Happy New Year from DEEP DISH (and Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & The Avengers)

For my final post of 2011, here is a sweet duet of "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by actors Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (it's received over 3 million views on YouTube since Wednesday). And the pic is of Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee from the 1961-69 British TV series, The Avengers.

I want to thank all my fabulous readers for their kind words, support and friendship - and wish you a groovy new year!

Vote for Dish of the Year: The Final Four

Who was your favorite Dish of the Day in 2011? Round 3 narrowed down the list to the final four, so now you have until Monday (January 2) at midnight to select your favorites in the fourth round (click on pics to see them larger).

The Grooviest DVDs of 2011

Here is my list of favorite DVDs released in 2011 in order of preference (click on a title for more info):

The Grooviest Television of 2011

I fell in love with many new - and old - shows in 2011. Here are my selections in order of preference:

The First Annual Groovy Award Winners for Web Series Excellence

Well, that was fun. When I created the Groovy Awards earlier this month to honor my favorite web series of 2011, I never expected so many readers of DEEP DISH and fans of the nominated series to vote - but they did. And I just want to say "Thank You!" to everyone for voting. As for my selection of Auntie Mame as the official Groovy Award - like the Oscar is for the Academy Awards - she just looks like she belongs on someone's mantel, doesn't she?

Now here are the winners of the First Annual Groovy Awards, including two special Groovy Honors for Web Series Excellence (click on a show's title for more information):

The Grooviest Music of 2011

2011 was a year of groovy new music for me as I was introduced to many talented singers and bands, whom I featured here on DEEP DISH. I also saw some great live performances, so here are my favorite music experiences of the year in order of preference (click on a name for more info):

The Grooviest Theater of 2011

This year I saw some great theater and outstanding performances on Broadway as well as in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Here are my theatrical favorites of 2011 in order of preference (click on a title to read my complete review):

Spend New Year's Eve with Hollis Resnik and The Poseidon Adventure

If you're still wondering what to do this New Year's Eve - and you live in or around Chicago - here are two recommendations that you could easily combine into one thoroughly entertaining evening.

The Grooviest Books of 2011

As yet another year comes to an end, it's time once again to sit back and reflect upon the best and the worst of the last 12 months of our lives. And then we make our lists.

So this is the first in a series of what I enjoyed in 2011, beginning with books. I will also share "Best of" lists on music, theatre, television, DVDs, people, gorgeous guys and movies as well as The First Annual Groovy Awards honoring the best web series of the year. Now here are my literary favorites of the year in alphabetical order according to author (click on title for more info):

A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Irvin

Then Again by Diane Keaton

All My Life: A Memoir by Susan Lucci

Wendy and the Lost Boys: The Uncommon Life of Wendy Wasserstein by Julie Salamon

Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany by Stephen Sondheim

Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade by Justin Spring

I'm Just Saying'!: Three Deaths, Seven Husbands, and a Clone! My Life as a Daytime Diva by Kim Zimmer

Robert Altman: The Oral Biography by Mitchell Zuckoff

Vote for Dish of the Year, Round 3

Who was your favorite Dish of the Day in 2011? Round 2 narrowed down the list to 8 guys so now you have until Friday (December 30) at midnight to select your favorites in the third round (click on pics to see them larger).

The Groove Tube #14: The Last of Constance? (I hope not)

Welcome to The Groove Tube, a weekly recap of the highlights (and lowlights) of some of the scripted TV shows I'm watching (in order of preference).

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #1 - "The Christmas Song"

DEEP DISH wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas!

And the #1 Grooviest Holiday Song is "The Christmas Song", which was written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells and was first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946. However, it is Cole's fourth and final recording of the song in 1961 that has become the definitive version.

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #2 - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#2 is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", which was first introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 film, Meet Me in St. Louis. It will always be Judy's song, but I also love the Carpenters' version from their 1978 album, Christmas Portrait. Below you can listen to both, including Judy's rendition on the 1963 Christmas episode of The Judy Garland Show.

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #3 - "Sleigh Ride"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#3 is "Sleigh Ride", which was first recorded in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. However, my two favorite versions are by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme (who recorded it for their 1964 album, That Holiday Feeling!) and Johnny Mathis (who recorded it for his 1958 album, Merry Christmas).

Vote for Dish of the Year, Round 2

Who was your favorite Dish of the Day in 2011? Round 1 narrowed down the list to 16 guys so now you have until Monday (December 26) at midnight to select your favorites in the second round (click on pics to see them larger).

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #4 - "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#4 is "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which was co-written and recorded by Mariah Carey for her 1994 album, Merry Christmas. She made two music videos for the song, which you can watch below.

Deep Dish Dinner Party #10: Jake on Top

The rules are quite simple - each week I feature 10 past/present celebrities and you get to invite (vote for) your three favorites to the Deep Dish Dinner Party. The five folks who receive the most votes get to stay, and the following week five new people (whose birthdays are during that week) are added to the guest list. So enjoy the party - and please feel free to leave a comment and share your selections.

