crowds flock to musicals.

The biggest play of the season — as measured by cost to develop and weekly take at the box office — is “To Kill a Mockingbird.” But it was not nominated for best play, leaving the awards race between “Ferryman” and “What the Constitution Means to Me,” an autobiographical reflection on gender and the law written and performed by the American Heidi Schreck.

The night belonged to “Ferryman,” which considers Ireland’s Troubles as refracted through a boisterous household that includes adults and children, plus a baby, a goose and a rabbit. Sam Mendes won as the play’s director, and Rob Howell won two prizes, for its costume and scenic design.

The also-rans will be fine — both “Mockingbird” and “Constitution” are planning tours, and “Mockingbird” is settling in for an extended run on Broadway.

Ali Stroker becomes first wheelchair user to win a Tony.

One of the night’s emotional highlights: Ali Stroker becoming the first wheelchair user to win a Tony. Ms. Stroker, 31, lost the use of her legs in a car accident at age two; now she is featured as Ado Annie, the lusty young woman who “cain’t say no” in a revival of “Oklahoma!”

“This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation or a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena,” Ms. Stroker said. “You are.”

Among the night’s other winners: The 87-year-old comedian, writer and director Elaine May earned her first Tony, as leading actress in a play, for movingly portraying a woman losing her memory in a revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s “The Waverly Gallery.” Ms. May, who burst onto the scene in the 1950s performing comedy with Mike Nichols, won for her first Broadway role in more than 50 years.

Bryan Cranston, a favorite among Broadway audiences, won his second Tony for the stage adaptation of the film “Network.” Mr. Cranston, 63, starred as Howard Beale, the “mad as hell” anchorman in the classic satire of television news.

“Finally a straight old white man gets a break!” he said, before dedicating his award “to all the real journalists around the world, both in the print media and broadcast media, who actually are in the line of fire with their support of truth.”

“The media is not the enemy of the people,” he said. “Demagoguery is the enemy of the people.”

Stephanie J. Block, a Broadway fan favorite, won her first Tony as one of three women portraying different stages of Cher’s life in “The Cher Show.” The victory is a triumph for Ms. Block, who famously lost out on the lead role in “Wicked” years ago, and who had been nominated twice previously.

She thanked not only God, but also “the goddess Cher.”

Bob Mackie, who designed Cher’s attention-demanding looks for decades, also won, for the show’s costumes.

Celia Keenan-Bolger was named best featured actress in a play for portraying Scout, the daughter of Atticus Finch. in Aaron Sorkin’s new stage adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Ms. Keenan-Bolger is 41, and playing Scout both as a young woman and as a child; in her acceptance speech, she praised the novelist Harper Lee “for making the greatest literary heroine of all time.”

And Bertie Carvel won as best featured actor in a play for his portrayal of a young Rupert Murdoch in “Ink,” a British drama about an early chapter in the media titan’s tabloid career.

James Corden proves an amiable host.

The show’s host was James Corden, a lifelong theater lover who won a Tony in 2012 (for “One Man, Two Guvnors”) and who led the ceremony in 2016. He proved, once again, an amiable, apolitical and self-deprecating host.

As the telecast began, Mr. Corden exhorted viewers — who, ironically, were mostly watching on television — to think about getting off their couches and going to see a show. He cracked joke after joke about the challenges facing Broadway — high ticket prices, low artist salaries (at least when compared to television) — but celebrated the joys, and the spectacle, of “actual people in an actual space.”

At one point he showed his father taking a phone call in the audience and describing his whereabouts as “some theater thing James is doing.” Later he joined last year’s hosts, Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles, for a spoof version of “Michael in the Bathroom” — a popular song from the cult Broadway musical “Be More Chill” — the trio joking in a Radio City restroom about their insecurity over the broadcast’s ratings.

And then, saying theater would be more popular if its stars feuded with one another as they do in pop music, he pretended to try to get stage stars to air their grievances with one another, but they mostly just expressed their mutual fandom.

‘Oklahoma!’ wins as best musical revival.

A provocative production of “Oklahoma!” — dark and violent, doubling down on questions the show has always asked about America — won a two-way contest for best musical revival.

The win marked the first time the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, which first opened in 1943, won a competitive Tony contest although it was honored with a special prize in 1993 for its 50th anniversary.

The new production features video, contemporary dance, and an unsettling depiction of frontier justice that is startling to those accustomed to more traditional versions of the musical.

A starry 50th anniversary staging of “The Boys in the Band,” a pioneering gay drama by Mart Crowley, triumphed in the contest for best play revival.

Mr. Crowley, tearing up as he accepted the award, paid tribute to “the original cast of nine brave men who did not listen to their agents when they were told that their careers would be finished if they did this play.” Several members of the original cast later died of AIDS-related illnesses.

King Kong and Spider-Man’s aunt are already winners.

Each year, noncompetitive Tony Awards are doled out, some of them noted on the televised broadcast, and others presented at earlier ceremonies or during commercial breaks.

The biggest winner this year, at least as measured by tonnage: King Kong. The massive animatronic marionette at the heart of a new stage musical, “King Kong,” was honored with a special Tony, given to his Australian creators, Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company.

This Kong is not ambulatory — he’s tethered by cables to the show’s set — so he wasn’t able to travel to Radio City Music Hall. But he appeared on the broadcast by video.

The industry’s annual lifetime achievement awards went to Rosemary Harris — a veteran stage actress, now featured on Broadway in a revival of “My Fair Lady,” who played Aunt May in three Spider-Man films; to the playwright Terrence McNally, whose “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” is now running on Broadway; and to the musician Harold Wheeler, best known for his years as musical director of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Among the other honors:

Madeline Michel, the theater director at Monticello High School in Charlottesville, Va., received the Excellence in Theater Education Award. Ms. Michel’s program used drama to explore racial inequality after violence followed a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

The actress Judith Light, a two-time Tony winner, won the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, which recognizes volunteerism, in honor of her work on H.I.V./AIDS issues and her support for gay rights.

Marin Mazzie, a beloved stage actress who died of ovarian cancer last year, received a posthumous special Tony Award in recognition of her advocacy for women’s health.

