Something exciting is happening to musical theater this Broadway season. Producers are actually putting on good shows. First it was was the original and poignant Grey Gardens.Then it was the thought provoking rock musical Spring Awakening. Add Curtains to that list and you get an amazing triptych of ingenuity and entertainment.
Curtains opens officially on March 22, 2007 at the Al Hirshfeld theater. Currently in previews I've had the opportunity to work both the first and last weeks before it opens on Thursday night. Curtains is a good old fashioned musical with catchy songs, feel good production numbers and an all-star cast.
The show opens with the final act of Robbin' Hood where we meet Jessica Crenshaw, the show's talentless leading lady who literally dies on stage - after final bows. Finding out who killed her is the main storyline of the show. In the secondary storyline, the cast tries to save Robbin' Hood so they can take it to Broadway. This first scene sets up the show within the show. In the second scene, we meet the people behind the scenes of the show within the show. We meet Aaron and Georgia Fox, song writer and lyricist of the show played by Jason Danieley and Karen Ziemba; Carmen Bernstein, the show's brassy, buxom and bellicose producer, played with aplomb by Debra Monk; Christopher Belling the show's urbane and slightly effete director, played by Edward Hibbert; sugary sweet ingenue Niki Harris played effusively by Jill Paice. But most importantly we meet police Lt. Frank Cioffi who will solve the crime and ultimately save the show. He is played by the very talented David Hyde Pierce.
There is a lot of character development and exposition throughout Act I but you don't really mind so much because the jokes are funny and the numbers are great. The genius of the show is the intermarriage between the main plot and the secondary plot. For example, at the close of Act I the cast is rehearsing the end of Act I for Robbin' Hood. When Lt. Cioffe jumps out from stage left and exclaims that number was so good "it will leave the audience chompin' at the bit for Act II", he's also relaying back to the audience how they most likely feel having just seen the number.
Throughout the show there are a lot of references to a Broadway that doesn't exist anymore. And you get the feeling that the producers really miss the way Broadway used to be. I don't want to give anything away. There are a lot of great surprises resulting from the exceptionally large amount of misdirection.
But I can share with you the best part of the show without giving anything away. The performances are top-notch. It's worth the full ticket price if you can afford it and if not, I saw it on the TKTS board at 50% off last night. Try to see the show while it's still fresh and all these great people are in it.
March 21, 2007
American Idol - 11 Left
British Invasion
With 11 American Idol contestants left, the producers went with a British Invasion theme show to help the singers show off their voices. This was a much better theme than the Diana Ross theme show because of the variety of songs that made up the choices for the participants. The special guest mentors were Lulu and Peter Noone. Lulu worked with the women and Peter worked with the men. In the filmed segments shown before each performance you could tell that Lulu really knew how to help the contestants by the advice that she gave. On the other hand Peter Noone seemed happy just to be hanging out with the contestants. His advice was for the most part incomprehensible.
Padded Judging
From the beginning of the judging I could tell something was going on. The judges seemed to be praising performances that were mediocre at best. I think it was to build up the contestants to make sure they received more votes than Sanjaya in the end.
Contestants
Haley Scarnato came out wearing a skimpy outfit with incredibly high heeled shoes - four inches at least. She showed a lot of shoulder, leg and dexterity by keeping her shirt from falling off while using her legs to bounce around the stage in those incredibly high heels. When I stopped paying attention to her overexposed flesh, I noticed she was singing "Tell Him", a song known by everyone. I had to laugh when Lulu advised her to sing in a more staccato style which was excellent and practical. That's how the song is sung and if you've heard that song as many times as I have, you know that's how it's sung. Anyway, the judges praised Haley for being more aggressive and flirty and didn't seem to care that half of what she sang was out of tune or "pitchy" as the judges like to say.
Chris Richardson was next. He chose to sing "Don't Let The Sun Get You Cryin". This is the first film clip in which we see Peter Noone giving less than practical advice. He basically told Chris to find the melody and sing it. Obviously Chris thinks he found the melody otherwise he wouldn't have been able to practice with Peter Noone. Duh. Anyone, Noone gave Chris a less than ringing endorsement in his one on one interview, saying that he didn't hear much in Chris's voice which he thought was quite breathy. Of course I agree with him. I'm not a fan of Chris Richardson. He looks creepy and I think his voice is consistently weak and thready. Here is my note from Chris's performance. "As I write this, Chris is singing his song and I'm so bored that I'm filling these lines with words just to keep busy. Yawn." The judges talked this dull performance up as well. This is the moment when I realize the judges might be giving false praise to help get Sanjaya off the show.
Stephanie Edwards sang "You Don't Have to Love Me" but not before answering a ridiculous FAN QUESTION for the time wasting FAN QUESTION SEGMENT. On behalf of a fan from somewhere in this great land, Ryan Seacrest asked Stephanie "What is the hardest part of getting ready for the show each week?" Stephanie answered the question earnestly but I felt bad for her because she was moments away from singing for her life. It was a good song for her but her performance was dulled. She seems to be losing her "it" factor. The judges were booed when they told her that but I could see on her face that she agreed. If she makes it to next week, we'll see a much stronger performance from her. At this point, I started thinking I was wrong about the judges padding their compliments. Side note: Lulu told Stephanie she sounds like Beyonce.
Blake Lewis beat boxed his way through "Time of the Season". Peter Noone told Blake he liked that he's trying to modernize the song but he wouldn't want to be in the front row for all the spitting. "Let the girls sit in the front row." I thought he had a lot of trouble singing in his upper register and in some parts he sang completely out of tune. To my surprise, the judges loved him and said it was his best performance EVER. Yeah. Right. If you saw the show, you know what I mean.
Lakisha Jones sang "Diamonds Are Forever". She was wearing $1 million worth of diamonds and still managed to deliver a mediocre performance. I only wrote two words on my notepad to describe her performance. "Pitchy" and "eh". Simon told her he had flash forward of her to 40 years from now.
Phil Stacy was really strange last night. He sang a rocking song called "Tobacco Road" which seemed more country rock than British Invasion. He sounded okay but he looked so odd running around the stage in his button down shirt and blue jeans. His image was more milk toast than rocker and the combination was strange. He should have focused more on standing still and singing the song well than running around like a chicken without a head. But I've always found him creepy which goes all the way back to the original auditions. He's not my favorite.
Jordin Sparks nailed "I Who Have Nothing" one of the most depressing songs from the British Invasion song book. She did a great job. Of course, Lulu loved her and who wouldn't. She's a bubbly, happy, talented, well-adjusted teenager who can really belt out a song. Simon thought she sang beautifully but he was so depressed that he wanted to jump off a bridge.
Sanjaya Malakar sang "Girl You Got Me". He nailed it. He sang every note in tune. I will concede that he doesn't have the confidence to really sell the songs he sings. But last night, he broke out of his shell and did the best a little boy that lacks confidence can do. What was his funny about his segment, were the constant cutaways to a little girl crying in the audience. They showed her momentarily during Blake's performance but for Sanjaya's - I think she got as much camera time as he did. She was really cute. After his performance, Ryan Seacrest called Sanjaya out of the audience to give her a hug which he did and it was a very sweet moment. The crying preteen made me think that perhaps British Rock music was laced with secret notes that induce tears in young girls on a subliminal level.
The judges held back on saying anything negative about Sanjaya's performance, which I think was done intentionally to fight the wave of calls from VOTE FOR THE WORST readers, because we know that they hate him. Simon came closest to saying something negative with his commentt that "that little girl's tears said it all". Anyway, the website encourages people to vote for the worst singer in order to keep him or her on the show for reasons understood only by the wizards behind that website. But if they knew anything at all about music they would back Phil Stacy or Chris Richardson because Sanjaya is not the worst singer.
Gina Glocksen chose Paint It Black. Lulu gave her seemingly good advice when she told her to sing in a higher key. But that was not good advice. Throughout the song, Gina struggled with her pitch and then she did something really odd. She just started screaming random notes at the end of the song, completely screwing up the melody. Now I am a Gina fan and I don't think that performance hurt her last night. After all, she will get all the votes that were meant for Sundance Head (Southern white rocker) but I didn't like her singing last night. I mean she was fun to watch. She sure did look a lot more naturally running around that stage than Phil Stacy. But she needs to stand still and sing well just like Phil. They can worry about their choreography later.
Chris Sligh did a good job singing "She's Not There". When he sings, he likes to start on the downbeat or half of the down beat which makes him stand out. I like that he does that because I'm always interested in hearing how he makes it all fit even though he's a little bit off the beat but the judges haven't picked up on that yet. They consistently tell him that he's ahead of his music. Eventually they'll realize it. There's something so likable about Chris Sligh. I hope he does well and that this show is a launching pad for his music writing career. There were two funny signs in the audience. "BRINGING CHUBBY BACK" and "FRO PATRO". While Ryan was wrapping up Chris's performance, Chris starting chanting "FRO PATRO!" which of course was a parody of Taylor Hicks and how he kept screaming "Soul Patrol" after every performance. Chris is funny.
Melinda Doolittle chose a song from the musical Oliver called "As Long As He Needs Me." I never realized this song was considered part of the British Invasion but no matter. Her performance was perfect. It was so beautiful it made little 11 year old Ashley cry yet again in the audience. Melinda Doolittle will win American Idol - no doubt.
In the End
At the end of the show when they ran through everyone's clips and phone numbers you could really hear how everyone with the exception of Lakisha and Jordin suck in comparison to Melinda.
Also, Ryan called Ashley up to the stage so she could cry on every contestant. She made me cry to. Sweet kid. I hope in her life that's all she has to cry about. I predict that Sanjaya and Phil will be in the bottom three again but I don't know who the third will be.
With 11 American Idol contestants left, the producers went with a British Invasion theme show to help the singers show off their voices. This was a much better theme than the Diana Ross theme show because of the variety of songs that made up the choices for the participants. The special guest mentors were Lulu and Peter Noone. Lulu worked with the women and Peter worked with the men. In the filmed segments shown before each performance you could tell that Lulu really knew how to help the contestants by the advice that she gave. On the other hand Peter Noone seemed happy just to be hanging out with the contestants. His advice was for the most part incomprehensible.
Padded Judging
From the beginning of the judging I could tell something was going on. The judges seemed to be praising performances that were mediocre at best. I think it was to build up the contestants to make sure they received more votes than Sanjaya in the end.
Contestants
Haley Scarnato came out wearing a skimpy outfit with incredibly high heeled shoes - four inches at least. She showed a lot of shoulder, leg and dexterity by keeping her shirt from falling off while using her legs to bounce around the stage in those incredibly high heels. When I stopped paying attention to her overexposed flesh, I noticed she was singing "Tell Him", a song known by everyone. I had to laugh when Lulu advised her to sing in a more staccato style which was excellent and practical. That's how the song is sung and if you've heard that song as many times as I have, you know that's how it's sung. Anyway, the judges praised Haley for being more aggressive and flirty and didn't seem to care that half of what she sang was out of tune or "pitchy" as the judges like to say.
Chris Richardson was next. He chose to sing "Don't Let The Sun Get You Cryin". This is the first film clip in which we see Peter Noone giving less than practical advice. He basically told Chris to find the melody and sing it. Obviously Chris thinks he found the melody otherwise he wouldn't have been able to practice with Peter Noone. Duh. Anyone, Noone gave Chris a less than ringing endorsement in his one on one interview, saying that he didn't hear much in Chris's voice which he thought was quite breathy. Of course I agree with him. I'm not a fan of Chris Richardson. He looks creepy and I think his voice is consistently weak and thready. Here is my note from Chris's performance. "As I write this, Chris is singing his song and I'm so bored that I'm filling these lines with words just to keep busy. Yawn." The judges talked this dull performance up as well. This is the moment when I realize the judges might be giving false praise to help get Sanjaya off the show.
