Month: May 2002

Goo Goo Dolls not ready for shelf

Jae-Ha Kim

Back when the Goo Goo Dolls debuted, they were a straggly threesome that put little thought into on-stage wardrobe. They just rocked the house like the best little garage band from Buffalo, N.Y., that they were. These days, the look is more refined with expensive haircuts, leather pants and even a little eye liner. But the sound hasn’t changed much. Sure, there are more ballads than before, but the deliciously raucous rock ‘n’ roll spirit remains the same.

A fly spy: “Undercover Brother”

Jae-Ha Kim

The opening of “Undercover Brother” perfectly sets the tone for this comedy. Driving a vintage Cadillac, Undercover Brother has one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding a filled-to-the-rim drink. As the car executes a few 360-degree spins to avoid a car crash, our cool hero has a smile plastered on his face and not a hair of his retro ‘fro out of place. Not a drop of the soft drink spills on the car’s upholstery.

‘Angelina Ballerina’ keeps author on her toes

Jae-Ha Kim

When she was a little girl growing up on the North Side of Chicago, children’s book author Katharine Holabird imagined herself as a beautiful, graceful ballerina whose jumps were as light as a feather.

“I was a theatrical, melodramatic child,” says Holabird, phoning from Los Angeles. “I was also a tubby little 4-year-old waltzing around the house who thought I was this beautiful archetype–a ballerina.”

Entrepreneurs make book on various bad boyfriends

Jae-Ha Kim

Maria Peevey and Megan Weinerman dated them all–the “It’s Not You It’s Me Guy,” the “Couldn’t Be Nicer Guy,” the “Girl Hair Guy.” You probably have, too, which is why the sassy entrepreneurs wrote Are You My Boyfriend? (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $14.95)–a humorous look at 19 types of men they’ve dated.

Programs certain to bring kids into the culture club

Jae-Ha Kim

Cultured children. They are the ones clutching their ballet programs, clapping politely after the end of a particularly beautiful pas de deux. They know about Van Gogh’s art as much as they do the legend of his severed ear. And when they go through their CD collection, they have as much Bach and Beethoven as they do Britney.

Sarah Hughes: 2002 Olympic gold medalist in figure skating

Jae-Ha Kim

Sarah Hughes had a heart-to-heart with President Bush, met ‘N Sync (twice!) and won an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. Oh yeah, in between all that, the honors student attends school in Great Neck, N.Y., where she’ll be a senior next fall. Hughes plans to compete next year. But her immediate goal isn’t the 2006 Olympics. It’s all about scoring well on the SAT.