HUGH JACKMAN ON BROADWAY

After spending a delicious, quiet day writing at the desk in our hotel room, we took Harvey and Daphna to see Hugh Jackman’s Broadway show. Wow!

And there he is, between Daphna and me. Whew! How can a person be so talented on so many levels, gorgeous and really nice? Very impressive!

He is the epitome of a consummate showman. I like his work as an actor. But his singing and dancing and interaction with the audience is really special. Richard (a hard sell when it comes to theatre) said it was the most enjoyable evening of musical theatre he’d ever seen. Jackman goes out into the audience, brought a dude named Ed (in jeans) up on the stage and got him to sing; as “Man From Oz,” dressed in gold lame, he went into an upper box and sang from a guy’s lap.

With Paul Boon and Nathan Mundraby, the didgeridoo players who performed with Hugh and Olive Knight, a respected vocal artist, activist and spokesperson for Australia's Indigenous people.

He had a wonderful section about Australia with indigenous performers and talked about Nomad Two Worlds, a non-profit that works with aboriginals, their culture and community and work in crisis zones like Japan and Haiti.

Harvey Keitel, director Daphna Kastner, me and Richard

It was a wonderful evening. But, speaking of evenings, I cannot believe I forgot to write about the fantastic fundraiser we had on Thursday night for The Women’s Media Center. It was a HUGE success, raising lots of money, bringing together a house full of women powerhouses, Sheryl Sandberg, Lekha Singh, Arianna Huffington, Victoria Jackson, Pat Mitchell, and many others. My pal Wanda Sykes, was the very funny M.C. Awards were given to outstanding and brave journalists and media women. I presented to CBS correspondent, Lara Logan, who was sexually assaulted in Egypt during the uprising and had the guts to talk about it. Many female correspondents who work in conflict zones are assaulted but—out of shame, fear for their jobs, and retribution —stay silent. Lara spoke up and it has made a difference for other women, giving them the courage to speak. Gloria Steinem said, at one point, the media bosses say “’we don’t want to send women into conflict zones because they may get hurt.’ I’ll feel okay about that when they say, ‘we don’t want to send men into conflict zones because they may get hurt!’” At which point, Wanda (who was sitting next to me) grabbed my knee and almost yelled, “I get it, Jane! Now I get it!” Gloria has that remarkable way of finding just the right words to help us all ‘get it.’

The wonderful Soledad O’Brian received an award and spoke movingly. Maggie Wilderotter, Chair and CEO of Frontiers Media, gave a really impressive speech in accepting her Media Woman of the Year Award.

For those who don’t know us, The Women’s Media Center works to make women and girls visible and powerful in the media. We do it by promoting women as subjects and decision-makers within the media, training women and girls so they are media-ready and media-savvy, exposing sexism in the media, and creating innovative new media and original content. One of our programs is called “Name it, Change it,” pointing to the fact that we can never change anything in the world unless we recognize what it is and call out its name.

Media is a central part of our culture, forming our consciousness, telling us much about who we are and how we are supposed to be in the world. If women are denigrated through sexism or simply omitted from the discussion; if the media does not see the issues that impact our lives from a woman’s perspective as well as a man’s, if women don’t see themselves reflected equally and wholly in the media we will be disadvantaged and the culture in general will be diminished and it will be far harder to solve our problems. It’s not just a question of having female faces as newscasters (though that’s important), but right now, the people who decide what stories will be told and from what perspective are almost all men. Behind the scenes, in positions of heft, women make up only 3% of the jobs. This is just Wrong! The WMC works to change this. Check out our website.

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19 Comments
  1. I never thought much of who works behind the scenes of the media. Only 3% of those jobs belong to women?! Wow! That certainly makes you wonder how the media would change, seeing the issues through a woman’s perspective! The question is, how much would it change? I’m guessing it would change drastically, therefore changing our nation and even the world! The media is what absolutely drives what issues are important, what the public should be focusing on. It drives how each of us lives our life, whether we are male or female. Wow Jane, what an interesting issue to have put into my head! I know you have mentioned The Women’s Media Center before, but I guess I haven’t really given it as much thought as I should have. I will definitely be viewing the media through a new lense, thinking of exactly whose point of view it is delivering from. So training not only should be given to those entering the field of media, but also those who view it and listen to it everyday.

