Halloween Extravaganza at the Cathedral Of St. John the Divine

Last night, I attended the Cathedral of St. John the Divine‘s beloved annual Halloween celebration, 

The night started with a ‘cello-ween’ performance by a scary skeleton musician. The haunting melodies filled the cathedral’s amber-hued walls, creating an eerie atmosphere.  Next, we enjoyed a screening of the silent film The Phantom of the Opera, from 1925, starring the incomparable Lon Chaney. I always thought Lon Chaney was a one-note performer best known for scary roles, but his performance as the Phantom was masterful. 

The film remains most famous for Lon Chaney’s ghastly, self-devised make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film’s premiere.  The lighting design filled with shadows, the mythic Grand Opera House stage, cellar and river, the enormous cast, and the superb editing of this film make it a must-see movie.  


TV guide said, “One of the most famous horror movies of all time, The Phantom of the Opera, still manages to frighten after more than 60 years.”

Our screening featured a live organ accompaniment that heightened the horror and drama. After the film finished, we were treated to a parade of ghouls and goblins from the Mettawee River Theater Company. Performers emerged from the smile of a gigantic, grotesque clown to scare and delight us. 

The Mettawee River Theatre Company dramatizes myths, folk tales, and legends from diverse cultures. Their original theatre productions incorporate masks, puppets, and giant figures with music, movement, and text.  

Under the Artistic Direction of mask maker, designer, and director Ralph Lee, the Mettawee River Company experimented with means of presenting masks, puppetry, mythology, and theater in ways that led an audience to experience the powerful relationship between human beings, their ancestry, and the natural environment.

Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, born in the 1800s, were two wealthy sisters whose father rarely let them leave the house unaccompanied. The one place they were allowed to visit was Central Park’s Wollman Rink, where they went ice skating in the winter. The two sisters never married, were lifelong best friends, and died a few months apart. Since their death, their ghostly spirits have been seen periodically skating together on the Central Park Pond, wearing the same red and purple outfits they wore over 100 years ago.

Divabetic pays tribute to the sisters’ spirits, hoping to encourage you to indulge in the creativity associated with Halloween instead of candy. Halloween’s record-breaking sugar consumption and its detrimental effects on overall health are scarier than any ghost story.

It’s been reported that consumers gobbled up a record $36.9 billion in candy, gum, mints, chocolate, and other confections in 2021. High dietary sugar intakes in the context of a worldwide pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease have heightened concerns about the adverse effects of excessive sugar consumption.

The American Heart Association suggests limiting added sugars to less than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.

Opera, Puccini & Diabetes

Yesterday, my mother and I went to the Palmetto Opera‘s performance of Great Voices from Broadway to Opera for a belated Mother’s Day celebration. The program featured some of opera’s greatest arias, duets, and memorable songs from the Golden Age of Broadway. My mom loves Phantom of the Opera, and I love Turandot‘s Nessun Dorma and La Traviata‘s Sempre Libera, so it was a win-win for both of us.

The concert also featured two songs from Italian composer Giacomo Puccini‘s masterpiece, La Boheme (O Mimi, tu piu non torni, O soave fancuilla).

Giacomo Puccini was born in 1858 and later diagnosed with diabetes in 1908. Numerous reports mention that he struggled to manage his diagnosis for much of his life. Understandably, managing diabetes was difficult before the discovery of insulin wasn’t until 1921.

Before insulin was discovered in 1921, people with diabetes were put on very strict diets with minimal carbohydrate intake. Some doctors prescribed as little as 450 calories a day! Sadly, some people with diabetes died of starvation.

On this Divabetic podcast, we intersperse highlights of the history of diabetes, self-care treatments, and innovations for the past hundred years as we discuss Puccini’s artistry and life.

Divabetic podcast guests include Toby Smithson, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

Throughout this podcast, we will feature music from Puccini: Great Opera Arias courtesy of SONY Music.

Giacomo Puccini’s artistic triumphs include La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. Unfortunately, his last opera, based on the fable of Turandot, would remain unfinished due to his death from throat cancer in Brussels in 1924.

Plus, we had the added treat of hearing the Theme from The Godfather and The Impossible Dream from Man Of La Mancha.

People with diabetes and their loved ones probably considered the discovery of insulin the impossible dream.

A young surgeon named Frederick Banting and his assistant Charles Best figured out how to remove insulin from a dog’s pancreas in 1921. They continued to experiment with dogs until January 1922.  Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy dying from diabetes in a Toronto hospital, was the first to receive an insulin injection. Within 24 hours, Leonard’s dangerously high blood glucose dropped to near-normal levels.

The news about insulin spread around the world like wildfire. In 1923, Banting and Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Medicine, which they shared with Best and Collip. Thank you, diabetes researchers!

My boss, Luther Vandross, who had type 2 diabetes, recorded The Impossible Dream for his Songs album. He performed it many times in concert to the thrill of audiences. Recently PBS aired his performance at Royal Albert Hall in London.

Interesting Fact: The University of South Carolina boasts a top-rated music school with an Opera department

We’re discussing minimizing the drama in our diabetes lives with music from the ultimate diva, Maria Callas.

Maria Callas changed how we listen to opera—and charged the ambition of the singers who followed her.  Her ability to interpret a wide variety of different roles truly set her apart, establishing her as a phenomenon, an operatic diva. She could fully exploit the dramatic strength of her low vocal range as much as the high and bright notes of her high range.

