So much to do
So Much to say.
In the spirit of the occasion, I think I shall turn this mornings entry over to Ms Garland as she can say how I am feeling this morning so much better
As I alluded to yesterday- due to weather, upcoming trip and other factors. Yesterday was just a trip to the show, haircut on Christopher Street. The show?
When I got onto the stage, I noticed all the chairs were marked. Well mine was, the one on each side of me weren't.
So I figured out Id have cast members on either side of me. I did.
I can see why people love this show, I can see why people don't like this show. I can definately see why this show won the Tony and the actors including John Gallagher and Jonathon Groff won as well. This was without question one of the most amazing physically draining plays I have seen.
Why? Well my vantage point was on the stage. I had to literally duck for cover during "The Bitch of Living" and "Totally F*cked". The energy was infectious. The emotion was infectious. Here is a show that swept the Tony Awards and is a huge hit playing to standing room audiences and yet the teenage cast members are trying to break one another up from across the stage. I must admit I got involved as one of them saw I was being pulled into it so they let me have it. After some of the more high energy numbers, cast members sitting near me could be heard gasping for air, but with the biggest smile on thier face ever.
I must say I lost a good deal of the dialogue being on the stage as the voices were projecting out. So I am looking forward to doing back and seeing it in the audience. That helped with Xanadu that I saw it fron the audience first and then from the stage. There's alot of surprises in it. Its a coming of age story of teens in Germany. The angst of youth. There's sex, rock n roll, suicides, same sex kissing, tastefully done nudity. Just like MTV. The entire cast put thier heart and soul into every performance. After the three curtain calls and the cast ran off the stage, I made eye contact and got a big smile from Jonathon Groff. It was a celebration. Like every night was a graduation. I know this show is going on tour and they might dissemble the Broadway cast. If you're thinking about seeing this show in NYC, do it.
Now for me. As I didn't love this show and will be going more than the 2 times I have planned. I didn't hate it either.
What I am finding as I hunt out shows to go is something that strays away from the stodgy Broadway norm. Rent started this trend and Spring Awakening took the ball and ran with it. I liked it cause it was different. It took some chances and was paid off for it. That I salute. But as I said before , go to see this show at the Eugene O Neill theatre as soon as you can. If not, you'll be totally f*cked.
Wow.
Just wow. Was on stage for Spring Awakening today at the Eugene O Neill theatre. It was quite an experience.
I'll go more into depth when I update with my usual post Broadway update tomorrow.
Between the Phils game last night, the brutally hot weather, finances and other mitigating circumstances, I pretty much just went up and ran a couple of small errands, like my pre trip haircut and banking. Saw the show and headed back.
As I am entering the area of the theatre where you lock up your worldly possesions before sitting on stage, right in front of the usher who guards the lockers during the show, my cell phone gets a message.
It is from brewergnome informing me he is safe and sound in Los Angeles. We spoke briefly at intermission and he is really excited. I can't wait to see him on Thursday in San Francisco.
Well more tomorrow.
Last week, I blatantly shilled the 85th anniversary weekend for the legendary Castro Theatre. By all accounts it was an amazing success.
I eluded to a special surprise that took place during the screenings.
It was with a sense of well , pride, that I learned that Dave Reed from "On the Castro.com" was commisioned to put together a historical piece on the Castro Theatre that featured interviews with the Nasser Family, programmer Bill Longen and others. He's got that up on the website and you can view it here.
http://www.onthecastro.com/play.php?episode=37
From this, Dave will be further involved with the Castro on thier special events, putting videos together. He's really excited about it. Can't wait to talk more about it when I finally get to meet him in person in a couple weeks upon my return to San Francisco.
If you haven't looked around at the On the Castro website, there's a great selection of stories on there. There's a little something for everyone on there.
I hope I look this good when I turn 85!
This weekend the legendary Castro Theatre is celebrating its 85th anniversary. There's quite a festival planned of great entertainment. Why I am not there? Well family commitments and Broadway shows.
The program looks of all things awesome. Mainly on Saturday as there is a screening of a true classic in its proper setting. If you live in San Francisco and don't go to see the film "San Francisco" there, you should be deported.
There's also a sing along Wizard of Oz scheduled for 2pm. Then at 11am, its cartoons and also a Laurel and Hardy film. all for the admission price of 25 cents!!! The price of admission from 1922!
Then on Sunday, a screening of the legendary "Phantom of the Opera " starring Lon Chaney and featuring live accompaniment on the beautiful Wurlitzer organ. Noon on Sunday, its "Gone with the Wind".
There's also other special surprises in store too. Be there for them, its gonna be a great weekend.
If anyone does go, please, photos, recaps, whatever! Get there, spend your weekend at the Castro Theatre and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to this legend.
