Manhattan Chowder, Back in the Big Apple

Music Everywhere

2009-11-25T08:07:00.004-05:00

Passing by a school playground full of children at recess in the East Village today, the din of a car horn in “panic” mode droned on and on in a monotone as they played. Just as I began to feel sorry for city kids who have to endure the urban noise around them from within their 12 foot chain link fence enclosed playground, I heard four or five boys stop what they were doing and start to build a chord based on the note from the car horn. They matched the rhythm creating the third and the fifth with one of the boys providing an off-beat and another improvising a counterpoint melody. One boy began to conduct with his right arm while the ball he had just been playing with was tucked under his left. I stopped on the sidewalk to wonder at the spectacle. Touched and amused at their ability to make music out of a car horn, I rounded the corner and realized that this was no ordinary playground I stumbled on to, this was the playground of Grace Church School.

A beautiful Gothic Revival style edifice set back from the street at 820 Broadway, Grace Church boasts one of the finest musical programs in the city. Their open-door policy and daily organ meditations are famous in the neighborhood. In fact, the school at Grace Church began as a boys’ choir boarding school in 1894. Eventually the school expanded into a regular elementary school and became co-educational, but obviously they have maintained their strong music program including a chorister training program for kids. Good thing, too, because these kids probably would have been beaten to a pulp on any other New York City playground. Keep singing, boys!

I Need a Little Christmas

2009-11-20T14:35:00.007-05:00

I won't lie. The last couple of months being back in New York have been a big adjustment. After such an incredible year at school it was bound to be a let down getting back to the city grind. I miss the friends I made and the constant creative stimuli. On top of that, I had to finish up my final paper (which is done!) and I'm still living in a temporary housing situation. The reason? Because the tenant I chose with such care last year to rent out my apartment while I was at school won't get out! I won't go into all the details, but it has been a constant source of frustration and anxiety the last six weeks. So, when my friend Jimmy suggested I join him to attend the Unicef Snowflake Lighting at 57th and 5th Avenue, I jumped at the chance. Somehow the beauty of 5th Avenue as the holidays approach never fails to lift my spirits.

As these holiday lightings go, the Snowflake is a bit of a dog and pony show. It's short and sweet; a kids' choir singing some holiday tunes, some remarks from the Unicef mucky-mucks and a beautiful celebrity like Unicef Ambasador Lucy Liu to flip the switch. Et Voila! Merry Christmas! Just what I needed. But the best part was probably going out for burgers afterwards with Jimmy who loves a good greasy spoon diner as much as I do. Bacon cheeseburger deluxe, please. Ah, La Parisienne Diner--c'est magnifique!

Hunka Munka Chunka

2009-11-17T17:17:00.002-05:00

I don't care how stupid he is--Levi Johnston is HAWT!

O, Solo Mio

2009-10-31T10:07:00.006-04:00

An interesting bit of news about New York was released yesterday. It seems that more than 50% of Manhattanites live alone; as in single, no spouse, no family. This doesn't surprise me considering that the housing stock in Manhattan is made up of more studio and one-bedroom apartments than anything else. But what I'm waiting for is some kind of acknowledgement that this is the case.

Soapbox please.

I have lived alone for the past 9 years. That's not to say I'm "single". I've been in committed relationships for most of that time. But that's the way we do things in Manhattan. No one wants to give up their apartment. It's a classically eccentric New York tradition. In one of the most famous examples, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow maintained separate apartments for years! Okay--maybe that's not the best illustration. The point is, this is nothing new to us, and yet, we single households are constantly discriminated against by society and in the media.

Coming off an election year, and still with the health care debate, all anyone cares about representing or protecting or benefiting is "families". As if these are the only people worthy of going to political bat for. Have you noticed? Listen carefully--no one ever talks about single people. It's "families, families, families." The message is loud and clear that the only acceptable choice in our society is to live as a family. This attitude, probably a result of a right-leaning socio-political trend driven by the religious right, even fuels the LGBT fight for marriage equality. We've gotten the message that in order to be legitimized by the mainstream, we have to imitate their lifestyle. I'm convinced it's the reason the fight for marriage equality is far more visible and passionate than ENDA. But shouldn't we make sure we're able to support our families by protecting our job security first? But I digress...

Manhattan was built for single people. Literally. Like I said, look at the housing stock. Now, the numbers even support that. And yet, New York continues this "family friendly", theme park approach to development and zoning that frankly most of us don't need, or, as in my case, want. I remember a friend who lived in Chelsea telling me that he and his partner wanted to get out because every new building going up was selling 3 and 4 bedroom apartments. "What comes with all those bedrooms? Kids!" There goes the neighborhood.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't hate kids. On the contrary. I just don't want to raise yours and I don't want to live in a childproof world. I've made another choice. A legitimate, individual, American-as-apple-pie, free choice to live alone--just like the majority of Manhattanites. And there's nothing wrong with that. We're Americans, too.

Now, wish me luck on explaining this post to Scott who's moving in with me in a couple of weeks.

We've Got a Long Way to Go, Baby

2009-10-28T09:41:00.006-04:00

This week President Obama will sign a federal hate crimes bill into law. Hallelujah. 11 years after Matthew Shepherd's death, no one will ever be able to commit such a heinous act without being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as a hate crime. It's about time. But obviously we still have a long way to go to to educate people and eradicate homophobia. Sadly, I suspect, like racism, it will always be an element in our society and permeate the way people think and act toward gay people.

Yesterday, having read the news that Obama would sign the Matthew Shepherd Bill into law, I felt pretty good. I ventured out the door to buy a cup of coffee. As I stood waiting in line at the Dunkin' Donuts, my eyes fell on a stack of that day's New York Post. On the cover was Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies. His torso was photoshopped onto a woman's body wearing a cheer leading skirt. The caption read "Only in the City of Brotherly Love would Victorino be considered a slugger." Whack! Homophobia slaps you in the face. Way to stay classy, Post. Sure, it was a slam against Philadelphia as a second-rate city, but with strong homophobic overtones.

Just a few days ago Scott was saying to me "Remember those Scholastic Book orders from elementary school? You'd go home and ask you mom for money and then weeks later the books would arrive and you forgot all about them. It was so exciting. It was like getting a present." I have the same memories. Then Scott sent me this article that appeared in The Stranger. It seems the powers that be at Scholastic Books are exercising homophobic censorship. Go to the link to read the full story, but apparently they asked an author who featured a set of same-sex parents in her book to edit them out in favor of a heterosexual couple. Thankfully, she refused.

I had the opportunity to educate someone this weekend about homophobia, but I unfortunately I failed. I was hosting a garage sale out at my parent's house in New Jersey. A woman came by with a couple of kids, one of whom was in a Boy Scout uniform. He was about 12 or 13. He was selling Christmas wreaths to benefit the Boy Scouts. First he approached Scott who told the boy he didn't live there, and passed him off to me. I stalled passing him off to my mother as "the lady of the house". She didn't want to order any wreath from the Boy Scouts either, but gave the kid a small donation instead, mostly to spare us all any more awkward moments.

After that, the kid went to ring other doorbells on the block while his mother stayed behind and browsed among the Garage Sale items. Now, I didn't want to burst the kid's bubble by telling him I think the Boy Scouts are a bunch of homophobic bigots. But I did have the opportunity to say to his mother after he left "You know, I didn't want to order anything that would support the Scouts because they discriminate against people like me." I wanted to tell her that the only men I ever knew who made it to Eagle Scout are gay. I wanted to tell her that municipalities across the country (including the City of Brotherly Love) are doing the right thing and not allowing a discriminatory organization to hold meetings in municipal buildings. But I didn't. I thought she might buy something so I didn't want to offend her. I sold out my civil rights for a potential $5 garage sale transaction. Way to stay classy, Michael.

PS She didn't buy anything.

Please, do better than I did. Speak up when you have the opportunity.

UPDATES: The LAPD has cut ties with a spin off group of the Boy Scouts as the group's discriminatory policy against LGBT youth and leaders is at odds with the city's non-discrimination policy as is the case in more and more cities and municipalities across the country. It's hard to be happy about it, though. Scouting could be such a wonderfully positive organization for boys. And it's the kids who lose in the name of "protecting" them.

Also, Scholastic Books has released a somewhat confusing statement regarding the Luv Ya Bunches controversy. They insist they do not censor, but rather "review" books for inclusion in their clubs and fairs. (The LGBT thing aside, isn't asking an author to clean up language a form of censorship?) Also, they say that Luv Ya Bunches eventually passed review for their middle school book fairs. This is an interesting distinction since the book is about 4 elementary school girls and according to Amazon.com, is recommended for a 9 to 12 year old reading level. Pre-middle school age.

Fortunate

2009-10-12T13:20:00.006-04:00

Harlem.
Two female cashiers at the Duane Read on 125 Street.

Woman 1: Yeah, he tol' me that when Obama talked to the school kids it would be good for my son 'cause he's "unfortunate".

Woman 2: He's not unfortunate. He got two working parents. That's fortunate.

Amen.

"Who Do You Think You Are?!?!"

2009-09-29T10:05:00.007-04:00

Hugh Jackman has received a great deal of press over the last 24 hours for stopping a preview performance of his new Broadway play, A Steady Rain, while an audience member's cell phone rang for almost a full minute. I think reports of Mr. Jackman's reaction have been greatly exaggerated. (One report I heard said that Jackman "ripped into" the audience member in question.) Actually, I think he was fairly patient. You can watch the clip yourself.

This made me recall a similar episode during the penultimate performance of Patti Lupone's Gypsy, during which some hapless audience member dared to take a picture. Patti's response was deliciously Classic Lupone. Watch and listen.

As an actor, I admit, I feel a certain degree of satisfaction when I watch these clips having had to perform through picture-taking and cell phone ringing and some even more distracting behavior. However, I never stopped the show. I can't. I'm not a star. Really, the only actors who can get away with these sorts or responses are the ones whose names appear above the title.

In the case of Jackman and Lupone, both have worked hard to get where they are and, in my opinion, are deserving of their success. And whether it's fair or not, their celebrity and fame gives them a certain amount of leadership within a company of actors. But, for example, if the picture-taking had happened during "Little Lamb", the girl playing Louise would have been expected to just soldier on through the song. Every actor knows the oldest rule in show business is the show must go on.

As actors, part of our job is to have the technique and concentration to continue in the moment despite whatever distractions may happen in the audience. You owe it to everyone in the audience who is not behaving badly and the rest of the actors on stage who are working collaboratively to create the reality of the play. One actor deciding to abandon that collaboration is arguably more distracting than any cell phone ring or camera flash.

Also, in our "community" of the theatre, as Miss Lupone so eloquently puts it, we, onstage, know that there is a staff of ushers and a house manager out there whose job it is to deal with offending audience members. You can't see it in the Hugh Jackman clip, but I promise you, there was an exasperated House Manager or usher standing in the aisle, arms waving wildly, trying to communicate to the cell phone ringer to get the heck out of the theatre. Someone from the stage jumping in to do this job makes the entire episode more humiliating and disruptive than it really needs to be. Now, I admit, this is the ideal philosophy I'd like to adhere to in the best of all possible worlds, but...these reactions, though I don't condone them, are kinda fabulous in an "actor's ultimate revenge fantasy" sort of way.

The great irony here is, that while recording these reactions may not be distracting, it is illegal. Can you imagine what Patti would have done if she'd known?

Status Update

2009-09-24T08:35:00.004-04:00

After many requests (okay, mostly from my mother), I'm making an honest effort to get back to blogging. Blogging filled a creative void for me when I was unemployed and helped me stay sane through the grind of a survival job. So here I am again, unemployed--but with a Master's!

This is me on my graduation day with my proud parents. They gave us medals! (The school, not my parents.)

One of the reasons I didn't get back to blogging sooner is that in the year or so since I stopped, I joined Facebook. Yes. I finally gave in. Peer pressure from the kids at school--for real. After all, I didn't want to miss out on all the newsy updates from my exciting new friends like "Tom is eating yogurt" (not his real name) and "Amy is going to the gym" (also not her real name). I might miss something!

As a result, I can now only think in short, third-person, declarative sentences about the minutiae of my life. I'm constantly thinking things like "Michael is appalled at the price of Heirloom Tomatoes" and "Michael thinks the A train should stop at 96 St." It would make for very short blog posts. Luckily, I don't actually publish these things as my Facebook status either--though many people do. You know who you are--not that there's anything wrong with that. By the way, this is one of the reasons I will never, ever, join Twitter. Unless it was to write something like this. (NSFW: language)

So, my dear, vast readership, I will attempt to update you on my status with an entire paragraph in the first-person:

I graduated from The Shakespeare Theatre Company's Academy for Classical Acting at the George Washington University (try fitting that on a resume) in late July. It was one of the best years of my life. I worked really hard and loved every minute. I made wonderful friends and learned more than I ever thought possible. I highly recommend it (especially to you who ended up here by google searching MFA programs). I spent August in DC working on my final "not-a-thesis" paper which is due on Dec. 1. I'm in good shape with that--I've fought the Facebook sentence structure as much as possible. I moved back to NYC the first week in September and am living with Scott in his studio apartment. It's cozy. But that situation may change soon. I'll keep you posted. Right now I'm adjusting to life back in the city and trying to remember what it was like to be an actor here. I went on my first audition the other day. It went well, but it was a long shot. If anything happens, you'll know. Right now I feel a little like Rhoda Morganstern at the end of her opening credits: "New York, this is your last chance!" Cue hat-throwing.

Shakespeare in the Parking Space

2009-09-18T13:49:00.011-04:00

As a New Yorker who sometimes keeps a car in the city, I am normally not in favor of anything taking up a parking space other than a car. Today, however, I have to make an exception. New York City is taking part in an international event called Park(ing) Day. (http://www.parkingdaynyc.org/)

The idea is to convert conventional parking spaces into engaging, people-friendly public spaces for one day a year. The aim is to spark discussion on the importance of parks and public space in normally auto-clogged cities like New York. Parking spaces all over New York have been transformed into art installations, exhibits, or performance spaces, like "Shakespeare in the Parking Space", which I made a special trip to see.

In a spot located on Columbus Avenue between 60th & 61st Streets, some Fordham University students set up a simple platform and a bench (all one really needs to perform Shakespeare) and treated passersby to sonnets, monologues, some contemporary poetry, songs and the inevitable "original rap". Some of the Shakespearean selections included Hermia and Helena from Midsummer (pictured below), Juliet Act 4, scene 2, a marvelous St. Crispen's Day speech from Henry V delivered with all the gusto only a college boy can muster, and even a female Hamlet.

Hard-boiled New Yorkers, normally too busy to even look up from their Blackberries, stopped to listen, laugh, applaud and take pictures, including a group of construction workers on their lunch hour (pictured below).

I must admit my word-nerd, classical theatre-loving heart was moved to see this earnest group of students performing Shakespeare as it was meant to be: in the open air for the masses. I doubt Shakespeare could have anticipated the noise from buses and ambulances whizzing by, however.

It's good to know that if I don't get any work after completing my MFA in classical acting, I can always high-jack a parking space to perform.

City Snapshot: Little League in the Big City

2009-09-14T10:32:00.003-04:00

Manhattan Chowder is back in the Big Apple after a wonderful year in DC. (More on that in future posts.) In the meantime, I've been spending the last week or so I've been home falling back in love with New York. She has been putting on her freshest face for me with beautiful September weather (mostly). A walk through busy Riverside Park yesterday revealed this photo: City kids playing baseball as only they do--under the Westside Highway with Trump's Towers looming above.

Post Election, SNL Goes Right Down the Tubes

2008-11-16T11:58:00.012-05:00

Getting lots of mileage off of the country's recent election along with the talents of the incomparable Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live has enjoyed some of its best ratings in years over the last couple of months. But now that Amy is gone on maternity leave and Tina is back at 30 Rock, what remains on SNL is bleak, sophomoric, homophobic crap.

Yesterday Scott and I met some friends on the Mall here in DC where we marched through the wind and the rain in protest of the passage of Prop 8. You can see the photos for yourself below. We listened to the stories of gay men and women whose lives and families have been unjustly and adversely affected by Prop 8 and others like it around the country. By time it was over we were tired and soaking wet, but we hoped that maybe, just maybe our efforts along with those of thousands of others across the country might help the cause for equal civil rights for the LGBT community.

When Scott and I climbed into bed after our exhausting day and flipped on SNL for a few laughs, we were assaulted in sketch after sketch with homophobic jokes. First there was a family sketch, based on one joke: that they all kissed each other inappropriately. Of course the biggest "punchlines" (if you can even call them that) were based on the male/male kisses. The audience laughed and groaned at what I suppose was the absurdity of men kissing.

Next was a sketch about juvenile delinquents who were being lectured by an ex-con about the horrors of prison, almost all of which had to do with the threat of gay sex. Isn't that hilarious? What could possibly be worse than gay sex??? There was another sketch with four guys in a car swapping tales of woe and singing Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party", again with almost all of the punchlines revolving around some incongruous gay sex reference. There was a sketch about two men painting each other naked whose art was so repulsive it made an entire room of art lovers vomit en masse. There was an appearance by "gay" cartoon characters Snagglepuss and the Great Gazoo who were supposedly gay-married. And finally the stupidly unfunny Justin Timberlake crashed a skit with Beyonce in which he played a mincing, lisping stereotypic male dancer.

THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is why shit like Prop 8 gets passed. As long as our love and sex lives are the punchline to every joke on late night TV, we will never be taken seriously. Shame on SNL. Of all days...

UPDATE: Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed SNL's offensive "gay minstrel show" the other night. Read about it at After Elton and Defamer. Also, there was one other homophobic sketch involving two male parking lot attendants who like to have sex in the mensroom together which was just as bad, but I switched the show off after the Beyonce sketch.