  2. Speaking of women, what incredible performances in the movies lately! I have been busy trying to see the many possible Oscar contenders out there, and the women performances have blown me away! There is Viola Davis in the “Help”, Kirsten Dunst in “Melancholia”, Michelle Williams in “My Week With Marilyn”, Elizabeth Olsen in “Martha Marcy May Marlene”, and Jessica Chastain in “Take Shelter”. Not to mention the movies I haven’t seen yet, such as Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady” and Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”. Yes, the run for Best Actress will be incredibly tight in my opinion. Of course Jane, you have always delivered powerful performances whether in drama, comedy, or theatre. Anyways, way to go women of the screen!!!!

  3. Hello Jane,
    Very true Hugh Jackman is a entertainer, in the old school, seem to be able to do it all. Like a older and taller Mickey Rooney, now that would make a interesting team. Strange I was just reading about the “Vision and Vigor of Female Journalists” or the Women’s Media Center Awards Night. I see that you also had more than Filmmaker Donna Deitch who presented a video tribute describing the development and mission of the Women’s Media Center. She was followed by your friend stand-up comic Wanda Sykes. As a media specialit, I have a interest in all all media issues and your non-profit organization was started just six years ago by yourself, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem. Yes good idea to be holding media accountable. Nice that you countered your post with a male Hugh Jackman, we do have something worth having.

    with love and care,

    I been writing my book based on my screenplay and may do a Final Draft of my screen play, I a few good lines well doing the book, and could correct a few typo’s as well

  4. I am watching you on Piers Morgan right now and I just wanted to tell you how inspiring you are. I am pushing 50 and have been feeling that the best years of my life are in the past. But every time I see you on tv I realize that there are plenty of adventures and experiences left. Hearing about your evolution has been quite the tonic for me in my darkest days. Thank You!

  5. Jane, saw you on Joy’s show. Why did you say your only face work was undereye bags and neck? Why do you preach celebrating the age we are,and then mask it so that any other natural 74 year-old feels like a wrinkled prune in compRisob to you, and then to top it off, you are not truthful about it? This makes me question your integrity and everything you’ve said. I admire anyone who is aging naturally, and therefore truly honoring life’s stages. I think older faces are beautiful in their own way. I can’t read your facial expressions because they are so unnatural.

    • Cambria, I too admire older faces. I wish i had the courage. I do not regret having had the surgery and I do not agree at all with you about not being able to read my facial expressions. I haven’t had anything one that would keep me from expressing through my face.

      • Hello Jane ,
        Was thinking on the comment, as an Artist and one who has spent many hours and special courses in Portraiture studies. As a media visual Artist, one must go back to the Silent era of over expressive acting in facial expression to get to that point.
        Even with today technology one could make almost any expressive point in post production. Jane Fonda has show on Stage, she can Act and at the same time be read. In Jane’s last film you can sure that she had facial expressions, and the review of the film would bare out her acting, as expressive and experienced, more than a icon, a rich expressive Artist.

        with love and care,

      • I think you look fantastic, Jane. It is your body and your choice of how to care for it. I am so glad that you are back making films and am looking forward to your two new ones. As an added note your son, Troy, is doing a great job on the TV series, “Boss”. We have been watching it and enjoying it every week.

      • I think you look fabulous and very natural. I am almost 68 and have been following you and your career since the sixties. In my opinion, you are aging very gracefully with minimum surgical help. I am loving this time of my life and rely on workouts such as yours’ to keep me going strong for at least 30 or 40 more years. That may be a bit optimistic, but maybe not. I really love the new DVD with the 3 aerobic sections. I do 2 a day and feel like it is just what I need. It’s never boring and I’m done in a flash. You are so sweet and down to earth I never get tired of it. Keep sharing all of you ideas and adventures and we’ll stay young along with you.