Jason Michael Webb, a composer and musical director, won a special Tony Award for his arrangements of the gospel songs and hymns sung in the play “Choir Boy.” The cast of that play, which closed in March, will reunite to perform at the award ceremony.

The annual Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater were given to the choir Broadway Inspirational Voices; to Peter Entin, retired vice president of theater operations for the Shubert Organization; to Joseph Blakely Forbes, the founder and president of Scenic Art Studios, Inc.; and to the Theater District’s firehouse, FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9.

And the annual regional theater Tony Award went to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, a nonprofit founded in 1970 that is one of the nation’s few major regional theaters located in suburbia.

The Tony Awards, named for the actress and philanthropist Antoinette Perry, are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing.

The recipients are chosen by 831 Tony voters, many of whom work in the theater industry and have a financial connection to one or more nominated shows. To be eligible, the shows must have opened by April 25 in one of the 41 Broadway theaters located in and around midtown Manhattan.

Winners will get an eight-inch high statuette featuring a circular silver medallion with the masks of comedy and tragedy on one side and information about the winner on the other.

The awards ceremony takes place at a time when Broadway is booming. Attendance is at record levels — 14,768,254 seats filled during the season that just ended — and so is the total box office, which was just over $1.8 billion.

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Galapagos Cruise Travel Log - Quasar Expeditons

01 of 13

Day 1 – Boarding the Evolution and Snorkeling off Punta Carrion

Linda Garrison

Like most people, I've always dreamed of visiting exotic places around the world like the Galapagos Islands. When I first started this job as a cruise travel writer in 2000, I had my own list of places to see during my lifetime. Years later, I've traveled to hundreds of places around the world and enjoyed them all–even the ones I didn't have on my original bucket list.

I've finally scratched off the last destination (for now) on the “must see” top 10 list I entered this century with–the Galapagos Islands. I've always been a lover of wildlife and science, and this Galapagos archipelago of islands that straddles the equator about 600 miles west of Ecuador has long enticed me. The island group is quite large, with 13 major islands, 6 small ones, and dozens of named and unnamed islets. One island, Isla Isabela, is the 12th largest in the South Pacific. The islands are volcanic in origin, with the tallest peak over 5000 feet. Most cruises are on small ships that focus on either the eastern group of islands or on Islas Isabela and Fernandina in the west. Quasar Expeditions alternates between the two itineraries so that guests can stay on two weeks and see different islands, harbors, and flora and fauna.

Because the islands are so isolated, the wildlife has evolved over the centuries, with many species of animal and plant life seen only in the Galapagos Islands. Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835 while on an adventure on the HMS Beagle. Although he was only in the islands for five weeks, his research on the different species of mockingbirds on all the Galapagos Islands and the 13 different species of finches he observed on the different islands led to the publication of his landmark book, “On the Origin of Species”. The guidebooks stress that you shouldn't visit unless you are fascinated by wildlife, the outdoors, and geology. Most of the islands we visited in the Galapagos Islands are not inhabited, and only 28,000 people live on the five inhabited islands. So, those who prefer urban or indoor activities when vacationing might not be a good match for a Galapagos cruise vacation.

Travel to the Galapagos with LAN Airlines

I traveled to the Galapagos on LAN Airlines from New York City non-stop to Guayaquil, an Ecuadorian coastal city of over two million residents that has most of the flights to the Galapagos. LAN has non-stop flights from JFK to Guayaquil or to Quito. Most flights to the two airports in the Galapagos Islands depart from Guayaquil. We arrived in Guayaquil in the very early morning after an overnight flight, and then had a long layover until our flight to the islands, allowing plenty of time for our luggage to get transferred and for us to use the free WiFi at the airport.

Boarding the M/V Evolution of Quasar Expeditions

We landed on the small island of Baltra and were met by Dolores Gangotena de Diez, one of the owners of the Quasar Expeditions' small expedition yacht the Evolution and her son Fernando, who also works for the family business. She lives in Quito with her husband, the other owner. Dolores fell in love with the Galapagos when she first visited in the 1960's, passed this dedication to the Galapagos to her family, and still is very enthusiastic about the islands 50 years later.

Our group boarded a shuttle bus, which took us to the pier where one of the ship's pangas (the Ecuadorian word that equates to a small boat like a Zodiac, RIB, or dingy) met us for the transfer to the Evolution. Our group of seven arrived at the Evolution about 1 pm in the afternoon of the second day of the cruise. We had a nice lunch outdoors on the deck before donning our swimsuits for the afternoon's activity–snorkeling at 2:45. The dozen other guests were resting after a busy morning of hiking; they had eaten lunch earlier.

The Evolution was formerly a fishing ship that was significantly refurbished as a small expedition yacht. It's really lovely, with larger cabins than I've had on other small ships and nice wood paneling. Not luxurious, but very nice, with a classy feeling. Like other expedition ships I've been on, this one did not have keys to lock the cabin while you were gone, so don't bring along any valuables. Passports and any money can be secured in the cabin's safe. The cabin's private bathroom was especially impressive compared to other yachts. I was on the lowest deck in the most forward cabin (D2). I had a tiny window about 8 inches in diameter, but it was level with the ceiling, so I couldn't see outside. Just good for telling if it's daylight or dark. I was afraid this cabin might be rough, but it was actually very stable since it was mostly below the water line. Those staying in the D level cabins don't need an alarm clock; the anchor is right underneath, so you are awakened when the ship anchors each morning, which is usually not long before the daily wake up call.

After our first lunch, we quickly found our swimsuits (suitcases were delivered to our rooms while we were eating), got changed, and went up on the deck to select snorkeling gear and the shorty wet suits that come down to your knees and have short sleeves. The ship was still anchored off Baltra, so we boarded two pangas and went over near a rocky cliff called Punta Carrion to do snorkeling in very calm water. The water is crystal clear (like the Caribbean) and cold, but the wetsuits kept us warmish after the original shock. We saw many tropical fish this first snorkeling expedition, but I think it was more like a kind of a “get-acquainted” snorkel for Samuel (the naturalist) and Victoria (his assistant) to check out our skills.