PLEASE NOTE: The next Deep Dish Dinner Party will be on Wednesday, January 4.

1) Jake Gyllenhaal
Week 2, received 47 invites out of 236

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #5 - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#5 is ""It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"", which was first recorded by Andy Williams for his 1963 Christmas album. Although I'm not a fan of the singer's politics (he's a lifelong Republican), I obviously still love his Christmas music that I grew up listening to.

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #6 - "Winter Wonderland"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#6 is "Winter Wonderland", which was first recorded by Richard Himber and his Hotel Ritz-Carlton Orchestra in 1934. However, my favorite version is by Peggy Lee, who recorded it for her 1965 album, Happy Holiday. Honorable mentions must go to Johnny Mathis (who recorded it for his 1958 Merry Christmas album) and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (who recorded it for their 1968 Christmas album).

Top 10 Tuesday of Groovy Tunes: Madonna Acts "Like a Virgin" in 1984

Each week I feature 10 groovy tunes that reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart during the last 50+ years. You can vote for your three favorites, and the five with the most votes move on to the following week when five new songs will be added to the list.

The Carpenters and their 1970 hit, "(They Long to Be) Close to You", have been in the Top 10 for 23 weeks - and they reclaimed the top spot last week, receiving 18 votes out of the 118 cast. Meanwhile, Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park" and George Michael's "Faith" tied for fifth place, allowing them both to remain on the list, so this week we only have four new tunes, including Madonna's 1984 hit, "Like a Virgin".

The Groove Tube #13: Death Becomes Her

Welcome to The Groove Tube, a weekly recap of the highlights (and lowlights) of some of the scripted TV shows I'm watching (in order of preference).

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #7 - "Silver Bells"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#7 is "Silver Bells", which was first recorded by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards in 1950 - and it was first performed by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in the 1951 film, The Lemon Drop Kid. However, my favorite version is by Doris Day on her 1964 Christmas album - and below you can watch her perform the song on an episode of The Doris Day Show that originally aired on December 21, 1970.

Web Series Worth Watching: Lars Slind in The Cavanaughs

If you haven't yet voted for your favorites in the First Annual Groovy Awards - honoring the best web series of 2011 - click here. Voting ends at midnight on Thursday, December 29, and the winners will be announced on Friday, December 30.

Web Series of the Week: The Cavanaughs
This week the delicious showdown that fans have been waiting for finally arrives as Hope's evil ways catch up to her after Dumas confesses a secret to Maddie. Meanwhile, a comatose Charley hangs out with a ghostly Shea, and Scott almost gives a piece of his mind to Cary (played by hunky new cast member and professional model Lars Slind).

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #8 - "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#8 is "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season". "Happy Holiday" was written by Irving Berlin and first performed by Bing Crosby in the 1942 film, Holiday Inn, and on his 1963 Christmas album, Andy Williams combined it in a medley with Kay Thompson's 1945 composition, "The Holiday Season". Below you can watch Andy perform with his three brothers and the Osmond Brothers.

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #9 - "Jingle Bells"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#9 is "Jingle Bells", which was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in 1857. Since the song was first recorded by the Edison Male Quartette in 1898, EVERYONE and their mother has performed it, so it wasn't easy to narrow down my list of favorite versions. But I'm giving this groovy tune to Barbra Streisand (who recorded it on 1967's A Christmas Album) and Andy Williams (who recorded "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" on 1963's The Andy Williams Christmas Album). Honorable mentions must go to Ella Fitzgerald (who recorded it in 1960), Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (who recorded it in 1968), and Pearl Bailey (who recorded "Jingle Bells Cha Cha Cha" in 1958).

Show Tune Showdown #8: 1969-72 Broadway Seasons

In the seventh Show Tune Showdown, Bye Bye Birdie won the most showdowns - and the following songs will be moving on to a second round in 2012:

Bye Bye Birdie's "Kids", "Honestly Sincere", "A Lot of Livin' to Do", "One Last Kiss" and "Rosie"

Camelot's "Camelot", "The Lusty Month of May", "If Ever I Would Leave You" and "I Loved You Once in Silence"

Do Re Mi's "Make Someone Happy"

Wildcat's "Hey, Look Me Over"

PLEASE NOTE: The next Show Tune Showdown will be on Monday, January 16.

Now on to our eighth Show Tune Showdown, which takes us back to three Broadway seasons - 1969-70, 1970-71 and 1971-72 - when the following 16 musicals opened (or closed in Boston):

Vote for Dish of the Year, Round 1

Who was your favorite Dish of the Day this year? Beginning today you can vote for Dish of the Year from among the 32 most popular Dishes of 2011. You have until Wednesday (December 21) at midnight to select your favorites in the first round (click on pics to see them larger).

Dish of the Day will return with hot new hunks on Monday, January 2. As for the cute guy in the photo, he is Matt, a model for photographer Scott Barnes who was 2010's Dish of the Year.