Stephanie Edwards sang "You Don't Have to Love Me" but not before answering a ridiculous FAN QUESTION for the time wasting FAN QUESTION SEGMENT. On behalf of a fan from somewhere in this great land, Ryan Seacrest asked Stephanie "What is the hardest part of getting ready for the show each week?" Stephanie answered the question earnestly but I felt bad for her because she was moments away from singing for her life. It was a good song for her but her performance was dulled. She seems to be losing her "it" factor. The judges were booed when they told her that but I could see on her face that she agreed. If she makes it to next week, we'll see a much stronger performance from her. At this point, I started thinking I was wrong about the judges padding their compliments. Side note: Lulu told Stephanie she sounds like Beyonce.
Blake Lewis beat boxed his way through "Time of the Season". Peter Noone told Blake he liked that he's trying to modernize the song but he wouldn't want to be in the front row for all the spitting. "Let the girls sit in the front row." I thought he had a lot of trouble singing in his upper register and in some parts he sang completely out of tune. To my surprise, the judges loved him and said it was his best performance EVER. Yeah. Right. If you saw the show, you know what I mean.
Lakisha Jones sang "Diamonds Are Forever". She was wearing $1 million worth of diamonds and still managed to deliver a mediocre performance. I only wrote two words on my notepad to describe her performance. "Pitchy" and "eh". Simon told her he had flash forward of her to 40 years from now.
Phil Stacy was really strange last night. He sang a rocking song called "Tobacco Road" which seemed more country rock than British Invasion. He sounded okay but he looked so odd running around the stage in his button down shirt and blue jeans. His image was more milk toast than rocker and the combination was strange. He should have focused more on standing still and singing the song well than running around like a chicken without a head. But I've always found him creepy which goes all the way back to the original auditions. He's not my favorite.
Jordin Sparks nailed "I Who Have Nothing" one of the most depressing songs from the British Invasion song book. She did a great job. Of course, Lulu loved her and who wouldn't. She's a bubbly, happy, talented, well-adjusted teenager who can really belt out a song. Simon thought she sang beautifully but he was so depressed that he wanted to jump off a bridge.
Sanjaya Malakar sang "Girl You Got Me". He nailed it. He sang every note in tune. I will concede that he doesn't have the confidence to really sell the songs he sings. But last night, he broke out of his shell and did the best a little boy that lacks confidence can do. What was his funny about his segment, were the constant cutaways to a little girl crying in the audience. They showed her momentarily during Blake's performance but for Sanjaya's - I think she got as much camera time as he did. She was really cute. After his performance, Ryan Seacrest called Sanjaya out of the audience to give her a hug which he did and it was a very sweet moment. The crying preteen made me think that perhaps British Rock music was laced with secret notes that induce tears in young girls on a subliminal level.
The judges held back on saying anything negative about Sanjaya's performance, which I think was done intentionally to fight the wave of calls from VOTE FOR THE WORST readers, because we know that they hate him. Simon came closest to saying something negative with his commentt that "that little girl's tears said it all". Anyway, the website encourages people to vote for the worst singer in order to keep him or her on the show for reasons understood only by the wizards behind that website. But if they knew anything at all about music they would back Phil Stacy or Chris Richardson because Sanjaya is not the worst singer.
Gina Glocksen chose Paint It Black. Lulu gave her seemingly good advice when she told her to sing in a higher key. But that was not good advice. Throughout the song, Gina struggled with her pitch and then she did something really odd. She just started screaming random notes at the end of the song, completely screwing up the melody. Now I am a Gina fan and I don't think that performance hurt her last night. After all, she will get all the votes that were meant for Sundance Head (Southern white rocker) but I didn't like her singing last night. I mean she was fun to watch. She sure did look a lot more naturally running around that stage than Phil Stacy. But she needs to stand still and sing well just like Phil. They can worry about their choreography later.
Chris Sligh did a good job singing "She's Not There". When he sings, he likes to start on the downbeat or half of the down beat which makes him stand out. I like that he does that because I'm always interested in hearing how he makes it all fit even though he's a little bit off the beat but the judges haven't picked up on that yet. They consistently tell him that he's ahead of his music. Eventually they'll realize it. There's something so likable about Chris Sligh. I hope he does well and that this show is a launching pad for his music writing career. There were two funny signs in the audience. "BRINGING CHUBBY BACK" and "FRO PATRO". While Ryan was wrapping up Chris's performance, Chris starting chanting "FRO PATRO!" which of course was a parody of Taylor Hicks and how he kept screaming "Soul Patrol" after every performance. Chris is funny.
Melinda Doolittle chose a song from the musical Oliver called "As Long As He Needs Me." I never realized this song was considered part of the British Invasion but no matter. Her performance was perfect. It was so beautiful it made little 11 year old Ashley cry yet again in the audience. Melinda Doolittle will win American Idol - no doubt.
In the End
At the end of the show when they ran through everyone's clips and phone numbers you could really hear how everyone with the exception of Lakisha and Jordin suck in comparison to Melinda.
Also, Ryan called Ashley up to the stage so she could cry on every contestant. She made me cry to. Sweet kid. I hope in her life that's all she has to cry about. I predict that Sanjaya and Phil will be in the bottom three again but I don't know who the third will be.
March 19, 2007
Hillary Equals Big Brother?
So before I went to sleep last night, I listened to the last 10 minutes of Matt Drudge's radio program. He said that his link to the "Obama 1984" ad would probably recieve a lot of hits. At five minutes to midnight I made a mental note to check out the Drudge Report to see what he was talking about.
Matt Drudge is not the biggest Hillary Clinton fan. And you know what? Neither am I. I've strongly disliked her since she bought a house in New York for the sole purpose of establishing residency so she could be our senator. What a phony. And I can't trust a woman who would let her husband cheat on her. She obviously has no respect for the institute of marriage. If you don't want to be married, don't be married. Get a divorce. I can respect that. But don't insult me. Don't be so obvious about using your husband for political gain. Bill and Hllary are hardly ever seen together in public anymore, except when fund raising for her campaign.
And I never understand what her opinion is about anything. She is a chameleon when it comes to expressing her views. She makes up her mind based on whatever opinion poll her aides happened to hand her that day.
Anyway, I got a big kick out of this campaign and to answer your question - Yes. I am an Obama fan. I'm not exactly sure what this short film is trying to say, but I do agree with the effort to reveal Senator Clinton as something she is not.
Matt Drudge is not the biggest Hillary Clinton fan. And you know what? Neither am I. I've strongly disliked her since she bought a house in New York for the sole purpose of establishing residency so she could be our senator. What a phony. And I can't trust a woman who would let her husband cheat on her. She obviously has no respect for the institute of marriage. If you don't want to be married, don't be married. Get a divorce. I can respect that. But don't insult me. Don't be so obvious about using your husband for political gain. Bill and Hllary are hardly ever seen together in public anymore, except when fund raising for her campaign.
And I never understand what her opinion is about anything. She is a chameleon when it comes to expressing her views. She makes up her mind based on whatever opinion poll her aides happened to hand her that day.
Anyway, I got a big kick out of this campaign and to answer your question - Yes. I am an Obama fan. I'm not exactly sure what this short film is trying to say, but I do agree with the effort to reveal Senator Clinton as something she is not.
March 14, 2007
American Idol - Results
I'm glad that the Diana Ross theme song was dealt with early on. Why? Because I don't really like her songs for competition. The contestants performed two songs from the Supremes at the top of the Results Show - Baby Love and Stop In The Name of Love. The group performance was lame because those songs are lame when performed out of context. Those songs had their day. Written specifically for the Supremes, their songs don't work when performed by other artists. Overall the group number suffered.
The lameness continued when after the commercial break, we had to watch the FORD musical video segment. The contestants sang a song called Float On while engaging in antics involving Ford cars. Finally after that, Ryan Seacrest starting calling out the contestants one by one announcing which one were safe and which were in the bottom three. He called out Brandon Rogers and Phil Stacy who had to wait while Diana Ross sang a lame arrangement of one of the worst songs ever written "More Today Than Yesterday". When I was a kid and would hear that song on the radio, it would stick in my head for days on end and not because it was so good. Every time I heard that song, I would get a sick feeling in my stomach because I knew it would stay with me, distracting me from my math homework and spelling tests.
After Diana Ross's mediocre performance, Sanjaya Malakar was called out to complete the triad of troubled troubadours. Seacrest informed Phil Stacy that he was safe and told him to sit down leaving Brandon Rogers and Sanjaya Malakar. If you guessed that Brandon Rogers was the contestant that received the least amount of votes, then you would have been correct.
Good Bye Brandon
He didn't seem surprised. He knew he did bad job by forgetting the words the night before. We didn't get to hear him sing his good bye performance because the show ran long and the FOX cut him off before he could sing a note. That was fine by me. He isn't that much fun to watch. Why would we want to see him do the same crap job again that got him kicked off the show.
The lameness continued when after the commercial break, we had to watch the FORD musical video segment. The contestants sang a song called Float On while engaging in antics involving Ford cars. Finally after that, Ryan Seacrest starting calling out the contestants one by one announcing which one were safe and which were in the bottom three. He called out Brandon Rogers and Phil Stacy who had to wait while Diana Ross sang a lame arrangement of one of the worst songs ever written "More Today Than Yesterday". When I was a kid and would hear that song on the radio, it would stick in my head for days on end and not because it was so good. Every time I heard that song, I would get a sick feeling in my stomach because I knew it would stay with me, distracting me from my math homework and spelling tests.
After Diana Ross's mediocre performance, Sanjaya Malakar was called out to complete the triad of troubled troubadours. Seacrest informed Phil Stacy that he was safe and told him to sit down leaving Brandon Rogers and Sanjaya Malakar. If you guessed that Brandon Rogers was the contestant that received the least amount of votes, then you would have been correct.
Good Bye Brandon
He didn't seem surprised. He knew he did bad job by forgetting the words the night before. We didn't get to hear him sing his good bye performance because the show ran long and the FOX cut him off before he could sing a note. That was fine by me. He isn't that much fun to watch. Why would we want to see him do the same crap job again that got him kicked off the show.
Pronunciate
American Idol's guest was Motown maven, Diana Ross. This meant that all of the contestants had to perform something from her repertoire. When there is a celebrity on the show, we usually get to see footage of the contestants training with whatever INDUSTRY ICON they've brought in that week. We get to see the star struck with their heros. For the most part, Diana Ross seemed pretty normal and actually gave good advice. But she did make me laugh when she told Gina Glocksen that she had to PRONUNCIATE the words to Love Child. Poor Gina. As if she didn't have enough to worry about.
The only two contestants that really shined were Melinda Doolittle and Lakisha Jones. Melinda did a great job singing the only good song from The Wiz, Home. And Lakisha Jones showed how good she can be when she sang God Bless the Child which Diana Ross performed when she starred as Billy Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues. Jordan Sparks gave the third best performance singing one of the more obscure songs from Ross's song book - If We Hold On Together. And Gina Glocksen finished my top four with her rendition of Love Child.
I wish everyone else luck. Anybody could be going home. Chris Sligh butchered Endless Love when he changed the arrangement. He had the right instinct. That song sucks. He just couldn't do anything to save that song which leads me to question his judgement in choosing it. Sanjaya, who I 've been supporting up until now, totally picked the wrong song when he chose Ain't No Mountain High Enough. That song was too big for him. To tell you the truth it doesn't matter what that poor boy sings or how well he does it - the judges just don't like him.
Brandon Rogers, Chris Richardson, Phil Stacy and even Stephanie Edwards didn't really cut the mustard either. And what the heck happened to fan favorite Blake Lewis? All of sudden his ear was made out of tin. I don't think he hit a single note.
Any one of them could be going home.
The only two contestants that really shined were Melinda Doolittle and Lakisha Jones. Melinda did a great job singing the only good song from The Wiz, Home. And Lakisha Jones showed how good she can be when she sang God Bless the Child which Diana Ross performed when she starred as Billy Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues. Jordan Sparks gave the third best performance singing one of the more obscure songs from Ross's song book - If We Hold On Together. And Gina Glocksen finished my top four with her rendition of Love Child.