Today I Marched

2008-11-15T23:47:00.008-05:00

Semi-Retirement

2008-11-04T07:47:00.003-05:00

I've finally made the difficult decision to put my blog in semi-retirement. I've not been able to give it the attention I would like since I've started graduate school. My work load and schedule here get more and more hectic. Despite the fact that I've had several post ideas over the last couple of weeks, I simply don't have time to sit down and write them.

This blog has been been a wonderful outlet for me over the past two years, giving me confidence in my writing abilities, providing a creative focus, and connecting me to lots of new friends and fellow bloggers. I will miss it. But I'm not burying it forever. I'm sure there will be the occasional blog post I just have to get off my chest and will need a place to go with it, so check back from time to time just in case. But for now--thanks for reading!

Hamlet is like, so Emo...

2008-10-16T00:21:00.013-04:00

True story.

I was on the Metro tonight on my way to see Henry IV (Part 1) at the Folger. I was reading a copy of Hamlet required for one of my classes when a teenage girl plops down in the seat next to me. She sees my book and asks "Oh, are you reading Romeo & Juliet?" First of all, I still have to remind myself to get over the shock of people actually talking to you on the train here, but that's another story. After I managed to collect myself, I answered, "No, I'm reading Hamlet."

"Oh, cool. So how is it?"

I wanted to reply "It's only one of the greatest plays of the English language." But instead I said. "It's pretty good. Ya know..."

"Cool. So I hear Hamlet's like totally Emo."

"What now?"

"Emo. Hamlet's totally Emo, I hear."

"Hmm. Now what does that mean exactly?"

"Ya know. Dark, depressed, acts kinda crazy."

"Oh. Well then, yes. That's right. Hamlet is totally Emo," I confirmed.

Then she wanted to know what had happened in the story so far. I really wanted to get back to my reading but was so taken with her interest I led her through some of the plot points: the ghost, Hamlet revenging his father's death, Gertrude marrying Claudius, the players, Hamlet killing Polonius, Ophelia going nuts over it, etc. "Wow," my new friend replied. "I should read it."

"Yeah," I said, "you should."

Election Day

2008-10-12T09:27:00.004-04:00

Much to my relief, my absentee ballot finally arrived in the mail the other day. I had been a bit concerned because I sent an application in for my absentee ballot over a month ago but must have checked the "primary election" box instead of the "general election" one because I was sent a primary ballot a few weeks ago. I panicked thinking I may have lost my chance to vote in the general election. So, I sent in another application with a nice note explaining that I thought I made an error on my original application, that I was not trying obtain two absentee ballots (that would be voter fraud!) and that I did not want to miss the opportunity to vote in this, the most important election in years. Luckily the workers at the New York City board of elections are probably used to eccentrics like me and sent me the general election ballot without question. Whew! I can't wait to drop it in the mailbox!

"Will all of this make Jack Benny come back?"

2008-10-07T23:46:00.003-04:00

Scott sent me this. Apparently it reminded him of me. Just because I needed a little help hooking up my DVD/VCR to a new television set which, incidentally, he was not able to do either. So that project waits for a visit from my father next week. In the meantime enjoy this PSA. It's adorable.

Mommy's Busy

2008-10-06T22:19:00.003-04:00

Couldn't resist posting this one. Thanks to Andy, who could always appreciate some good political satire, for sending it.

"Nucular"

2008-10-02T22:02:00.011-04:00

Apparently it's an epidemic among Republicans. They cannot pronounce the word "Nuclear". I'm sitting here watching the VP debates listening to Sarah Palin say "nucular" a la George W. Bush over and over again. What is it with these people? Not that I think Sarah Palin is the brightest bulb on the tree, but she is trained as a television journalist. Surely her training would have included how to pronounce a simple word like "nuclear". It's pronounced exactly like it's spelled: Nu-cle-ar. Why is this difficult?

If the Bush legacy leaving us at war with our national reputation dragged through the mud, an economy on the verge of collapse and a major American city still in ruins weren't enough of an embarrassment, he has left his "dumbing down" on the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Look it up! They have actually started including this "alternate" pronunciation of the word "nuclear": \ˈnü-klē-ər, ˈnyü-, ÷-kyə-lər\. Ugghhhhhhh!

For what it's worth, I used to use the Merriam-Webster online dictionary for spelling and occasional definitions. But I have recently learned from my speech and ear-training professor, a self described "word nerd," that in terms of pronunciation Webster's dictionary is "a DEscriptive guide NOT a PREscriptive one." Meaning, much to his chagrin, that it reflects the way people actually talk rather than the way they should talk. (Apparently it all goes back to The Great Grim-iss/Grim-ace Debacle of 1963 which made Webster's the laughing stock of lexicographers everywhere. For real.)

Suffice it to say that if John McCain is elected president, Webster's will surely start including the alternate pronunciation "Warsh-ing-ton" for Washington, if they haven't already!

To Facebook or Not to Facebook

2008-09-30T07:46:00.009-04:00

There is enormous pressure on me lately to join Facebook. Truthfully, I've been avoiding the trend for a year now which seems requisite for actors these days. My friend Tom who teaches acting at a university claims it's a great way to keep up with his students. His students are undergrads. And honestly, I always thought Facebook was a place where teenage girls post pictures of their boyfriend du jour, destroy the reputations of other teenage girls and flaunt their popularity by how many "friends" they have. But apparently I'm wrong. The only two members of my graduate program who are not on Facebook are myself and our most senior member who is 57 years old. I'm starting to feel a little out of the loop on some things. In fact, our program itself even has its own Facebook page which I have never seen. But here's an example of why I'm hesitant to join:

A couple of months ago my friend Tom called me and said "Do you remember Steve So-and-So?" (not his real name). "Uh...yeah," says I. Steve So-and-So was a guy I dated for a month or two back in 1993 when Tom and I were roommates together in our first apartment in New York. "Well," says Tom, "He found me on Facebook and remembered I was your roommate...he says hi." Now you see--THAT'S why I don't want to join Facebook. I don't want to hear from Steve S0-and-So. Or anyone else from my past I just as soon not ever run into again. On top of that I hear it's highly addictive. I watched an episode of Bravo's Flipping Out where a guy got fired for checking his Facebook page 150 times in three hours. I don't need that kind of distraction right now. But I may just cave to the peer pressure. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: I caved and joined Facebook.

In Memorian: Paul Newman

2008-09-28T09:24:00.007-04:00

The news story rivaling the economy and the presidential race this weekend is the death of beloved Hollywood acting legend, Paul Newman. But Newman was exemplary in other roles in his life as well. As a husband his 50 year marriage to actress Joanne Woodward was proof positive that indeed a happy marriage could exist in Hollywood. As a father he shielded his 3 daughters from the spotlight choosing to raise his family in quiet Westport, Connecticut. As a philanthropist he established the Hole in the Wall camps for terminally ill children and of course the famous Newman's Own food products to fund the camps and various other charitable causes.

Newman has been described as an "actor's actor" and indeed he was. He trained at the Yale School of Drama and at the legendary Actor's Studio under Lee Strassberg along with such actors as Marlon Brando and Montgomery Cliff. We are lucky to have some of his early performances on film such as Sweet Bird of Youth and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof which serve as a snapshot to the state of the art of acting at a critical turning point in the craft as we know it. Newman went on to star in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and The Color of Money, for which he won an Oscar, among dozens of other films. He died of lung cancer at his home in Connecticut. He was 83.

City Snapshot: The Human Rights Campaign

2008-09-26T23:43:00.004-04:00

I live not far from the Human Rights Campaign Headquarters here in Washington. One of my instructors here at school told me that he was an intern many years ago for HRC back when their offices consisted of two rooms in an old building down near Eastern Market (then an unfashionable neighborhood) where space was so crowded they kept a file cabinet in the bathtub of the restroom. As you can see, they've come a long way. The HRC is one of the biggest gay rights lobbying groups in the country right now but they haven't lost some of their old grass roots ideas.

On one of my first weeks in town I passed a guy on a corner wearing a sandwich board. Yes, an old-time advertising sandwich board with the message "Human Rights Campaign Bake Sale! 1 Block. Vegan baked goods!"

At first I thought the idea was quaint. But then it also explains why they don't seem to have much power if this is one of their fundraising tactics. (Otherwise Don't Ask Don't Tell would have been repealed long ago!) And selling vegan baked goods? Yeah, ought to get the dough rolling in. (pun intended)

But I kid. I believe in the HRC and what they stand for. I haven't always been thrilled with the way they operate or some of the candidates they've endorsed in the past, but in the struggle for LGBT rights, every organization we have advocating for us is deeply needed and appreciated.

Shakespeare Master Class

2008-09-16T21:21:00.003-04:00

One of my classmates sent me this clip. Perhaps only the other Shakespeare geeks in my program will find this funny, but I thought I'd post it just to give you all a little insight into how I've been spending my days here. Enjoy.

City Snapshot: The Gayborhood

2008-09-13T18:12:00.009-04:00

My apartment in DC is only 3 and a half blocks from Dupont Circle, the big gay neighborhood down here. I'm even closer to Logan Circle which has begun eclipsing Dupont's gay reputation in recent years. The two neighborhoods are right next to each other and much like the West Village and Chelsea (or Chelsea and Hells Kitchen for that matter) once we came in and gentrified the neighborhood we priced ourselves out and had to move on to the next one.

Believe it or not, I did not choose the apartment based on the neighborhood (I didn't even know about Logan Circle at the time), I just got lucky. I have to say I really like living in a gay neighborhood again. There is a very nice sense of community here. It's a different feeling from the gay neighborhoods in New York which seem centered around gyms, bars and restaurants. Here there are still things like gay bookstores (Note Lambda Rising in the second photos) which have all but disappeared from New York. In addition to supplying specialized literature, Lambda Rising provides a brick and mortar meeting place for social and political activism. This being DC there are constant reminders of politics whether its the Human Rights Campaign gift shop or volunteers for the DNC or Greenpeace on every corner. Oh, and I never forget my earth-friendly reusable grocery bag down here. They give you the stink eye if they see you walking down the street with a plastic bag.

The photos above are a couple of boys in Dupont Circle, the stretch of Connecticut Avenue just north of the circle which includes Lambda Rising, and the fountain that graces the center of the circle. It's usually surrounded by people taking time to read a book, friends catching up or those just looking to get some sun.

My Mother's Son

2008-09-09T08:06:00.009-04:00

The exterminator is coming today. NOT that I have roaches or pest problems of any kind, but the building as a matter of routine exterminates every apartment every few months whether you need it or not to prevent any "situations". So at 7:30 this morning, I got out the vacuum cleaner and began furiously vacuuming the apartment and tidying up the areas where I know he'll be spraying. Not only that, but I have wall to wall carpeting in this apartment and found myself making neat little vacuum patterns on the carpet which I was careful not to step on. Why? So the exterminator will be impressed with my vacuuming skills I guess. What's wrong with me? Never mind the fact that the types of apartments exterminators are used to seeing are those with pest problems and therefore probably not the tidiest of domiciles. I guess I didn't want to be mistaken for one of those.

Blame it on my mother (and on her mother for that matter.) I was told from the time I was a child that you should always leave your house in "dying order". I guess this means that if you drop dead and they go to clean out your house everyone will be impressed with what a good housekeeper you were and hopefully discuss it at your funeral. When we went on vacation a major housecleaning was always called for as well. Why? So that if someone breaks in the burglars shouldn't think we're a family of pigs. Also, it's nice to come home to a clean house.

Scott laughs at me when I extend this consideration to take-out delivery boys as well. I'll tidy up just what they can see from front door. Mind you, the rest of the apartment can be a complete disaster area, but the vista from the front door should be one of well ordered domesticity. I suppose I'd be the type to clean up for the cleaning lady, too, but then I've never had one so I don't know for sure. Can anyone out there relate?

End of Week 1

2008-09-08T07:15:00.002-04:00

I feel compelled to write a post after my first week of grad school. I'm not sure what to write exactly because there is so much to digest. It's like a total immersion course into acting. 9 to 5 everyday, an hour for lunch and then home to do homework. So much of the course is physical, too, so it's exhausting but at the same time, exhilarating. There are 16 of us. We range in age from 23 to 57. So, thank god, I'm not the oldest one in the class! In fact most are around my age. I have my first paper due Friday, which I wrote over the weekend and my first monologue today--TODAY. I feel ready though. I apologize for the slap-dash post here, and truthfully I'm still learning how to manage this schedule so I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have to blog, but check back periodically. I might surprise you.

Misogyny Triple Play

2008-09-02T08:04:00.003-04:00

Following the landfall of Hurricane Gustav mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, who was somehow re-elected after his somewhat dubious leadership through Katrina remarked that this storm was not as bad as Katrina. The storm was being described as "the mother of all storms" despite its male name. Nagin said "I wouldn't call it the mother of all storms, more like the mother-in-law or ugly sister."

There ya go! Insult every female member of the family! Congratulations on your misogynistic triple play, Ray! And he's a Democrat. Yikes.

Hyperbole

2008-09-02T07:57:00.003-04:00

Okay. Last night I heard a promo on television describing the return of a new, updated version of Beverly Hills 90210 to the airwaves as "the most anticipated event of the year."

Really.

In a year with a history-making presidential election, this is the most anticipated event of the year. Yeah. Well, maybe for people who watch the CW it is.

City Snapshot: The National Gallery of Art

2008-08-30T14:18:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite museums in Washington is the National Gallery of Art. I spent the morning there taking advantage of one of my last days of freedom before school starts on Tuesday and my life is taken over by my rigorous class schedule. I even took a tour, a kind of introduction to the Gallery examining the trends in Western Art from medieval religious art to the 19th Century. Mostly stuff I already knew, but it's always fun to hear what the guides have to say. I treated myself to a hot dog and a mocha frappucino on the mall before heading home all the while wishing Scott were here to share the day. I miss him.

Sufferin' Til Suffrage

2008-08-27T12:11:00.003-04:00

Much was made of Hillary Clinton's speech last night at the Democratic National Convention: "Will she be sincere? Will she fully support Obama? Can she motivate her supporters to get behind Barack?" All day long ad nauseum that's all you heard from any of the media outlets. Well, good ol' Hillary hit it out of the ballpark with her speech last night. As you know, I've been an Obama supporter for a long time now, but I have to say I don't think I've ever been more proud of my Senator from New York than last night. And as for any Hillary supporter thinking of voting for McCain over Obama, could she have put it more plainly than "No way, no how, NO McCAIN!" Amen sister.

Also, it was no accident that Hillary's speech coincided with the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. I couldn't help but sing this song all day yesterday as well. I credit School House Rock for teaching me and a generation of kids in the '70s about the plight of Women's Suffrage. Watch it again and really listen to the lyrics. As an adult I'm struck once again by how clever they are. Enjoy.

City Snapshot: No Pissing!

2008-08-26T10:32:00.005-04:00

Always considerate, Scott sent me this photo in case I was homesick for New York. He has the distinct pleasure of walking past this "No pissing or Sh*tting--People Live Here!" sign (complete with graphic for the illiterate and non-English speaking) in the little alley known as Jersey Street between Crosby and LaFayette Streets on his way to work in "trendy" Tribeca--or is it the Lower East Side? I try not to go down there.

Hey, Old Friend

2008-08-25T22:02:00.003-04:00

This weekend in Washington was the Gay and Lesbian Journalist Convention. It just so happens I had two old friends attending, Joe, of Joe.My.God fame and Dave, author and cartoonist of A Couple of Guys. I've known both of them for years. Dave I met by chance on tour almost 10 years ago and it was just one of those friendships that has lasted and lasted. He's one of those rare friends you might not talk to for months but whenever you do you pick up right where you left off. And I've not talked about it much here, but ol' Joe.My.God and I go way back as well. I have the distinct pleasure of being one of the first friends he met in New York after his move from San Francisco. We had chatted online before but never met. My boyfriend at the time, Jimmy, and I planned to meet Joe at the Dugout on a Sunday night for beer blast one night back in 2000. Joe was sitting quietly off in a corner nervously scanning the room for us. He seemed shy first, but it wasn't long before the ice was broken and a long friendship has endured. Knowing him now of course it seems hard to believe that he was ever shy before.

It had been a while since I'd seen Joe or Dave. At least with Dave we have the excuse of living in different cities. I have no excuse for not seeing Joe though except that New York can be such a complicated place to stay in touch with people. Everyone's always so busy (and then Joe had to go and move to the Upper East Side!) Ironic that we both happened to be in Washington to catch up with each other. The thing with both of these guys is that whenever I see either of them we just laugh and laugh! After a week in a new city, as much as I love it here so far, it felt great to see some familiar faces, have some fun and a few laughs.

Victor Hugo Cut My Hair

2008-08-21T16:51:00.006-04:00

Longtime readers know of my affinity for barber shops. With all the preparation for my move I scarcely had time for a haircut before I left New York, so I found myself in need of a barber here in DC. I did a google search which yielded some results in the North West district. One was on my way down to the post office which I also had to visit, so I decided to check it out. It was in the downtown area and clearly the kind of shop frequented by white collar office workers on their lunch hours, with a large photo of January 20, 1989 on the wall commemorating the inauguration day of George I along side a magazine stand stocked with Car & Driver, Playboy and Hustler.

All three barbers were over 50, two were white and one was Latino. One white guy I never heard speak, but the other had what sounded like an Eastern European accent. The barber who worked on me was the Latino sporting a thick black pompadour, a Tony Orlando mustache and had the unlikely name of Victor Hugo. I noticed this from the stack of business cards he kept on his counter. Old Victor did a nice job including a shave with hot foam and a straight razor on my neck. When it was over I picked his business card and asked "Is this you? Victor Hugo?" He said yes to which I could not resist adding "I'm a big fan of your writing." He smiled a painful smile, nodded his head and rolled his eyes a bit and simply said "Thank you, sir." I immediately regretted my unoriginal quip adding "I'm sure you hear that all the time."