Opera takes any dramatic story and tries to make it more exciting and more believable with the help of music. Symptoms and situations related to diabetes are often dramatic and come on very suddenly. But how do you react to them? Are you a ‘drama queen’?

Whenever we are immersed in something overwhelming, we can learn how to deal with challenges better.

Divabetic podcast guests include Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport LCSW, PsyD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES.

Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from the Grandiose Stimmen: Maria Callas album courtesy of SONY Music.

The Truth About Fat

Earlier this week PBS re-aired the documentary, NOVA: The Truth About Fat
that debunks the myths and the general public’s opinion about fat and people who are overweight.
It’s must-see TV for anyone who blames themself and/or their lack of willpower for their body size.
Obesity is not a character flaw; it’s a medical issue. That’s why we need to stop blaming weight gain on willpower.
Learn more about the mysteries of fat and its role in hormone production, hunger, and even pregnancy.
  • Why don’t sumo wrestlers suffer from the health problems that other obese people do?
  • Why has evolution hardwired us to hang onto fat even when it’s unhealthy?
  • And what would happen if you had no fat at all?

Through real-life stories of hunter-gatherers, supermodels, and a BIGGEST LOSER contestant, NOVA explores the complex functions of fat and the role it plays in controlling hunger, hormones, and even reproduction on “The Truth About Fat.”

The Truth About Fat Prologue

Scientists are coming to understand fat as a dynamic organ — one whose size may have more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Explore the mysteries of fat and its role in hormone production, hunger, and even pregnancy.

We’re talking about diabetes wellness with music from Jessye Norman on March’s Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.  Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Mandy Reece PharmD CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FADCES, Maximize Your Metabolism Authors Dr. Noel Maclaren and Sunita Singh Maclaren, and Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador, Sarah.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Jessye Norman’s Roots: My Life, My Song (Live at The Philharmonie Berlinalbum courtesy of SONY Music.

In an interview with Anna Deavere Smith for The Aspen Institute, March’s Diva Inspiration, Jessye Noman said, “singing is a very physical responsibility. It requires being as healthy as possible so that we can keep this instrument that we carry around in our throats rather than a nice box that we put away at night so it can do what it needs to do. It’s important to take care of our bodies where our voice lives. During an opera performance one can use as many calories as a marathon runner.”

31 Days of Divabetic Podcasts, Day Thirty One

Divabetic (Divabetic.org) presents a month-long showcase celebrating 10 years of diabetes podcasting. Each of the featured podcasts spotlights our favorite guests, topics, poems, games and/or musical inspiration. Enjoy!

On Day 31, we’re spotlighting Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Maria Callas from January 2020.  We’re talking about ways to help minimize the drama in our daily diabetes lives.

Maria Callas changed the way we listen to opera—and charged the ambition of the singers who followed her.  Her ability to interpret a wide variety of different roles truly set her apart, establishing her as a phenomenon, an operatic diva. She was able to fully exploit the dramatic strength of her low vocal range as much as the high and bright notes of her high range.

Opera takes any type of dramatic story and tries to make it more exciting and more believable with the help of music. Symptoms and situations related to diabetes are often dramatic and come on very suddenly. But how do you react to them? Are you ‘drama queen’?

If there’s drama in multiple areas of your diabetes life, be honest with yourself—you’re the constant. Are you creating it? We don’t do anything repeatedly unless there’s something in it for us, so, what’s the payoff?

Every time we find ourselves immersed in something that seems overwhelming, we have an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better.

Guests include Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport LCSW, PsyD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Grandiose Stimmen: Maria Callas album courtesy of SONY Music.

 

 

 

Our monthly podcasts are dedicated to Music Lovers living with, at risk and/or affected by diabetes. We aim to be the epicenter of the circle of care, a link between patients and their health care providers, a translator of clinical speak and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence

Divabetic was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with the diabetes and its related complications. Since its inception, Divabetic has presented outreach programs in 15 major U.S. cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of women, their families and health care professionals.

Experience more of our GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy at divabetic.org

https://youtu.be/sLcbfF9ypmM

‘No Drama’ By Poet Lorraine Brooks

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

l don’t want to yell or raise my voice

to let you know that its MY choice

l don’t want to be a drama queen.

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

l don’t want to be mean or rude

or tell you l don’t want your food

l don’t want to be a drama queen

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

I don’t want to get in fights or brawls

l don’t want to blend in with the walls

l don’t want to be a drama queen

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

l have my needs and preference

so treat me with some deference 

l don’t want to be a drama queen.

I’d like to be nice in thought and deeds

while still attending to my needs

And still be helpful, and in charge

when dealing with the world at large. 

I find that l can do these things

without the drama queens and kings

in fact l do much better than they,

when l remain above the fray. 

I don’t want to give a drama projection

I don’t want to deal with those who do. 

So if you’re leaning in that direction

Then l’ll just stay away from you!

I don’t want to be a drama queen.

Lorraine Brooks performs her poem, No Drama, on January’s Diabetes Late Nite with music from Maria Callas.

LISTEN NOW

Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Maria Callas

Are you a ‘Drama Queen’? Every time you find yourself immersed in something that seems overwhelming, do feel like it’s an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better? Or do you act like the sky is falling? Guests include: Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport PhD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.

LISTEN NOW