I wish everyone else luck. Anybody could be going home. Chris Sligh butchered Endless Love when he changed the arrangement. He had the right instinct. That song sucks. He just couldn't do anything to save that song which leads me to question his judgement in choosing it. Sanjaya, who I 've been supporting up until now, totally picked the wrong song when he chose Ain't No Mountain High Enough. That song was too big for him. To tell you the truth it doesn't matter what that poor boy sings or how well he does it - the judges just don't like him.
Brandon Rogers, Chris Richardson, Phil Stacy and even Stephanie Edwards didn't really cut the mustard either. And what the heck happened to fan favorite Blake Lewis? All of sudden his ear was made out of tin. I don't think he hit a single note.
Any one of them could be going home.
March 10, 2007
The Longest Day
It's another long Saturday. I'm still at the Belasco Theater and working Journey's End is becoming quite the traumatic experience. I'm glad tonight's performance will be the last time I see this play for a while. It's not that the play isn't good. Actually, it's the opposite. It's so good that I feel a sense of loss at the end of every show. And then there are the sound effects. Throughout the show you hear both gentle and exciting explosions in order to give you a sense of living conditions in the trenches. The show ends with a harrowing aural display of frightening whirs, bangs and blasts so loud the theater shakes. And when it does shake, the mold and must from 100 years of the Belasco being open, come loose. It smells quite bad, actually. Jon made a joke last night that I'm SMELL SHOCKED. Get it?
Anyway, I get some R&R this week when I work over at the Walter Kerr and then the Music Box. Thursday night I'm working Grey Gardens which is a really delightful play based on the kooky antics of Edith and Edith Beale, relatives of Jaqueline Kennedy O'Nassis. But the rest of the week, I'm working at The Vertical Hour - which is a play about war. But the play only discusses war, it doesn't actually show war, so that's not so bad. It might be war trying to please my half deaf patrons because of Julianne Moore's low speaking voice but that's another story.
To tell you the truth, I'd rather work back over at Curtains. It's the least depressing thing I've seen on Broadway in a long time.
Anyway, I get some R&R this week when I work over at the Walter Kerr and then the Music Box. Thursday night I'm working Grey Gardens which is a really delightful play based on the kooky antics of Edith and Edith Beale, relatives of Jaqueline Kennedy O'Nassis. But the rest of the week, I'm working at The Vertical Hour - which is a play about war. But the play only discusses war, it doesn't actually show war, so that's not so bad. It might be war trying to please my half deaf patrons because of Julianne Moore's low speaking voice but that's another story.
To tell you the truth, I'd rather work back over at Curtains. It's the least depressing thing I've seen on Broadway in a long time.
March 09, 2007
American Idol Results - Surprising
The American Idol results show had two really big suprises.
Sabrina Sloane was sent home instead of Haley Scarnatto.
Sundance Head was sent home instead of Sanjaya Malakar.
Sabrina Sloane was sent home instead of Haley Scarnatto.
Sundance Head was sent home instead of Sanjaya Malakar.
March 07, 2007
Journey's End
Journey's End is quite a remarkable play. It's playing at the Belasco Theater and you need to see it. I provide a link to the Wikipedia entry but be warned that the description contains spoilers.
I don't want to ruin anything by explaining too much but I will tell you this.
It takes place in a trench in France during WWI. Occupying that trench is a squadron of English soldiers. The play explores the relationships between the officers. The playwright also tries to show us the many sides of valor and what bravery and friendship mean to men in times of duress.
It's good. It's Tony nomination good.
Try to see it.
I don't want to ruin anything by explaining too much but I will tell you this.
It takes place in a trench in France during WWI. Occupying that trench is a squadron of English soldiers. The play explores the relationships between the officers. The playwright also tries to show us the many sides of valor and what bravery and friendship mean to men in times of duress.
It's good. It's Tony nomination good.
Try to see it.
American Idol - Then There Were 8 - Boys
One good thing I can say about last night's episode of American Idol - it was only one hour long. Five of the eight remaining contestants picked songs that were either boring or too hard for them to sing. For me, the best performances came from Blake Lewis and Chris Sligh. After them, I thought Sanjaya did well by picking a more upbeat song that let him show off the smokey quality he's capable of giving his voice when he sings. Of course, I am the cheese that stands alone in my belief that Sanjaya is a good singer. I hope he makes it to the final 12. I have faith in him.
Jared Cotter and Phil Stacy are my choices for the two men who should go home on Thursday night. They both continue to creep me out with every performance. Phil Stacy was particularly creepy. Simon was right when he told Phil that he did somethine weird with his eyes. He looks crazy - in a good looking way. If he were to be cast in a crime drama, he would be cast as the handsome but scary looking criminal. And Jared Cotter is just funny looking. Add in that neither one of them are very good singers and you've got a recipe for receiving the least amount of votes.
Brandon Rogers tried to woo us with a funky song and while he did perform better this week, he was still boring. It's nice to see that he energy. He's the contestant I'm really rooting for but he makes it so difficult when he puts in mediocre performances every week. Sundance Head gave an equally mediocre performance as did Chris Richardson.
Jared Cotter and Phil Stacy are my choices for the two men who should go home on Thursday night. They both continue to creep me out with every performance. Phil Stacy was particularly creepy. Simon was right when he told Phil that he did somethine weird with his eyes. He looks crazy - in a good looking way. If he were to be cast in a crime drama, he would be cast as the handsome but scary looking criminal. And Jared Cotter is just funny looking. Add in that neither one of them are very good singers and you've got a recipe for receiving the least amount of votes.
March 06, 2007
16 Degrees of Separation
It wouldn't be the beginning of March if Lady Weather wasn't messing with our heads. After a strong beginning, with the first days of March providing us with mild weather, cold weather proves to us yet again that it is not ready to leave the tri-state area.
16 degrees separates me from the outside world. 16 degrees is enough to make me believe that I never want to leave this house again, yet leave I must. For later today I start a week long cycle of working at the Bellasco theater. The play is Journey's End and fun frolick through a World War I trench where soldiers contemplate the mysteries of life.
The production is being put on by the same group that staged History Boys. History Boys is famous in the assisted hearing community for having the worst sound of any show in the history of Broadway. Hopefully the powers that be have solved these problems and my job will not be that demanding this week.
16 degrees separates me from the outside world. 16 degrees is enough to make me believe that I never want to leave this house again, yet leave I must. For later today I start a week long cycle of working at the Bellasco theater. The play is Journey's End and fun frolick through a World War I trench where soldiers contemplate the mysteries of life.
The production is being put on by the same group that staged History Boys. History Boys is famous in the assisted hearing community for having the worst sound of any show in the history of Broadway. Hopefully the powers that be have solved these problems and my job will not be that demanding this week.
March 03, 2007
Late Night Torture
Saturdays are long, long work days when I work them. I leave the house at 12:15 in the morning and I return home about 11:15 at night. Today was long, long, long.
One of the highlights of my long day was going home. I ran out of the theater, located at 45th and 8th, at 10:45, walked briskly to 47th and Bway. The train was just about to pull out when I ran through the turnstile and jumped in. I was so grateful that I made that train because after 11pm the N trains runs less frequently. "Ahhhh. Perfect", I thought. But life is seldom perfect when you're riding the New York City subway. There's always something happening to keep riders from getting too comfortable.
I got so absorbed in my book about the Judas Gospel, that it took about three stops, that's Lexington Avenue, for me to notice the annoying family sitting at the other end of the train. This mother was teaching her two daughters the poem Fuzzy Wuzzy Wuz A Bear which they then repeated over and over and over again. After repeating it about for what seemed like 1 billion times, the girls starting taking turns reciting variations on Fuzzy Wuzzy. They were still doing it when I was finally able to exit the train.
One of the highlights of my long day was going home. I ran out of the theater, located at 45th and 8th, at 10:45, walked briskly to 47th and Bway. The train was just about to pull out when I ran through the turnstile and jumped in. I was so grateful that I made that train because after 11pm the N trains runs less frequently. "Ahhhh. Perfect", I thought. But life is seldom perfect when you're riding the New York City subway. There's always something happening to keep riders from getting too comfortable.
I got so absorbed in my book about the Judas Gospel, that it took about three stops, that's Lexington Avenue, for me to notice the annoying family sitting at the other end of the train. This mother was teaching her two daughters the poem Fuzzy Wuzzy Wuz A Bear which they then repeated over and over and over again. After repeating it about for what seemed like 1 billion times, the girls starting taking turns reciting variations on Fuzzy Wuzzy. They were still doing it when I was finally able to exit the train.
March 02, 2007
American Idol - Four More Gone
Nick Pedro and AJ Tabaldo performed their final verses in one of the corniest American Idol results shows I've seen in a while. And by a while I mean since last week. The show opened with the final 20 performing Joy To The World, possibly the corniest rock song ever written. The show also featured an corny but sweet performance from American Idol alum Kellie Pickler.
I always liked Kellie Pickler's personality but never thought she was that great a singer. They did her a favor by letting Ryan interview her because that really is what she does best - being adorable. She hasn't lost the small town charm that gives her the "it" quality sadly lacking in so many of the contestants this season. The song she sang seemed tailor made - about a father living apart from his daughter. She was in tears by the end of her performance, as was I. If you recall, she was raised by her grandfather because her mother abondoned her at the age of two and her father has been in and out of prison her whole life. Her life is basically the country song she was singing last night. And even though she sang most of it out of tune, it was still nice to watch her. Am I alone in believing that she had a boob job?
The other two contestants that went home certainly deserved to go. Leslie Hunt and Alaina Alexander both turned out mediocre performances in Wednesday's show. The biggest surprise was that Antonella Barba wasn't sent home but her demise is iminent. If she does make it past next week, I'll just have to assume that there is a national conspiracy to screw around with the American Idol formula.
SIDE NOTE
When Sanjaya was told that he was safe and that AJ Tabaldo was going home, he looked utterly surprised. Then when the judges were asked if the right people were going home, they claimed that they weren't and that this was a singing contest and implied the votes didn't reflect that.
For the record, AJ Tabaldo does not sing as well as Sanjaya Malaker. AJ Tabaldo deserves to go home as does Nick Pedro. Sanjaya is a trained singer with a beautiful natural voice. He's just lacking experience. I hope he pulls it together next week and chooses a really good song so everyone else can see what I see which is a shit load of hardwork and talent that deserve recognition. I would love to hear him sing some really cool contemporary Indian music or some cool Qawwali music.
I always liked Kellie Pickler's personality but never thought she was that great a singer. They did her a favor by letting Ryan interview her because that really is what she does best - being adorable. She hasn't lost the small town charm that gives her the "it" quality sadly lacking in so many of the contestants this season. The song she sang seemed tailor made - about a father living apart from his daughter. She was in tears by the end of her performance, as was I. If you recall, she was raised by her grandfather because her mother abondoned her at the age of two and her father has been in and out of prison her whole life. Her life is basically the country song she was singing last night. And even though she sang most of it out of tune, it was still nice to watch her. Am I alone in believing that she had a boob job?
The other two contestants that went home certainly deserved to go. Leslie Hunt and Alaina Alexander both turned out mediocre performances in Wednesday's show. The biggest surprise was that Antonella Barba wasn't sent home but her demise is iminent. If she does make it past next week, I'll just have to assume that there is a national conspiracy to screw around with the American Idol formula.
SIDE NOTE
When Sanjaya was told that he was safe and that AJ Tabaldo was going home, he looked utterly surprised. Then when the judges were asked if the right people were going home, they claimed that they weren't and that this was a singing contest and implied the votes didn't reflect that.
For the record, AJ Tabaldo does not sing as well as Sanjaya Malaker. AJ Tabaldo deserves to go home as does Nick Pedro. Sanjaya is a trained singer with a beautiful natural voice. He's just lacking experience. I hope he pulls it together next week and chooses a really good song so everyone else can see what I see which is a shit load of hardwork and talent that deserve recognition. I would love to hear him sing some really cool contemporary Indian music or some cool Qawwali music.