Anyway, I don't think I'll be back to that particular shop--the cut cost me $27! In New York I only pay $15. For $30 I can go to one of the salons off Dupont Circle and at least be with "my peeps" as they say. I guess I have some time to figure it out.

I See (Important) Dead People

2008-08-19T18:21:00.004-04:00

Well, it's day two in Washington for me. My first day on my own (Scott left yesterday to go back to New York). My new apartment gets bathed in the morning light as it faces east. I was up 7:30 to finish unpacking and to discover more of the Logan/Dupont Circle neighborhood that I am lucky enough to call home for the next year. On my way out the door this morning I experienced Washington DC high security first hand. I was stopped by a motorcade of dozens of policemen and a fleet of limousines, bringing traffic to a standstill in all directions and causing detours. I wondered what all the fuss was about. I noticed a limo with those little flags on either side of the hood coming down the street. I remember President Ford used to ride in one of those--does the president still use that kind of limo? More likely a gas-guzzling SUV with this president. But just in case it was the president I thought about nonchalantly scratching my nose with my middle finger as it passed then thought better of it--what with all the police about. I was afraid the title of my next post would read: Manhattan Chowder Arrested for Rude Gesture.

But wasn't the president at all. Following the long line of limos was a hurse. All this for a dead person. I couldn't remember hearing of anyone in the news dying important enough to warrant all this. So, I did a google search and the best I could come up with was this: Funeral held for Bud Doggett, influential business leader. Influential indeed. But I never heard of him. Exactly two hours later I watched from my window the same motorcade traveling in the opposite direction. By time I started counting there were 50 motorcycle police. FIFTY. Sheesh. It made me wonder who was minding the city. Talk about the perfect time to rob a bank.

The Leopard Chair

2008-08-13T18:39:00.006-04:00

Last night I signed a lease to turn over my apartment, the home I own, lovingly decorated and agonized over, the subject of endless furniture placement floorplans and sketch renderings of a mythical walk in closet I swear I'm going to build someday, to a complete stranger. Now, it's been many years since I've been in the rental market in New York, but back in the day it was notoriously cut-throat. I remember waiting at a newstand in the wee hours of a Wednesday morning to get the latest edition of the Village Voice and a jump on that week's rental listings. Then one had to pay finders fees and deal with bloodthirsty brokers who charged fees to the tune of 20% of the first year's rent that the renter, not the landlord, pays. I vowed back then if I was ever a landlord I would not support the racket that is the New York rental market.

The Internet and more and more buildings being converted to co-ops or condos thereby creating more individual owners, not to mention the building boom of the last decade that seems to produce sky-scrapers full of luxury rentals on a weekly basis along the west side, has eased the market a bit. Those no-fee apartments once almost unheard of have given way to new buildings with the phone number of their rental office posted outside on a 4 story banner. Craigslist has replaced the Village Voice for the best apartment deals in the city. It's free for no-fee apartments and apartment rentals by owner to post an ad. So, that's what I planned to do: post an ad on Craigslist. Easy, right? I'll have an open house and have this place rented in an 2 hours, maybe three

I made some calls to my building manager who instructed me to get x, y, and z financial and legal information from an potential tenant and of course a credit check should be done. I spoke to my boss, a smart, well-to-do, old-time New York "dame" who has been the owner of a couple of rental apartments over the years. I told her my plan to use Craigslist. "Are you crazy? Do you want every lunatic in New York parading through your apartment? Turn it over to a broker--it's what they do. You tell them exactly who you want in there and they'll find them. And it's free for you! You have enough to do before you go away." She had a point.

So, I gave in. I broke the promise I made to that idealistic out-of-work 23-year old actor so many years ago and called a broker. Thank god I called the broker I did though, because I was immediately reminded of why I never wanted to use them in first place. The aggressive tactics and fast talking. It was as if I could feel a claw like hand reaching through the phone ready to snatch up my listing. Before I even had a chance to ask anything, she knew the address and all my contact information. Finally I took control of the conversation saying I wasn't sure when the apartment would be ready to show, but I would let her know. I hung up and immediately started writing my Craigslist ad.

The ad produced a couple dozen email responses all expressing interest in the open house. I spruced the place up getting it ready and I must say, it looked fabulous. But in the end, only a handful of people showed up, including the perfect candidate. He gave me a scare over the weekend, almost backing out of the deal, but finally showed up to see the place one last time, checks in hand, ready to sign the lease. While he did one final walk through, I gave him ideas on how to increase storage space and we discussed furniture placement. But when he agonized over just where to place his leopard chair, I knew the place would be well taken care of and in good hands. I will be able to rest easy in Washington.

Happy Birthday, Julia!

2008-08-06T23:19:00.004-04:00

Indulge a doting uncle as he wishes his goddaughter Happy Birthday. Has a year past already since this beauty came into the world? Hard to believe.

Shakespeare on a Train

2008-08-06T10:59:00.003-04:00

Long time readers know all about my quest for graduate school and my MFA in acting. Earlier this year I decided to attend a program in Washington, DC which focuses on classical acting in particular. Last month I went down to DC once again, this time to see the student productions and to find an apartment.

One of the shows the students were doing was Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. It's one of the canon that I was not that familiar with so I decided to pick up a paperback version for $5.50 to read on the train on the way down. Even though it's considered one of the comedies, there are some very moving scenes in the play. As I came to one of those sections I was moved to tears. I actually cried. Real tears. Reading Shakespeare. On the train.

I stopped reading for a moment and that's when my tears turned into those of joy with the realization that yes, indeed, I've made the right decision. If I can be moved to tears reading Shakespeare on a train, then I must be headed in the right direction. This must be my passion.

The productions were beautifully acted and I look forward learning what those students have learned. And I found an apartment--what will be my new home for the next year. My last day of work was August 1, and since then I have been busy packing up my life and my apartment here in New York in preparation for this new adventure. I move to DC on August 17, so until then the posts will be light as they have been all Summer. Be patient. And thanks for reading.

Vote Gay!

2008-07-29T23:56:00.009-04:00

Regular readers of my blog are familiar with my copious critiques of the American Idol contestants. And, I admit, I get into reality television. But with one qualifier--it has to a creative competition in which contestants are judged on their merits. I do not enjoy those ridiculous shows that demean women by having them compete like cows at a county fair for the alleged love of some well-to-do bachelor (or some has-been rap star--good heavens) which we are all supposed to believe ends in a fairy tale marriage, or those shows where the object of the game is to be as back-stabbing, conniving and manipulative as possible, and the person who is most successful at it wins. They are actually rewarded for this behavior. Then comes the inevitable fan outrage that the nastiest person on the show won the game. Uh--no duh.

Anyway, I try to choose my reality TV carefully. I will not get committed to that many hours of TV unless it's something that actually interests me. For example--Project Runway, yes--Shear Genius, not so much. But one of my favs is Design Star on HGTV. Designers compete to host their own design show on HGTV. One of the contestants who has made it to the final two this year is Matt Locke, pictured above. Now, I'm not encouraging you to vote for him only because he's a sexy gay bear, but also because he's a brilliant designer. Ivy league educated, Matt takes his inspiration from great architecture and innovative design. Some of the design solutions he came up with on the show clearly come from a mind that thinks outside the box. So, yes, as a designer he is deserving of the platform, but also he has charisma, knowledge and skills. AND, yes, he's gay. The point is we need more gay men on television in roles where they are respected for their talents and given a platform to display them, educate and entertain. We have so much talent in our community--surely we deserve to be more than just comic relief or resident drama queen.

It's Not Easy Being Green

2008-07-23T22:20:00.004-04:00

How will I ever save the planet if I KEEP FORGETTING TO BRING MY FREAKIN' EARTH-FRIENDLY REUSABLE GROCERY BAG TO THE STORE??? UGGHhhhhhhhhhh!

UPDATE 7/24/08: Okay, so today I FINALLY remembered to bring my green eco-bag to the Westside Market. The checker began to bag my groceries in a combination of both paper AND plastic (good heavens!) when I stopped her and said proudly "No, no--I have my own bag."

"Oh, no problem," she responded and switched the groceries to my reusable bag. Then she piped in with "I'm gonna give you some information on some specials we're having this month."

"Okay, thanks"

"All kinda organics and green products. Ya know..."

"Great, thanks."

"Some really good buys."

"Okay, I appreciate it."

So even though nothing I bought today was organic, my earth-friendly reusable grocery bag has me pegged by super-market checkers as an organic-eating, crunchy granola, tree-hugger. And I don't even wear patchouli!

Sunblock=Terrorism

2008-07-22T15:32:00.006-04:00

Ridiculous. Yankee stadium officials in their infinite wisdom have decided to ban patrons from bringing sun block into the stadium. Why? Terrorism of course! Haven't you heard of the infamous Coppertone bombers who have been terrorizing beaches from Waikiki to San Tropez? Puleeze. Sunblock is on sale inside the stadium of course for $5--an ounce!

The message here? Real Americans burn for their baseball.

Where the Boys Are

2008-07-21T10:30:00.004-04:00

I spent this weekend with Scott and some friends down in Asbury Park for Road Trip 7, the annual gay beach party in town that attracts more than the usual weekend crowd. The weather was hot as blazes, but the breeze off the ocean kept us cool on the beach. I've been to at least 3 or 4 or these Road Trip weekends in the past and this was by far the most popular and successful. It amazes me that every year this once run-down, depressed coastal town moves closer and closer to its former glory--even in this economy.

Never Discuss Politics

2008-07-15T14:43:00.007-04:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. A week has gone by without a post from me. Outside of the Countdown to Grad School To Do list which is occupying much of my time and the summer sunshine beckoning outside, all the post ideas I've had lately are political in nature and Scott always warns me not to do political posts "it polarizes people". But then he's a nice mid-western boy who doesn't like to make waves and...well...I'm not.

I had to resist the urge to write a post about my shock and disappointment over Obama aligning himself with the right on four separate issues--all in one week! I wondered who this man was that Republicans claim has "the most liberal voting record" in the Senate. That frustration resulted in a group email to my family. We're all fierce liberals (and Obama supporters) so I thought they might either try to help me understand it or empathize with my feelings. Besides, we often do this in my family--the emails have been flying back and forth since Primary season began. Anyway, a NY Times op-ed piece by Gail Collins helped me understand where Obama was coming from and at least validated my feelings of confusion and disappointment as it was the number one most emailed item of the day that day, indicating that many other people out there share my feelings.

And this week's hot topic is that stupid New Yorker magazine cover. Honestly, I get the satire, but I think it was in very poor taste and only fans the flames of the right wing lunacy. As my sister Janet stated in her family group email "What's insane is that we have to battle our own team of liberals--this is an easy win for us finally and now we have dopes on our own team causing headaches." Further illustrating the New Yorker's failed attempt at satire, my brother Peter added "If you need to explain your joke, it usually is not funny." Here, here!

Finally, the thing that really drives me nuts in the mainstream media is the time wasted on stories like the New Yorker flap or politicizing the most ridiculous things imaginable. For example, I heard a story on the news the other day hypothesizing who animals would vote for in the presidential election if they could. Supposedly they would vote for McCain because he owns a whole gaggle of pets while Obama owns none. So guess what I got today? An email from an animal-loving friend requesting that I sign an online petition to urge Senator Obama to adopt a homeless dog. (Hi, Traci!) Frankly, I think Obama would make a lousy pet owner considering his grueling campaign schedule and what will hopefully be a grueling presidential schedule but I'm sure his girls would love it. Anyway, I signed the petition because I love Traci.

I can't wait for this election to be over!

Mr. Heumer: A Lesson in Pride

2008-07-08T17:00:00.005-04:00

I mentioned a couple posts back that I was introduced to George Carlin's brilliant brand of comedy by one of my seventh grade teachers, Mr. Heumer and promised to write more about him. I had hoped to have this posted by Pride weekend, but what with my grad school preparations blogging has been on the back burner lately. Anyway, here it is.

Seventh grade is horrendous. I don’t care who you are or where you’re from, chances are seventh grade was the worst year of your life. It certainly was for me. But if you were very lucky, as I was, you had a Mr. Heumer to see you through it. Mr. Heumer was my seventh grade social studies teacher. True to his surname, he was good-natured and warm. Yet Mr. Heumer was considered an oddball for many reasons including a gnome-like appearance, a gimpy gate and perhaps most significant, rumors that he was gay.

If he was gay, and I’m pretty sure he was, in the greater scheme of gay culture he would have belonged to the bear set. He was short and stocky, with auburn hair and beard sans moustache trimmed into that Abraham Lincoln/Amish look. He walked with an limp due to a deformity in one of his legs which required him to wear an orthopedic platform shoe and drew attention to his stocky figure as he jockeyed to navigate the hallways daily through a sea of seventh graders. He had the worst sense of style of not only any gay man I ever knew but any other teacher at the junior high school–including the math teachers! He wore the same thing almost every day: blue, black or brown polyester pants and a navy blue Columbia Wrestling short sleeve crew neck pullover. On dress up days he wore a salmon colored polyester leisure suit circa 1974 in 1981. This was an item of particular ridicule from heartless seventh graders he taught--Gay Mr. Heumer and his pink suit. “It’s not pink, it’s SALMON!” he would insist.

Like his unkempt appearance, Mr. Heumer’s classroom also lacked the queer eye. His desk was cluttered with newspapers and paperbacks. There were none of the brightly colored bulletin boards, art posters or maps like in the other classrooms. His one attempt to dress up the place was a copy of the US Constitution on the otherwise bare cinder block wall in the back of the room. But none of that mattered, for Mr. Heumer believed that real learning happened in life--not in classrooms. For example, much of what they taught in seventh grade social studies back then was American Civics. So rather than read the chapter on the role of small business in the American economy, he had each of his classes create a small business. We had to choose a product to make and sell, were responsible for the manufacturing costs, the bookkeeping, manned the manufacturing or sales divisions, etc. We sold our products (usually holiday themed crafts as the lesson fell around November) in competition with the other classes and at the end of the term the class, or business, with the highest profits won the competition of free enterprise, such as it was in seventh grade.

The year I was in seventh grade, two small bits of theater history took place: The Fantastics, the longest running musical in history at the time, was slated to close after almost 20 years. And Rex Harrison would be returning to Broadway in his last revival of My Fair Lady. Not one to be tethered to the classroom, Mr. Heumer wanted to make sure that his seventh grade students did not miss the opportunity to see The Fantastics and Rex Harrison before they both disappeared forever. Tickets were booked for both shows. But rather than simply pile on a bus and head into the city to see the shows, weeks of preparatory work ensued. Including listening to the original cast recordings of the shows, reading the Greek myths of Pyramis & Thisbe as well as Pygmalion, the stories the shows are based on. And finally learning all about the origins of both shows, their context and significance in American culture and theater history–all in terms a seventh grader could understand.

But as I mentioned, it wasn’t all Broadway musicals and Christmas crafts in seventh grade. In seventh grade all the elementary schools in town were mixed together in the cesspool of Junior High. No one's social status was safe and everyone started from square one. It was the basest kind of survival-of-the-fittest social warfare I’ve ever seen. And I was one of its most serious casualties. It all began around the cafeteria table or maybe in gym class, some of the other boys were discussing which of the girls in our class was prettiest and by “prettiest” they meant which one’s boobs were most developed. The consensus was that one particular girl–let’s call her Jeanine--was the “prettiest”. This Jeanine had expressed some sort of crush on me in particular, and so I was asked my opinion on the matter. Well, I told them that no, in fact, I didn’t think Jeanine was all that pretty and, frankly, she dressed a little slutty for my taste.

Well.

You would have thought I published a cartoon of Allah in a Muslim newspaper. The fervor, the outrage, the threats of physical violence to me all in the name of Jeanine’s honor seemed akin to something that would start a holy war. As word spread it got uglier and uglier. But this was more than just schoolyard taunts, it took on a kind of mob mentality vengeance so that kids I never saw before were tracking me down in the hallway threatening to beat the crap out of me. Their faces were sharp and angry, their threats and voices seemed to come from a place that was dark and hate-filled. It became increasingly clear what the overall tone of these attacks were. After all, what kind of seventh grade boy objects to any girl with big boobs dressing too slutty? A fag. That’s what kind.

My introduction to homophobia was played out on the cruel stage of the seventh grade social hierarchy. It became so disruptive that I could barely get to class on time and it even continued during class interfering with lessons. After a few days of this my teachers began to fear for my safety. A meeting was held and I was assigned to all different classes but with the same teachers. The day that decision was made each of my teachers took time to talk to me after class about what had happened. They were all very kind and supportive. But mostly I remember they seemed shocked in their empty classrooms at the end of the day that a kid like me, who was nice and well behaved and worked hard, could become the object of such scorn and hatred so quickly.

But when I went to talk to Mr. Heumer there was a different feeling all together. He didn't seem shocked. Instead, there was a weariness there mixed with anger. He had thought about what he was going to say and it seemed important. What he said came from a place of one who had been battle worn with name-calling and ridicule his whole life. I sat down and he chose one of the student desks across from me. "You have done nothing to deserve this," he assured me. “And don’t ever let anyone think they have a right to treat you this way.” He took care with his words and continued, “Who you are is your own business and no one else’s. If anyone gives you a hard time about this, you come talk to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” He paused again debating just how much to reveal. “Listen,” he said "I know what they say about me. I've heard it for years. But let me tell you something, they don’t know the first thing about me. I know the truth about me and I have nothing to prove to any of these people.” He stopped a third time and added “Sleeping with a woman doesn’t make you a man.” This last part came as a shock to me. I had never heard any teacher talk that way. And as I left the room I remember replaying that last line over and over again in my head. To this day I still remember it. It was perhaps the most valuable lesson Mr. Heumer ever taught me.

