Impromp2, The Community Blog

Torture Exhibit

The Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College served as host to an art exhibit that turned the heads of many people cruising along Biscayne Blvd.

WPBT2 and Fans continue to respond to the passing of Jack Horkheimer

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jack Horkheimer. For 31 years, Jack's passion was encouraging people to "keep looking up". He was our original explorer and because of him, many of us look up often. Somehow, he's made a friendly place out of all that space and mystery. With all the events, stars with personalities, and facts that can stop you in your tracks . . . Jack has made what is cold and lonely - warm and full of friends.

 

Last week, knowing that Jack could not come to the studio, we decided to invite a guest host to take his place for September. We taped the new shows on Monday and Tuesday and edited them from Wednesday through Friday. We finished editing in the early afternoon on Friday; not knowing that Jack had passed away. After much conversation over the weekend, we decided to distribute the September shows because that is what Jack would have wanted. He wants us to explore our night skies and allow our imaginations to run wild.

 

Our future plans are quite simple. We will continue to produce Jack Horkheimer's Star Gazer, with a guest host, through the end of the year. During this time we will develop a new series, with a new name, and a new graphics package but one that will stay true to Jack's passion for astronomy. His spirit will infuse everything we do over the coming months.

 

Since the announcement of Jack Horkheimer’s passing, we have received a number of emails from viewers about Jack. We thought we’d like to share them with you.

 

Jon from Raleigh, NC wrote:

I was saddened to read that Jack died this past Friday.  I've watched him for two decades on our local PBS station and for the last couple of years right here on the web courtesy of his YouTube segments.  The world will be a bit less enjoyable without him.  Will the Stargazer website and weekly broadcast episodes continue on in his absence?  Will you simply rerun past weekly episodes timed to coincide with the seasons?  Or will someone step in and try to replace him? My sincere condolences to his family and friends....

 

Matthew wrote:

I don't know who to send this to, but I was moved to write after hearing that Mr. Horkheimer has passed away.  I watched Star Hustler and Star Gazer practically since it's inception, and came to really enjoy whatever followed Claude Debussey's Arabesque #1 late at night. Like the late Tim Russert, Mr. Horkheimer added something intangible, classy and positive to the world of Television.  It is strange to say, but his happiness, enthusiasm and sincerity (and lovable unabashed corny nerdiness) educated me, and gave me a sense of familiar security whenever his show came on late at night.  He made something good happen regularly for many years, which is a rare feat today. I could go on, but suffice to say that he will be greatly missed.  I plan to look up at the sky tonight and remember.

 

Adam from Fort Lauderdale wrote:

Warmest regards at this time.  I have been watching our beloved Stargazer most recently on WPBT Miami.  But as I’m almost 39 years old I remember watching the Stargazer as a small child way up in the upper peninsula of Michigan.  I remember hearing that wonderful spacey synthesizer music and perking up for a passionate and mesmerizing  astronomy lesson.  What an incredible and caring teacher Mr. Horkheimer was.  I will miss his teaching immensely. Please continue the show!  I know the original Stargazer cannot be replaced but this show is a beautiful reminder that with all the chaos and uncertainty going on here on the Earth’s surface, the universe keeps shifting and cycling above just as it has and will continue for the ages.

                                     

And finally the Wall Street Journal wrote a touching tribute to Jack which you can read at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704125604575449873352275464.html?KEYWORDS=horkheimer

A Tribute to Jack Horkheimer

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Star Gazer (2001), WPBT2's producer Joyce Belloise created a story for the series New Florida paying tribute to Jack Horkheimer and the early roots of Star Gazer (originally called Star Hustler).

With the sad news of Jack's passing this week, we thought this affectionate look back at the man and the series was an appropriate tribute.

Even in the last decade, since the New Florida story was created, much has changed in the way Star Gazer was produced but the one constant was always Jack's sense of humor, adventure and wonder as he continued to both teach and learn and take us along as he experienced the endless allure of the night time sky.

Jack Horkheimer 1938-2010

We will "Keep Looking Up"

`Star Gazer' connected us to the cosmos 

The director of the Miami Museum of Science reached for the stars, and took us all along with him for the ride.

BY ELINOR J. BRECHER

EBRECHER@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Jack Horkheimer, Public Television's ``Star Gazer,'' penned his own epitaph long before his death on Friday at age 72.

`` `Keep Looking Up' was my life's admonition;

I can do little else in my present position.''

A flamboyant showman, Horkheimer led the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium for 35 years. He wrote and hosted PBS' Star Hustler/Star Gazer, a weekly TV series on naked-eye astronomy, for 30 years.

``Science is show biz,'' he once told The Miami Herald.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/20/v-fullstory/1785712/star-gazer-connected-us-to-the.html#ixzz0xFZ2SBrV

ATTENTION YOUNG PERFORMERS!