March 01, 2007
American Idol - Girls' Night
American Idol continued showing the contestants' dedications in short films before the women's performances.
Top 6
Anyway, after all the dedications and all the performances, these are my top 6 in the order that I liked them. These are also the six women I hope end up in the Final 12 grouping.
1. Melinda Doolittle - She dedicated her song to her two closes friends. One of those friends is a stylist who helps her with her fashion because she hates to shop just like me. Melinda sang My Funny Valentine and this was a perfect performance. She took her time and laid the song out for the audience like a comfortable blanket. And she stayed in tune for the whole song. And I really like her personality. She's really a singer, not just someone who wants to be a singer and you want her to do well because of it.
2. Lakisha Jones dedicated her song to her grandmother, Ruth Morris from Flint, Michigan. She chose Midnight Train to Georgia and she sang it really, really well. I thought she sang this song as perfectly as Melinda Doolittle sang hers. As a matter of fact I think these two will be in the final 4 and one of them will possibly be the winner of American Idol. Anyway, Midnight Train to Georgia was the perfect choice for Lakisha because the song requires somebody with a big soulful voice which is what Lakisha has.
3. Stephanie Edwards dedicated her song to her incredibly supportive parents who made her audition for American Idol because they believe in her that much. She sang a song called Dangerously In Love which I'd never heard before last night. If this had been an Olympic gymastics performance the song would have had a very high rating of difficulty. Every phrase started on a down beat and her performance consisted of well timed syncopated moments. She sounded great.
4. Jordin Sparks cried through her dedication to her younger brother. Reflections, originally recorded by Christina Aguilera had a strange tempo. She didn't sing as well as last week but she still sang well. And it's one of those songs that's perfect for a teenager to sing because the song is about self-awareness and self discovery.
5. Sabrina Sloan dedicated her song to her grandmother. She picked a Whitney Houston song, All the Man That I Need. She sang it well and didn't embarrass herself by taking on a big song like some of the other contestants. As a matter of fact, she really sold her performance but there is something off about her. You hear people talk about the "it factor". She just doesn't have "it" whatever "it" is.
6. Gina Glocksen dedicated her song to her boyfriend. She sang Alone by Heart which was a good choice for her because she represents the white rocker chick demographic. I personally didn't like her slinky, spaghetti strap red dress. Red is too aggressive. I find it off putting when people wear bright red while trying to invite people into their worlds. Second in importance to singing, contestants have to be likable, accessible. Wearing that F you shade of red will possibly work against her. She also needs to work on singing in tune. Her ear was off last night.
Bottom 4
Here are my bottom 4 with Antonella Barba at the bottom of the list.
7. Leslie Hunt was almost good singing Feeling Good for her grandfather but then she ruined her song by scatting which was a big mistake because she's not very good at it. And on top of that it's hard to watch her spasmodic movements. I just don't buy her as a professional singer. And to do a song that was recorded by Nina Simone and hope to do it as well, she should know that she's even in the same league as Nina Simone.
8. Haley Scarnato dedicated her song to fiance Bobby. She sang Queen of the Night. Eh. At least she had energy.
9. Alaina Alexander sang Not Ready to Make Nice for her mother and proved yet again that she has a completely tin ear. I don't what it is about her but everytime she sings, I can't wait for her to be finished. There's something hungry about her, too desperate - like she'll kill herself if America doesn't vote for her. And that's not fun to watch.
10. Antonella Barba - she just stinks. She keeps asking the judges what she can do to be better and the answer is so obvious. She simply needs to sing better and how if she plans on staying in the competition. But if what she did last night is the best she can do, then she needs to go home. She sang Because You Loved Me in a dedication to her brother. It was a stupid choice because this song was recorded by Celine Dion and just about nobody sings better than Celine Dion. Then on top of that, she just didn't sing it well.
Well there you have it. My top 6 and my bottom 4. I predict that at least two people in my bottom four will be going home tonight.
Top 6
Anyway, after all the dedications and all the performances, these are my top 6 in the order that I liked them. These are also the six women I hope end up in the Final 12 grouping.
1. Melinda Doolittle - She dedicated her song to her two closes friends. One of those friends is a stylist who helps her with her fashion because she hates to shop just like me. Melinda sang My Funny Valentine and this was a perfect performance. She took her time and laid the song out for the audience like a comfortable blanket. And she stayed in tune for the whole song. And I really like her personality. She's really a singer, not just someone who wants to be a singer and you want her to do well because of it.
2. Lakisha Jones dedicated her song to her grandmother, Ruth Morris from Flint, Michigan. She chose Midnight Train to Georgia and she sang it really, really well. I thought she sang this song as perfectly as Melinda Doolittle sang hers. As a matter of fact I think these two will be in the final 4 and one of them will possibly be the winner of American Idol. Anyway, Midnight Train to Georgia was the perfect choice for Lakisha because the song requires somebody with a big soulful voice which is what Lakisha has.
3. Stephanie Edwards dedicated her song to her incredibly supportive parents who made her audition for American Idol because they believe in her that much. She sang a song called Dangerously In Love which I'd never heard before last night. If this had been an Olympic gymastics performance the song would have had a very high rating of difficulty. Every phrase started on a down beat and her performance consisted of well timed syncopated moments. She sounded great.
4. Jordin Sparks cried through her dedication to her younger brother. Reflections, originally recorded by Christina Aguilera had a strange tempo. She didn't sing as well as last week but she still sang well. And it's one of those songs that's perfect for a teenager to sing because the song is about self-awareness and self discovery.
5. Sabrina Sloan dedicated her song to her grandmother. She picked a Whitney Houston song, All the Man That I Need. She sang it well and didn't embarrass herself by taking on a big song like some of the other contestants. As a matter of fact, she really sold her performance but there is something off about her. You hear people talk about the "it factor". She just doesn't have "it" whatever "it" is.
6. Gina Glocksen dedicated her song to her boyfriend. She sang Alone by Heart which was a good choice for her because she represents the white rocker chick demographic. I personally didn't like her slinky, spaghetti strap red dress. Red is too aggressive. I find it off putting when people wear bright red while trying to invite people into their worlds. Second in importance to singing, contestants have to be likable, accessible. Wearing that F you shade of red will possibly work against her. She also needs to work on singing in tune. Her ear was off last night.
Bottom 4
Here are my bottom 4 with Antonella Barba at the bottom of the list.
7. Leslie Hunt was almost good singing Feeling Good for her grandfather but then she ruined her song by scatting which was a big mistake because she's not very good at it. And on top of that it's hard to watch her spasmodic movements. I just don't buy her as a professional singer. And to do a song that was recorded by Nina Simone and hope to do it as well, she should know that she's even in the same league as Nina Simone.
8. Haley Scarnato dedicated her song to fiance Bobby. She sang Queen of the Night. Eh. At least she had energy.
9. Alaina Alexander sang Not Ready to Make Nice for her mother and proved yet again that she has a completely tin ear. I don't what it is about her but everytime she sings, I can't wait for her to be finished. There's something hungry about her, too desperate - like she'll kill herself if America doesn't vote for her. And that's not fun to watch.
10. Antonella Barba - she just stinks. She keeps asking the judges what she can do to be better and the answer is so obvious. She simply needs to sing better and how if she plans on staying in the competition. But if what she did last night is the best she can do, then she needs to go home. She sang Because You Loved Me in a dedication to her brother. It was a stupid choice because this song was recorded by Celine Dion and just about nobody sings better than Celine Dion. Then on top of that, she just didn't sing it well.
Well there you have it. My top 6 and my bottom 4. I predict that at least two people in my bottom four will be going home tonight.
February 28, 2007
Banana Cake
I am foolishly attempting to bake yet another cake in my oven. Our oven cooks very unevenly and I never know what temperature is being achieved inside. Right now, my banana cake is cooking too quickly on the outside and too slowly on the inside. I just knocked the temperature down 25 degrees to see if the middle can catch up. The cake still has another 20 minutes to go.
I was beginning to think that the oven is 50 degrees hotter than the control but now I think it's 75 degrees hotter based on how quickly that cake is cooking. It could be cooking unevenly because I'm using a bread pan instead of a square pan like the recipe spelled out. Who knows? If not all of the cake is delicious at least some of it will be. The last one I made was burnt on the outer edges but perfectly edible once those edges were trimmed away.
What should I be doing instead of baking a cake? I should be ironing. I hate ironing. But I'm starting a new work cycle this week and my wardrobe does need to look somewhat put together. I'm working the first week of previews for Curtains starring David Hyde Pierce. It's a murder mystery by Kander & Ebb creators of Chicago and Cabaret. This may be the first time it's being produced on Broadway, but I'll find out more about it later on. I'm excited to see Karen Ziemba in a show again. I missed her in Contact but did get to see her in Chicago way back in the late 90's. She's a treat, a real good performer. The show also stars Edward Hibbert, most memorably from Frasier but more recently from The Drowsy Chaperone where he played the snippy butler and romantic foil to the character played by Georgia Engel.
Is that the smell of cake burning?
I was beginning to think that the oven is 50 degrees hotter than the control but now I think it's 75 degrees hotter based on how quickly that cake is cooking. It could be cooking unevenly because I'm using a bread pan instead of a square pan like the recipe spelled out. Who knows? If not all of the cake is delicious at least some of it will be. The last one I made was burnt on the outer edges but perfectly edible once those edges were trimmed away.
What should I be doing instead of baking a cake? I should be ironing. I hate ironing. But I'm starting a new work cycle this week and my wardrobe does need to look somewhat put together. I'm working the first week of previews for Curtains starring David Hyde Pierce. It's a murder mystery by Kander & Ebb creators of Chicago and Cabaret. This may be the first time it's being produced on Broadway, but I'll find out more about it later on. I'm excited to see Karen Ziemba in a show again. I missed her in Contact but did get to see her in Chicago way back in the late 90's. She's a treat, a real good performer. The show also stars Edward Hibbert, most memorably from Frasier but more recently from The Drowsy Chaperone where he played the snippy butler and romantic foil to the character played by Georgia Engel.
Is that the smell of cake burning?
February 27, 2007
American Idol - Boys Night
American Idol asked the contestants to dedicate their song choices to people they felt had the most influence on their decisions in becoming singers. Before every song, we got to see a short film about whom the song was dedicated and hear a little bit more about the lives of the contestants.
The first singer up was Phil Stacey. He dedicated his song to the Navy Band South East. In his film, they showed plenty of photos of him in his navy uniform. I personally dislike when military personnel show up in their uniforms. I find it manipulative. Anyway, he chose "I Ain't Missin' You At All" by John Waite. The song was upbeat and for the most part he sang it in tune. I personally didn't like all the vocal aerobics he pulled out at the end of the song. Randy started his critique with three yo's which is always a good sign that he liked the performance. He said he showed his power. Paula loved his tone. Simon said he wasn't jumping out of his chair. He thought it was a bit unoriginal and that he wasn't hearing anything unique. But he concedes that Phil will most likely be back nest week.
Jared "Eyebrows" Cotter was up next. He's the local boy from my hometown of Queens. And I wasn't really too optimistic about his performance because I don't really like him that much. He told Ryan just before they ran his little bio that he was going to be more adventurous this week with his song choice by picking a Marvin Gaye song and that he was channeling Marvin through his suit. He dedicated his song to his parents. While he's singing, I kept thinking how yucky it was to watch him sing the phrase "Let's Get It On" over and over and over again and he kept doing these weird affected gestures. I particularly disliked the final gesture when he dragged his hand down his face. His last notes were complete mess. Randy kind of liked it. Paula blushed and said that he pushed the song too hard. Simon said he was glad that Jared made an attempt but the performance reminded him of something he might have heard on The Love Boat.
AJ Tabaldo dedicated his song to his mom and dad. I wasn't familiar with the song he chose and I thought he sang out of tune and that his performance was boring. He butchered the last note of the song. Randy started his critique with a "What's Up AJ" which usually leads to a mediocre critique. Randy liked it better than last week's performance. Paula said he had a real, real, real, real, real good voice. Simon thought he was nearly very good. I personally wouldn't mind if he went home on Thursday night.