Greetings From Asbury Park

2008-07-06T15:48:00.003-04:00

I spent my Fourth of July with family down in Asbury Park, NJ. Just for you, here is some video of the fireworks as seen one of the Jersey Shore's most iconic boardwalks. Enjoy

Subway Series?

2008-06-27T18:39:00.005-04:00

Both the New York Mets and Yankees are getting new stadiums next year. As a final nod to both the House that Ruth built and Shea Stadium, the home of the Mets since their beginning as an upstart team in 1962, the teams have agreed to play one last subway series in both stadiums--only they don't travel by subway. They travel by luxury bus with a police escort.

Today's double header started at Yankee's Stadium and lasted a blistering four hours ending at 6 PM. The second game at Shae is scheduled for 7:30 leaving only an hour and a half for the players to change, travel, change again and start the game. Their police escorted buses will shut down traffic on the Major Deegan at the height of rush hour crippling the Friday night commute home for thousands of New Yorkers. Yay, team.

However, to the delight of my family, especially my brother Peter and sister Lisa who were at this afternoon's game, the Mets won a whopping 15 to 6--more runs than any team has scored against the Yankees all year.

In Memoriam: George Carlin

2008-06-24T23:10:00.004-04:00

Well, this one caught me by surprise. Beloved comedian George Carlin died this week. I'm late in reporting it because of the whirlwind past few days I've had plus a big event at work. But more on all that later. George Carlin was a groundbreaking comedian among the counter culture voices of the '60 and has been influencing young comedians ever since. His ability to question convention and mores of the day while making it side-splittingly funny indeed helped spread the causes of his generation through the voice of humor. This is the mark of a true satyirst, on a par with Oscar Wilde or Will Rogers.

I was first introduced to George Carlin by Mr. Heumer, my 7th grade social studies teacher. More on him later, too. Mr. Heumer's curriculum included all parts of social history including music, art and even humor. He brought in a recording of George Carlin's famous Baseball/Football comparison. As was quoted in his New York Times obituary:

"Baseball is a 19th-century pastoral game,” he said. “Football is a
20th-centurytechnological struggle. Baseball is played on a diamond, in a park.
The baseballpark! Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium sometimes
called SoldierField or War Memorial Stadium.”

Way back in 7th grade George Carlin spoke to me. Anyone who would dare poke fun of two of America's most beloved and most macho institutions and make them seem completely ridiculous was my kind of guy. George Carlin was 71

Subway Connections

2008-06-18T18:36:00.008-04:00

New Yorkers have a reputation for being unfriendly. And it's true, we don't have much patience for small talk in line at the grocery or on the train. But one thing we will go out of our way to do is insure that those who need accurate directions some where get them. We are very proud of our city and if we can help you find your way around it easier we are all too happy to do so.

This phenomenon is especially true on the subway. The system can be daunting with its different colored lines, uptown, downtown, Queens bound, Bronx bound, express, local and all manner of other terms completely foreign to tourists. I have witnessed (and even played a role in) a simple question from a tourist that will inspire a debate between three New Yorkers on which is the best route to take to said destination. We make sure they get off at the correct stop wish them well and shout the rest of the directions as they exit the train. "Remember, you want the number 1 train. Don't get on the 2 or you'll end up in Brooklyn!" On the way home today, I once again witnessed what great pains New Yorkers will go to to make sure someone has the correct information.

A freshly scrubbed young man in a dress shirt and tie asked a middle aged Latino woman on the B train as it was stopped at the 59th Street station if that train went to Times Square. Perhaps because of her limited grasp of English she gave the boy a vague smile and seemed to indicate that he should try the uptown A train across the platform. Before anyone could correct her the doors closed in the boy's face. This prompted a barrage of rapid fire Spanish from the woman's three companions that I imagine translated to something like "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU, YOU KNOW THAT TRAIN DOESN'T GO TO TIMES SQUARE, NOW THAT KID WILL END UP IN THE BRONX OR HARLEM OR WHO KNOWS WHERE AND PROBABLY NEVER SEE HIS FAMILY AGAIN, AY DIOS MIO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!"

Following this all three women started banging on the windows of the train to try and get the young man's attention. With a combination of sign language, Spanish and English all three indicated that the boy should go upstairs and across to the downtown platform. The kid was oblivious. Unsure, he hesitated before stepping on the uptown A train which was just about to leave the station. From there he seemed to wander in search of someone else who might give him the right directions. I have no doubt he found them.

In Memoriam: Cyd Charisse

2008-06-17T18:39:00.004-04:00

Today the Hollywood firmament lost one of the last great stars from the Golden Age of movie musicals, Cyd Charisse. She studied under Najinkska in the '30s and danced with the Ballet Rousse till the outbreak of the War. From there she came to the attention of MGM studios where she was given specialty ballet numbers until it became apparent that Charisse's star quality deserved more than an occasional number here and there. Soon she became the partner of choice of both of Hollywood's greatest dancing men, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. She is best known for her work in The Band Wagon, Singing in the Rain, Silk Stockings, It's Always Fair Weather, Brigadoon and others.

I first became aware of Cyd Charisse when I developed an unnatural affinity for Fred Astaire movies as a child. Even late in her career Charisse graced Broadway with an appearance in Grand Hotel in the '90s to the delight of her die-hard fans. The show quite famously capitalized on her popularity with one of those man-on-the-street commercials where an elderly lady hilariously proclaimed in a thick New York accent "I LOVE huh! I LOVE huh!" And so did I. Cyd Charisse was 86.

Just in case you need a reminder of her brilliance as a dancer, check out the clip from the Broadway Melody sequence from Singing in the Rain with Gene Kelly.

City Snapshot: Cowgirl Hall of Fame

2008-06-16T21:24:00.009-04:00

The popular West Village eatery Cowgirl Hall of Fame has been a fixture in the West Village at least as long as I have lived in New York. The food is good old fashioned white trash fare from the delicious chicken fried chicken to Frito pie. The place is full of kitschy western memorabilia, vintage photos of actual cowgirls plus a few of fake ones, as well as western themed paint by numbers paintings. Capitalizing on both Gay Pride month and Tony Award season, the Cowgirl Hall of Fame has decked its windows out for June in old style Playbill covers of classic Broadway Musicals with a gay twist. Below are Tranny Get Your Gun, Oklahomo, Peter Pansy and Gays and Dolls.

Despite it being perhaps one of the gayest restaurants in the village with a decidedly in-your-face gay attitude, Cowgirl attracts tons of families with kids. Scott and I stopped in to have dinner here tonight and there were no less than a dozen children under 10 with their families. (I counted.) Their website includes a section for children's parties and among Cowgirl's most prized possessions is a thank you note to the staff from then First Lady Hillary Clinton for hosting one of Chelsea's birthday parties.

Annual Pride Challenge

2008-06-12T22:50:00.004-04:00

Every year Kelly Stern of Rambling Along in Life with a Stern Point of View poses his annual Pride Challenge during the month of June. He posts an image of Gay Pride and challenges as many other bloggers as possible to post it on their blogs. The viral spreading of the image across the internet is a symbol of solidarity among gay bloggers (and some straight ones, too.) This year's image was taken by Kelly himself of the Pride flag he and his partner display outside their Virginia home. Pretty cool, isn't it?

This year Kelly has asked bloggers to include their coming out story with the picture. I don't have any earth shattering coming out story though. Majoring in theatre in college made it easy to be gay right from the onset of my adult life. I finally came out to my parents after graduation when I moved back home though. I had a wonderful relationship with my parents and I hated lying about who I was to them. To me coming out meant not lying to people I love. And I knew my parents being who they are would never stop loving me for it. I know I am truly blessed for this. There are way too many gay men and women who cannot say the same thing.

Visit Kelly's blog for a list of other bloggers participating in the Pride challenge and, as always, lots of hunky pictures of Kelly frolicking shirtless in his hot tub. Happy Pride, everyone!

Aberscrawny & Fitch

2008-06-11T16:14:00.013-04:00

While running some office errands today I experienced one of those priceless New York moments where the absurdly chic meets blue-collar reality. I was at the corner 56 and 5th Avenue waiting for a light to change when I found myself in front of the Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store. A tall, gangly 20 year old boy with jeans slung low around his hips stood shirtless in the doorway feeling very good about himself while dance music spilled out the doors of the store into the middle of the 5th Avenue workday afternoon. Our scrawny hero flirted with a female employee whose job apparently it was to writhe to the beat of the dance music occasionally rubbing her body against the shirtless boy. Two other boys (with shirts) stood guard at either side of the doorway completing the posse while one of them groped another female employee as she passed by.

I couldn't help wondering how much these kids were getting paid for this gig. The whole thing just smacked of desperate corporate promotion of an ideal that only exists in the pages of a catalog. It felt contrived and ridiculous. As ridiculous as Abercrombie's youth-obsessed current branding founder, Michael S. Jeffries, a 60 year old man who dyes his hair beach boy blond and wears shorts or torn jeans with flip flops to work no matter what the weather. In Ohio.

As I stood there trying to figure out who's buying this non-sense anymore, an MTA bus pulled up at the light in front of me. The swarthy driver looked toward the Abercrombie doorway with disgust and honked the horn a couple times. He opened the door of the bus and said to me "Tell that dude he's got no guns!" With that the driver pulled back the short sleeve of his uniform shirt, flexed a thick beefy bicep and flashed me a smile. Somewhat taken aback by the brawny display I failed to relay the message to the shirtless boy that "Hey, the bus driver is hotter than you!" though I wish I had. Given the choice, I definitely would have gone with the bus driver. Take that, Aberscrawny.

The RFK Bridge

2008-06-05T12:17:00.003-04:00

It was decided today that the Triborough Bridge will be renamed for Robert F. Kennedy to coincide with the 40th anniversary of his assassination. RFK was running for president and a New York senator at the time.

The question remains whether anyone will actually call it the RFK Bridge, however. The West Side Highway was renamed in honor of Joe DiMaggio after his death a few years ago, but I have never, ever heard anyone call it that. There is but one sign that I can think of that actually bears the new name. If you ask me, it's the people who do the traffic reports who hold the power here. If they start calling it by the new name, so will everyone else.

Yes, We Can!

2008-06-05T00:15:00.002-04:00

The nominee.

The Tulips on Park

2008-06-03T19:48:00.005-04:00

Ken was particular. If and when he got sick, he was going to Lenox Hill hospital or nowhere. Having had many bouts of AIDS related hospitalizations, he was done with the likes of St. Vincent's, the crazy cast of characters that populated the emergency room and the burn-out of an over-burdened AIDS ward. Located in the heart of the ritzy Upper East Side at 77th and Park, Lenox Hill was a world apart and a different experience all together. Not that any of this mattered. In 1999 Ken was the picture of health. A former Fosse dancer, at 49 he was still turning heads at the bars. Never mind that he couldn't tolerate any of the new meds that had begun saving lives by the dozens back then. He was strong as an ox and he looked great.

But the day after his 50th birthday Ken went into Lenox Hill with a persistent pain in his right side. Tests had been run but his doctor couldn't figure out anything. "It's probably gall bladder," I said. "It's often hard to diagnose." Sure enough, his gall bladder was inflamed and surgery was scheduled. I had mine out a couple of years before and knew there was nothing to it. "Julie Andrews just had hers out and she was back in Victor/Victoria in 5 days." I assured Ken, "this is nothing.". He had a beautiful corner room to himself overlooking the tulip beds that grace the islands in the center of Park Avenue, a yearly sign to winter-weary New Yorkers that indeed Spring has finally arrived. They were yellow. I pointed all of this out with perky optimism on my first visit to see him at Lenox Hill but I could tell Ken had started to give up.

What was supposed to be routine surgery revealed lesions covering his liver and gall bladder. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Ken started to drift away a little bit every day after that. He was on heavy pain medication and his moments of lucidity were fewer and fewer. I would pipe in with whatever conversation I could during those precious moments hoping somehow it would will him back to life. But then his eyes would go blank again, his mind confused with pain and disease. My eyes would drift out to the tulips which seemed to grow brighter and stronger as Ken became weaker and weaker. It was a matter of days before he was in that precarious situation of which would kill him faster, the disease or the treatment. With my encouragement, he opted for treatment which landed him in ICU. He died there as I held his hand. It was almost 1 AM on a Saturday night. I left the hospital and just walked and walked for blocks counting the beds of tulips along the way. I hit 13 before I hailed a cab and went home.

I was reminded of all this because I had to go by Lenox Hill for a back x-ray today. I stopped to look up at that second floor corner room for a few minutes and wondered who was in there now. The earth on the island in front of that window is freshly tilled ready for a new planting, the tulips being finished for the season. My mother or someone more religious than I would surely find symbolic meaning for Ken’s death in the new life of a tulip born of a dormant bulb. But to me, the tulips on Park Avenue just make me sad.

And...we're back!

2008-06-01T21:12:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm back. Which is kind of a play on words because the source of most of my misery this week has been my back. My achin' back to be more precise. Is there anything worse? And don't say childbirth. Tooth pain is pretty bad, too. Dry sockets following four wisdom tooth extractions--not pretty. Been there. Thank you all to those who left such lovely get-well wishes. Anywho...because there's so much to catch up on I guess I this is going to be one of those random thoughts posts. Let's see, where to begin?

Friday brought another crane collapse here in Manhattan. Perhaps this will mean a much needed slowdown to the building boom that is seemingly out of control in this city. It has me and many other New Yorkers walking alternate routes just to avoid construction sites these days. On top of that the grave atmosphere has put a damper on things at work since I work in the construction industry. You didn't know that, did you? Yup, it's true. Pretty butch, right? Impressed? Well--don't be. It's not actual construction work.

Just to dash any butch images you might have of me, I was among the first of my friends to see the Sex and the City movie! I just popped some pain killers and propped myself up at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas to enjoy the show. Yes--if you can, you must see it in the gayest movie theatre in town. I enjoyed it and was never a regular viewer of the show.

Random non sequitur: Do you remember the name of the construction worker in the Village People? I do. David Hodo. He was my favorite. (Pictured left)

I would be remiss not to mention the passing of two show business greats: Harvey Korman and Sydney Pollack. Korman is best known for his brilliant comedic work on the Carol Burnett Show. Not only did he create hilarious characters like Max to Burnett's Nora Desmond, Ed, opposite Burnett's iconic Eunice in the Family skits and perhaps my favorite, Mother Marcus, a drag character based on Korman's real-life Yiddish grandmother.

Sydney Pollack was of course a much accomplished actor and an Academy Award winning director. Gay audiences will always remember him as Will Truman's philandering, but understanding, totally-cool-with-his-son's-homosexuality father on Will and Grace--the super PC Dad so many gay men probably wished they had.

Under the Weather

2008-05-28T22:46:00.001-04:00

Sorry for my lack of blogging lately. I've been sick the last few days and haven't felt much like posting anything. Be patient. I'll be back. Promise.

Idol Chat 2008: The Finale

2008-05-21T10:27:00.004-04:00

At last it's down to the final two! In an attempt I guess to freshen things up with the show, producers imposed a stupid boxing analogy onto the competition. I found it tiresome and really not appropriate. You can't judge singers that way. Anyway, that said, even before I get into the critical analysis of the performances, the night had a clear winner: David Archuletta. But unfortunately, I had late social plans last night and didn't get to watch the show until around 11 PM. By then I was too tired to write my critiques and this morning is just too busy at work to get away with writing a blog post, so it will have to wait till later today. Sorry. Stay tuned

UPDATE: Okay, now on to the critiques.

David Archuletta: "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" A perfect choice for David. His vocals, as usual, were spot on and for the first time I felt he really owned the stage. His confidence level seemed better than ever and he gave one of the most exciting performances of the competition. Excellent.

"In this Moment" The song was a little syrupy, but because David sings from such a pure, honest place he can get away with it. He was smart to choose a song that sat right in the meat of his voice and had a soaring vocal line. Very good.

"Imagine" The first time I heard he was going to sing this song I thought "Oh, no--it's a beautiful song with a beautiful sentiment, but it's not a showstopper" Plus there are the inevitable John Lennon comparisons. But, like the first time, he completely ran with this song. The vocals were beautiful, and again, the sentiment is one that clearly resonates with him. He was able to give in his vocals what the song lacks which is an almost plaintive cry of desperation to find this perfect world he is singing about. This was gorgeous and clearly David A was in it to win it this week.

David Cook: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" Excellent song choice for David, but I can't help feeling that the raspy quality to his voice isn't a bit put-on. There is a disingenuousness about him. He managed to pump up his physical performance a bit by taking the stage, but still it didn't blow me away, although it was good.

"Dream Big" An unfortunate song choice. David had to fight to hold my attention with this one. Not a great song and a so-so performance.

"The World I Know" By this point in the competition, David seemed completely defeated. This song choice didn't help to get him out of it. I didn't get it. I didn't know the song and didn't really care to. A lackluster performance.

Prediction: David Archuletta will be the new American Idol

UPDATE: Total upset! David Cook wins. I'm not sure how really based on those performances last night. But then, these things are decided many weeks in advance. Apparently David Archuletta started coming in second to David Cook somewhere around mid season. I think maybe Archuletta's baby face and what some saw as false modesty may have grated on people's nerves (I've heard many people say that.) And that is the only reason I can think of why David Cook would have beat out David Archuletta. Go figure.

Troubled Kids

2008-05-16T18:51:00.002-04:00

Overheard on the B train.

Three girls of color all wearing Mets jerseys.

First Girl: (to second girl, indicating third girl): No, she didn't go to school with us. She went to a special school for troubled kids.

Third Girl: Bullshit! I did not! I went to school for performing arts.

First Girl: (to second girl) Like I said, troubled kids.

Provincetown Playhouse Saved!

