Friday, September 7, 2007

links for 2007-09-07

• Appealing Industries: Animated History Of NYC Subway
  Very cool. Thanks for the tip, Jason.
  (tags: transit)

Monday, August 27, 2007

links for 2007-08-27

• A Subway System in Your Pocket
  Khoi creates the perfect MTA map for iPhone. Thanks!
  (tags: iphone mta transit)

Friday, July 20, 2007

A couple of musical theatre notes

After a tryout in Seattle this fall, Lone Star Love is planned to come into New York for a Broadway run beginning November 1. The show—which ran off-Broadway a couple of seasons back in a slightly different version—got a major overhaul at The Rep in 1989 after its debut at Houston's Alley Theatre, when it was still known as just The Merry Wives of Windsor, Texas. We had a rollicking time with the Red Clay Ramblers, who would jam at the (late, lamented) Backstage Club after the show well into the small hours. I'll be looking forward to the show's Broadway bow, with Randy Quaid, Robert Cuccioli and Rep alum Dee Hoty. (Here's some more background on the history of the show; it's been a winding road.)

And as a major Styx fan, I've got a hunch I'll have to make a trip to Chicago next spring, when the Bailiwick Rep produces Dennis DeYoung's musical adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has enjoyed only one prior production—at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville in 1997. The score was praised and, at one point, the show was talked about as a likely prospect for Broadway. But potential producers ran into opposition from Disney Theatricals, which was pushing its own version of the Quasimodo-as-cathedral-recluse story. The Disney show never made it to Broadway, perhaps now clearing the coast for DeYoung, who has a big fan base. DeYoung says he is revising the show extensively for the Bailiwick production.

And since I have to be in New York for a meeting week after next, I'm squeezing another 12 hours into the trip to see both Xanadu and the closing night of Patti LuPone's City Center engagement as Rose in Gypsy. Of course, I saw Ms. LuPone in the role last summer at Ravinia and it was hands-down one of my most thrilling nights in the theatre ever. There was no way I could miss seeing here again in New York, and surrounded by such a marvelous cast. I'll be there on the aisle, just waiting for that extraordinary overture to begin again. And I've secured seats on stage for Xanadu, where I am assured by friends in the know that I will have the best view in the house, which is to say that of Cheyenne Jackson's backside. Woof!

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Playing catch-up

Once again, I'm pleading busy, despite having several hundred things I've been meaning to note here. Please accept these travel-related brevities compliments of the management:

• South by Southwest Interactive was delightful and embiggened; rumors had that attendance topped 5,000 this year. The growth was certainly evident in the attendees and crashers at Break Bread with Brad. An expected 150 guests became 300 before the night was out. All in all, the crowds notwithstanding, it was as ever a great experience and marvelous opportunity to catch up with friends old and new.


• Best discovery of the Austin week: Opal Divine's—the Sixth Street incarnation—where they stock 65 single malts and a decent cigar selection. Fortunately, I wasn't introduced to this nirvana until the night before I left or no one would have seen me all week.


• I'm in New York again this week, concluding a long consultancy, and I'll probably stick around through the weekend to take in a friend's show and perhaps a few others. I'm not sure when/if I'll have space for socializing, but if you've a proposal for drinks or whatnot, be in touch.


• I'll also be in Chicago the first week(and -end) of next month. Same caveats apply.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

I’m so glad I came

I've been to a marvelous party with the Weismann Girls. Follies last night at City Center was a performance I'm going to remember for a long time, and was certainly the best damned Encores! production I've ever seen.

One of the reviews I read said something to the effect that even if the cast had performed only the last four numbers, it would still have been an outstanding production, and that's so true. Michael McGrath as Buddy doing "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues", Victoria Clark as Sally singing "Losing My Mind", Donna Murphy and the men's ensemble tearing up "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" and Victor Garber breaking down "Live, Laugh, Love"...I don't think I've had a more thrilling 20 minutes or so in the theatre in years.

Being closing night with a lot of repeat guests, every number was greeted with thunderous and mostly deserved applause. After Arthur Rubin, who has still got amazing pipes, brought on the cast with "Beautiful Girls", I really thought the show would run an hour longer just for the ovations. By the time Anne Rogers and Robert Fitch did their first dance specialty with "Rain on the Roof", I had a smile on my face that didn't fade all night.