Sanjaya Malakar dedicated his song to his dead grandfather. He wore the stupidest looking hat I imagine as a style choice that matched Steppin' Out. I thought he sounded really good. He was in tune, his voice was smooth and creamy. But the judges didn't like it. Randy thought it was really weird. Paula noted that he sang in tune but he should pick younger songs. Simon came down hard on him and said it was like a performance a kid gives after dinner at his parents prompting. If America is voting based on the judges' comments he may be going home Thursday night.
Chris Sligh dedicated his song to his very pretty wife Sarah. His song was called Trouble that had lyrics saying he was saved by a woman. At some point during his song he turned right at her and sang his heart out. It was good and an improvement over last week's performance. Randy liked it better than last week saying his song choice helped showcase his voice. Paula liked it and told him to watch his pitch. Simon thought it was very good but that there was still room for improvement. He'll definitely be back next week. His pretty voice was well showcased by his song choice.
Nick Pedro dedicated his song to his very supportive girlfriend Caitlin. Because he missed Valentine's Day he was using this dedication as a belated valentine. His song? Fever. Why do contestants ever sing this song? It's soooooo boring. Actually, his performance gave me the same icky feeling I got when I watched Jared Cotter sing his weird song. Simon was shown snapping his fingers along with the performance. As far as I'm concerned, Simon had the only good comment. He said that Nick had a good singing voice but completely lacked charisma.
Blake Lewis dedicated his song to his parents. He sang Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai. He did something very original in the middle when he broke the song down into beatbox and scat. But the beginning of the song sounded almost exactly like Jamiroquai and he kind of messed up on his falsetto in the end. Randy started with Yo, yo Blake which of course meant that he liked the performance. Paula thought it was unique. But Simon agreed with me - that with the exception of the middle section it was a fair to middling performance. But he sure does have stage presence. I like him. I hope he can stick around for a while.
Brandon Rogers is one of those contestants you really want to root for because his story is interesting. He's been working as a backup singer for years and is taking this opportunity to move up to the front of the microphone. He dedicated his extremely boring song choice to his grandmother. For his boring song selection he chose to sing Time After Time which is actually not a boring song when sung by Cyndi Lauper but in the hands of Brandon Rogers it was a real snooze fest. I guess he sang it well enough, it was just a boring performance. Randy said it didn't do anything for him vocally. Paula uselessly offered that she felt his heart during his performance and Simon didn't buy the performance.
Chris Richardson also dedicated his song to his grandmother. He sang a song I've never heard called Geek in the Pink. The performance was really enjoyable. Randy said "Yo man. Chris is in it to win it" and added that he thought it was hotter than the original. Paula didn't say anything that could be understood by human ears. Simon thought it was the best performance by a mile. I'm hoping that he comes back next week. I'd like to hear what else can do.
Sundance Head sang his little heart out and he really needed to because last week he stank really badly. He dedicated his song to his two month old son Levi. He sang Mustang Sally and from the first note you knew that the Sundance Head that we heard in his original audition was back. He opened up his voice this week and finally quit singing through his nose. Wow. Randy said Oh Yeah 3 times and said Welcome back Sundance. Paula said he was awesome. Simon was glad to thave the Sundance back that we fell in love with. But still sees room for improvement.
The first singer up was Phil Stacey. He dedicated his song to the Navy Band South East. In his film, they showed plenty of photos of him in his navy uniform. I personally dislike when military personnel show up in their uniforms. I find it manipulative. Anyway, he chose "I Ain't Missin' You At All" by John Waite. The song was upbeat and for the most part he sang it in tune. I personally didn't like all the vocal aerobics he pulled out at the end of the song. Randy started his critique with three yo's which is always a good sign that he liked the performance. He said he showed his power. Paula loved his tone. Simon said he wasn't jumping out of his chair. He thought it was a bit unoriginal and that he wasn't hearing anything unique. But he concedes that Phil will most likely be back nest week.Before the first commercial break, Seacrest conducted some interviews behind the scenes in the area where the contestants sit on red couches covered in Coca Cola upholstery waiting to sing. He asked Sundance Head what kind of feedback he'd received since last week's performance. He replied that he was told to stop singing so crappy. Then he spoke to someone else but there answer was so boring, I didn't even bother to write down who it was or what he said.
Jared "Eyebrows" Cotter was up next. He's the local boy from my hometown of Queens. And I wasn't really too optimistic about his performance because I don't really like him that much. He told Ryan just before they ran his little bio that he was going to be more adventurous this week with his song choice by picking a Marvin Gaye song and that he was channeling Marvin through his suit. He dedicated his song to his parents. While he's singing, I kept thinking how yucky it was to watch him sing the phrase "Let's Get It On" over and over and over again and he kept doing these weird affected gestures. I particularly disliked the final gesture when he dragged his hand down his face. His last notes were complete mess. Randy kind of liked it. Paula blushed and said that he pushed the song too hard. Simon said he was glad that Jared made an attempt but the performance reminded him of something he might have heard on The Love Boat. AJ Tabaldo dedicated his song to his mom and dad. I wasn't familiar with the song he chose and I thought he sang out of tune and that his performance was boring. He butchered the last note of the song. Randy started his critique with a "What's Up AJ" which usually leads to a mediocre critique. Randy liked it better than last week's performance. Paula said he had a real, real, real, real, real good voice. Simon thought he was nearly very good. I personally wouldn't mind if he went home on Thursday night. Sanjaya Malakar dedicated his song to his dead grandfather. He wore the stupidest looking hat I imagine as a style choice that matched Steppin' Out. I thought he sounded really good. He was in tune, his voice was smooth and creamy. But the judges didn't like it. Randy thought it was really weird. Paula noted that he sang in tune but he should pick younger songs. Simon came down hard on him and said it was like a performance a kid gives after dinner at his parents prompting. If America is voting based on the judges' comments he may be going home Thursday night.Chris Sligh dedicated his song to his very pretty wife Sarah. His song was called Trouble that had lyrics saying he was saved by a woman. At some point during his song he turned right at her and sang his heart out. It was good and an improvement over last week's performance. Randy liked it better than last week saying his song choice helped showcase his voice. Paula liked it and told him to watch his pitch. Simon thought it was very good but that there was still room for improvement. He'll definitely be back next week. His pretty voice was well showcased by his song choice.Nick Pedro dedicated his song to his very supportive girlfriend Caitlin. Because he missed Valentine's Day he was using this dedication as a belated valentine. His song? Fever. Why do contestants ever sing this song? It's soooooo boring. Actually, his performance gave me the same icky feeling I got when I watched Jared Cotter sing his weird song. Simon was shown snapping his fingers along with the performance. As far as I'm concerned, Simon had the only good comment. He said that Nick had a good singing voice but completely lacked charisma.Blake Lewis dedicated his song to his parents. He sang Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai. He did something very original in the middle when he broke the song down into beatbox and scat. But the beginning of the song sounded almost exactly like Jamiroquai and he kind of messed up on his falsetto in the end. Randy started with Yo, yo Blake which of course meant that he liked the performance. Paula thought it was unique. But Simon agreed with me - that with the exception of the middle section it was a fair to middling performance. But he sure does have stage presence. I like him. I hope he can stick around for a while.Brandon Rogers is one of those contestants you really want to root for because his story is interesting. He's been working as a backup singer for years and is taking this opportunity to move up to the front of the microphone. He dedicated his extremely boring song choice to his grandmother. For his boring song selection he chose to sing Time After Time which is actually not a boring song when sung by Cyndi Lauper but in the hands of Brandon Rogers it was a real snooze fest. I guess he sang it well enough, it was just a boring performance. Randy said it didn't do anything for him vocally. Paula uselessly offered that she felt his heart during his performance and Simon didn't buy the performance.Chris Richardson also dedicated his song to his grandmother. He sang a song I've never heard called Geek in the Pink. The performance was really enjoyable. Randy said "Yo man. Chris is in it to win it" and added that he thought it was hotter than the original. Paula didn't say anything that could be understood by human ears. Simon thought it was the best performance by a mile. I'm hoping that he comes back next week. I'd like to hear what else can do. Sundance Head sang his little heart out and he really needed to because last week he stank really badly. He dedicated his song to his two month old son Levi. He sang Mustang Sally and from the first note you knew that the Sundance Head that we heard in his original audition was back. He opened up his voice this week and finally quit singing through his nose. Wow. Randy said Oh Yeah 3 times and said Welcome back Sundance. Paula said he was awesome. Simon was glad to thave the Sundance back that we fell in love with. But still sees room for improvement.I'm hoping Jared Cotter and Brandon Rogers go home on Thursday night, but most likely America will send home Sanjaya and AJ Tabaldo.
February 24, 2007
23 Skiddoo or Jim Carrey Dreams
Last night, I had an unlikely dream where Jim Carrey called me in crisis because he needed help making a life altering decision. There were many strange details like using a payphone that doesn't work to return his phone call. That detail was kind of cool. I went to use a payphone that only had the zero button and no dial tone. But when I pushed zero, Jim Carrey answered on the other end. That was actually the turning point of the dream, because I had to leave the imaginary apartment complex where Jon and I were living with two strange female roommates and travel to another state in order to meet up with him.Once I got to him he was clearly distressed and agitated and interested in signing up for classes at some kind of ambulance school. His course selection book had pictures of ambulances on a football field. So I asked him if he was planning on a becoming an ambulance driver. He said no. He pointed to a picture of a guy in a uniform helping an athlete who had been injured in a game. And said he wanted to be that guy. So I asked me if he meant he wanted to be a paramedic and he replied that he was going to be a preparamedic - the guy who gets the patient ready for the paramedic - which made me think he meant like a physician's assistant but he said no.
That led me to my next set of questions which had to do with making sure he was ready to make the 6 month to 1 year commitment required for the training course. What would happen if he was called to make a movie? The thought occurred to me that perhaps he was trying to be more like Andy Kaufman who liked to experiment outside the boundaries of the entertainment world. I asked him if he was indeed trying to be like Andy Kaufman. He replied something to the effect of not wanting to disappoint his father but started to hesitate. But then he got excited again and wanted me to help him pick his classes.
It was another one of those weird dreams, where the subject is someone I used to fantasize about it but then in the end, I dream we are in a platonic relationship. The feeling when I woke up was that we were best friends and very close and like brother and sister.
Weird huh? It could be because of a recent personal disappointment which has the potential to affect other people in my family. I had a conversation with my brother yesterday that absolutely made me feel better. So I'm sure it's totally related to that. But still - Jim Carrey is such a cool guy. I'm glad I was able to have a nice dream about him that wasn't sullied by non-platonic ideas. Even in my dreams, I am in love with my husband and would never do anything to damage my relationship. He was actually in the dream, as my husband, who knew about my friendship with Jim Carrey.
That's love. When your romantic partner ends up in your dreams as your romantic partner, you know you've made the right decision.
February 22, 2007
OK GO
Have you seen this video. It's kind of awesome!!
OK Go - Do What You Want (Wallpaper Version)
Buy OK Go - Oh No at iTunes.
OK Go - Do What You Want (Wallpaper Version)
Buy OK Go - Oh No at iTunes.
February 21, 2007
American Idol - Bored Me To Tears
Last night's episode of American Idol bored me to tears. It was the first time that the 12 men in the final 24 got to perform for viewers at home and with the exception of one competitor, I thought they all pretty much stank last night.
11 out of 12 contestants picked the wrong song. Why can't the producer's just pick the songs for them? Fans are going to watch the show no matter what, so why don't they give those dedicated viewers something enjoyable to listen to.
Who the hell wants to hear an out of tune a cover of Knights In White Satin by the Moody Blues? That song isn't even good when they sing it. Who gives a flying you know what about an out of tune cover of Rock With You by Michael Jackson, a mediocre soft rock balad from the 80's? And when did Careless Whisper by George Michael become an out of tune classic? Yawn. Yawn. Yawn.