On Saturday afternoon July 28th, I had the great pleasure of attending the Broadway show "Xanadu" for the 2nd time.
This was my first time on the stage viewing it. Afterwards, my friend Dan was gracious enough to wait around and snap photos of me with some of the stars of the show. Here they are.
Anyone in New York City or close to it, needs to see this show !!
this time in a good way....
Well its been 24 hours and the worst has been confirmed.
Chris first killed his wife Nancy and then later suffocated his son.
Nancy's body was found bound and wrapped in a towel. She had been strangled. Blood was found on her head, showing signs of a struggle. She was murdered on Friday. Then he smothered his 7 year old son sometime on Saturday and then he took his own life by hanging himself inside his weight room. He used one of the cords from his weight pulleys. Closed bibles were found near the bodies of his wife and son.
There have been internet reports that Chris had been acting quite paranoid of late and his behavior had changed quite radiclaly. Steriods are said to do that to you.
One of my friends spoke of the Internet bloggers, especially the ones on the wrestling chat boards have been running rampant with speculation and innuendo damning Chris to hell for murdering his wife and son. Yes, there was a complaint once before- but this is just unimaginable.
You always hear " well thats the last thing I ever expected to read". Well this most certainly applies here. There is no way Id ever think Id ever see the words Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son and then committed suicide. Yes, suicide is the coward's way out. However, once toxicology reports are released, I think you're going to see someone who didn't suffer a "roid rage" but someone who was in fact not balanced.
I really don't know what to say. My emotions have run the gamut. I am trying to really not put forth my final feelings until all of the facts of this tragic case come about.
It is my sincere hope that all involved, Benoit's family, those with the WWE, all those who knew Chris as a friend, the fans of Chris find a peace about this. Also, most importanly, may Chris, Nancy and Daniel rest in peace.
Yup- back to New York City tomorrow. I am wanting to be an "old school trip" Que?
Well hearing Que will be on the subway and train. But its amazing how I'm over that now. Remember some of those other posts? Jeebus, was I bitter.
Back in the day, I'd make a day of it. Go up on the first train, get breakfast, hang, ride the subways all over creation.
Shop. Tomorrow, I wanna go back to that. I also wanna go to a place there to get my haircut. Upon further review I'm not pleased with where I was going and I figure if I'm spending that much dough. Anyone have a recommendation?
I have an idea of a place off Yelp. I'm checking it out tomorrow.
Seeing "The Drowsy Chaperone". I'm excited about that too. Gonna be nice to see a fun musical. I also got word from someone that Xanadu basically mocks the movie. So that might be on the horizon. Plus be nice to see Cheyenne Jackson. Google that one kids.
In addition to that, I'm also enjoying the Turner Classic Movies "Screened Out" programming. I've had the pleasure of seeing alot of well, bizarre movies. So far they've been blatantly gay classics like "Boys in the Band" and also well ones that have just had borderline gay references like an Al Jolson film they screened that was set in Paris and had two men dancing together and Jolson in an effeminate voice say " Well Boys will be Boys".
Wednesday night, they cranked out a film I had never seen or heard of before, called Turnabout. It is from 1940 and is literally a laugh riot. These gay and lesbian film festivals need to rent prints of this movie. It needs to re-discover its audience. This is story of a bickering husband and wife couple. The statue in their bedroom comes to life one night and says he's tired of hearing it. They want to change places and he grants it. So part of the movie has the man wearing womans clothes and vice versa. During the scenes in which they changed places, they also dubbed the male voice over the actions of Carole Landis and the female voice over John Hubbard's acting. The one liners are classic in this. Adolph Menjou plays the stuffy boss and has some amazingly funny lines.
Here's a screen cap of the scene in which Landis and Hubbard's characters have changed places for the first time
Yes, he wears that. The legendary Franklin Pangborn plays a character called "Mr Pingboom" and is at his gay best.
He has an exchange with Hubbard's character once he becomes "his wife" which is classic and since this was back in 1940 had the censorship office going nuts. You can see the actual jumps with their edits. But you get the gist of the exchange.
Turner Classic is airing it again on August 29th at 11am and then again on Sept 28th at Midnight. Set your tivos now.
You'll be glad you did. It's not out on DVD. What a crime.
More photos tomorrow and its gonna be a great day.
Congratulations to my good friend, Jon Garrison- named Mr August in the South of Market 2008 Bare Chest Calendar. He's sure come a long way since our encounter at Folsom Street Fair in 2005.
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Recent Comments
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Moose1111 said:
who me?Better not mention I am seeing it two more times this year. read more
on In Xanadu... -
RayF said:
Twice? Criminy, leave some for the rest of us! ;^) Love the pics, and don't you look happy nuzzled up... read more
on In Xanadu... -
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urgh!! I have work!! darn it!!!!! read more
on 85 Years