We stayed in the water about 45 minutes and then returned to the Evolution. Many of us hopped in the hot tub on the Beagle Deck after we shed our wetsuits. The hot water felt good!

Continue to 2 of 13 below.

02 of 13

Day 1 – Sea Lions of Mosquera Island

Linda Garrison

I quickly unpacked while the Quasar Evolution repositioned to an anchorage near Mosquera Island, a small sandy beach where Galapagos sea lions like to rest. This little spit is only about 120 yards by 600 yards and is like a giant sand bar. We left the ship about 5 pm on the pangas and stayed on the island until sunset. This was the type of adventure the Galapagos is famous for–dozens of sea lions, and none of them the least bit afraid. It's like they are missing the fear factor gene for humans. We were told to keep about three feet away and to not touch them, but the curious little things would waddle right up to us, touching our legs with their long whiskers. We saw a baby sea lion nursing and the colony seemed to be all ages. The alpha male woke up about the time it started to get dusk and began patrolling his island, swimming up and down the beach, barking and encouraging the younger pups to get back on shore since the sharks start feeding at dark. This is just the way I pictured the Galapagos–unique wildlife completely unafraid of humans. What an experience.

Returning to the ship at dark, we enjoyed snacks and a cold drink before showering and attending the nightly briefing and dinner. Sam (the naturalist) led a briefing in the lounge each evening before dinner and discussed our itinerary, wildlife interactions, and activities for next day. A copy of the daily schedule was posted on the reception desk, and I took a photo of it each day to remind me.

As I noted before, all meals are buffet, and both lunch and dinner start with an Ecuadorian soup, which is served by the waiters. All the soups were good, which is surprising since the weather is warm. Our first night's dinner started with vegetable soup, followed by a buffet with green salad, grilled wahoo with capers, turkey with fig sauce, potatoes, steamed veggies, and turnips. Dessert is cheese, fruit, or the nightly dessert, which was a brownie with ice cream our first night.

After dinner, I slept like a log (or a sleeping sea lion) until about 5 am the next morning. Some people went out on deck to see if the ship's lights attracted any sharks, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. They saw one shark. I didn't even hear the anchor raised in the middle of the night as we sailed for Sombrero Chino Island, a small island off the southeast coast of James Island.

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03 of 13

Day 2 – Panga Ride, Hiking on Sombrero Chino Island, and Snorkeling

Linda Garrison

Our first morning on the Evolution of Quasar Expeditions, we had a 6 am wake up call. The ship played quiet music over the loud speaker for a few minutes before an announcement was made that the pangas would sail at 6:30. I was already awake, and the ship was anchored near James Island, which is also called Santiago Island and San Salvador Island. (Note: All of the Galapagos seem to have three names–an Ecuadorian, English and a Spanish one).

We boarded the pangas and rode near one of the more recent lava flows. The stark black lava against the crystal clear, blue water reminded me of Hawaii. We saw Galapagos penguins, blue footed boobies, lava herons, and one great blue heron like we have at home.

After riding around for a while, we landed at a gorgeous sandy beach on Sombrero Chino Island and had great fun watching the sea lions play and bask in the sun. The lava flows and rock formations were interesting, and we also saw many brilliant orange Sally lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas, lava lizards, and other wildlife and birds. Since it was still early, the morning was a perfect time to hike and be near the beach. However, it was already obvious that multiple sunscreen applications would be important on this trip!

We returned to the ship at 8:30 for a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes, fruit, muesli, etc. Very good.

Before we could get rested, it was time to put on our swimsuits for the 10:30 snorkeling or beach expedition. The “deep water” snorkeling panga returned to the lava flow area where the water was so brilliantly clear, and the other group went to a sandy beach on Sombrero Chino Island where they could swim, lie on the beach, or snorkel from the beach. I went with the “deep water” snorkelers, which just meant we snorkeled from the panga, and thank goodness they had a ladder for us to use to get back on the panga!

This crystal clear water with a white sandy bottom bordered by the black lava was a great snorkel for me, and I saw two things I had never seen under water–two white tipped reef sharks (one lying on the bottom sleeping and the other up under a lava ledge at the shoreline) and Galapagos penguins. These little birds can swim very fast under water! We also were entertained by a sea lion for quite a while. What an underwater acrobat he was. The water seemed a little colder than the first day. Sam said it ranged from 21 to 24 degrees Celsius, which is about 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Very nice to have on a wet suit. Of course, we saw many reef fish like I have seen in the Caribbean and Hawaii like parrot fish, Sargent Majors, etc. According to Sam, the opening of the Panama Canal in the early 1900's contributed to the movement of the reef fish of the Caribbean into the Pacific Ocean.

We also saw a couple of sea cucumbers, which almost became extinct in the Galapagos. They were “fished out” in the mid 1990's, with over 7 million harvested in just 2 months in 1994. These are not good to eat, but some Asians think they have aphrodisiac properties. Millions more were harvested in the next few years, even though the government outlawed the taking of sea cucumbers in December 1994.

I felt like I had done a full day's activities by lunch. However, we had an outdoor traditional Ecuadorian lunch to enjoy. The meal started with ceviche, which is seafood “cooked” in lime juice. We had 3 types–jack fish, octopus, or squid. Most people tried all three, but I stuck to the fish one. It was so good, most of us had seconds. I was about full after that, so just ate a little salad (lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes) and some fruit and skipped the roasted pork, cabbage with apples, and banana cake.

Continue to 4 of 13 below.

04 of 13

Day 2 – Exploring James Island – Marine Iguanas and Fur Seals

Linda Garrison

Finishing lunch about 2 pm, we had a whole two hours before our next Galapagos Islands adventure. I actually took a short nap in the cabin. We rode the pangas ashore from the Evolution for a wet landing on James Island, Charles Darwin's favorite island, which is also called Santiago or San Salvador. This island was once inhabited, but is not any more. It's the archipelago's fourth largest island and has several walking trails for visitors.