Only one contestant stood out last night. Blake Lewis. He sang his good song choice and he sang it well and in tune.
One singer who stood out as sucking so badly that he should go home was Sundance Head but he'll get through. You know why? Because he has that uber-white-guy, slightly trashy bar-room gestalt that's going to bring him many, many votes from the homeland of the mediocre (and by homeland I mean anywhere that people with mediocre taste live on mass).
I really hope the women deliver tonight when they perform. But they won't. The first days of competition on American Idol are always rough.
11 out of 12 contestants picked the wrong song. Why can't the producer's just pick the songs for them? Fans are going to watch the show no matter what, so why don't they give those dedicated viewers something enjoyable to listen to.
Who the hell wants to hear an out of tune a cover of Knights In White Satin by the Moody Blues? That song isn't even good when they sing it. Who gives a flying you know what about an out of tune cover of Rock With You by Michael Jackson, a mediocre soft rock balad from the 80's? And when did Careless Whisper by George Michael become an out of tune classic? Yawn. Yawn. Yawn.
Only one contestant stood out last night. Blake Lewis. He sang his good song choice and he sang it well and in tune.
One singer who stood out as sucking so badly that he should go home was Sundance Head but he'll get through. You know why? Because he has that uber-white-guy, slightly trashy bar-room gestalt that's going to bring him many, many votes from the homeland of the mediocre (and by homeland I mean anywhere that people with mediocre taste live on mass).
I really hope the women deliver tonight when they perform. But they won't. The first days of competition on American Idol are always rough.
February 18, 2007
Bald Britney
First it was the astronaut who drove across the country in a diaper to stalk and possibly kill her love rival. Then it was the death of the beloved celebrity, but not really a celebrity, Anna Nicole Smith.
What is the lastest in Iraq distracting news?
Britney Spears has shaved her head. It's sad really. Although it is kinda' nice to get a break from all that depressing news about the war in Iraq, it's tragic that we have to watch yet another victim of fame lose it on TV. The same thing kind of happened to Anna Nicole Smith if you think about it. She got crushed by the weight of her own fame. Heck, Britney Spears probably doesn't even understand why she's famous. That would explain that ridiculous reality show she did with K-Fed.
Britney Spears has shaved her head. It's sad really. Although it is kinda' nice to get a break from all that depressing news about the war in Iraq, it's tragic that we have to watch yet another victim of fame lose it on TV. The same thing kind of happened to Anna Nicole Smith if you think about it. She got crushed by the weight of her own fame. Heck, Britney Spears probably doesn't even understand why she's famous. That would explain that ridiculous reality show she did with K-Fed.Here's what I'm wondering. How is it possible that she stll has custody of her children? If she were any other mother going out every night of the week with questionable people (Lohan, Hilton), doing drugs, getting tattooed and putting her baby behind the wheel of her car, her parenting skills would be questioned. Why would Mother Nature allow this moron to procreate when more deserving people have to struggle and wait and struggle some more? And more importantly, why aren't the child service protection agencies all over this very public nervous breakdown of this most-likely negligent mother? Because there are different rules for the rich and famous.
Here's another thing that bothers me. In the footage I watched of Britney in that tattoo parlor where she was spotted without hair, she is wearing a huge Star of David around her neck flung backwards. Under the religious charm, I could see a tattoo at the top of her back. Jewish people don't normally get tattoos. If you are a Jewish person that has a tattoo, please don't be insulted by this. But if you identify yourself as even a quasi-religious Jew then you don't get a tattoo. It's just not something you do - you don't even think about it -the thought doesn't even occur to you. If Britney is going to practice Kaballah, Jewish mysticism (which isn't really something you can practice) she should have more respect for Judaism and its followers. I personally find it insulting. And I don't even go to temple every week but I still follow the Jewish faith. I don't have anything against other people non-Jewish people getting tattooed. It's just who I am.
February 17, 2007
It's Not As Bad As I Thought
Joe Normal
For The Record:A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
43 % Nerd, 30% Geek, 30% Dork
For The Record:A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal. This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you.
Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast. I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal. Congratulations! If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback!
Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast. I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal. Congratulations! If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback!
Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 21% on nerdiness
You scored higher than 45% on geekosity
You scored higher than 50% on dork points
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 21% on nerdiness
You scored higher than 45% on geekosity
You scored higher than 50% on dork points
February 16, 2007
Snow, Snow Everywhere and Not a Drop To Drink
Is there anything more disgusting in New York City in winter time than left over snow? I went for a walk yesterday around Astoria just because sometimes you feel like taking a walk. Every street corner was puddled with dirty, mushy, brown water and/or grey slush. Most of the sidewalks have been reduced to narrow trails through dirty icy snowed-over pavement. But I was determined. I walked up 30th Avenue, across Steinway and down Broadway until I got home. I estimate the walk to be either a mile or almost a mile. But it felt like an incredibly long walk.
On the way back I stopped at Parisi Bros. to get some butter cookies. I bought a pound. Yummy.
Later in the day, I made a beautiful tomato sauce from scratch. I pulverized 10 plum tomatoes in my handy dandy Cuisinart blender and poured them over some sweet Italian sausage that I had sauteed with onions, peppers and mushrooms.
Later in the day, I made a beautiful tomato sauce from scratch. I pulverized 10 plum tomatoes in my handy dandy Cuisinart blender and poured them over some sweet Italian sausage that I had sauteed with onions, peppers and mushrooms.
Whole wheat pasta is my latest obsession. Did you know that it's twice as filling as regular pasta and twice as healthy? Every winter I fall into that trap of eating lots of carbs. It's difficult to completely avoid them and not at all necessary but I did decide to replace unhealthy carbs with healthier choices. White rice is brown rice. White bread is wheat bread. Pasta - well you get it.
To make a short story long, the sauce ended up being delicious with the pasta.
February 14, 2007
Happy Valetine's Day
Today represents the second anniversary of Jon's proposal to me and below is an accurate portrayal of how he looked when he did it.
January 16, 2007
Fall Into The Gap
If you remember the above advertising campaign, then you probably remember when The Gap made comfortable jeans that everybody could wear. But like any business it's grown over the years and had become an important part of the fashion industry. Mostly, they sell comfortable casual clothes for men, women and children.
I was surprised however when I went to their website today and found this picture of an emaciated woman on their front page.
I know that there are some of you that are looking at the above woman with the thought that she is hot, sexy, or desirable. Maybe she is to you. But when I see her, I see a woman who is putting her life in danger for the sake of maintaining an ideal that can't be maintained without long term damage to her body.
The woman pictured above is WAY too thin. I mean you can see her shoulder bones poking through the shirt.
I'm disappointed because GAP is an American institution like Levi's or Nathan's hot dogs. When they picture a model this thin in their advertising they are sending a message to hundreds and thousands of women, teen girls and children that to be this thin is okay.
There should be more intervention when it comes to featuring emaciated women like the above.
There should be a minimum size requirement based on height. The woman above could gain 10 pounds still look thin and be healthier. But instead she looks like a Holocaust survivor in a pretty outfit. She even has that dull starving to death look in her eye.
Not fashionable.
I was surprised however when I went to their website today and found this picture of an emaciated woman on their front page.
I know that there are some of you that are looking at the above woman with the thought that she is hot, sexy, or desirable. Maybe she is to you. But when I see her, I see a woman who is putting her life in danger for the sake of maintaining an ideal that can't be maintained without long term damage to her body.
The woman pictured above is WAY too thin. I mean you can see her shoulder bones poking through the shirt.
I'm disappointed because GAP is an American institution like Levi's or Nathan's hot dogs. When they picture a model this thin in their advertising they are sending a message to hundreds and thousands of women, teen girls and children that to be this thin is okay.
There should be more intervention when it comes to featuring emaciated women like the above.
There should be a minimum size requirement based on height. The woman above could gain 10 pounds still look thin and be healthier. But instead she looks like a Holocaust survivor in a pretty outfit. She even has that dull starving to death look in her eye.
Not fashionable.
January 13, 2007
My Sister's Keeper
...is the title of the book I just finished. The book is about a 13-year-old girl who is suing her parents for the medical rights to her own body because all of her life she's been a blood and tissue donor for her sick older sister. This compelling story is told from the points of view of several different characters and explores a family's dynamics where everyone's life focuses and has been focused on one of their teenage daughters and her lifelong battle with a rare form of cancer. What happens in that book made be burn through it in only 3 sittings. You'll need a box of tissues for this one. I was pretty wrecked by the ending.
My Sister's Keeper was written by Jodi Piccoult and it's the second book of hers that I've read. The first book I read from Piccoult is called The Pact which deals with the aftermath of a pact where one of the suicidal teenagers survives. That's also a good read. And after that one you'll have second thoughts about children using public bathrooms alone. That's all I'm going to say about that one.
That book would be the Dover edition of Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I've had a hankerling lately to read the book that was the basis for a legacy of mostly ridiculous movies about a man raised by apes and living in the junble. But the book is off to a good start. It's written in that Victorian era style that combines third person accounts with first person narrative. I've made it past the mutiny that caused Tarzan's parents to be stranded in the jungle in the first place and just started reading about the apes that I guess will eventually adopt little Tarzan.
My Sister's Keeper was written by Jodi Piccoult and it's the second book of hers that I've read. The first book I read from Piccoult is called The Pact which deals with the aftermath of a pact where one of the suicidal teenagers survives. That's also a good read. And after that one you'll have second thoughts about children using public bathrooms alone. That's all I'm going to say about that one.
Both books were recommended to me by J, my sister-in-law. She's currently reading a third by Piccoult book called Vanishing Acts. The plot revolves around a woman who as an adult discovers that the man who raised her, that she thought was her father was actually a kidnapper who abducted her years and years ago. I'll probably read that one after I finish the book I'm currently exploring.
That book would be the Dover edition of Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I've had a hankerling lately to read the book that was the basis for a legacy of mostly ridiculous movies about a man raised by apes and living in the junble. But the book is off to a good start. It's written in that Victorian era style that combines third person accounts with first person narrative. I've made it past the mutiny that caused Tarzan's parents to be stranded in the jungle in the first place and just started reading about the apes that I guess will eventually adopt little Tarzan. I'll let you know what happens.
January 10, 2007
The Drowsy Chaperone
Did you know that Georgia Engel appears in the Drowsy Chaperone as a supporting player? Her performance is one of many reasons that you should go see this play.
If you don't remember who she is, perhaps I can refresh your memory. Did you ever watch The Mary Tyler Moore show? Do you remember the ditsy blonde character with the high pitched voice and perfect comic timing that appeared as Ted Baxter's wife? That was her. Have you ever seen the later episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond where his brother Robert has to deal with his somewhat naive yet very judgemental in-laws? She played the mother-in-law.
She's always sweet, funny, naive and charming and she brings all that and more to her performance of Mrs. Tottendale - mother of the bride.
If you don't remember who she is, perhaps I can refresh your memory. Did you ever watch The Mary Tyler Moore show? Do you remember the ditsy blonde character with the high pitched voice and perfect comic timing that appeared as Ted Baxter's wife? That was her. Have you ever seen the later episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond where his brother Robert has to deal with his somewhat naive yet very judgemental in-laws? She played the mother-in-law.
She's always sweet, funny, naive and charming and she brings all that and more to her performance of Mrs. Tottendale - mother of the bride.Another great performance, that makes the > $100 asking price worth every penny, is given generously to willing audiences nightly by Danny Burstein as the Latin lethario Aldolpho. When I worked there last week the understudy was in and the performance while good wasn't quite the same. Burstein is a comic genius. His performance is hilarious and convincing and hilarious. I dare you NOT to laugh at his performance. He really delivers.
Everybody else is pretty great too.
Everybody else is pretty great too.
As far as female comedic performances go I'd say Beth Leavel and Georgia Engel are pretty equal. Beth Leavel is shameless. She really goes balls out playing the title character to the max without going over the top or making it silly. Her voice is strong. You wouldn't believe a little skinny woman like her could belt the way she does but boy does she belt. And she is just so funny, using the perfect combination of camp and candor.
