Tysons' Tesla Takedown

She banged her drum at the Tysons' Tesla Takedown, Mar. 29, 2025 in Vienna, VA/By Patricia Leslie

It's official: The percentage of Americans supporting Tesla Takedowns is about 75% based upon a scientific study of supportive horns, arm waves and thumbs up from drivers who passed the Tesla Tysons' dealership Saturday and showered their support upon the 100 or so demonstrators bemoaning  swasticars and their architect, Elon Musk.

Fox News reported about 275 domestic protests and 500 across the world were lodged against Musk and Trump over the weekend.

At the Tysons' Tesla Takedown, Mar. 29, 2025 in Vienna, VA/By Patricia Leslie

At the Tysons' Tesla Takedown, Mar. 29, 2025 in Vienna, VA/By Patricia Leslie

I know the number of participants is growing because I attended for the first time Saturday and have plans to attend more. 

A man (a security guard?) dressed all in black stood outside the Tesla entrance but nothing to fear since all was peaceful, and three Fairfax County police cars waited at the ready in case the situation changed. 

At the Tysons' Tesla Takedown, Mar. 29, 2025 in Vienna, VA/By Patricia Leslie

At the Tysons' Tesla Takedown, Mar. 29, 2025 in Vienna, VA/By Patricia Leslie

At the Tysons' Tesla Takedown, Mar. 29, 2025 in Vienna, VA/By Patricia Leslie

At the Tysons' Tesla Takedown, Mar. 29, 2025 in Vienna, VA/By Patricia Leslie

Musk said Tesla protestors were "paid." Ha!  He should know since he pays voters but paid we were not, reminding me of August 18, 1995 in Nashville when Newt Gingrich (with emphasis on the last syllable) put in an appearance at a Nashville bookstore to promote his new book, to be met by 200 protestors of whom I was one. 

With my children I watched the local news later that night to learn that Gingrich said the protestors were paid $10 each.

My 11-year-old son looked at me and said, "But you weren't paid, Mom!" Of course not, I told him:  "It's just another example of how politicians lie."  

The Tesla Takedown movement grows with more demonstrations planned. Go to Indivisible or Tesla Takedown to learn more.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Liza with a L for loving her true story

 

 Happy 79th Birthday today, Liza Minnelli!

After the audience had seen his new film, Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, writer and director Bruce David Klein addressed an appreciative crowd at Cinema Arts in Fairfax, Virginia Saturday afternoon to talk about it, a must-see movie for any Liza fan.

Klein used the word "explosive" often in his telling to describe Liza. Answering a question in the Q and A session, he said Liza saw the film after it was finished and “loved it;" she had no control on the script or anything about it.

Making the film was like "sculpting," Klein said, crafted from thousands of hours of film, carving it into the final piece presented on screen.

Liza's illustrious mother, Judy Garland (1922-1969) made the film more difficult since her ghost could have dominated the production but Klein instead focused on Liza's "mentors" like Kay Thompson who took Liza under her wing after her mother's death. 

That the film focused on her mentors and not her Oscar, her Tonys, Emmy, Grammy and other awards made Liza very happy, Klein said.

Liza's father, Vincente Minnelli (1903-1986), stage and film director, was equally as notable as her mother and more influential on Liza than her mother, Klein believes.

When Liza was 5 or 6, her father had dresses made for her in her size from the costume designs in the films he was working on which would have been Father of the Bride (1950), An American in Paris (1951), and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).

Liza touches on all four of her marriages, three miscarriages and relationships with so many men, it left me spinning and breathless (envious) trying to keep up. 

Her fragility on screen is supported by her persona in several interviews, all accompanied by a piano which just happened to roll into every room of interviews "in case Liza wanted to sing," an understatement Klein said because Liza loves and wanted to sing. 

And sing she does! (All while maintaining her heavy      cigarette habit!) 

Mia Farrow is interviewed at length, and, in separate sessions, Joel Grey (now almost 93!), George Hamilton (85), and Michael Feinstein (usually on piano) are among others who deliver glowing spiels about Liza.

The only parts of the film I thought were too lengthy were the visuals of "chapters" in Liza's life ("Don't hang around with people you don't like").

Clips from her films are included, of course, making me wish, Mr. Cinema Arts Owner, for a Liza Minnelli film weekend.

patricialesli@gmail.com 

 

Skating for a cause: a legacy

One of the skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Tears rolled down the faces of many of the skaters and me and others in the audience at Sunday's Legacy on Ice, the fundraiser set up in just over a month to honor first responders, aviation rescuers and the families of the 67 victims killed January 29, 2025 in the plane collision over the Potomac River at Washington's National Airport.  

Never have I been in such a crowd of thousands who remained silent and somber throughout the afternoon while they watched the show on ice.

No one talked; no one whispered in Capitol One Arena, known for its boisterous crowds when the Capitals play hockey.

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

A skater at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025. Did he forget to bring his uniform?/By Patricia Leslie

Although we expected the show to last about 90 minutes, the performers kept coming, for almost 2.5 hours.

As the skaters came out, they each carried a white rose, which they lay upon a table.

During a pause, first responders arrived in uniform, marching in, to sit on a front row. Representatives from Washington's professional teams attended and were recognized.

Although some falls occurred, each skater got back up in a millisecond and continued on his or her routine.

Olympic star Johnny Weir came out of retirement to skate for Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025. It may look like it from this picture, but Weir did not fall/By Patricia Leslie

Olympic star Johnny Weir came out of retirement to skate for Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

A skater at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Isabella Aparicio who lost her brother, Franco, and her father, Luciano, from Dunn Loring, VA in the crash, at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025. At the end of her performance, she fell to her knees and sobbed, and the audience sobbed with her /By Patricia Leslie

Isabella Aparicio at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Isabella Aparicio at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Brielle Breyer who was killed with her mother, Justyna, in the crash, was honored with this skate by one of her coaches at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Brielle Breyer's coach at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Maxim Naumov whose parents, Olympic stars Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov died in the crash, skated at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025. Skating with determination, Maumov ended his performance, dropping to his knees and holding his head in his hands, sobbing for several seconds until three skaters came out and helped him up/By Patricia Leslie

Friends of Maxim Naumov came out to help him off the ice after his emotional performance at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

By the time headliner and world champion Ilia Malinin came out to end the afternoon with his quad leaps and backward flips to thrill the crowd, my phone had run out of power to photograph him and others.

Lighted skaters ("robots") at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

"Robots" at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

A skater at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Legendary skater and Olympic star Peggy Fleming at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Legendary skater and Olympic star Peggy Fleming at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025 who surrounded a skater in black with white wings/By Patricia Leslie

It's no surprise that the Washington Post got the price of the tickets wrong in its story Monday since who's left there to check facts? 

While some of the tickets may have been $30 like WAPO reported they all were, prices ranged from $18-$19 to more than $60 which is what we paid for excellent seats.

Also, the Jeff Bezos Trump echo conveniently omitted the large donation Monumental Sports made to the effort:  $200,000. Its owner, Ted Leonsis (and his granddaughter?) were pictured on the big screens over the center of the ice.

Monumental announced that $1.2 million was raised at Sunday's event with more to come on Sunday, March 30, 2025 when NBC broadcasts Legacy on Ice at 1 p.m.

After a national skating competition in Boston March 25, a similar benefit in Boston may be held.

I believe these were local skaters who raised a white bouquet at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

A skater at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

'

A skater at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Skaters at Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie

Olympians Scott Hamilton and Nancy Kerrigan, both dressed in suits, skated off the ice with the other stars at the end of Legacy on Ice, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2025/By Patricia Leslie