We landed at Puerto Egas on James Bay on the west side of the island. It was a wet landing on a black sandy beach–quite lovely. We all toted our walking shoes so they wouldn't get wet, and the ship kindly provided small towels for us to sit on the rocks surrounding the beach and dry the black sticky sand off our feet.

We were all a little surprised to see the remains of when James Island was once settled for salt mining in the 1960's. After the settlers left, the island was overrun by ferral goats by the 1990's, and almost all the vegetation was destroyed. The government hired a New Zealand firm to use helicopters to fly over the island and kill all the goats with machine guns. The goats were left to rot. It sounds a little gruesome, but the island rebounded.

We hiked along a trail that skirted the lava shoreline. The tidal pools and black lava were covered with hundreds of marine iguanas. Very creepy to see a dozen or so of them kind of piled up on the rocks or sand, making it easy to see why a group of iguanas is called a mess! I loved exploring the tidal pools (without getting my feet wet) and the grottos where we saw our first Galapagos fur seals swimming. Many sea birds flew overhead while the marine iguanas patrolled the lava rocks and sand. All of our group got into photographing the iguanas.

The walk was fairly easy, but we were all happy that we did it in the late afternoon to avoid some of the heat. The sun sinks quickly when you are at the equator, and we saw it go down over the ocean before we got back on the pangas and returned to the ship after our two hours ashore.

As usual, delicious snacks and fruit juice greeted us upon our return. The ship usually had two hot snacks, plus chips of some sort and then a cold tropical juice like passion fruit or maybe lemonade. I quickly took a shower just in time for the nightly briefing and dinner.

Dinner was lentil soup (another good one!), fish, chicken, veggies, and chocolate cake, fruit, or cheese for dessert. Off to bed by 10 pm or so.

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05 of 13

Day 3 – Genovesa Island – Snorkeling and the Birds of Darwin Bay Beach

Linda Garrison

The Quasar Evolution sailed during dinner and then overnight to the northernmost Galapagos Island, Genovesa, which is also called Tower. We even crossed the equator back into the northern hemisphere sometime during the night. When I awoke the ship was anchored in Darwin Bay in a caldera much like the crescent shaped one at Santorini. The cliffs at Genovesa are not as tall, but it's still the same concept–a volcanic caldera that was once the site of an eruption. This island is not inhabited and is not as frequently visited as some of the other Galapagos Islands, but the trip north of the equator was worth the sailing time.

Our naturalist Sam wanted to possibly show us a creature that often frequents the waters of the caldera. Since the creature is shy, we needed to go snorkeling very early since he also knew that four other small ships would be at Genovesa the same day. So, we ate breakfast and were in the pangas by 8:30. What creature were we seeking? Hammerhead sharks! Never thought I would go looking for a shark, but the waters are so rich and the food is so plentiful in the Galapagos that snorkelers/divers who behave themselves are safe (or so we were told). Anyway, this snorkel was only recommended for those of us who were more experienced since it was much deeper water and the water was very choppy.

We slipped into the water from the pangas and slowly moved along the cliffs overlooking the caldera. Quite magical since the water was deeper than I am used to, but you could still see fairly well. The chop made it a little less brilliant than the day before, but the fish were MUCH larger. We saw huge parrot fish, angel fish, and other marine life. Sam and one other person saw a hammerhead but I missed it. We pressed on, kind of circling back and forth along the cliffs where Sam and Candace had seen the hammerhead. Finally, many more of us, including me, caught a glimpse of the shy shark. I wasn't nearly as scared as when I had seen the reef shark up under the ledge the previous day, maybe because this one was deeper and further away. Believe it or not, the hammerhead wasn't the highlight of the snorkel. We also saw a huge school of manta rays–must have been about 30 of the giant black rays with white bellies. They were swimming in the opposite direction of us and went right under us. Wow!

We were back on board by 10 am, quickly changed clothes and got back into the pangas for a walk along Darwin Bay beach, a small coral beach inside the caldera. It was a wet landing, but since the walk wasn't long, I just wore my teva sandals. There's a flat, half-mile trail that goes inland just a short distance, and we saw many red-footed boobies nesting in the small bushy trees. We also saw some Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, yellow-crested night herons, lava herons, and other birds.

The most exciting (and most photographed by our group) Darwin Bay beach birds were the great frigatebirds who were in their mating season. The males have a giant red neck pouch that they can inflate like a balloon. This pouch can stay inflated for a long time and is used to attract females. They can even fly with it slightly inflated. The female great frigatebirds don't have the bright coloring of the males, but do have a red ring around their eyes. This is one of the easiest ways to differentiate them from the magnificent frigatebirds, which is a separate species. Strolling along the beach trail was interesting, and we even came upon a lava grotto formation that linked to the caldera.

I can't describe how mesmerized we were by the male frigatebirds with their inflated bright red balloons. Often the balloons were so large that the bird had to rest his chin on the balloon. They looked like they would pop very easily. Some male frigatebirds would be off by themselves, others would be grouped together. I must have taken 100 photos of this mating ritual. Once a female selects a male, they might mate 100 times over a two week period. Enough said.

At the end of the hike, we returned to the beach to see some sea lions, one of whom was nursing. A few who hadn't changed clothes for the walk waded into the water for a swim. They were joined by one of the sea lions who played with them a little. These creatures are so unafraid. I can't seem to say that enough.

We returned to the Evolution for another nice lunch. Some of the guests went kayaking after lunch. The ship has four, 2-man kayaks, so people had to take turns. I passed since we had a hike along the cliff at 4 pm.

Continue to 6 of 13 below.

06 of 13

Day 3 – Genovesa Island – Hiking on the Top of the Cliff

Linda Garrison

At 4 pm, we were back in the pangas for the short ride from the Evolution to one of the caldera cliffs of Genovesa. It was across the bay from the morning's hike in Darwin Bay. The cliff top is accessed via Prince Philip's Steps, which were named after a 1964 visit by the British royal. The stairway is 81 feet up to the top of the cliff, and the stairs were steep and difficult. Sam said this hike would be our most difficult, so I didn't think the 92-year old member of our group would try it, but he climbed the cliff and did the entire hike of about 2 miles.