2008-05-16T17:18:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to report that historic Provincetown Playhouse which was slated for demolition by NYU's expansion plans will be preserved after all. As well it should be! I reported the historical significance of the playhouse in my original post about it as the birthplace of many of Eugene O'Neill's greatest works as well as the plays of Edward Albee, Edna St. Vincent Millay and has always played a prominent role in alternative American theatre.

NYU is now back peddling on their original plans saying they never planned to demolish it and that there is much "misinformation" being reported about the expansion plans which they are trying to clear up. Tell that to the New York Times. I believe they used the word "demolished" in their article on the subject.

According to NYU, they now plan to "preserve the size of the theater along with its four walls, entry way and façade." They will, however, build a structure around it which will supposedly blend with the existing architecture in the area.

The best news about this is not only is it a victory for the American theatre, but a victory for the people as well. Crains reported "Announcements of preliminary plans for the site caused such a flap late last month that playwrights, producers and actors including Blythe Danner, Mercedes Ruehl, Eric Stolz and John Leguizama signing a petition to protest the proposed changes." I like to think my mom's email helped, too!

Idol Chat 2008 (Part 10)

2008-05-13T23:02:00.004-04:00

I got home from work very late tonight, so I actually missed David Archuletta's and most of Syesha's first songs. But no matter, I don't necessarily need to see each contestant sing three songs to get the gist of how the competition is shaping up at this point. It was a pretty unspectacular night considering this was the semi-final round. As I mentioned in my last post, Entertainment Weekly seemed to sum up what amounts to Idol burn-out this year. Something is definitely lacking--proof of that is the fact that I haven't picked up the phone once this year to vote for my favorite singer.

Further contributing to my Idol fatigue, when I tuned in tonight, Randy and Simon were bickering and making the competition about them and their song choices for the singers rather than the singers themselves. The petty infighting is getting old by season 7. Also, and I can't stress this enough, I am SO SICK of Ryan Seacrest gay baiting Simon all the time! Seacrest is so paranoid of the gay rumors (or truths) circulating about him that he tries everything to deflect attention away from himself and on to others--usually Simon. He resorts to typical juvenile homophobic innuendo which is neither funny nor clever. It's just sad and smacks of desperation. Besides that, the youth of America is watching, Ryan. Please don't poison their minds with the same self-loathing that torments your own pathetically self-important little world.

In case you're wondering, I'm making reference to the fact that Simon had chosen the Roberta Flack classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for David Cook. Ryan predictably tried to attack Simon's masculinity by implying that he chose the song because he's hot for David. These kinds of comments from Ryan have been going on for a couple of seasons now. (Ever since Terri Hatch outed him on David Letterman.) And I'm over it! GLAAD or someone needs to call this guy out, I'm serious. It's really starting to ruin the show for me to have to listen to childish homophobic quips from the host of a show I have enjoyed for many years and has a HUGE gay following, especially when someone as young as David Archuletta, who could very well end up being gay, is listening in the wings. Shame on you, Ryan! Grow up and learn to play the gracious host.

Well. Now that I got that off my chest, here are my picks in order of preference based on the performances I saw:

David Cook: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was gorgeous! It was so different from anything we've seen from David before and it was impressive. This is exactly the kind of versatility and talent that American Idol is all about. However, by his second song he suffered from serious pitch problems with a song that seemed to peter out and had no ending. Besides that he seemed to be back to that same old affected, smarmy David from the beginning of the competition which seemed to follow him through his third song ("Don't Want to Miss a Thing"). Still, he's an exciting performer and has real musicianship and versatility which should place him among the final two.

Syesha Mercado: I only caught a bit of the Alicia Keyes song that Syesha performed, but it sounded great. She chose "Fever" for her second tune continuing her habit of choosing overused signature songs of other great singers. Further, "Fever" is not a song that ever shows a singer off well. It's a style piece which Syesha had plenty of in this, staging the number like something from a musical rather than a pop tune. But it wasn't the kind of vocal showpiece we want to hear at this point and I'm not sure it's what the public is looking for in their American Idol. Her third song "Come Hit Me Up" (?), although not a great tune, was fresh and modern and young, a side Syesha needs to show if she wants to go to the finals. Truth be told, she sings everything well. She is an exceptional singer with great talent and technique and seems to get better and better each week. But she may have plateaued this week--one week too soon.

David Archuletta: I've said it week after week: David has the voice of an angel. But his song choices this week were pretty bad. (I missed his first song though) It was nice to hear him sing an up-tempo song for a change ("With You") but it came off cute rather than sexy or genuine. Still, he sounded great. Finally he chose "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg which I think is the song "light" radio stations use as an example of something too corny and old-fashioned even for them. It was nice and sweet and he sang it beautifully, but David showed us nothing new this week. Who knows, maybe it was the pressure of all the bad press about his father this week, but David didn't present a performance tonight worthy of being in the final two. And I love the kid.

Who Will Go: Syesha. Despite a lackluster performance from David A, I think it will be a David and David in the finals. The love has been with these two all season.

UPDATE: Well, as predicted, Syesha goes home and it's a David/David finale. I think we all knew it would end up this way weeks ago. Still, Syesha has a lot to be proud of. She was not one of the favorites coming into the competition but she met challenge after challenge and kept growing beautifully as a performer. Her notoriety from Idol will no doubt get her lots of Broadway offers and honestly I think she'd rather be Broadway star than a pop star anyway.

Rainy Monday Random Thoughts

2008-05-12T10:02:00.008-04:00

Another drab rainy day here in New York (Friday was miserable, too). With little to inspire me on a day like this you're left to endure my random, unrelated thoughts as I sit here with my morning coffee.

Dunkin Donuts Coffee Rules: Scott and I remarked on the recent glut of Dunkin Donuts franchises popping up all over the city (giving Starbuck's and the new CapitalOne bank a run for their money). We noticed yesterday that there is a Dunkin' Donuts on the northbound side of Broadway between 96 and 97 Streets and another one on the southbound side between 95 and 96 Streets, because one shouldn't have to walk too far for a donut. I, for one, am doing my best to keep the new franchises in business at the expense of my waistline.

Idol Overload: Read an article in Entertainment Weekly about the somewhat less than exciting American Idol season this year. The show has become formulaic and predictable. We know what the judges will say before they ever open their mouths, and with sites like "vote for the worst" and "dial idol" even the public has figured out how to manipulate the voting. On top of that, the buzz this morning is that David Archuletta is suffering the effects of an overindulgent stage-father. Mr. Archuletta has been banned from the AI rehearsals and studios with the exception of the live tapings. Poor little David. But then again, maybe it will work in his favor with the voting public.

Mothers Day 2008: My sister and I hosted our traditional Mother's Day brunch/lunch down in Asbury Park. The menu included: Mixed berry yogurt with granola, a selection of cheeses and salumi, vegetable frittata, roasted asparagus wrapped with prosciutto, lamb kabobs with chick pea and cous cous salad and lemon poppy seed cake with fresh berries for desert. Someone once accused our family of being "food obsessed". Yup. We're Italian. Deal. Mom was delighted.

Schadenfreude: I admit I take secret delight in the demise of Republican politicians like Vito Fosella of Staten Island who was recently arrested for drunk driving, revealed to have a mistress in Virginia and a secret love child--what Saturday Night Live referred to the other night as "the trifecta". Not so much when it's a Democrat. Kudos to Fosella's wife, though, for not standing by his side through the embarrassing press conferences.

Superhero: Went to see the new blockbuster hit, Iron Man, on opening weekend at the Ziegfeld here in New York. All the nerds were lined up outside the theatre ahead of time. They applauded after the new Indiana Jones trailer and exclaimed with shock and delight at the surprise scene after the final credits of Iron Man. Gotta love comic book geeks. By the way, I'm as shocked as anyone that I LOVED this movie. (I'm not usually the Superhero movei type.) I highly recommend it.

In Memoriam: Alvin Colt

2008-05-09T19:21:00.005-04:00

I was saddened to read today of the death of Tony Award winning costume designer, Alvin Colt. Alvin was the original designer for such iconic Broadway hits as Guys & Dolls, On the Town, Li'l Abner and many others. At the time of his 90th birthday, Alvin figured that he had probably costumed about 90 productions including regional and off-Broadway credits. He served as mentor to costume designer Bob Mackie who said of his work "Alvin could do a costume that would walk on stage and get a laugh before the actor even opened his mouth." I can personally attest to that fact as I had the pleasure of working with Alvin some 9 or 10 years ago. When you wear a costume designed by Alvin half your work is done for you. He was a quiet, gentle-giant of a man (nearly 7 feet tall), unassuming with a devilish sense of humor and a genius imagination. Alvin worked on perennial Off-Broadway hit, Forbidden Broadway right up to his death. He was 91.

City Snapshot: PROGRESS

2008-05-08T20:03:00.003-04:00

Scott and I met for dinner in NoHo last night and on the way from the Subway I spied this bit of graffiti art. I couldn't help but think that this image on a wall covering gang tags and spray paint doodles perfectly symbolizes Obama's candidacy. The artwork is that of Shepard Fairey. To call him a graffiti artist is an understatement. With his own design agency and his work gracing album covers and movie posters alike, Shepard has found a way to turn street art into a viable commercial product. Street art is, by its essence, often political and indeed this is not Shepard's first foray into political art as he participated in an art campaign called "Be the Revolution" in 2004 which was a series of anti-Bush, anti-war posters.

You can check out more of Shepard's latest New York street art images here. Also, on his website he credits editor-in-chief of Kotori magazine, Wasim Muklashy, for perfectly putting into words his own feelings on the upcoming election. Among other things, Wasim says:

A man like (Obama) only comes around once a generation…if we’re lucky. A magnetic personality that has been able to inspire an entire new generation of voters, as well as excite children in record numbers that are not even yet of voting age about the possibilities of public service…basically, our senators, our congressmen, mayors, city council-persons, for the next 30-50 years...(snip)...We have a chance and an opportunity here that may never ever come again. An opportunity that can revolutionize this country and modern humankind as we know it. An opportunity to show the citizens of this country and the citizens of planet earth that, no matter how dark, how dismal, how fucked up things can get…there’s always…ALWAYS…hope. You just have to seize the moment…seize the opportunity… take a chance.

As you know I've been sold on this message for quite some time now. Yes, we can.

Idol Chat 2008 (Part 9)

2008-05-06T22:37:00.007-04:00

I'll admit the competition I was more interested in tonight was the primary races in Indiana and North Carolina. But I did manage to flip back and forth from CNN to Fox to catch the final four on American Idol. The contestants had to choose songs from inductees in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame which pretty much gave them carte blanche to pick any song they liked. This point of the competition is usually one of the most exciting weeks, but sadly this season it seemed to fall short. Here are my picks from best to worst tonight:

Syesha: Seems to be in it to win it this week. She is the only one really going the extra mile to show her versatility and amp up her performance level. "Proud Mary" was a bold choice, once again, comparisons to a diva were inevitable, in this case Tina Turner. Still Syesha held her own all though she is no Tina. For her second song she chose the classic "A Change is Gonna Come" which she sang like a star, showing the beautiful soulfull side of her voice. She continues to grow and grow in the competition.

David Archuletta: "Stand By Me" was an excellent song choice for David and he delivered it with his usual vocal virtuosity, but I couldn't help wishing he would kick up his physical performance a notch, too. When he chose "Love Me Tender" for his second song I thought "oh, no, another ballad" but his simple, pure, honest performance was unmatched tonight. He understands when less is more and is not afraid to be completely vulnerable on stage which makes him one of the bravest performers left in the competition. This was beautiful.

David Cook: David gave us more of the same this week, which is not necessarily a bad thing. He is an adept performer and has the rocker image nailed down. However, he seemed to perform with an over-confidence in both songs this week that seemed to indicate that he doesn't think he really has to work so hard against his competitors. But I would advise him to beware of Syesha. As I said, she's in it to win it and it's starting to show.

Jason Castro: Poor Jason is so out of his element at this point. It's just sad. (Haven't I said that for the past 3 weeks though?) In his first song, "I Shot the Sheriff" he seemed to be trying for some kind of reggae feel as if to carve a niche for himself this late in the competition. But it was too little too late and just came off desperate. You'd think he would be able to pull of "Mr. Tambourine Man", the hippie-dippy style more suited to his demeanor, but he forgot the words and phoned in the performance. It's clear he doesn't want to be here anymore.

Who Should Go: JASON! He's becoming this year's Sanjaya.

UPDATE: Jason finally leaves the show. Thank you merciful heaven!

We The People

2008-05-05T15:37:00.003-04:00

I don't know why I've been singing this lately. Maybe it's because it came up on a trivia quiz show recently, or because I just watched the entire John Adams mini-series on HBO or because our Constitution has been in such peril since Bush and his cronies took office, but thanks to School House Rock I have the entire preamble to the U.S. Constitution memorized. Indeed, these little Saturday morning cartoons have gotten me through many tests in school and won me thousands of imaginary dollars on Jeopardy while playing along at home. The tunes are catchy and facts accurate, and just try humming a few bars of any of these old songs in a room of Gen Xers and watch them all break into song with you. Which was your favorite? Enjoy the video.

And You Think the Primary Race is Ugly?

2008-05-02T11:14:00.009-04:00

I regret to report that homophobia has reared its ugly head in a New York City Council race in Queens. Just in time to submit the final candidacy petitions for the May 3 deadline, a horrific homophobic rant attacking openly gay Democratic candidate Charles Ober (pictured) was mailed out to hundreds of Queens residents from the district in which Ober is running.

Among other unoriginal ignorant remarks, the one page typed letter said, "If you do not want your kids to be exposed to this garbage, you need to make sure you vote - and not for Charlie Ober...our kids will be exposed to f-gg-ts holding hands, kissing and running up Myrtle Ave. in a dress." Not surprisingly the diatribe is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors and is, of course, anonymous. Coward.

In a refreshing move of bi-partisanship Ober's Republican opponent, Thomas Ognibene, appeared at Ober's side in a press conference to denounce the hateful stunt. I know (firsthand) this kind of attitude is out there, but it's still a little shocking to me that it even happens in modern-day New York. Call me naive.

Provincetown Playhouse in Peril

2008-04-30T21:19:00.007-04:00

Another piece of American Theatre History is being threatened by the wrecking ball. The ever-expanding NYU is planning to raze the Provincetown Playhouse on MacDougal Street. The playhouse has played host to the New York premieres of much of Eugene O'Neill's work as well as the plays of Edward Albee, Edna St. Vincent Millay and others. Andrew Berman, president of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, had this to say, "This is a world famous historic site that is critical to the development of alternative theatre in America. To demolish it is sacrilege." I agree, but then, I'm partial.

NYU says the expansion is still in the planning phase and that the theatre's demolition is not a done deal while at the same time trying to justify the demolition arguing that after the its 1940s renovation, the Playhouse's exterior bears little resemblance to the original 1918 structure. (Which is true as you can see from the photos.) They similarly rationalized away the demolition of one of Edgar Allen Poe's former residences a few years ago arguing that he didn't live there for very long. Whatever. Someone get this building landmarked and fast!

The original 1918 facade of the Provincetown Playhouse as it looked around 1936.
The exterior as it looks today.

Idol Chat 2008 (Part 8)

2008-04-30T11:17:00.004-04:00

It took a lot to muster some enthusiasm for the remaining contestants, especially after watching Carly Smithson do the post-Idol talk show circuit this week. Few of the singers left have the vocal chops Carly has and fewer still are as exciting a performer as she is. That said, I wasn't exactly thrilled to hear they were each going to sing two songs. Two Neil Diamond songs. Truth be told, I waited till the show was over and watched it on DVR fast forwarding through all the inane comments and interviews right to the performances. Here are my picks from best to worst.

David Archuletta--"Sweet Caroline" and "America" There is joy in his performances. You could tell he loved singing "Sweet Caroline" and it showed on his face and in the vocals. One note of criticism though: he riffed on the melody too soon. Rule of thumb, only riff after you've sung it straight once. We know the song, we like it, we want to hear the version we know. "America" could certainly have worked against him. It's overdone and reminds me of so much cruise ship work. That said, he took it and ran with it. His vocals were spot on and he gave it an original spin. It was an exciting performance. Very good.

Syesha--"Hello Again" and "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" Like any good student of Musical Theatre Syesha chose a ballad and an up-tempo. They both showed her off nicely. She is a beautiful singer. Unlike most of the other performers, she seems to grow every week. Also, she is not afraid to show some vulnerability and doesn't feel the need to hide behind a musical instrument. She did well with the second song, too, but I felt it was just a little bit safe. (I couldn't help imagining some one like Fantasia tearing up the stage with that song.) But even her safe performance beats the pants off some of the other singers.

David Cook. "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need is You" David had an advantage in that vocally his style is not unlike Neil Diamond's. That said, I wasn't crazy about the first song. It was fine, just okay. By the second song he was back to the David that has gotten him this far in the competition. He completely rocked it. And as is always the case when David is at his best, he found his own voice with this performance--even if that voice is a bit shouted at times.

Brooke White--"I'm a Believer" LAME. Brooke turns in another amateur performance. And if there was ever a song not to be stuck behind a guitar it's this one. A missed opportunity and her inability to recognize that shows that her instincts as a performer are poor. "I am, I said" This was the best performance Brooke has turned in in weeks. She was wise to personalize the song. She seemed vulnerable, invested. But still, her vocals are only so good.

Jason Castro--"Forever in Blue Jeans", "September Morn" This kid is so out of his element at this point in the competition it's kind of sad. He doesn't seem invested at all, indeed, he seems to be pleading with the audience to cut him from the show. Boring, milquetoast, uninspired--for both songs.

Who Should Go: Jason. Please put this kid out of his misery.