        • Susan, thanks so much for this feedback. Which 2 of the aerobic sections do you do? xx

          • I do all three workouts but usually 2 sections a day with the warmup and cool down is enough for me. I still work part time but when I get home in the afternoon I do your workout. I have owned literally hundreds of workout videos and DVDs and usually get tired of them or find something in them I don’t like, but your latest DVD is perfect. I have ordered the strength and stretching workout that came out on Dec. 6 and will be adding it to my schedule.

          • Thanks Susan

        • Susan, thanks so much for this feedback. Which 2 of the aerobic sections do you do? xx

      • Dear Jane,
        You look great.
        There is no excuse for any woman to be ugly in the 21st Century…” A little powder & Paint make a woman what she ain’t.”
        Emerson once said in one of his Essay’s–“The eyes of men converse as much as their tongues with the exception that the ocular dialect needs no dictionary but is understood the world over, When a man’s eye’s say one thing and the tongue another, a practical will use the language of the first.”
        Why?
        Because the eye’s are the windows of the Spirit and eye’s speak all language’s.
        Objective reality is all movie and all illusion.

        “The Concave Universe opens like a flower from the within to the without.”
        Wm Blake
        Thank you again Jane Fonda for all you do for the Collective Not unconscious But Subconscious.
        “IAM” Ms, Jaime Galati

      • Harsh Cambria. What is done is done Jane. You did it but you have drawn back now and you are beautiful as you are. The essence of you remains the same. You have both courage and integrity. As the mother of two pre teen girls myself,I constantly tell them to be true to themselves and to move to the beat of their very own drum! As I am entering my late 40s now, you are the type of role model I aspire to…

  6. Jane, I am just discovering who you are. I watched your interview with Piers Morgan and found you fascinating. Fascinating in that I felt you were very fragile but strong, emotional but self-assured. You are very far from the image I had of you. Anyone can fell the level of mental maturity you have achieved. You are radiating.

  7. Gee, Cambria. A bit harsh.

    I was spinning the dial last night and the CNN interview was on; I guess it was a repeat, and I thought, “Oh, there’s Jane…” and enjoyed every minute. As I watched, I mused about how familiar Jane is to me, her gestures in particular, as she spoke to Piers. Jane has been someone I’ve known about most of my life, rather like Queen Elizabeth, whom I also cherish-(I’m Canadian and she is my Head of State and I love her). Plus Jane is very much like my sister who I haven’t seen in years, so it’s almost like a visit with her! As I thought all that, quietly celebrating how much I liked Janet, I really didn’t have time to dream up a way to criticise her as you have done, Cambria!

    Getting to a certain age and feeling like we aren’t ourselves is scary and what I’m going through now,actually and I wonder if I wouldn’t try something to allay that feeling, as well? I don’t know but I won’t criticise someone who does. Life is a tough journey at times and if we can ride down the home stretch without harming anyone, as we try to ignore our fear of the end, who cares about inconsequential details like that? Not me!

    Oh. Pardon me. Hi Jane! I visited a friend this week who has two horses and when we went out to the barn I got to pat them. They are furry like teddy bears, in the cold and snow but oh, they were so friendly and cute! Hope you have a lovely Christmas!

  8. Dear Jane

    As an Australian I am pleased to say that we are also delighted to see Hugh Jackman being so well received in the US and around the world.

    Really enjoyed your spot on summary of the pathetic GOP candidates in the Piers Morgan interview.

    My comment response on Huffington Post.

    “Jane is dead right about these false and irresponsi­ble GOP candidates­. There’s nothing lazy or apathetic about her life. She acts on her beliefs. Good for her. She’ll never die wondering”.

    Congratulations & Best Wishes from The Lucky Country

    John

    http://www.tellingthoughts.com
    [email protected]

    Obama 2012
    Warren 2016

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