It's worth two hours of your time.
It's worth two hours of your time.
Who's My Little Monkey?
I worked at the Drowsy Chaperone for two weeks - the last week of 2006 and the first week of 2007. One of the lower lying themes in the Drowsy Chaperone has to do with monkeys. At the souvinir stand, a monkey wearing a t-shirt that says "Who's my little monkey" is available for the low, low, low price of $20.00. For the first week I worked there, J.M. (the woman working the stand)was selling the standard dark brown monkey pictured to the right. And every time I looked it I thought that it was cute but it was missing something. Well into the middle of the second week I was working there, J.M. started running out of the dark brown monkeys and had to put out the light brown terry cloth monkeys discontinued months ago. That is what was missing. The dark brown monkeys were dark and plush but the light brown monkeys were happy and terry cloth. Much cooler.
I don't have any photos of the monkey yet - they are forthcoming. Jon and I have made a nice home for him. He likes to read with us in bed and he enjoys watching the occassional game of Lingo on the Gameshow Network. We named him MONKEY.
January 05, 2007
Which is my Good Side?
One of the marks of beauty in models that you see in high fashion magazines is symettry of their facial features. Most people don't have symettrical faces which is one of many reasons why models stand out. I wanted to see what my face would look like if all my features matched up perfectly. So, I looked through my old photos for a straight-on shot that I could manipulate in photoshop, which I did.
Which do you think is my better side?
Which do you think is my better side?
My right side
or my left?
January 01, 2007
Hugh Jackman As I Live and Breathe
Yes. Saturday night, I was standing in front of my booth and something quite out of the ordinary occurred. Hugh Jackman walked by with his wife and a friend and then stopped 10 feet away from me to talk a little before the show.What show was I working on? Does it matter? Well. You might want to know. I was handing out headsets at Drowsy Chaperone, standing by my console, waiting for hard of hearing patrons.
10 feet away from me. 10 feet. 10. Ahhhhhhhhh.
He is taller and thinner than he appears on screen. He was wearing glasses, a striped scarf, a plain sweater and jeans. And no one, with the exception of a couple of guys who may or may not have been a couple, recognized him. Of course, the house staff recognized him but we pretty much know better than to bug celebrities on an outing to the theater.
Anyway, this couple asked me if he was who he was and wanted to know if they should go up to him. I told them that he was indeed Hugh Jackman and that since no one was really bothering him that he probably wouldn't mind. They did approach him and Hugh Jackman handled the situation very nicely. He shook hands with them, spoke with them for two minutes or so and then posed for a photo.
I didn't find out until later that the blond with him was his wife. She's lovely but she's not GORGEOUS. I guess he's good looking enough for the both of them. She was an ordinary beautiful person (as opposed to a ridiculously beautiful movie star person). Not knowing anything about him, this didn't strike me as odd. Based on his demeanor, body language and tidbits of conversation, I judge him to be as regular a guy as I've ever seen a celebrity be.
So. Here is what I've learned from this experience.
1. Hugh Jackman is exceedingly handsome both on screen and in person.
2. He's not put off by fans approaching him and will probably react well if you were to approach him in a non-threatening way that wasn't in anyway rude or interruptive.
3. He's down to earth and married to a seemingly nice, down to earth person.
December 30, 2006
Four Dead Dictators
2006 was not a good year for dictators.
General Augusto Pinochet, died of a heart attack at the ripe old age of 91. His government murdered and tortured thousands of Chileans during his 17 year rule. He died before the many court cases meant to bring him down could be completed, cheating his people of justice.
Saparmurat Niyazov was the self proclaimed president of Turkmenistan. According to his Wikipedia article, foreign media considered Niyazov to be one of the world's most authoritarian and oppressive dictators in the world. He was a kook like most dictators and as proof of his kookiness instituted such kooky policies as requiring licensed drivers to pass a morality test and requiring doctors to swear an oath to him as president instead of the much loved and recognized Hippocratic Oath.
Another one who died before his people could receive justice for his crimes against humanity was the world famous, incredibly cruel and evil Slobodan Milosevic, former President of Yugoslavia and Serbia. The truly cruelest dictators usually have resumes that include genocide of their own people and Milosevic is no exception. He died while on trial at the Hague.
The frothy icing on the cake made from the metaphorically groundup bodies of dead dictators would have to be the hanging of Saddam Hussein. Now I know the war in Iraq is incredibly controversial and highly unpopular among most of my friends and a lot of people who come to this blog. But even if you don't agree with the ubiquitous presence of the US military in the hot bed of civil unrest known as Iraq, I'm sure most of you would agree that Saddam Hussein was no saint and that his death was welcome relief to many people who suffered injustice at the hands of that mad man.
He really was a despot that bullied and tormented and killed and frightened his citizens for years and years and years. And he was bat shit insane to boot.
General Augusto Pinochet, died of a heart attack at the ripe old age of 91. His government murdered and tortured thousands of Chileans during his 17 year rule. He died before the many court cases meant to bring him down could be completed, cheating his people of justice.
Saparmurat Niyazov was the self proclaimed president of Turkmenistan. According to his Wikipedia article, foreign media considered Niyazov to be one of the world's most authoritarian and oppressive dictators in the world. He was a kook like most dictators and as proof of his kookiness instituted such kooky policies as requiring licensed drivers to pass a morality test and requiring doctors to swear an oath to him as president instead of the much loved and recognized Hippocratic Oath.
Another one who died before his people could receive justice for his crimes against humanity was the world famous, incredibly cruel and evil Slobodan Milosevic, former President of Yugoslavia and Serbia. The truly cruelest dictators usually have resumes that include genocide of their own people and Milosevic is no exception. He died while on trial at the Hague.
The frothy icing on the cake made from the metaphorically groundup bodies of dead dictators would have to be the hanging of Saddam Hussein. Now I know the war in Iraq is incredibly controversial and highly unpopular among most of my friends and a lot of people who come to this blog. But even if you don't agree with the ubiquitous presence of the US military in the hot bed of civil unrest known as Iraq, I'm sure most of you would agree that Saddam Hussein was no saint and that his death was welcome relief to many people who suffered injustice at the hands of that mad man.
He really was a despot that bullied and tormented and killed and frightened his citizens for years and years and years. And he was bat shit insane to boot.
December 23, 2006
The Vertical Hour
"right"/ />All this week, I've been working on The Vertical Hour. I've been doing other things as well but as far as work is concerned, that's where I've been. Since the previews, the director Sam Mendes changed a couple of things. When I first saw it during previews, Julianne Moore opened the show with a stunningly boring and terribly soft-spoken monologue which just didn't work. Mostly everyone complained that they couldn't hear her in the beginning and often that week, I would hand out headsets in the dark to people who decided after missing her monologue that they needed them for the rest of the show. Now, Bill Nighy opens the show with a monologue from later in the play and they moved her monologue to the middle of the first act. It works much better. Although I don't understand the purpose of the monologues at all. They don't really add much to the show.He does well on stage. No matter how he's directed to stand, he always manages to turn and face the audience whenever he delivers a line. Julianne Moore however, follows her blocking blindly delivering lines stage right and stage left causing ever so many complaints from the audience. I must have heard the following 100 times this week.
"Why doesn't she project?"
"She doesn't know how to project."
"I can't hear anything she's saying."
"Every time she turns I miss what she's saying."
"The acoustics in this theater are so bad."
The acoustics at The Music Box theater are fine. It's the sound design that's bad. Why do they NEVER MIKE the actors in straight plays? I will never understand the logic behind this. If I were a playwright who'd managed to get a play staged on Broadway, I would want the audience to hear every word. But no. Instead. Some old fashioned notion about stage plays holds true. People pay upwards to $200 for tickets to some plays. Every effort should be made to make sure that these customers are getting their money's worth - and NOT RELY ON MY COMPANY to make up the deficit.
And it would also helped if Julianne Moore would learn how to project. Everyone else in the play with her manages to make themselves heard, in spite of the miking situation, except for her.
Did I mention, it's a really good play?
The second change may or may not be Ms. Moore's costumes.
December 20, 2006
New Teeth
My dentist put in porcelain veneers today.
When I was sixteen years old, I went head first over my handle bars on the way to my high school. The marching band was scheduled to compete at the Hofstra HS marching band competition that they have every year. My big Q-tip hat got caught between my handlebars and my front tire, thus causing the accident.
How did I land? I landed on my face, on my mouth specifically and broke my two front teeth. The cosmetic solution was bonding and for the last ten years or so, I've maintained the same bonding from a dentist in my hometown. But it looked awful. I never liked it. And on top of that they were all stained and crooked and I thought my teeth made me look poor. (see below)
When I was sixteen years old, I went head first over my handle bars on the way to my high school. The marching band was scheduled to compete at the Hofstra HS marching band competition that they have every year. My big Q-tip hat got caught between my handlebars and my front tire, thus causing the accident.
How did I land? I landed on my face, on my mouth specifically and broke my two front teeth. The cosmetic solution was bonding and for the last ten years or so, I've maintained the same bonding from a dentist in my hometown. But it looked awful. I never liked it. And on top of that they were all stained and crooked and I thought my teeth made me look poor. (see below)
So, I decided to do something about it, 20 something years later. So two weeks ago, in addition to my regular cleaning, my dentist fitted me for porcelain veneers - a more permanent solution than bonding but less permanent than crowns. For the last two weeks, I wore temporary teeth that while didn't look great looked 10 times better than my bonding.
Today, the doctor applied the veneers. I'm still numb from the novacaine shots. I haven't been able to feel any sensation in my nose for coming on 3 hours now and I'd really, really like to because I want to blow it but I'm scared of damaging it because of its completely numb state.
Today, the doctor applied the veneers. I'm still numb from the novacaine shots. I haven't been able to feel any sensation in my nose for coming on 3 hours now and I'd really, really like to because I want to blow it but I'm scared of damaging it because of its completely numb state.
The teeth look good but feel strange. My bottom teeth are crowded which is something we're going to correct with a retainer. Already, my lower teeth have been hitting the veneers in a weird way. The retainer is going to straighten out my two front lower teeth which jut out. It shouldn't take too long to correct - actually the dentist said that before I finish paying him off the teeth will be straight. That correction will make it so, I never have to worry about my bottom teeth chipping my top teeth which had been a long standing problem with my teeth since I first had them repaired.
The only draw back is I have to take it easy for the next 24 hours until the bonding is completely set. That means no coffee or stain-causing liquids.
When I came home, I ate a piece of soup chicken and a little ice cream. It's hard to consume liquids because my upper lip is completely numb and out of my control but as the feeling comes back I'm optimistic I'll soon be able to eat some of my nourishing chicken soup.
The only draw back is I have to take it easy for the next 24 hours until the bonding is completely set. That means no coffee or stain-causing liquids.
When I came home, I ate a piece of soup chicken and a little ice cream. It's hard to consume liquids because my upper lip is completely numb and out of my control but as the feeling comes back I'm optimistic I'll soon be able to eat some of my nourishing chicken soup.
December 16, 2006
Broadway Closings
High Fidelity is closing tomorrow after 18 previews and 14 performances. It filled the Imperial Theater to less than 50% of capacity. I guess the show's producers just didn't want to wait for the show to pick up steam through word of mouth. The bad reviews it received killed it's chances of making a lot of money in advance sales. Maybe the producers of the show were running a scam like in The Producers and are actually going to walk away with money because the show was a flop.
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Fame Becomes Me is also closing - January 7. I thought it would run longer. It's a strong show with good songs and even greater performances. The score was written by Marc Shaiman who also wrote the music for Hairspray. And features outstanding performances from Mary Birdsong and Brooks Ashmanskas(Brooks if you're googling yourself and you find this post please note that you need a website). For Hannukah, I gave Jon a ticket to see it before it closes. He'll be sitting near the front and hopefully he'll called up on stage during the Jiminy Glick portion of the show.