UPDATE: Finally some justice--Brooke goes home. But how, how, how does Jason make it another week without being in the bottom two??? Never underestimate the power of the tween voting bloc I guess.

Habla Inglese?

2008-04-28T19:19:00.005-04:00

Let me start this post with a disclaimer: I am not a language snob. I do not insist that people speak English whenever I am within earshot, nor do I consider anyone who speaks with an accent unable to speak English. (This is one of my pet peeves. Just because someone speaks with an accent does not mean they don't speak English!) My family are recent enough immigrants that I remember many of them speaking with an accent. When someone complains that immigrants don't learn the language fast enough, I often ask them if their own ancestors got off the boat speaking fluent English. Unless they are of English or Irish descent, this is very rarely the case. (Although, in the case of my own Italian grandmother, she did, in fact, speak fluent English before she ever came to America, having been schooled in Scotland.) But I digress...

There is one instance, however, where not speaking English really does rub me the wrong way. That is when people in public service positions (cashiers, fast food workers, etc) speak to each other in a language other than English, say, oh, i don't know....Spanish, for example. And even that is not so bad as when they speak to Spanish speaking customers in Spanish in front of me. It's not as if these workers or the customers are not perfectly bilingual, flipping easily back in to English to wait on me. It just seems rude. And, in the case of representing a national chain, not right. Does this ever happen to you? Does it bother you? Or am I turning into Lou Dobbs?

Pretty Baby

2008-04-28T11:10:00.013-04:00

Well, this didn't take long. The squeaky clean image of Disney's Miley Cyrus, a.k.a. Hannah Montana, has been tarnished, not by the Star or the Enquirer, but by Vanity Fair and all-star celebrity photographer Annie Lebovitz. This is not to say that Cyrus' "people" are without fault here. What kind of interest did they think Vanity Fair was going to take in the superstar of the 'tween set? Further, what kind of photographs did they expect Annie Lebovitz, a photographer known for her provocative style, to snap of the Disney darling?

The images, which you can see a bit of above, may appear innocuous to some but stand in stark contrast to the image Cyrus and her team have taken great pains to cultivate. They include a "nude" of Cyrus wrapped in a satin sheet and, what is perhaps an even more disturbing image, one which shows Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray, in a suggestive clinch. Whether it was the Vanity Fair/Lebovitz people who took advantage of a 15 year-old girl, or it was Cyrus' management looking to find the next demographic for her fan-base at any cost, one thing is clear: a lot of people are getting rich over the exploitation of a little girl. She did not make the decision to take these photographs herself, indeed, she is not even old enough to sign the release on these photos. A 15 year-old is simply not equipped emotionally or intellectually to handle this level of fame and scandal. Move over Lindsay, watch for this one to crash and burn.

UPDATE: In an ironic twist, it is 15 year-old Miley Cyrus herself, not Vanity Fair, Annie Lebovitz, Disney, Cyrus' management team nor her father, who is issuing an apology to her fans for the racy photos. Can you imagine allowing this kid to take the fall this by herself? Nice.

Have a Nice Day!

2008-04-25T13:54:00.006-04:00

Yesterday the NYPD revealed with much fanfare something called Operation TORCH. It is supposed to act as a deterrent for would-be terrorists and involves teams of riot police armed with automatic weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs who will be situated in various subway stations throughout the city. What a welcome sight for a sleepy morning commuter on his way to work.

The team (or teams) will be deployed to different subway stations every day. So, you may see them one day and gone the next. But I'm not sure their presence would make me feel any safer. In fact, it might make me feel less safe, as if the reason I'm seeing them is because an attack is imminent. I'm all for protecting the subway system, but there has to be a less in-your-face way to do it.

Besides that, the fact of the matter is that if someone is bound and determined to bomb the subway system they are going to do it, Operation TORCH or no. With the teams in different stations everyday, don't they think a would-be terrorist would find out where they are on the given day of a planned attack and just enter the system at another station? Then all they have to do is ride into Times Square and pull the trigger, light the fuse, pull the pin, or whatever one does to set off a bomb. I suppose I shouldn't complain about this new means of security--maybe it will deter attacks. Who knows? But I can't help seeing it as just another depressing sign of the times in which we live.

Idol Chat (Part 7)

2008-04-23T11:17:00.009-04:00

Okay, I'm sorry this is so late. I've been insanely busy at work today and I had to seriously edit down the epic rant I wrote last night on this week's episode. It essentially turned out to be a critical analysis of the entire Lloyd Weber oeuvre. Anyway, fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night. Here's the post:

Oh, the pretension! This week on American Idol the contestants were forced to sing the songs of Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber. LORD. They introduced her lordship with such fanfare on the show I fully expected him to enter wearing an ermine trimmed cape! From the very beginning of the show Ryan et al were going on and on about how this would be the toughest week ever in the history of American Idol as if they contestants were suddenly asked to perform Wagnerian song cycles or something. Yes, it was a tough week, but only because most of Weber’s music is so pedestrian it’s hard to pull of an interesting or fresh performance of it.

Oh. You might have noticed I have some strong opinions on the work of his lordship. STRONG. Not that he hasn’t created a couple of interesting, even relevant shows (Evita, Superstar), but let’s just say if you’re a fan, you might just want to stop reading now. It’s a long one anyway. I have a lot to say. A LOT.

On with the top and bottom 3—or the final 6 in this case.

Top Three
Carly Smithson. “Jesus Christ Superstar” This was a toss up for me for first place between Carly and Syesha. I gave it to Carly though because there seemed to be more at stake for her this week following a couple weeks in a row of uncharacteristic lackluster performances. But last night she came back stronger than ever--a clear standout of the evening. She can thank his Lordship for some excellent advice that got her out of her slump. ( Imagine if she had sung that other piece of drivel she chose? Good heavens!) The best benefit she got was choosing a song from a period of Weber’s work when he was writing from a place of true passion rather than commercialism. It’s an exciting song and Carly gave exciting, fresh performance. I thought she was great. GREAT.

Syesha “One Rock and Roll Too Many” Well! It seems Miss Syesha has finally found her niche. She seemed much more suited to this genre than pop. Also, she went for a decidedly musical theatre approach to the song and made no apologies for it. It was a risk in a way, but it paid off. She delivered the song with all the glamour and sass of a real Broadway star. The judges seemed to respect that and in fact rewarded her for excelling in a style of music she is clearly passionate about. Following their comments, there was a look of satisfaction and relief on Syesha's face as if to say “Oh, good. It’s okay to be me” which I found sweet and touching. Syesha had proved to be an adept singer all along, but only recently has she begun to shine.

David Archuletta “Think of Me” His lordship was astonished that a boy would choose to sing this song. Why? The lyric is pretty general and non-specific—it’s not exactly “I Enjoy Being a Girl” (Although come to think of it, David would be pretty cute in that number, too.) His lordship pretends the lyric wasn’t purposefully left vague in the hopes that this banal little ditty would get recorded to death by singers of all types making him millions of dollars. David sang the song beautifully. He actually gave it some meat. But you know how Randy is always saying this kid could sing the phone book and make it sound good? This song is pretty close. He comes in third last night because you can only put so much lipstick on a pig.

Bottom Three
David Cook “Music of the Night” An uninspired song choice. Why didn’t someone steer this kid toward Judas in Superstar? He would have kicked ass. Instead he gave a bland performance of a bland song. Not good, not bad, neither passionate nor vulnerable. Just there. We can thank David’s song choice for giving us perhaps one of the most awkward moments in television history, however. Maybe David gave such a wooden performance because he was trying to resist the urge to vomit after having the lizard-like Lloyd Weber come on to him in his vocal coaching-- an incident that will undoubtedly scar him for life. That has to be one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen on tv. Seriously.

Jason Castro “Memory” This doesn’t even deserve comment. This kid is so stupid it’s not even cute or funny anymore. “I didn’t know a cat was singing it.” Need I say more? Anyone who doesn’t know that singing “Memory” ANYWHERE sets you up to be a laughing stock is clearly a dullard of the highest order. It’s akin to singing “Feelings” on the Gong Show for crying out loud! This is the reason Jason bothers me so much as a performer, he’s pleasant enough, but there’s no spark of intelligence or creativity in him. He’s always got dull-eyed vacant expression. There’s nothing going on upstairs and that’s not interesting to watch.

Brook White “You Must Love Me” She chose a third rate song for the movie version of “Evita”. That was her first mistake which ultimately lead her to her second mistake, forgetting the lyric. Here’s what happened: it’s a bad song. There’s a reason people forget lyrics—usually it’s because they don’t work. Any playwright, for example, knows that if an actor trips up on the same line all the time, there’s probably something wrong with the line. And Paula is right! YOU MUST NOT START AND STOP! First rule of show business: The show must go on. Hello? This girl is an amateur. Her vocals are extremely mediocre. She can’t play the piano worth a damn. She hasn’t grown at all during the competition giving the same high school talent show level performance week after week. This is all she’s got folks. She’s not your American Idol.

Boy, do I sound cranky today or what? But it felt good to get all that out. Whew! I guess I owe his lordship (and his fans) a really nice Musical Moments post after this, huh. The next one--I promise!

WHO SHOULD GO: BROOKE!!!

UPDATE: Okay, this is the point in the season where I vow never to watch American Idol again. This is when the fan base for each singer is so strong it doesn't matter how good or bad the performances are (Jason? BROOKE?). The two best performances by far, Syesha and Carly, ended up in the bottom two. The only good thing about this is that we got to watch both of them again because there is no freakin' way I could have sat through that excruciating version of "Memory" again. Sadly, the unbelievably talented Carly Smithson goes home this week while Mr. "I-didn't-know-a-cat-was-singin'-it" and Miss Start-and-Stop-Amateur-Hour live to see another week. Where is the justice? It better be David and David in the final two or I swear I'm never watching American Idol again. And I meant it this time!

I'm a Bad Person

2008-04-22T19:31:00.004-04:00

It's Earth Day. And I drove to work today. In Manhattan. Across town. At rush hour.

I know what you must be thinking. I'm not proud of this. But it was either that or be slapped with a costly parking ticket due to a delayed entrance into the delicate dance that is alternate side of the street parking in Manhattan. And since my bank account seemed in more immediate danger than the environment at the critical moment I was forced to make a choice, I chose to drive. Yes, to drive. On Earth Day.

Gentle readers of the blogosphere, forgive me!

City Snapshot: Barber Shop Quartet

2008-04-21T11:57:00.010-04:00

A few years ago when I worked out of town a lot I had occasion to visit much of small town America. While this sounds quaint, and sometimes was, very often it was depressing: Main Street after Main Street lined with vacant store fronts, the businesses all moving out to strip malls by the highway or vanished completely due to corporate super-stores. Yet there always seemed to be a handful straggling mom & pops that remained–the local barber shop often among them. To me the survival of the barbershop is hope that as a society we still crave a kind of familiarity, service and sense of community that cannot be found on the Internet or be recreated by Wal-Mart. Barbershops have become a cultural icon preserving a unique a form male bonding in which men actually talk to each other. We trade stories, seek advice, give opinions, brag, lie, or just listen.

I still get my hair cut at a real barbershop, although I wasn’t always keen on them. As a kid my father used to take me to a shop in our town where all of the barbers were Italian and had names that rhymed and ended in "o": Lino, Dino, Nino and Lee. (Lee didn’t rhyme but he was the shop owner and the best looking of the lot.) When I was very young, I didn’t mind going so much because it meant a piece of Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum at the end. But as I got a little older, the hairdos of the 70s did not lend themselves to barbershop stylings and I often felt out of place in this shop with its car publications and girly magazines, where my father chatted away to the barbers in Italian, where the accents I struggled to understand reminded me of everything foreign and strange about me. By time I was about 8 or 10 I put up a real fight when it was time to get my hair cut. Eventually my mother agreed to let me go to one of those then new "unisex" hair salons. And so these traditional father/son outings ended for me.

After I moved to Christopher Street in the early ‘90s, strapped for money, I gave barber shops another chance. I found one in the neighborhood and eventually my own regular barber, Richard, who still cuts my hair to this day. What I found there was the sense of community that caused men to literally harmonize with each other 100 years ago. Like I said, the conversations are quite different than my father’s barber shop (although those were in Italian, so how do I know?) Instead of sports, women and cars, at my barber shop it’s Black Party, Broadway theatre and who we’ve checked out in the locker room at the gym. I always joke that I’ve been with Richard longer than any boyfriend, and indeed, he knows intimate details of all my relationships, and I his. He’s acted as my therapist, confessor, and gossip girl. I always get kiss hello, a good laugh, a sympathetic ear and leave feeling and looking great. All this for $15 a cut.

Below are some shots of barber shops around Manhattan where they seem to thrive. Perhaps this is because even in the big city we still need some small town familiarity.

(Above) Mr. Joseph's on Greenwich Avenue between Christopher and 10th with a facade untouched for probably 40+ years.

Sammy's on Amsterdam at 106 Street. Note the Spanish signage catering to the Morningside Heights neighborhood.

Chelsea Gardens on West 23 Street, one of the storefronts in the notoriously gay, art deco garden apartment complex of the same name.

Reamir on Columbus at 74th Street caters to a yuppy crowd. Note the crystal chandeliers inside.

The Real Deal

2008-04-19T20:11:00.004-04:00

Ever since it began a couple of years ago I've gotten a kick out of Ocean Spray's ad campaign featuring two cranberry farmers in hip waders in the middle of a cranberry bog. You know the one I mean? The ads are always warm, funny and clever--and how adorable is the younger guy? But I've often been distracted while watching wondering if those commercias are shot in a real cranberry bog or some kind of Hollywood simulation. Well, for the record, it's real.

Here's one of the ads I'm talking about just in case you've missed them:

Idol Chat 2008 (Part 6)

2008-04-15T22:37:00.007-04:00

This week the contestants on American Idol tried their hand at Mariah Carey songs. At first I was excited that Mariah would be acting as this week's mentor, but she didn't really deliver the way I hoped she would. First, there was that false "who-am-I-to-judge-just-ignore-what-I-say" modesty thing. Give me a break. That kind of feined humility is not attractive. Mariah, you're an accomplished singer/songwriter. You can certainly teach these kids a thing or two. Unfortunately, she didn't really impress me with her coaching notes either, with the exception of some advice on a alternate musical choices. She didn't seem to be all that invested in helping the singers out.

Anyway, here's my top and bottom three:

Top Three
David Archuletta: "When You Believe" Phrasing issues--don't' breath in the middle of a sentence! He took Mariah's advice and went for some falsetto notes but seemed afraid of what might come out of his mouth. Otherwise, the kid has a glorious voice. He delivered yet again what we've come to expect from David: Strong, consistent vocals and an honest interpretation. I want to start seeing more sides of him though. How about an up-tempo?
Syesha: Outside of a couple of pitch issues, I thought she sounded great on "Vanishing". She looked gorgeous and not only sang technically very well, but for the first time she started to show some star quality. She clearly resonated and connected with the song. It showed.
David Cook: "Always Be My Baby" He was his smarmy affected self again this week and the arrangement of the song was dark and odd. But he's a good vocalist. He's interesting to listen to, even if he did shout a bit in the middle.

Bottom Three
Jason Castro: "I Don't Want to Cry" I've said this before: Jason seems to leave his performances up to chance. He gets out on stage looking like he has no idea what he's going to do or what is going to come out of his mouth. This time chance was in his favor. He did a decent job, but compared to the other singers left in the competition, he's a vocal lightweight. He just can't compare.
Kristy Lee Cook: "Forever" OUCH, some of those bottom notes were painful. But when she hit the refrain she wasn't bad. She looked gorgeous in that non-threatening way 13 year old girls aspire to look. And that's probably who is keeping her in the competition.
Brook White: "Hero" This was painful. Brooke should stop playing the piano. She's BAD at it. She is consistently distracted by the keyboard and her connection with the song and the audience suffers because of it. It's starting to feel like everything she does is the same old same old. Nothing new or interesting here. And some bad notes to boot.

Who Should Go: Well, any of my bottom three could go and I'd be fine with it. But frankly, this week I think Brooke deserves to go. Another sleepy, sub-par performance.

UPDATE: Well, it's goodbye to Kristy Lee Cook. While I think she's been in the competition on borrowed time these last few weeks, I did not think this was her worst performance. In fact, she has shown improvement week after week as opposed to some of the other singers who seem stuck in a rut. But I can't say I'm sorry to see her go. She seems like a nice kid though--pretty, too.

Musical Moments: Carousel

2008-04-15T10:16:00.005-04:00

I'm long overdue for a Musical Moments post so in honor of the opening of the much heralded and critically acclaimed revival of South Pacific last week, I've decided to focus on another of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classics: Carousel. This is probably my favorite score of all the R & H shows (The Carousel Waltz is perhaps one of the best orchestral pieces ever written for the musical stage and "If I loved You" is considered by many a near perfect song.) But as with most of Rodgers and Hammerstein, people either love it or they hate it. (Frankly, I think this is because people have seen too many bad productions of these shows, for when they're done well, they are wonderful.) Carousel gets a pretty bad rap for the wife-beating that goes on in the story and particularly for the line when Louise asks her mother, Julie, if it's possible for a man to hit you and not feel it at all, Julie replies "yes". But this in no way promotes spousal abuse. It is simply an accurate portrayal the of psyche of a battered woman, indeed, Louise is in danger of repeating the cycle of dysfunction as we learn in the ballet when she is seduced by a carnival barker similar to her father.