The hike along the cliff top began with a trek across the caldera, stopping at the other side where we had great views of the sea. The path was rocky and uneven, but flat with desert plants like cacti. We saw many birds–boobies, frigates, storm petrels, tropicbirds, short-eared owl and even a waved albatross, a species the ship owner Dolores said she hadn't seen in many years. The short-eared owl is very territorial, so Sam was able to point him out in a dark gulley cave off the trail since that was one of his usual daytime haunts.

When we saw what we thought were two boobies “fighting”, we didn't realize that one was the chick of the mother and he was trying to get her to feed him. The boobie-babies (gotta love that) do not fly until they are about 1 year old, and their mothers feed them regurgitated food until they are able to fend for themselves. After one year, the babies are often larger than their moms, so feeding them can be quite challenging. The mother we saw was trying to tell her son that she didn't have any food for him! She kept running away and he kept trying to grab her neck and open her mouth to start the regurgitation process.

The sun was setting as we climbed back down Prince Philip's Steps, but we rode the panga along the rocky cliffs and got to see our first close-up view of the Galapagos fur seals that we had seen in the grotto at James Island.

Only time for a shower before the nightly briefing and dinner. Dinner started with zucchini soup, followed by salads, shrimp and veggies over rice, beef stroganoff, cauliflower, or French fries. We had “make your own ice cream sundae” for dessert. Nice ending to the day.

The ship had sailed before dinner, so by the time we finished dinner, the ship was almost at the point to where we would cross the equator. So, several of us went up to the wheelhouse to watch the GPS for the latitude reading of 000. Since we crossed the equator during the middle of the night on the northbound trip to Genovesa, and it was about bedtime during the southbound trip, this ship didn't have a Poseidon ceremony to honor the equator crossing like I've seen on other ships.

Continue to 7 of 13 below.

07 of 13

Day 4 – Blue-Footed Boobies of North Seymour Island

Linda Garrison

The next day was another glorious day on the Evolution. I woke up about 5:30 am, and the anchor was dropped not long afterwards. In order to re-fuel the Evolution, we had docked back on Baltra Island where our adventure had begun. As the ship was refueling, we were told to stay inside until we sailed for North Seymour Island in the Galapagos Islands.

The official soft music wake up call was at 6:45, with breakfast at 7 am. Doesn't take long to get ready when it's all-casual, all the time. We had an omelet station, plus the usual fruit, yogurt, muesli, granola, etc. Our first activity of the day was a hike at North Seymour Island, so the pangas left the Evolution at 8:00 am, not long after anchoring near the island. Sam, our naturalist guide, had announced at the nightly briefing that he wasn't going to caution 92-year-old Douglas on the difficulty of any more planned hikes. He had successfully negotiated Prince Philip's Steps, and the rest of the trip would be easier.

The North Seymour Island hike started out very rocky, but got smoother. It was about a one-mile hike, was mostly flat between the beach and the inland area, and was filled with scrubby bushes and trees. Glad I wore my closed-toe walking shoes again. Seymour is famous for its colonies of blue footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds. The blue footed boobies were amazing to watch. They have a very complicated mating dance, and we were entertained by several pairs for over an hour. The female blue-footed boobies perch on a rock and the males “dance” by walking slowly and lifting their feet high. This dancing is followed by wing flapping and tail and beak pointing. The males continually whistle while the larger females honk. We watched two males court one female by alternating their dances. She ignored both for a while, but finally chose the one with the brightest blue feet! Apparently, this is common since the brighter the feet, the “stronger” the male in booby-land.

How quickly we forget. The day before, we all snapped hundreds of photos of the male great frigatebirds at Genovesa Island. On North Seymour, we practically ignored the red-ballooned frigates, giving most of our attention to the blue footed boobies. In addition to the great frigatebirds, we also saw magnificent frigatebirds on North Seymour. The two species can most easily be differentiated from the great frigatebirds by the ring around the eye of the female birds–the great ones have a reddish-pink ring and the magnificent ones have a blue ring around the eye. The male great frigates have green iridescent feathers on their backs, and the male magnificent frigate birds have blue feathers on their backs. These two very-similar-looking frigates are separate species and never mate. Good piece of cocktail party trivia, isn't it?

We were back on the ship by 10:30, quickly had a snack and fruit juice, changed clothes, and went snorkeling near a cliff on North Seymour. It was another successful snorkel, although the water was choppy. We saw gazillions of tropical fish, many much larger than I've seen in the Caribbean and Hawaii. We saw a large sting ray lying on the bottom and one very brilliant yellow puffer fish. I also saw two other puffers–one black with white spots and the other brown. The highlight of the snorkel was the sighting of yet another large (more than 6 feet) white tipped reef shark. He was lying on the white sandy bottom in about 15 feet of water. He laid there for about five minutes or more (long enough for all of us to get a close look) before slowly moving off.

Returning to the Evolution, several of us jumped in the hot tub for a soak before showering and changing clothes for lunch. It was Mexican day, so we all enjoyed the “make your own” burrito with ground beef and beans, along with all the fixin's (guacamole, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, oninons, etc), chicken enchiladas, and a beef stew. The starter was a tuna/tomato salad, which was a little odd, given the theme, but was tasty. Dessert was either apple pie or passion fruit mousse. We had another delightful lunch outdoors on the covered aft deck, and at one point saw a whale (think it was a minke) frolicking in the wake of the ship.

After lunch, a few of us did a tour of some of the cabins, the galley, and the engine room. When living in comfortable air conditioning, I often forget just how hot these “other” places on the ship can be. We wore ear protection in the engine room, which was roaring with all the machinery going.

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08 of 13

Day 4 – Hiking and Kayaking at Santa Fe Island

Linda Garrison

The Quasar Expeditions' Evolution had sailed south for the Galapagos island of Santa Fe during lunch, and we arrived about 3:30. One group went kayaking while the other hiked on the island, and then we reversed. It was a wet landing on yet another gorgeous beach. This one was well-protected by volcanic lava flows, making the cove attractive to sea lions. The sandy beach was almost covered with either sea lions or a few large rocks, and we had to pick our way through the (mostly) slumbering giants to access the trail.