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Fame Becomes Me is also closing - January 7. I thought it would run longer. It's a strong show with good songs and even greater performances. The score was written by Marc Shaiman who also wrote the music for Hairspray. And features outstanding performances from Mary Birdsong and Brooks Ashmanskas(Brooks if you're googling yourself and you find this post please note that you need a website). For Hannukah, I gave Jon a ticket to see it before it closes. He'll be sitting near the front and hopefully he'll called up on stage during the Jiminy Glick portion of the show.
December 09, 2006
High Fidelity - Notes
It's Saturday and I'm working a double dose of High Fidelity.
During the walk-in I was talking with one of the Associate Producers. He was telling me how upset he was about Ben Brantley's review from the Friday NY Times. I tried to reassure him that Ben Brantley was simply the wrong critic to have reviewed the show - that Brantley's taste was more like that of the blue haired old ladies that come to see Wednesday matinees than it was of the hipsters to whom they seem to be appealing. I told him that Brantley missed the point of the show - that he just didn't get it. I was kind of kissing his butt a little bit. After all, this guy I was talking to is a big time Broadway producer.
What was I going to say? That Ben Brantley was right? Of course not. If you read the Ben Brantley review from beginning to end you'll realize that his review is actually very well informed. He's read the book by Nick Hornby and he's seen the film by Stephen Frears. His observations are based on both literary and filmic experience with the story. On top of that, he knows Broadway and has been reviewing shows for quite some time. I think it's safe to say that he knows what he's talking about.
The general feeling is that Brantley's review was harsh. But if it were good, they would have been thrilled. But does Brantley give good reviews? I don't recall ever reading a review about anything that he liked. Here is a link to his theater reviews. Can you find a play that he liked?
High Fidelity isn't brilliant but it isn't awful either. If you use Wedding Singer and Les Miserables as measuring posts the Wedding Singer being the worst and Les Mis being the best, High Fidelity falls dead center in terms of commercial appeal. The show will definitely find its audience. All you have to do is to decide whether or not you want to be a part of that audience.
During the walk-in I was talking with one of the Associate Producers. He was telling me how upset he was about Ben Brantley's review from the Friday NY Times. I tried to reassure him that Ben Brantley was simply the wrong critic to have reviewed the show - that Brantley's taste was more like that of the blue haired old ladies that come to see Wednesday matinees than it was of the hipsters to whom they seem to be appealing. I told him that Brantley missed the point of the show - that he just didn't get it. I was kind of kissing his butt a little bit. After all, this guy I was talking to is a big time Broadway producer.
What was I going to say? That Ben Brantley was right? Of course not. If you read the Ben Brantley review from beginning to end you'll realize that his review is actually very well informed. He's read the book by Nick Hornby and he's seen the film by Stephen Frears. His observations are based on both literary and filmic experience with the story. On top of that, he knows Broadway and has been reviewing shows for quite some time. I think it's safe to say that he knows what he's talking about.
The general feeling is that Brantley's review was harsh. But if it were good, they would have been thrilled. But does Brantley give good reviews? I don't recall ever reading a review about anything that he liked. Here is a link to his theater reviews. Can you find a play that he liked?
High Fidelity isn't brilliant but it isn't awful either. If you use Wedding Singer and Les Miserables as measuring posts the Wedding Singer being the worst and Les Mis being the best, High Fidelity falls dead center in terms of commercial appeal. The show will definitely find its audience. All you have to do is to decide whether or not you want to be a part of that audience.
December 08, 2006
High Fidelity - Notes
The reviews on High Fidelity are in and the two I read weren't very good.
NY Times critic Ben Bradley said he's adding High Fidelity to his own top 5 list - All-Time Most Forgettable Musicals.
Clive Barnes from the NY Post described the musical as a brave but foolhardy attempt.
What did I think? It's alright. It's not THAT original anymore to base a musical on a movie. But producers are always going after that elusive young, straight male demographic. This musical is up there with the likes of Saturday Night Fever, Footloose (coincidentally, Tom Plotkin from the original Footloose cast is part of the High Fidelity group of understudies and stand-ins), Spamalot and The Wedding Singer.
The show is probably more like the movie starring John Cusack than it is like the book by Nick Hornby. Will Chase stars as the likeable but unlikeable protagonist who blames everyone but himself for his relationship failures. But he's not really unlikeable enough. Everyone in the show is talented of course but the show itself tries to hard. The music is just a little bit better than The Wedding Singer but not even half as good as Grey Gardens or Spring Awakening.
The coolest thing about High Fidelity are the sets. They morph seamlessly into bedrooms, record shops, bars, funeral homes, whatever the scene calls for.
There is one really fun scene in the second act which is a dream sequence where Rob fantasizes about killing his rival Ian. If that scene could have somehow been matched for comedy and energy throughout the whole musical, they would have something.
But don't worry. The more mediocre a show is, the better it seems to do these days. The box office will probably earn more than Spring Awakening which isn't even filling the theater. I mean the Imperial Theater was packed all week with well wishers and future High Fidelity repeaters.
Get a discounted ticket for this one. Don't pay full price.
NY Times critic Ben Bradley said he's adding High Fidelity to his own top 5 list - All-Time Most Forgettable Musicals.
Clive Barnes from the NY Post described the musical as a brave but foolhardy attempt.
What did I think? It's alright. It's not THAT original anymore to base a musical on a movie. But producers are always going after that elusive young, straight male demographic. This musical is up there with the likes of Saturday Night Fever, Footloose (coincidentally, Tom Plotkin from the original Footloose cast is part of the High Fidelity group of understudies and stand-ins), Spamalot and The Wedding Singer.
The show is probably more like the movie starring John Cusack than it is like the book by Nick Hornby. Will Chase stars as the likeable but unlikeable protagonist who blames everyone but himself for his relationship failures. But he's not really unlikeable enough. Everyone in the show is talented of course but the show itself tries to hard. The music is just a little bit better than The Wedding Singer but not even half as good as Grey Gardens or Spring Awakening.
The coolest thing about High Fidelity are the sets. They morph seamlessly into bedrooms, record shops, bars, funeral homes, whatever the scene calls for.
There is one really fun scene in the second act which is a dream sequence where Rob fantasizes about killing his rival Ian. If that scene could have somehow been matched for comedy and energy throughout the whole musical, they would have something.
But don't worry. The more mediocre a show is, the better it seems to do these days. The box office will probably earn more than Spring Awakening which isn't even filling the theater. I mean the Imperial Theater was packed all week with well wishers and future High Fidelity repeaters.
Get a discounted ticket for this one. Don't pay full price.
December 07, 2006
High Fidelity - Opening Night
Tonight I worked the opening of High Fidelity at the Imperial Theater.
I saw quite a few celebrities.
The most impressive celebrity there was Lauren Bacall. She walked right past me, close enough that I could see the make of her hearing aid which must have been very good because she did not take a headset. She looked great for a woman that's over 80 years old. Very oddly, following right behind her was Cindy Adams who also looks great for a woman in her 80's. She's not a great look woman but she did look great. And even though she can't write in complete sentences, I'm sure she'll write something about tonight's opening in tomorrow's NY Post.
The second most impressive celebrity I saw this evening was Alec Baldwin. This must be the umpteenth time I've seen him in person. I think I've seen him once every few months or so for the last 3 years. Every time I see him, he's always in the middle of doing something. The very last time I saw him was this summer as he was crossing Broadway on 47th street. At the time, he had been doing something at The Roundabout and I'd seen him a few times in front of the Roundabout Theater speaking to other actors.
The other celebrities, while they were cool to see, just don't rank as high as the previously mentioned.
The list includes Dana Delaney, Constantine Maroulis, Bebe Neuwirth and Karen Ziemba.
Constantine Maroulis is very tall, much taller than you would think. He was with a very, very, very blond and skinny woman who didn't look too much older than a high schooler. Not saying that she was in high school but she was very young. The last time I saw him, I was going into the Al Hirshfeld theater through the stage door and he was sitting on the stairs near the entrance. I've seen him at least a dozen times and even made eye contact with him. Tonight, when he walked by me, there was a glint of recognition in his eyes but not knowing how he knows me, I guess I can't blame him for not saying hello.
Bebe Neuwirth always looks very tiny when you see her in person. She has a very small head and always looks like she needs to eat something. Unless you're a Broadway nut, you're most likely not familiar with Karen Ziemba. She's a Broadway phenom and I got to see her play Roxie Hart in Chicago when it was at the Shubert like 50 times. Actually, I saw Bebe Neuwirth in Chicago also and I've even seen her perform with Karen Ziemba. I was bummed that I couldn't work the 10th Anniversary show of Chicago.
Dana Delaney walked by so quickly, I only saw enough of her to know who it was. This may or may not come as a shock to you but she's very small and skinny.
I saw quite a few celebrities.
The most impressive celebrity there was Lauren Bacall. She walked right past me, close enough that I could see the make of her hearing aid which must have been very good because she did not take a headset. She looked great for a woman that's over 80 years old. Very oddly, following right behind her was Cindy Adams who also looks great for a woman in her 80's. She's not a great look woman but she did look great. And even though she can't write in complete sentences, I'm sure she'll write something about tonight's opening in tomorrow's NY Post.
The second most impressive celebrity I saw this evening was Alec Baldwin. This must be the umpteenth time I've seen him in person. I think I've seen him once every few months or so for the last 3 years. Every time I see him, he's always in the middle of doing something. The very last time I saw him was this summer as he was crossing Broadway on 47th street. At the time, he had been doing something at The Roundabout and I'd seen him a few times in front of the Roundabout Theater speaking to other actors.
The other celebrities, while they were cool to see, just don't rank as high as the previously mentioned.
The list includes Dana Delaney, Constantine Maroulis, Bebe Neuwirth and Karen Ziemba.
Constantine Maroulis is very tall, much taller than you would think. He was with a very, very, very blond and skinny woman who didn't look too much older than a high schooler. Not saying that she was in high school but she was very young. The last time I saw him, I was going into the Al Hirshfeld theater through the stage door and he was sitting on the stairs near the entrance. I've seen him at least a dozen times and even made eye contact with him. Tonight, when he walked by me, there was a glint of recognition in his eyes but not knowing how he knows me, I guess I can't blame him for not saying hello.
Bebe Neuwirth always looks very tiny when you see her in person. She has a very small head and always looks like she needs to eat something. Unless you're a Broadway nut, you're most likely not familiar with Karen Ziemba. She's a Broadway phenom and I got to see her play Roxie Hart in Chicago when it was at the Shubert like 50 times. Actually, I saw Bebe Neuwirth in Chicago also and I've even seen her perform with Karen Ziemba. I was bummed that I couldn't work the 10th Anniversary show of Chicago.
Dana Delaney walked by so quickly, I only saw enough of her to know who it was. This may or may not come as a shock to you but she's very small and skinny.
December 05, 2006
Forbes 15 Richest Fictional Characters 2006
Forbes published its list of richest fictional characters for 2006.Santa Claus was removed from the list and moving into first place is Daddy Warbucks.
Forbes claims that it still sites Santa's net worth as infinity but removed him from the list as a result of being bombarded by letters from outraged children insisting that Santa is real. For now, they thought it best to take him off the list until the matter of Santa's authenticity is verified.
Meanwhile, Daddy Warbucks has done well this year moving him ot the top of the list. Defense contracts in Iraq earned Warbucks a fortune for his depleted uranium artillery shells. His company's energy services group won a record $59.2 billion contract to provide oil well maintenance in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
There were some amusing additions to the list this year, including Prince Abakaliki of Nigeria. The first son of King Sani Abakaliki debuted on the Forbes List at #9 with a shocking net worth of $2.8 billion. That's a pretty good sum of money considering he still wants to get his hands on his father's estate - with your help of course.
Also new to the list is plumber Mario with an amassed fortune of $1 billion. According to his entry, he amassed his fortune slowly by overcoming obstacles in order to collect one gold coin at a time.
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