Actors' Playhouse is holding open auditions on SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 for ages 8-12 for the upcoming production of "Oliver!" Performers must be 5' 4'' or shorter and have an unchanged soprano voice. Rehearsal dates are October 23 - November 16, 2010 and will mostly be nights and weekends. Show ...dates are November 17 - December 26, 2010, Wednesday - Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturday - Sunday at 2 p.m. Some 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekday performances will be scheduled throughout the run. This production will be double cast.
AUDITIONS ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! Please call Earl Maulding at 305.444.9293 ext. 615 to schedule an appointment.

Back-to-School Checklist

Follow a Back-to-School Checklist and Access Programs

For Your Children

Miami, FL – August 18, 2010 –  There’s much more to preparing children for going back to school then uniforms, shoes, backpacks and pencils. The Children’s Trust, the only dedicated funding source for children’s programs in Miami-Dade County, is encouraging parents to make a back-to-school check list to insure that children get their medical checkups and vaccines, that they have access to health insurance and are enrolled in an after-school program.

A complete list of low cost immunization locations is available at  http://www.thechildrenstrust.org/vaccinations and applying for free or low cost health insurance is easier with the help of our Health Navigators, who can be found by calling 211, The Children’s Trust Helpline.  Children without up–to-date vaccines may not be admitted to school.

As the largest funder of summer and after-school programs in Miami-Dade County, The Children’s Trust offers a comprehensive tri-lingual program guide to make it easy for parents to find affordable programs closest to school, home or work. The guide includes prices and descriptions.  Many programs are free. After-school programs are a great way to keep your children safe, engaged and learning while parents work. Children should never be left home alone.

Find a checklist at http://www.thechildrenstrust.org/programs-guide

God In America

Starting Monday, October 11, at 9pm 

For the first time on television, God in America tells the sweeping history of how religion shaped public life in America. Presented by American Experience and FRONTLINE, the six-hour series covers four hundred years of American religious history ranging from the story of the Europeans who brought their religious traditions to the New World to the modern struggle between secular and religious cultures. God in America explores how the quest for religious liberty created a vibrant spiritual marketplace that made the country the most religiously diverse nation on earth.

Working on getting back to work

BY TOM HUDSON

Nightly Business Report

When the president's spokesman said President Barack Obama ``wants to be assured that there is a containment structure and a plan in place that matches directly what is being undertaken'' he was talking about deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico last week. The same wishes should be applied to the U.S. job market this week. Job losses may be contained but a plan has yet been undertaken to put the 8.5 million Americans collecting unemployment checks back to work.

The U.S. House this week is expected to OK $26 billion to ward off layoffs of teachers and other government workers. The money saves public sector jobs but it doesn't directly go toward creating new private sector jobs. With all the talk regarding stimulus, companies haven't been stimulated to add to payrolls in any meaningful way.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/08/1766152/working-on-getting-back-to-work.html#ixzz0wUxTnTRL

Stars at NOVA

The 2010-2011 Cabaret Series at Nova Southeastern University was just announced and includes:

Grammy Award winner - Melissa Manchester – October 2, 2010

West Side Story’s - Kurt Peterson & Victoria Mallory – February 26, 2011

Broadway extraordinaire - Kevin Spirtas – April 30, 2011

For More Information visit NSU's Website. The 2010 – 2011 Cabaret Series  is hosted by Nova Southeastern University! The Cabaret Series has already met rave reviews as a result of performances by Broadway extraordinaire Christine Andreas of My Fair Lady and David Burnham of Wicked. This season’s series will continue to feature Broadway and Grammy Award winning artist in spellbinding performances.

 If you'd like a taste of what might be in store, here is a clip from last years series

 

Christine Andreas at NSU - Duet with Jesse Carlo

Behind The Comfort of Darkness

Clive Cholerton, director for the latest production at the Caldwell Theatre, Comfort of Darkness, discussed the world premiere of this play and the cast, many of whom are new to South Florida audiences.

The Comfort of Darkness

A World Premiere Romance

Written by Joel Gross

August 11th – September 5th 2010


Inspired by the passionate love affair between Dr. Anton Mesmer and the beautiful blind pianist Maria-Theresa von Paradis, The Comfort of Darkness is a romantic drama about the pioneer of hypnosis and a forerunner of Freudian psychology. Dr Mesmer (Stevie Ray Dallimore) is handsome and charismatic, and the play is sexy, mind-bending and “Mesmerizing!”

Starring

Stevie Ray Dallimore as Dr. Anton Mesmer

Jessalyn Maguire as Maria-Theresa von Paradis

Jane Cortney as Franzl

Kenneth Kay as Dr. Otto von Stoerk