The small island of Santa Fe (24 square km) is one of the oldest islands in the archipelago, and has had many issues with invasive species like goats, black rats, and fire ants. Over 3,000 goats were removed between 1964 and 1974, and continual monitoring has been used to prevent the return of the little fire ant since it was eradicated in the late 1980's.

Approaching the island on the panga, at first I thought I saw palm trees dotting the landscape. As we got closer, I realized that these towering “trees” were actually giant prickly pear cactus, many over 30 feet tall. The trunks resembled pine trees because of their size and reddish-brown coloring, but looked like palms because the thick cacti vegetation doesn't start until about 20 feet up. Some of the cacti had lovely yellow flowers.

We hiked up into the highlands a ways on a 1.5 km (less than a mile) trail that was very rocky, one of the toughest we had. It was difficult walking, but we all made the circle trail, glad we had on our walking shoes. The trail ended up at another beach near the landing beach. This one was also filled with sea lions. While hiking, we had great views of our ship and two others in the bay.

Again, we saw different wildlife—two huge Santa Fe land iguanas, both lying in the middle of the trail, and two Galapagos snakes, also sunning themselves in the middle of our trail. Couldn't believe the snakes just laid there. One was a “baby”, about 18 inches long, but no bigger than a fat pencil. The second was over two feet, but was much fatter, so we could see his yellow stipes. The snakes were rather drab compared to photos I've seen of other tropical snakes. Still not as big as even a garter snake back home. The Galapagos snake is the only one in the islands, and probably arrived on floating pads of vegetation from the mainland, like some of the other wildlife did. The snakes are not very poisonous, but Sam said they have fangs in the back of their throats. They mostly feed on lava lizards and baby iguanas. It is very unusual to see one, so we got extra lucky. We also saw a Galapagos hawk flying overhead, the first one I had spotted.

Arriving at the second beach, those who wanted to go kayaking took the panga back to board the kayaks out in the bay. The rest of us hiked back to the first beach (just a short ways away) to retrieve stuff left behind on our hike. The sea lions were much more active on this island than those we saw the first day on Mosquera. It was a little scary watching some of them, and we kept our distance from the large males. Many were playing in the water or on the beach, and some demonstrated terrific yoga moves (like a downward dog) that I wish I could do as well.

Back on the ship, it was time for fresh juice (we had so many different tropical juices, I can't begin to name them) and snacks (chips, beef empanadas, and some type of plantain ball). The ship sailed for our next island as soon as we were back on board. By the time I showered (another two-shower day), it was time for the briefing and dinner. I was really zonked, so dozed through the part of the briefing where Sam turned off the lights and showed slides about climate and water currents. Dinner was a chicken soup, salad, fried calamari, turkey with peach sauce, potatoes, and ice cream and crepes for dessert.

A few of us went outdoors after dinner to check out the constellations. Even I could spot the Southern Cross hanging low in the sky–we were back in the southern hemisphere for sure. As we moved south, it moved higher in the sky.

Into bed by 10:00. The next day we would be on Floreana Island (also called Santa Maria or Charles Island).

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09 of 13

Day 5 – Post Office Bay on Floreana Island

Linda Garrison

Woke up a little after 5 am, and the Evolution was already anchored off Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Dressed and went up on the covered top deck for a cup of tea. Surprised to find a few other guests up there. Guess it's “the” place to hang out for many of us. We didn't have the wake up music until 7:30, followed by breakfast at 8 am. I ate healthy, only having a bunch of fruit and some muesli mixed with granola and fruit. Yummy, and proud that I skipped the eggs and crispy bacon!

Off the ship at 9 am to go ashore with a wet landing at Post Office Bay. The history of Floreana is fascinating. Pirates, whalers, and convicts visited and stayed on Floreana in the past, and three groups of Germans (not together) once settled here in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Two German doctors (man and wife) were the first to arrive in 1929. They even had their teeth pulled before leaving Germany to avoid a possible health problem. According to the legend, Dr. Ritter (male) was a dentist and very controlling over his wife. They even shared a pair of dentures.

When a German family the Wittmers arrived in 1932, Dr. Ritter forbid his wife to socialize with them. Mrs. Wittmer had read Dore Strauch's (Dr. Ritter's wife) book she had written about the island paradise they lived on. Evidently she only talked about the good parts and omitted the struggles, lack of fresh water, lack of arable land, lack of other people, etc. Or, maybe her controlling spouse edited out all the bad parts.

I guess the abusive Dr. Ritter got his comeuppance. Although Dr. Ritter was reportedly a vegetarian, he died of food poisoning after eating chicken. His wife immediately returned to Germany. Some speculate she killed him.

The Wittmers stayed on the island and wife Margaret even had children without any assistance. Some speculate the family fled Germany because of the Nazis, but they certainly didn't know what they were getting into. They definitely should have done more research than just reading Mrs. Ritter's book. However, Margaret lived a long life, dying at age 95 in 2000, so she must have been a strong woman. Her surviving children and grandchildren still run a small hotel/restaurant on the island, which has less than 100 full-time residents, most of whom are sustenance farmers. To be near the limited amount of fresh water, they primarily live up in the highlands away from the beach since we saw no signs of civilization. A passenger boat brings supplies/visitors every two weeks. Talk about a Robinson Crusoe life!

The third group of Germans were even more unusual than the first two. It was a (self-proclaimed) Baroness, her husband, and her two male lovers. She apparently kept things stirred up on the island. She died mysteriously, as did her entourage. Our guide showed us a photo of a “party” at her home–there were 8 men and she was the only woman. Maybe she was a little bit of a courtesan rather than a baroness, but this Galapagos affair certainly makes a fascinating story, especially for those who have visited the islands.