During a visit to one of the grad schools I was accepted at, there was discussion about the importance of doing classic musicals as part of a well-rounded theatre education. While one teacher argued that the R&H shows have been done to death and should be left alone for a while to gain some perspective, another argued that most students age 18 to 22 hadn't been exposed to these classics yet and that there is room for new, modern-day interpretations of the shows. He used the '94 Broadway revival of Carousel as an example of how fresh, new and even avant garde these shows can be conceptualized. He also correctly noted that Rodgers & Hammerstein are the basis for modern musical theatre; that without Oscar Hammerstein there would be no Stephen Sondheim. (Sondheim was protege to Oscar Hammerstein.) I've included a clip from that production of the "You'll Never Walk Alone" scene performed on the Tony awards. You will also note the color-blind casting done in the production: both Cousin Nettie and Carrie Pipperidge, for example, were played by black actresses. Enjoy the clip.

Grow Up!

2008-04-14T10:01:00.007-04:00

File this one under "get a life." During construction of the new Yankees Stadium, a Red Sox-loving construction worker on the job reportedly planted a Sox jersey under two feet of concrete as a practical joke and possibly to spur Yankee fears of a Boston "curse". Construction workers, most of whom are Yankee fans, spent five hours on Saturday digging up the offending jersey at the request of Yankees brass.

The Yankees are considering filing criminal charges against the construction worker because "he had bad motives and was trying to do a really bad thing." Criminal charges! For something that's imaginary! Gimme a break. Why don't you go tell his mommy while you're at it. The only thing criminal here is spending five hours on a Saturday at union wages digging up brand new concrete. Maybe they can get the pope to exorcise the spot during his upcoming visit to Yankees Stadium next week. Grow up, boys!

Broadway Baby

2008-04-11T09:21:00.006-04:00

I'm about a week late in reporting this, but Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson, currently appearing in Xanadu, gave an interview to Advodate magazine which appeared in last week's issue in which he discusses being openly gay and how he balances that with the demands of being an actor and celebrity. He says he assumed certain career risks when he came out publicly in a matter-of-fact way to a New York Times reporter shortly after the opening of All Shook Up, in which he played the Elvis character. The article adderesses the concerns of many gay actors who fear being pidgeon holed by their sexuality. Here's one of my favorite quotes:

“I’m in uncharted territory because based on what I look like, I get cast as the guy who gets the girl. But I have a sense that the tide is changing, and I have no problem being the trailblazer. I don’t know how or when it’s going to manifest itself, but I think being my authentic self is going to have its rewards.”

He also tells a sweet story of a gay teenage fan who requested a picture of Cheyenne to hold while he came out to his family. The photo gave the boy courage. Did I have to choose a photograph of Cheyenne with no pants on to show what a great gay role model he is? No. But hey, I'm a guy

I had the pleasure of meeting Cheyenne after a performance of Thoroughly Modern Millie in which he played a small role and covered the lead. He happens to be an old personal friend of my friend Laura who made the introduction. He was gracious, warm and down to earth. Just a regular guy with a good head on his shoulders.

Idol Chat 2008 (Part 5)

2008-04-10T10:04:00.009-04:00

My American Idol post is late this week because I wasn't able to watch the show Tuesday night. I finally caught it on DVR last night, fast forwarded through all of Ryan Seacrest's inane remarks and just got right to the songs. The theme this week is Inspirational songs to tie in with the big Idol gives back brouhaha. It's actually a really good theme because the songs have some meat to them and test a singer's performance mettle. Okay. On with my top and bottom three picks for this week:

TOP THREE:

David Archuletta-- "Angels" This is the first time we've seen David get behind the piano to sing. This always presents a challenge for a performer because there is literally a thousand pound obstacle in the way of his connection with the audience. David, however, has so much stage presence he seemed to shine from the piano bench despite his diminutive size. The vocal was effortless and the run he did at the end was absolute perfection; every note seemed to float in perfect cadence. This kid is unbelievably talented.

Michael Johns--"Dream On" I don't understand the judges' lukewarm reception of this song. Randy complained of pitch problems, but I really didn't hear any. Granted he was the first singer of the night and I was still getting settled with my note pad and snacks when he started singing, but usually an off-pitch note will stick out like a sore thumb to me, so if there were pitch issues, they were insignificant. He was also criticized for song choice, Simon saying that the rock style didn't suit him. What? Since when is Michael Johns not one of this year's rocker boys? Isn't this the kid who got on the show by singing Bohemian Rhapsody? I thought he sang it great. He seemed confident and comfortable on stage and the falsetto notes at the end were fabulous! He took a risk going for them and it paid off. I thought he was great.

Syesha--"I believe" I had trouble coming up with a number three this week. There were a bunch of performers who sort of fell in the middle range. I chose Syesha because technically she sang this song very well. She has a very pretty voice and sounded great on this throughout. The problem with Syesha is her song choices. Choosing a Fantasia song was not smart, just like last week when she invited comparisons to Whitney Houston. Part of talent is choosing the right song. My complaint with Syesha is the same every week; she sings well, but she's not a star. There's just something lacking in her presence.

BOTTOM THREE

Kristy Lee Cook "Anyway" Even though this was a good performance for Kristy, again, her pitch is terrible which is why she's in my bottom three again. BUT, she chooses the right song week after week and as I said, that's part of talent, so she does have some. There was a lyric in the song she sang though that sort of summed up Kristy's performance for me "Tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang." Yeah. That's pretty much it.

Jason Castro "Over the Rainbow" Jason's long hair and ukelele evoked images of Tiny Tim for me. I was waiting for him to start singing Tiptoe Through the Tulips, but he sang Over the Rainbow instead. He chose a very distinct overplayed arrangement by a singer with a very distinct voice, one that due to its richness and character makes the song work. But Jason has no richness or character to his voice or anything else. He barely has an intellect. This was another low-ball, derivative performance. I'm convinced he has no desire to win this thing.

David Cook "Innocent" Ick! Ick! Ick! I hated this song. It was weird. The vocals were bizarre and disjointed. He was so pretentious and smug I felt like throwing up. This guy takes himself too damn seriously. One of the worst of the night by far.

WHO SHOULD GO: Jason Castro. He's just not in the same league as the other singers. Even Kristy Lee manages to choose good songs, but Jason seems checked out of this competition and so he should go. Bub-bye.

UPDATE: Whoa! Total upset! Michael Johns goes home. Way too prematurely if you ask me. But then I think his appeal is an older market, not the one that is voting right now which explains why Jason Castro is still around and not even in the bottom three tonight.

Well, I'm Glad!

2008-04-07T17:50:00.008-04:00

At last Mayor Mike Bloomberg's pet project of congestion pricing has received a final fatal blow from Albany. For those of you who do not live in the New York City metro area, we here in Gotham have had to endure a year of Bloomberg style propaganda promoting his last attempt to leave a legacy on the city--that of congestion pricing. The bill was so unpopular it never even made it to the State Assembly floor for a vote. From the beginning critics have accurately argued that congestion pricing to drive into Manhattan below 60th Street amounts to a tax on the working class. The first setback the plan faced was last year when it was decided that drivers from New Jersey who already pay $8 (the same price proposed for congestion pricing) to cross the Hudson River at bridges and tunnels would be exempt from paying the fee once inside the city.

The Bloomberg administration has tried to spin the congestion pricing plan as a "green" solution to the city's traffic problems claiming that the additional commuting cost would result in less cars on the road and more people using mass transit. But anyone who thinks that in a city where it costs $6 to $8 to cross almost any of the bridges and tunnels, in addition to local NY Thruway tolls, Parkway and Turnpike tolls, gas prices averaging almost $4 a gallon, daily parking spaces in midtown ranging $40 to $60 a day and parking tickets in Manhattan ranging from $65 to $125 that an additional $8 would keep anyone from driving into the city has clearly just fallen off the turnip truck from Idaho. The only thing green about this plan was the $350 million that the city would have received in federal funds if the plan had been put into effect, money that would not necessarily go to improving New York's already overburdened public transit system and did not even address the issues in neighboring commuter states of New Jersey and Connecticut.

This is New York. No one drives here for the fun of it. But things have to happen here. Important things. Life and death things. International things. World economic things. These things will happen at any cost--especially if it's only $8. Companies would figure it in to the cost of doing business. The only people who would feel the sting of congestion pricing are the true working class--the truck drivers for example, who would have been charged $21 for coming into the city. The taxi drivers whose daily operating costs would sky-rocket. And all of those fees would result in increased prices on goods and services for those not commuting, but actually living in Manhattan--guys like me.

As for going green New York is ahead of most American cities with strict emissions laws in place, all city buses now running on hybrid power, an electric subway system (which we've always had) and a plan to make all taxis hybrid cars in the next few years. We New Yorkers use mass transit in greater numbers than any other American city--just ask anyone who has the misfortune of living on the 4,5,6 line. Certainly more can be done to decrease the city's carbon footprint and we need to look into that and fast--but this isn't it.

It's true that New York has a serious congestion problem. But how about this: Why let Good Morning America or MTV block off Times Square at rush hour for some stupid pop-tune promotion? Why allow a movie studio to hijack the city for an entire week staging publicity stunts causing traffic and tie-ups for the opening of the Spiderman movie? Why allow a ticker tape parade in the Financial district on the day of a presidential primary? And if those things must happen why not charge the multi-billion dollar corporations behind those events exorbitant fees to do so rather than passing the buck on to the poor working slobs? Just asking.

UPDATE: Mike Bloomberg is now railing in the press against Speaker Sheldon Silver who put the kibosh on the Congestion Pricing vote. The down side of this is that the city has lost all that federal funding--but then Bloomberg should have come up with a better plan rather than this extremely flawed one. By the way--Sheldon Silver is also the one who saved us from a West Side stadium to attract an Olympic bid. Funny how Mayor Mike wasn't worried about traffic congestion back then.

Decision '08

2008-04-03T19:28:00.010-04:00

You probably think this is going to be another political post but it's not. Instead it's about my future and the road it will take. In case you didn't get it from the last post, I've made a decision about where to go to grad school. I'll be in Washington DC in September for a one-year, intensive, total immersion approach to classical acting and Shakespeare. By the end of July next year I'll have my MFA in Acting.

I'm grateful such a fast-track program exists since most MFA programs take three years to complete. And this program is designed specifically for actors who have some professional experience or are already in the business and don't have the luxury of taking 3 years off, so it's a perfect fit. Besides that, the concentration is in classical acting which is what I was looking for from the very beginning. When I first heard about this program a little over a year ago, I pictured myself there though I thought it was a long shot. But here we are--and so it will be. Whew. It's a wonderful feeling to be sure of at least one thing in one's life.

Stay tuned for Manhattan Chowder--the Grad School Edition this September.

Onboard the Acela

2008-04-02T22:30:00.007-04:00

Jotted in a notebook on board the Acela train from New York to Washington, Tuesday morning, April 1:

The Acela train from New York to Washington is a wonder: 2 hours and 35 minutes from the heart of the big apple to Union Station in DC. I left before dawn for an investigative trip to the city that will be my home for a year come August.

The train is sleek, fast and quiet--at least inside anyway. As the dawn breaks over gritty, industrial New Jersey, a mix of apprehension and excitement. We whiz by houses along the way and I wonder if my trip is waking them up the way it is me. I can't rest.

Idol Chat 2008 (Part 4)

2008-04-02T08:43:00.008-04:00

We've waited years for this and at long last Dolly Parton acted as mentor to the American Idol kids. While she was a little too good-hearted to offer any real criticism, she brought to the table her considerable catalogue of songs from which the contestants could sing. Across the board they all did well this week--even the ones who are usually lousy--so for a change I was hard pressed to pick a bottom three rather than a top three. But I managed:

TOP THREE

Carly Smithson--"Here You Come Again" This girl has such beautiful tone to her voice and proved this week that she's not just a rocker chick. She is a wonderful, sensitive ballad singer as well. The arrangement was great and made me forget all about the Dolly Parton version. She's is a smart competitor choosing songs that show off different sides of her considerable versatality week after week.

David Archuletta--"Smokey Mountain Memories" I said it before and I'll say it again--this kid has the voice of an angel! The first three notes out of his mouth put other singers whole performances to shame. He was wonderful. He's just got "it".

David Cook--"Little Sparrow" I'm chagrinned to include Mr. Smarmy among the top three for the third week in a row. He is not without talent. His song choices are smart, the arrangements unique and he consistently turns in a good performance. The same was true this week. He's good. I guess he's growing on me. It helps that he got a haircut and finally got rid of the Liza Minnelli spit curls.

BOTTOM THREE

Ramiele--"Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" I didn't have a problem with the vocal on this so much as I did with her uncomfortable performance. She lacks the polish on stage that should come with a sound as mature as hers. She had no idea what to do with this song. She was trying to look cool or something but singing a full-out, down-home country song so she just looked lost. Commit to the style!

Brooke White--"Joline" I expected a lot from this but was disappointed. Brooke has a lovely presence on stage and a nice voice but not much else. She should stop trying to play an instrument while she sings. She's not a good enough musician--it seems to get in the way every week. I wanted to hear this in a higher key, it sat in an unspectacular place in her voice and she didn't seem to connect with the lyric much at all.

Syesha--"I Will Always Love You" Syesha committed a cardinal sin of American Idol: She sang a Whitney song. Bad move. She looked great and honestly the performance wasn't bad at all, but she was inviting comparisons to Whitney Houston with this and frankly she can't compete. She is very pretty, sings well and looks good on camera, but there's no star quality here.

WHO SHOULD GO

Based on last night's performances, Ramiele should go. It's only a matter of time anyway. But I wouldn't mind seeing Kristy Lee or Jason Castro get the boot either. They were both decent this week tho.

UPDATE Well, I got two out of the bottom three. Maybe I gave Kristy more credit than she deserved. As I predicted--Ramiele goes home.

Maybe Reagan Wasn't So Bad After All

2008-04-01T23:31:00.003-04:00

From the Reagan Diaries, entry dated May 17, 1986

"A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne'er-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida; the one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That looks like easy work."

The Reagan Diaries were recently edited by author Doug Brinkley and published by Harper Collins.

City Snapshot: Riverside Drive Overpass @ 125th St.

2008-03-29T09:40:00.002-04:00

Bill Clinton Should Just Shut Up

2008-03-27T09:16:00.014-04:00

Okay, before anyone gets upset over this headline let me first say that I loved Bill Clinton as president. He presided over eight years of peace and prosperity. He is one of the great political minds of our time. His impeachment was unwarranted and the investigation into the Lewinsky affair was a witch-hunt and, yes, a vast right-wing conspiracy. Hillary was right.

BUT...

His role in her campaign has shattered an illusion and leaves me with a lack of respect for the man. He has been disrespectful, undignified and dare I say, unpresidential. He runs the risk of ruining his already shaky legacy and diminishing Hillary's presidential hopes. I firmly believe that his inflammatory remarks in South Carolina caused Hillary to lose so many races on Super-Tuesday and were the deciding factor in my becoming an Obama supporter.

I have tried to keep from Hillary-bashing on here (apart from a little good-natured fun over some cheesy YouTube videos) and I'm not about to start now. But I think Bill-bashing is fair game with some of the things he's been saying. Now, I said nothing about his implied racist Jesse Jackson remarks, I didn't comment on his implication that Obama doesn't love his country and I let slide his arrogant defense of DOMA the other day, but for some reason this remark really got my goat:

"If a politician doesn't wanna get beat up, he shouldn't run for office...I don't give a riff about all this name-calling that's going on...I've heard them say all these things about [Hillary]. Apparently it's okay to say bad things about a girl."

WHAT??? Damn right it is! We should give Hillary a pass because she's a girl??? Excuse me, but is this 1895? Doesn't Hillary profess to be a feminist? Isn't she always talking about breaking the highest glass ceiling in the country? Now, if he was referring to sexist remarks he should have clarified that, but I'm not sure he's talking about that here. And didn't he just say that if a politician doesn't want to get beat up he, and he did say "he", shouldn't run for office?? And isn't a comment like this inherently condescending and sexist which ultimately diminishes his wife?

Hey, Bill. Shut up. You're not helping.

Idol Chat 2008 (Part 3)

2008-03-26T11:33:00.002-04:00

Sadly, this proved to be another lack-lustre week on American Idol. The singers had to choose songs from the year they were born which made me feel incredibly old. Very few of the singers seemed to resonate with their material which made it hard to choose any stand-out performances. Also, this early in the competition the singers haven't really stepped up their game. They are just trying to make it to the next week. It's only after almost all of them have spent a week in the bottom three that you start to see who's in it to win. So, on with my top three and bottom three picks for the week:

TOP THREE

Michael Johns "We are the Champions" Finally Michael lives up to his potentional. Perfect song choice. Great presence. He seemed like a star tonight. I'm so glad--I was beginning to worry about him.

David Cook "Billy Jean" David gets extra credit for taking a risk with a really wierd three quarter arrangement that I thought for sure was doomed when I first heard it. But he pulled it off. It was a really strong performance. I was impressed. I do find him smug and affected though which could be his demise in the end. And I'm really over the Valerie Cherish yoga bow.

Carly Smithson "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Great vocal. She's got a great stage presence but I could have used a little more commitment in this performance. Still, even Carly on a bad day ranks among the top three for me.

BOTTOM THREE

Jason Castro --I forget the name of the song because the performance was so forgettable. This kid has nothing to offer except a pretty face and a nice presence. But to quote what Simon always says: "it's a singing competition". He just doesn't have a good voice. It's weak and breathy. He's not a good vocalist.

Ramiele--"Alone" I believe Ramiele has a good voice, but she never seems to bring anything fresh or new to her performances. She seems to lack the sophistication that should accompany a mature sounding voice like hers. I know she was sick this week, but this just seemed like a lot of screaming to me. She probably over-rehearsed and wore herself out. I'm getting a little tired of her.

Kristy Lee Cook--"Proud to be an American" This was Kristy's best week by far, but she still ranks among the bottom three for me for the sole reason that she has serious pitch problems. There are moments that are absolutely agonizing to listen to. I give her credit for a brilliant song choice, though. She knows it's the country bloc that's keeping her in the competition and to use the anniversary of the war to manipulate the audience into voting for her was a wise strategic move.