JoAnne Worley as Stella was a scream (literally!), and lord, lord, lord, lord, lord, that woman and all the Weismann girls danced the hell out of "Who's That Woman". Donna Murphy lost a shoe midway through the number and kept right on tapping with one, then reclaimed it and held it over her head triumphantly come the final break.

I've heard a lot against Christine Baranski as Carlotta but I have to say, she created a perfectly consistent portrayal of a woman getting by the best she can with what she's got and what life dealt her. If she didn't exactly hit the final note of "I'm Still Here", I wouldn't have expected her Carlotta to do so. Yvonne Constant (Solange) and Mimi Hines (Hattie) were perfect, and I don't believe I've heard any old and young Heidi (Lucine Amara and Leena Chopra) blend better singing "One More Kiss".

From top to bottom, though, the show belonged to Clark and Murphy. I'm so sad the production wasn't recorded, because I'll have only my memory of their fantastic performances of "Could I Leave You?", "In Buddy's Eyes" and their two 11 o'clock numbers. But what a memory!

The house Monday night was sold out to the rafters, and the show began about 20 minutes late because of a will-call line that stretched all the way down 55th. There were even more stars in the audience than on stage; I spied Fred Willard, Bernadette Peters, Martin Short, Nathan Lane, Alfred Molina, and Matt Cavanaugh, as well as Paul Rudnick, John Doyle and, of course, Mr. Sondheim himself, who was all smiles. At the intermission, Sarah Jessica Parker, with Matt Broderick in tow, came up to me on the sidewalk to ask for a light. Of course, it was fun sitting with my pal Hunter and what seemed like most of the cast of [title of show]

As I was leaving, I spotted Donna McKechnie and Barbara Cook chatting and both looking radiant. Seeing those two former Sallys together was the perfect coda to my evening. And like Sally, I'm so glad I came.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

So I borrowed a thou and called American Airlines

So...I've been a smidge busy. October and November didn't actually exist—as nearly as I can ascertain—outside of my office, December was one long, mad holiday blur and January, which I expected to be somewhat more placid, proved to me that optimistic expectations are luxurious but wrong, wrong, wrong.

Having just been through the most hectic few months in memory, all I really want is a good, long nap. So, naturally, next week I'm headed to the city that Messrs. Kander and Ebb assured us "never sleeps".

Actually, after several months of making unannounced 24- or 36-hour surgical strikes on the city for meetings, openings and whatnot, I'm looking forward to having a couple of consecutive days just to...be a part of it. There'll be meetings, of course, but I've also set aside some time to catch up on a few shows (some that I've not seen, wish to see again or need to see friends in), walk some avenues and catch up with some pals. My whole schedule is sort of up in the air, but...hey, why not? Let's lift a glass!

How about it, New Yorkers? Join me this Sunday night, let's say 9:30-ish, at one of my favorite West Village haunts, Vol de Nuit (their frites can't be bite beat). I'd love to see you!

If you can't pop by, be in touch. Perhaps we can arrange another chance to get together.

Friday, January 5, 2007

links for 2007-01-05

• // trevorlittle.com - nyc photos - Power Washing 188 Suffolk St.
  New York is dirrrrrrrty. [via Cuddles]
  (tags: nyc)
• Joe. My. God.: Gay Sheep Debacle Unravels
  [this, on the other hand, is good] (See earlier: hands off gay sheep.)
  (tags: gay)
• Help, My Hard Drive is Full! - TechDigs.net
  How do you conserve precious space if, say, a Mac laptop is your primary machine? Some ideas here.
  (tags: organizerporn macintosh)
• Creating a password to convince yourself you have traveled back in time@Everything2.com
  Believe it or not, this has been very much on my mind recently, for reasons I will not discuss.
  (tags: timetravel)

Friday, May 14, 2004

Headed to NYC

I'll take Manhattan: With these words, I'm off to New York for the weekend, a couple of meetings today and then two days of rapid-fire social obligations, including a confab to plan Paul's bachelor party.

(Memo to prospective grooms: Do not select a gay friend as your best man unless you're completely comfortable with terms such as "crudités" coming up in such discussions.)

A little work, a little play, so much (and so many!) I'd like to do and so much I'll have to skip for lack of time. There'll be some shopping, to be sure, but the rest'll have to wait a month or so. After a week that's seen the (not entirely satisfying) conclusion of two long, arduous projects, though, I'm glad to be voting myself onto the island for a couple of days R&R.