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #10 - "Feliz Navidad"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#10 is "Feliz Navidad", which was written and originally recorded by singer-songwriter José Feliciano for his 1970 Christmas album, José Feliciano.  His version is still my favorite.

Dish of the Day #805: Vote for your Favorite

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning today you can vote for your favorite Dish this week in the sidebar poll.

Dish of the Day will return with a hot new hunk on Monday, January 2. Click here to vote for Dish of the Year.



#799 won last week's contest, receiving 41.8% of the 158 votes cast. #798 came in second with 26.6%, followed by #796 (13.9%), #800 (10.1%) and #797 (7.6%).

And the Golden Globe goes to . . .

This morning nominations were announced for the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards, which will air on Sunday, January 15, on NBC with Ricky Gervais returning for the third time as the host (let's hope his jokes are more amusing this year). So here are my predictions in pink:

Best Motion Picture - Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Actress in a Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #11 - "Merry Christmas, Darling"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#11 is "Merry Christmas, Darling", which was written by Richard Carpenter and Frank Pooler and originally recorded by the Carpenters in 1970. The single went to #1 on Billboard's Christmas singles chart in 1970, 1971 and 1973. Then in 1978, the Carpenters released their Christmas Portrait album, which contained a newly recorded vocal by Karen Carpenter (who apparently was not happy with her original recording - you can listen to both versions below).

Dish of the Day #804: Holiday Hunks

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Deep Dish Dinner Party #9: Dinner with the Divine Miss M

The rules are quite simple - each week I feature 10 past/present celebrities and you get to invite (vote for) your three favorites to the Deep Dish Dinner Party. The five folks who receive the most votes get to stay, and the following week five new people (whose birthdays are during that week) are added to the guest list. So enjoy the party - and please feel free to leave a comment and share your selections.

1) Bette Midler
Last Week #3, Week 3, received 37 invites out of 160

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #12 - "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#12 is "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", which was first recorded by banjoist Harry Reser and his band in 1934. My two favorite versions of the song are by The Manhattan Transfer (on their 1992 Christmas album) and Bruce Springsteen (recorded live at C. W. Post College in Greenvale, New York, on December 12, 1975).

Dish of the Day #803: Holiday Hunks

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Groovy Giveaway: Gregory G. Allen's Well With My Soul

This week I'm giving away a copy of Gregory G. Allen's new novel, Well With My Soul, which tells the story of Jacob and Noah Garrett, two brothers who have spent the first part of their adult life drifting away from each other. Jacob flees their small Tennessee hometown to move to New York City, where he travels deep into a labyrinth of sex and drugs while fighting the fear over his homosexuality - and the conservative Noah stays behind feeling shackled by familial duties, but seeking to find a dream of his own. Spanning the wild times of the late 1970s and the restraint of the Reagan years, Well With My Soul becomes an unflinching exploration of the way we deal with what most unsettles us and the families we inherit and build along the journey.

To learn more about the talented Mr. Allen and his books, go to www.ggallen.net. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

To enter to win this Groovy Giveaway, all you have to do is send your name and address to deepdishdrama@aol.com. Winners must have a US or Canadian mailing address, and entries close at midnight on Thursday (CST).

If you would like to give away something groovy (DVDs, CDs, books, theatre/concert tickets) here on Deep Dish, please contact me at deepdishdrama@aol.com.

Top 10 Tuesday of Groovy Tunes: Hall & Oates will chew you up

Each week I feature 10 groovy tunes that reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart during the last 50+ years. You can vote for your three favorites, and the five with the most votes move on to the following week when five new songs will be added to the list.

Cher was back in the top spot last week as her 1971 hit, "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", received 24 votes out of the 141 cast. Meanwhile, Barbra & Donna's "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" and George Michael's "Faith" tied for fifth place, allowing them both to remain on the list, so this week we only have four new tunes, including Hall & Oates' 1982 hit, "Maneater".

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #13 - "Merry Christmas in Love"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#13 is "Merry Christmas in Love", which was originally recorded by 15-year-old Renee Olstead (an actress who has appeared on CBS's Still Standing and ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager) for the 2004 Italian film, Christmas in Love, starring Danny DeVito and The Bold and the Beautiful's Ronn Moss. It was nominated for a 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Dish of the Day #802: Holiday Hunks

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

The Groove Tube #12: Once Upon a Jamie Dornan

Welcome to The Groove Tube, a weekly recap of the highlights (and lowlights) of some of the scripted TV shows I'm watching (in order of preference).

The 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs: #14 - "Here Comes Santa Claus"

To celebrate the holiday season, DEEP DISH is counting down the 25 Grooviest Holiday Songs.

#14 is "Here Comes Santa Claus", which was originally written and recorded by Gene Autry in 1947. However, my favorite version is by Ramsey Lewis and his trio on their 1961 album, Sound of Christmas.

Dish of the Day #801: Holiday Hunks

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Today's Dish is Patrick O'Brien photographed by Gilles Crofta.