Who I'd like to see go: Jason Castro. This one-trick pony has worn out his welcome with me. He will live to see another week though because he's precisely the kind of non-threatening pretty boy the 13 year-old girls voting out there love.

UPDATE: Well, Chikezie is out. I'm sorry to see him go because there is no denying he is a great vocalist. He's also very likable. But where I think Chikezie fell short was as a performer. He came on like gangbusters a couple of weeks ago with a great arrangement, tried unsuccessfully to repeat it the following week, then changed gears with a rather old-fashioned R&B ballad this week. He seemed to be searching for his niche but never quite found it.

Quadruplet Meme

2008-03-25T15:44:00.005-04:00

So Gavin of Why Oh Why tagged me with this meme. I haven't done one of these in a long time so I guess I'm overdue. This tag came just in the nick of time because I couldn't think of anything else to blog about today. So here goes...

Four Jobs I Have Had In My Life
— Singing Waiter
— Florist
— Chorus Boy
— Gay Cliche

Four Movies I Would Watch/Have Watched Over And Over
— Gone With the Wind
— Bringing Up Baby
— From Here to Eternity
— The Sound of Music

Four Places I Have Lived
— Syracuse, NY
— New Jersey
— Christopher St.
— The Upper West Side

Four TV Shows That I Watch
--Designed to Sell (HGTV)
— American Idol
— The Office
— 30 Rock

Four Places I Have Visited
— Tuscany
— Paducah, KY
— Malaga, Spain (Gavin's been there, too)
— St. Petersburg, Russia

Four People Who Email Me Regularly
— Scott
—My Mom
—My Brother, the Obamaniac
—Alison

Favorite Food
--Risotto
— Macaroni and Cheese
— Meatloaf
— cheesecake

Four Places I Would Like To Be Right Now
— The Beach
— Italy
— Hawaii
— home (I’m at work)

Four Things I Am Looking Forward To This Year
— The Beach
— Starting Grad School
— Getting into a gym routine and losing my winter fat (which you could have probably guessed by my favorite foods listed above. )
--A Democratic president! (Oh, please, God!)

And that's all folks--nothing too earth shattering, but maybe you found a surprise or two among my answers.

It's Called Acting

2008-03-21T11:00:00.007-04:00

This kind of stuff drives me nuts. NY Post Broadway columnist Michael Riedel questions whether Sean Hayes of Will and Grace fame is "virile" enough to play the male lead in a workshop production of Promises, Promises which may eventually move to Broadway. The question of why anyone would invest the millions of dollars required to produce a Broadway show into a revival of Promises, Promises not withstanding, Sean Hayes is, by profession, an actor. Jack McFarland was a character he played. He acted that role, just as he will act this role. Riedel's argument is based on the fact that Broadway veteran Jerry Orbach, who, as Brian Juergens of After Elton put it, "could crush buildings with his bare thighs", originated the role.

It is precisely musings like these in the press that keep gay actors in the closet. You won't hear these same reporters questions whether an actor is "white enough" or "too Jewish" for a role. Why the double standard? This kind of talk reinforces stereotypes and contributes to the toxic homophobic atmosphere that permeates our society.

By the way, before his role on Will and Grace, Sean Hayes made a career of doing commercial work playing roles like beleaguered husbands and beer-drinking sports fans.

Idol Chat 2008 (part 2)

2008-03-19T11:53:00.005-04:00

Last night on American Idol the theme was expanded from Lennon and McCartney songs to the entire Beatles oeuvre. Clearly the producers of AI are satisfying their six year hunger for the song rights that were heretofore unattainable. While these are the standards of the rock era and an excellent test for any up and coming artist, week two of Beetles songs revealed the contestants' second-choices songs and which made for less exciting performances across the board.

As with last week here are my top and bottom 3:

TOP THREE David Archuleta--"The Long and Winding Road" After a shaky performance last week the wunderkindt was back in top form. I know there are some who are already suspect of his "aw shucks" humility, but to me it's sincere. This kid is a star. He has the voice of an angel. He picked the perfect song. His performance was simple, pure and vulnerable--exactly the right tone for the song. He was right on point throughout.
Carly Smithson--"Blackbird" She gave a great hard-rock performance of "Come Together" last week only to turn around and show a beautiful vulnerable side this week. She revealed a rich deep register that we had not heard before and still managed to find the height of the song as well. This was beautiful. I have a feeling this girl can sing anything. A consummate pro.
David Cook--"Day Tripper" I'm very surprised to be putting David Cook in the top three because I really don't like him. I find him smarmy and affected. I detested his interpretation of "Eleanor Rigby" last week for reasons I could write a thesis on, but this week I kinda liked him. He chose the perfect song and arrangement. I could have done without that weird voicebox thing and frankly, his guitar playing does him no favors. It ended up looking like an uncomfortable prop. But I thought he sounded good and he sold the song and the style well.

BOTTOM THREE
Kristy Lee Cook--"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" This was painful. Her pitch is all over the place. She consistently sang the same wrong note through the entire song. Hopeless. She is beautiful though.
Michael Johns--"A Day in the Life" It pains me to put Michael Johns in the bottom three because I think he's really cute and pretty talented, but he chose the wrong song for the second week in a row. It's not worth it to cut a song like this down to a minute and a half. He has a habit of choosing songs that are sentimental to him but don't necessarily show him off very well. He claims to have a deep emotional connection to them, but it almost seems like those connections are too fresh or painful to reveal in a performance. He needs some distance from these songs and to revisit them in five years.
Jason Castro--"Michele Ma Belle" I guess Jason's beautiful performance of "Hallelujah" from a couple weeks ago was a fluke because he hasn't been able to deliver since. He gave a pretty bad performance last week and this week was even worse. Jason is the kind of guy who is very cute and charming but feels he doesn't need to do anything else. He seems to let his performances happen by chance, giving no thought to the lyrics or emotion of the song. He was boring. He didn't even sound good. He'll be around for a while thought because 12 year old girls think he's cute.

WHO SHOULD GO?
Kristy Lee Cook Oh, please, God, put her out of her misery. The only reason she's lasted this long is because Danny Noriega and David Hernandez were too gay for prime time. But the party's over--it's time to go, Kristy.

UPDATE: Sadly, one of the most unique contestants to ever appear on American Idol goes home tonight--Amanda Overmeier. Unfortunately, she probably had a little too much edge for middle America. They prefer a marginally talented bland Barbie doll--So Kristy Lee Cook lives to see another week. Oy.

Italian Boys

2008-03-17T22:56:00.011-04:00

It's no secret I'm not a fan of St. Patrick's Day. The whole thing just smacks of homophobia to me--at least here in New York it does anyway. In response I will do a completely homo-centric post featuring men who share my Italian heritage. Yes, they happen to be HGTV hotties, too. I have no life.

They are: Designer Frank Fontana of Design on a Dime, Carpenter Anthony Gilardi of Myles of Style and Carpenter/Electrician Marc "Sparky" Bartolomeo of Save My Bath. In addition to their good looks Gilardi and Bartolomeo have working class Boston and Brooklyn accents, respectively, making them even hotter.

Click here for photos from Sparky's "fitness model" days.

City Snapshot: Crocus, Riverside Park

2008-03-17T08:49:00.002-04:00

After the weekend's tragic accident, the promise of Spring and new life: crocuses in Riverside Park.

Hazard: Crane Collapse

2008-03-15T19:48:00.010-04:00

About a month ago the category for Glenn & Dave's weekly photo challenge was "Hazard". So I dutifully ran around town snapping photos of things that looked hazardous to me. On my way to work I took a photo of this crane precariously situated over 51st and Second Avenue. Today, that crane came crashing down, breaking in two, flattening a small 4 story apartment building and damaging two larger ones, in one case shearing off a corner of the building and the apartments it contained. This is yet another construction accident in what seems like a record number this year. This particular site was cited for nine safety violations in January. Nine. So far, four people are reported dead due to this accident and 17 injured, some seriously.

Scott and I first got word of the collapse from our friend, The Flaming Curmudgeon, who lives in the neighborhood and witnessed the commotion minutes after the fact as emergency vehicles arrived on the scene. Check out his blog for a first-hand account and some haunting photos.

Below is another shot of the construction site in the distance as it appeared on February 7th, just two blocks south of the one in the foreground. As far as I know, Plaza Construction had nothing to do with the site of the crane collapse.

Beware the Ides of March.

Three Reasons Not to Vote for Hillary Clinton

2008-03-13T16:42:00.003-04:00

What is it about Hillary's Campaign that inspires such cringe-worthy youtube posts?

Seriously, I could not take four years of this.

Idol Chat 2008!

2008-03-12T10:29:00.005-04:00

And so it begins! Another season of American Idol for me to review, dissect and speculate. With apologies to my non-Idol watching readers, I love this stuff so please indulge me. Anyway, let's launch into it, shall we?

The theme this week was Lennon and McCartney songs, a first-ever for American Idol. I believe till now the rights to many of those songs have been tied up in litigation or were being held hostage by Michael Jackson or some such non-sense. At any rate, it was long overdue and provided the contestants a wealth of excellent materials to choose from. All in all it made for an entertaining evening.

While the number of contestants remains high, I will restrict my comments to who I think are the top three and the bottom three of the night. That said, I was hard pressed to choose a top three despite the judges gushing that this is the most talented crop of singers on the show to date. True, I think the bar has been raised across the board, but I didn't find that there were three clear top contestants last night. But I'll take a stab at it:

TOP THREE:

Chikezie--I'm as surprised as anyone to be naming Chikezie as one of the top three. Frankly I thought he should have been ousted in favor or Danny Noriega last week. But, like Hillary Clinton on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, he finally found his voice. The arrangement of turning "She's a Woman" into a country tune, then taking off 180 degrees in the other direction as a hard-rock tune was quite a risk. It paid off in spades for him though as he managed to pull off the transition seamlessly.

Carly--The Irish lass sang "Come Together" an atypical Beatles tune with risky lyrics for primetime, but she breathed new life into it by committing to the hard-rock nature of it. Also, being a woman, she offers a new perspective on the song. Performed like a pro--one of the best of the night.

Amanda--Another class-A rocker chick singing "You Can't Do That". I put her in the top three by default--I felt she was only slightly better than the rest of the pack last night. She is unique, committed and interesting, but I want to start seeing more variety from her.

BOTTOM THREE

Syesha--"Got to Get You Into My Life" Perhaps it was because she was the first to perform on the new stage and all, but she seemed overwhelmed by the space. The arrangement was a watered down 70s variety show version of the song and the performance milquetoast. Unimpressive.

David Hernandez-- "She was Just 17". Poor David Hernandez has had a hell of a week with rumors swirling around about his gay-stripper past. (And they tried to make us believe he used to work in a pizza parlor!) That said, the poor boy was trying way too hard. There was no bite to the song. It was a cheesy, lame arrangement. Karoake.

Kristy Lee--"Eight Days a Week" Oy. This was bad. She took the suggestion to go country too literally. The song didn't quite work with this "Hee-Haw" arrangement and she spent a lot of the time fighting the old rhythms. Perhaps she deserves credit for taking a risk, but in this case it didn't pay off.

Who Should Go? Kristy Lee--definitely. She probably should have been gone already but her pretty face (and possibly a strong block of country enthusiasts) have kept her in the competition. But it's time to go.

UPDATE: Well, my bottom three were spot on, but unfortunately David Hernandez is out. (No pun intended) I think his exit from the show is a bit premature. I suspect he was the victim of bad publicity. Pity.

Geraldine Ferraro Loses Her Mind

2008-03-11T23:46:00.005-04:00

Geraldine Ferraro made history in 1984 as the first woman to run for vice president. Not surprisingly, she is backing Hillary Clinton for president and apparently, losing her mind. This week she had this to say about Barack Obama's candidacy to a california newspaper:

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman of any color, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

Hillary Clinton has wisely refuted the remarks.

UPDATE: Ferraro resigns from Hillary Clinton's finance committee.

St. Dina, the Martyr

2008-03-11T20:44:00.009-04:00

One can hardly expect a political sex scandal to unfold these days without the press weighing in with Dina McGreevey, patron saint of wronged political wives. While I was very upset to learn of Elliot Spitzer's involvement with a prostitution ring, nothing can cheapen a political scandal like words of wisdom imparted by Mrs. McGreevey. Here are her profound thoughts on the plight of Spitzer's wife, Silda Spitzer:

I looked at her face and I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, that was me just three years ago.’ I could see the pain in her eyes and I know what she’s feeling and empathize with her.

"Oh my gosh" indeed! I guess Dina McGreevey can rest assured that as long as politicians lead lewd double lives, she will have a calling. Of course any chance to hawk her lame book "Silent Partner" can't hurt either.

I actually attended part of her "reading" and book signing at Barnes & Noble when her book was released. (Yes, I admit it. I had to get a glimpse of her in person. Besides the Barnes & Noble is right around the corner from my house. I mean, seriously, not even a block--closer than the grocery store. I just stumbled in there on the way to buy coffee or something--I swear!) The readings at this Barnes & Noble happen to attract an over-educated, intellectual older crowd reflecting the neighborhood's Jewish roots. Anyway, I think Dina McGreevey's character can best be summed up by the three old biddies I overheard discussing her "reading" after the fact. Here's what they had to say:

(Read the following with over-educated, heavy New York accent. Think Ed Koch.)

Old Biddy 1: It makes you wonder how the two of them ever got together. (referring to ex-governor Jim McGreevey)
Old Biddy 2: Yeah--you get the impression she was just arm-candy or something.
Old Biddy 3: Yes. And she made several grammatical errors.

Finally--Some Good News

2008-03-10T21:41:00.007-04:00

Longtime readers of my blog will remember that I made an unsuccessful bid for graduate school last year to get my MFA in Acting. In retrospect I did not research or apply for the right programs. Instead, I opted for programs that were close to home, figuring it didn't matter where I got my masters, as long as I got one. This plan ended up backfiring on me and I was forced to come up with a Plan B. That Plan B has come to fruition. Yes, dear readers, I have been keeping a secret from you. Since December I have been busily filing applications, working with my acting coach and quietly attending auditions for grad school. Finally, I am pleased to announce I have been accepted into two fine MFA Acting programs with another possible offer in the works from a third school.

These offers came all while the drama of my unpleasant work situation was playing out, and indeed, it was hard to let myself truly experience the joy of achieving my goal of graduate school. But now that it is in the past, the letters of complaint have been sent and it is up to the powers that be to rectify (or not ) the situation, I am able to concentrate on my wealth of graduate school choices at hand. I will post more specific information once I have it. Stay tuned.

And Now for Something Completely Ridiculous...

2008-03-07T13:54:00.007-05:00

First of all, thanks to all of you who left such supportive comments on my last post. It meant a lot to know that others felt the same indignation over this that I did. My company is in the process of dealing with the situation and working to get "the offender" removed from his position. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

In the meantime here's a fun little quiz to lift everyone's spirits. Come on--everyone loves these things. I picked this up over at Bitter Cup of Joe--someone who definitely knows coffee. By the way, the results I got fit me TO A T! Enjoy.

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic

At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung

You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping

Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Sticks and Stones

2008-03-05T12:06:00.003-05:00

I apologize for being MIA. It’s been an intense, busy, emotional week. One of highs and lows, and it’s taken me this long to figure out what I wanted to say about it. Let me start with the low. I’ll follow up with the high later in the week, I promise. But for now, I need to post this.

Last Tuesday at work we had one of our regular industry networking events held at a venue we use about three or four times a year. We organize the event; provide exhibit tables for vendors, guest speakers, a buffet, etc. While the venue usually does an excellent job for us, there is one particular employee there, a manager, whose uncooperative, surly manner is always a test of our patience. Last week he was in rare form. He initiated several rude exchanges during set up. Nothing new really. But then, in front of my colleagues, some vendors and the catering staff, he dropped a bomb. Quite loudly and with the intent to embarrass me, this man called me "a queen.”

I was dumbstruck for a few agonizing seconds. Then I tried to fire back with threats of having him fired. I pointed out how many people were witness to his remark, but truly nothing I could think of could match his words. I felt helpless in the face of such ugly and blatant homophobia. I called his supervisor immediately and informed him of what happened. I could barely dial the phone I was shaking with such rage. There was still a lot of set up to be done for the event, but I could concentrate on nothing but the ugly word that polluted the air. The humiliation was unspeakable. With one word I was reduced to the lowest, basest, dehumanizing definition possible.

The guy was sent home on the spot and his boss apologized profusely for the altercation. He also explained that try as he might, this man’s job is “protected” and not much could be done to have him fired. He encouraged me to go over the management of the venue directly to the owner of the building. We’ve been following up at work with letters and some form of recourse, but honestly, the situation feels helpless.

What struck me afterward was how powerful and paralyzing the situation was. Usually, homophobia is just a feeling we gay people have. We can sense the eye-rolling and whispers behind our back, but often this homophobia go unvoiced. So we learn to develop a thick skin and look the other way. But this--this blatant, aggressive hatred is something else entirely. One word, and suddenly no matter how competent, accomplished, professional, smart, funny, or butch you think you are, it all goes away when someone’s ugliest thought is voiced. Intellectually I understand I shouldn’t give this man that kind of power. But it smacks of childhood taunts, of pain buried so deep and of shame I’ve been conditioned to feel. I couldn’t even tell my family about it and was too ashamed to post anything about it here though I could think of nothing else for days.

The reason I decided to post about this is to actively reject the shame. This shame is not mine. Giving in it to it allows the bigotry and hatred to win. I felt I had to expose the situation lest we forget how this ugliness still pervades our society—even in New York—and ruins lives every day. Truly, I have nothing to be ashamed. Nothing. The shame here lies with someone else.