Floreana “Post Office”

Enough of Floreana history. You might be wondering how Post Office Bay got its name. Back in 1793, British sailors set up a barrel as a post office, leaving letters to be picked up by other ships. Ships going to England (or wherever) would sort through the letters and hand deliver to those who lived in destinations they were visiting. No postage necessary. Today, visitors leave behind post cards in the barrel (a different one), sort through those that are there, and do the same–hand deliver those going where they are. Since we knew where everyone on our ship lived, we sorted through the couple of hundred in the box, calling out towns in the states/provinces where people lived. I didn't take any cards, but did write down the address of someone in Decatur, GA and another person in Hartwell, GA. The ship provided three cards for each of us. I addressed a card to Ronnie and I, dated it, and left it behind. I also did a card for two young kids I regularly send post cards to. Doubt if anyone ever delivers them. In fact, we speculated that someone regularly throws a few hundred away since all those we saw dated were from 2013. It was fun to go through the cards and see where people were from. (Update: Received card 8 weeks later with USA stamp, but unreadable postmark. Would love to know who was kind enough to mail it to me!)

Following the short walk to the post office, we had an hour's free time on the beach–a real rarity for this trip. We were supposed to explore some lagoons via panga and kayak, but the Galapagos National Park officials pulled the permission from the ship just the day before. There were two other small boats' guests enjoying the beach, swimming. and snorkeling, and we found their lagoon permits were pulled, too. It's important to know that like any cruise, things can change and itineraries change. No one complained since we were so busy otherwise.

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Day 5 – Snorkeling at Champion Island and Devil’s Crown

Linda Garrison

One panga went back to the Evolution early, and I joined it. I'm not much for sitting on the beach and didn't feel like applying more sunscreen. Back on the ship about 10:30, I had 1.5 hours until our next Galapagos Islands' adventure–snorkeling off Champion Island. We had snacks on the top deck, so I sat up top in the shade and the breeze with some of my companions while we sailed to Champion Island, a tiny islet where no humans are allowed ashore (except maybe some scientists).

The wind was whipping the panga when we got into the water, and the waves were about the highest I've ever snorkeled in. However, once I put my face in the water, I almost forgot about how much I was having to fight the waves and keep my snorkel tube above the water–the number of fish off the point where we started was by far the most I have ever seen at one time. Schools of millions of fish were all around; and since the water was deep, you could see even more. Wow! I felt so insignificant, much like when you look at the sky on a clear night. All shapes and sizes of fish were holding on this rocky point, fighting the waves and the current. We were told to move with the current, but to avoid the rocks. It wasn't difficult to swim since we had on wetsuits and flippers, but a little creepy to realize the vast numbers of fish all around us, some of which were very large.

We snorkeled down along the coast of the island and the numbers of fish decreased. When we got around the backside and out of the wind into calmer waters, we didn't see as many fish, but sea lions were all around un in the water, diving and playing. A couple even nibbled on some of the flippers (not mine). All too soon it was time to go back to the ship for lunch.

As usual, lunch was delicious, and was another traditional Ecuadorian meal. We started with a cold fish soup with about a half dozen large nice shrimp in a gazpacho-type broth. Next came salad, fish in a coconut sauce, small hunks of pork breaded and fried, bright yellow potato pancakes with a peanut sauce, fried plantains, huge-kernel South American corn, and rice. (I skipped the rice.) We had rice pudding or cheese cake for dessert. The rice pudding had nutmeg and cinnamon in it, and was topped with a sweet pepper whose texture reminded me of a prune. It was 2:15 by the time we finished lunch. Our last snorkeling adventure of the week was to follow at 3:15. Not much time to get lunch digested, re-apply sunscreen, and squeeze into that wet swimsuit.

Our last snorkeling adventure of the week would have been the best one, had the clouds not rolled in with the wind, lessening the visibility. It was still fantastic, with tons of marine life. We rode in the pangas to Devil's Crown, which is right off Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island. This rocky outcropping looks like a jagged crown, with cacti growing on some of the rocks. It's a paradise for marine life, and one of the best snorkeling spots in the Galapagos Islands. The current was strong, making it tough to stay in one place, especially given the winds and waves. I was exhausted when we finished, but the snorkel was a good one. We saw a very large white tip reef shark patrolling right below us in about 10 feet of water. You could really see the white tips on his fins. Like the morning dive, the water was teeming with many types of marine life and we enjoyed watching the sea lions swimming with us again.

All too soon it was time to reboard the pangas and head back to the Evolution. We all hopped in the hot tub (or at least 14 of us did) for a quick soak before taking a shower to continue to warm up. The cloudy weather and rough seas contributed to the coldest water we had snorkeled in.

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Day 5 – Hiking at Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island

Linda Garrison

We only had a short time on the Quasar Evolution before heading off to a beach near Punta Cormorant in the Galapagos Islands. We had a wet landing on a beach with greenish-sand, and hiked to a hyper-saline lagoon and saw a half dozen flamingoes wading in the water. We hiked across the point to a second beach where many frigatebirds were circling. This beach is popular with turtles laying their eggs, and the pesky frigates eat the baby turtles when they are making their way from the nest to the water.

Although this second beach was gorgeous, we didn't swim there since it was teeming with sting rays and sharks, many of them in only a foot or so of water. We didn't see any baby turtles, and Sam speculated that the frigates had fed on most of those that had hatched. We did see some adult turtles in the surf, along with the numerous sharks and rays. Fun watching them, and we almost stayed until dark.

Snacks awaited us when we reboarded the ship. Fish fingers and some type of stuff on a tortilla chip. The nightly briefing was very nice, and since Dolores and Fernando were leaving the ship the next day, they had a little farewell champagne with all of us. Several people gave testimonials about the great trip we've all had. Douglas wrote a little ditty about Sam our guide, which we were supposed to sing to the tune of the song, “Twas on the Isle of Capri”. Unfortunately, no one (not even his kids) knew this tune. So we just kind of chanted it. Sam was quite touched.

Dinner was a yummy cauliflower soup; green salad, pea salad, and Greek salad; creamy mixed seafood on pasta, vegetarian moussaka, and cooked carrots. Dessert was birthday cake for one of the other guests.

The next day would be our last full day, and we would finally see the giant tortoises of the Galapagos.

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Day 6 – Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz – Giant Tortoises, Lava Tubes, and Civilization

Linda Garrison

Our last full day in the Galapagos Islands was a little bit of a shock–we were back in “civilization”. When we awoke, the Quasar Evolution was docked in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, one of the few settlements in the Galapagos. The town has over a third of the 28,000 archipelago's residents, plus there were many boats in the harbor. Those living/staying on the other inhabited islands can take day ferries back and forth, so the harbor was very busy. We anchored and took the pangas into the dock.

Charles Darwin Research Foundation

Our first visit was to the Charles Darwin Research Foundation, a poorly funded society that continues his research and tries to keep the tortoise population flourishing. The museum was un-inviting and a little depressing. However, the live giant tortoises were very interesting and made the visit worthwhile. Like many of the other wildlife, each island has a different species of tortoise, some of which are extinct and others endangered. When pirates and other sailors first arrived in the Galapagos, they quickly found that these animals could live up to a year with no food or water. So, they filled up the holds of their ships with hundreds of the creatures and lived off them, throwing the shells overboard when they were finished. Most of the tortoises lived in the highlands, so since the females were smaller (and weighed a lot less), the sailors toted mostly females down to their ships, decimiating the population even quicker.

The most famous Galapagos tortoise was Lonesome George, who died in the summer of 2012. He had been discovered on Pinta Island in 1971 and brought to the Darwin Research Station in 1972 at about age 90-100. Scientists tried to find other tortoises on Pinta Island, but never could, giving him the name of “lonesome” since they weren't sure how long he had been alone. Then they tried for years to get him to breed with other tortoise sub-species from other islands, but they soon found that for tortoises, if the males didn't “use it”, they “lose it”. Poor George had gone for decades without mating, so his sperm count was too low to reproduce, even by artifical insemination. So, the last of the Pinta island tortoises is gone.

We saw many baby tortoises, plus adults used for breeding. Since it was early in the morning, the keepers were feeding them, and it was interesting to watch them eat. I was especially impressed by the long necks and height of these creatures, which enables the plant eaters to reach taller vegetation.

Rancho Primicias – Giant Tortoise Reserve

All too soon, it was time to leave for the Galapagos highlands, where we hoped to see Santa Cruz giant tortoises in their natural habitat. We rode up into the hills in an air conditioned bus for about 30-40 minutes, and it was nice to see some of the countryside, which looked like Costa Rica or other tropical countries. Soon we arrived at the Rancho Primicias, a wildlife preserve that borders onto the national park. Tortoises move freely between the two areas, but the wildlife preserve has trails that cross prime tortoise territory (muddy and swampy). If it is muddy, visitors are given rubber boots to wear, but since we had been lucky enough to have dry weather, we didn't have to put on our socks and boots.

Our group immediately saw three tortoises very near the gift shop/reception building. I couldn't help but wonder if the food is supplemented here to attract them. The animals are huge, with some weighing over 800 pounds, and they often live over 100 years. Although giant tortoises move very slowly (about 1/4 mile per hour), they migrate on islands between the highlands and the lowlands to follow the green vegetation. We struck out on the trail and saw a few more near the swampy areas they like. The biggest tortoise we saw was completely blocking the trail, so we all got a few good photos of him (remember the males are bigger).

After searching for Galapagos tortoises for a while and wandering around the nature reserve/park, we had a little free time to check out the — gasp!– souvenir shop, which had all the expected goodies. Sam had thoughtfully told us to bring some money, so everyone fully utilized our first shopping opportunity in a week.

Walking in a Volcanic Lava Tube

Leaving the tortoise area, we stopped at a large lava tube on the way back to Puerto Ayora. This one goes on for about 400 yards and is quite large. It also looks man-made with the walls so perfectly formed. I've seen lava tubes elsewhere on Hawaii and Lanzarote, but this one was surprising since there weren't any visibly active volcanoes nearby.

We rode back to the harbor and were on the Evolution in time for a late lunch. One funny thing was a sea lion lying on the pier under a bench. The animal had to climb up on the dock and then up a bunch of steps to get to his preferred resting place. At first I thought it was a dog, but then saw it was actually just a sea lion. I can't decide if humans are invisible to them most of the time or just another warm-blooded creature.

After lunch, we had the departure briefing, and then I grabbed my notebook computer, went back into town, and found an Internet cafe ($3 for 2 hours) where I caught up on email for the first time in a week. Back on the ship at 5:30, we had the farewell briefing and dinner–lobster tails, French fries, salad, steamed veggies, calamari, etc. It was a great memory meal to leave the ship.

The Captain of the Evolution pulled up the anchor after dinner and we started back to where we started–anchored off Baltra Island where the airport is located.

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Day 7 – A Sunrise Panga Ride and Off to Guayaquil

Linda Garrison

Six of the 19 of us had signed up for a sunrise panga ride and exploration of a mangrove area for our last morning on the Quasar Expeditions' Evolution in the Galapagos Islands. The sea was perfectly calm–the first time we had seen this phenomenon. The panga moved slowly into a large bay, and we watched the sun rise at about 6 am. It is easy to forget how quickly it comes up near the equator since it has so much further to go before sunset.

The quiet mangrove lagoon was filled with pelicans, feeding fish, and even a huge school of cownose rays, which were interesting to watch as they quietly patrolled along the edge of the mangroves. All of us agreed we were glad for the early wake-up call at 5:30 am.

Back on the Evolution, we ate breakfast, loaded the luggage in the panga, and were off to the airport. We had a LAN flight at 11 am to Guayaquil, where we would spend the night before flying non-stop and overnight back to New York on LAN the next night. This Guayaquil layover would give us about 30 hours in Ecuador's largest city, just enough time to get a taste of the city.

All too soon we were flying away from the Galapagos, each of us with special memories of these amazing islands. The islands were even more spectacular than I had anticipated, with wildlife and activities I've never had before. Although the Galapagos Islands were the main highlights of this vacation, Quasar Expeditions and the crew of the Evolution planned an excellent itinerary, which greatly facilitated and enhanced our Galapagos expedition. They seemed to know what we wanted to see and do, where we needed to be, and when we needed to be there. Then, they gave us time to soak up the environment and the memories. I spoke to every guest on the ship, and each felt the same way I did about the experience on the ship and in the Galapagos Islands.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary airfare and cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.

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