H2$ and a Dance Down Memory Lane

My fabulous boyfriend surprised me with an early Christmas present: tickets to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Friday night! We had such a fun time. I really wanted to see this show for a couple of reasons; I was in H2$ once upon a time in high school, so I have a fondness for the show-it was one of the first musicals I was in. Also, I love me some Daniel Radcliffe. I was unable to see him the last time he was on Broadway in Equus, which received impressive reviews, had amazing puppetry, and featured a stellar cast (plus the added bonus of Harry Potter's "wand" on display for the better part of the show for the ladies out there).

H2$ follows the young and eager J. Pierrpont Finch as he attempts to climb the corporate ladder using the advice in a little book: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (the book is narrated by the smooth vocal stylings of one dreamboat Anderson Cooper).

Considering DanRad (yes, that is what I'm calling him from now on) had no musical theatre training before this, he can hold his own in the show. His vocals stretch a little thin at times, and he sings a little nasally on the high notes, but he more than makes up for it with his comedic timing, and the boyish charm he brings to the otherwise underhanded smarmy fellow that Finch can be in his career-driven pursuits. His on-stage chemistry with John Larroquette (from Night Court...anyone?) is so fun, and it is clear the two have a great working relationship. DanRad is also an impressive dancer considering his lack of training. While his form is not always as perfect as someone who has been dancing for decades, he brings an infectious energy and it is obvious he puts tremendous effort into his craft-an admirable feat. Granted, his super-stardom doesn't hurt him either, but I am amazed at how even after a year in this show, he still has such energy and focus amidst the (many, many, MANY) screaming fans in the audience each night.

Seeing the show Friday brought back a few fond memories from high school (and how few they were). While watching some of the choreography in the show and then later while listening to the soundtrack on the train, I even started to remember my old choreography from 12 years ago. It's funny how the brain and memories work, isn't it? Then I started trying to remember the names of my original cast in high school and started playing "where are they now?" in my head. The fellow who played Finch in my high school production, is now a local news reporter in Washington D.C. The guy who played J.B Bigley is now a director at the Atlantic Theatre Company here in NYC. Our Bud Frump now works in public television. Our Hedy La Rue is an actress/dancer in L.A. Our hilarious Wally Womper is now a seemingly jack-of-all-trades in the theatre and production world. Our Smitty now works as a student coordinator at the University of Colorado in Boulder. And last, but not least, our lovely Rosemary is now traveling the world and singing as she goes (or so I gathered from her vague FB page). Ok, enough stalking for now.

Oh, and me? I was a lowly secretary in a white button-up shirt and a ridiculously 60's bright orangy/salmon-colored skirt, and I was not a toy.

Pardon Me, While I Take a Stand...

I've censored the following, in protest of a bill that gives any corporation and the US government the power to censor the internet--a bill that could pass THIS WEEK. To see the uncensored text, and to stop internet censorship, visit: http://americancensorship.org/posts/15442/uncensor

█████ ████ did ███████ of ██████ ██████ ████ ████?

Tell Congress stop messing with our rights!!!

-Not Currently Starving, but a Little Pissed Off

Radio City Christmas Spectacle

Last night my boyfriend and I got to go see the final dress rehearsal of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. One of the perks I get from one of my jobs is I get free tickets to the shows I'm promoting, and we happen to be promoting this show. I was really excited because I had seen the Rockettes on tour in Denver many years ago, but I'd never been to Radio City in the 5 years I've lived here. The lobby had beautiful crystal Christmas tree chandeliers and the art deco style of the architecture has been well preserved in the building. We had decent seats in the orchestra section, and when the curtain went up, I got all excited like I was a little kid again, but it was to be bittersweet excitement since the clusterfuck of an audience ruined the magic a little bit.

I know it was only a dress rehearsal, and so the people who paid for their tickets probably got some serious discounts, but many of the seemed to not understand that we were not watching a movie that if you talked through it, the people on stage could hear you, and it's not like at home where if you miss something, you can pause and rewind it. This is a live event. Why is this concept so difficult for some people?!?!

Here are just some of the issues I had with my fellow audience members:

-Loud talkers

-Babies crying, and not being comforted, only ignored by their "parents"

-The child having a tantrum sitting behind me who was kicking and/or punching the back of my seat while his "parents" did nothing

-People in front of me taking pictures during the show...of THEMSELVES (thus the flash would blind me for a while, thus I missed bits of the show

W. T. F?!

I think my boyfriend put it best when he said: "That audience was what I imagine it would have been like to see Shakespeare in his time, with all the groundlings peeing, farting, yelling during the performance."

Now, the show itself was quite enjoyable. I'd seen it int he past, so I remembered a lot of the classic Rockette numbers and was pleased with the new ones they added this year. The costumes were lovely and it's always amazing to see the Rockettes do what they do.

Something new that was added this year were several 3-D elements to appeal to the little kids. They were well-executed, but I would have been fine without them. So, if anyone does see the show, I hope your audience is better-behaved than mine was, and I hope you enjoy the show! (Check your cynicism at the door though, it's a family show)

-Currently Lost My Appetite

Times Square

One of my part-time "survival jobs" I have while I look for creative work/projects/outlets is promoting Broadway shows in Times Square on the weekends to supplement my income. I do this on top of working full time 5 days a week in an office. Why do I sometimes work 7 days a week, you ask? Because no one can live comfortably on less than 30K a year in this city. Plus, the holidays are coming up very quickly, and I need some dough to buy my loved ones gifts that don't come from the Dollar Mart.

If you've never been to Times Square before, you know that it's one of the most iconic places in NYC, there are lights and people and billboards everywhere. It's quite overwhelming at first, but it's almost magical, especially at night.

If you have been to Times Square or are a New Yorker, you know that Times Square is like the 2nd circle of Hell. There are stupid tourists everywhere getting in your way, it's loud, it's dirty, it's smelly, and those damn comedy show guys are up in everybody's faces all the time.

As much as I truly hate Times Square sometimes, other times, I do have to admit, it has some charm. Like when you see crazy random shit that gives you stories to tell your friends for years to come, those are the best times.

I feel like I've "seen it all" most of the time, I've seen everything from celebrities, to crazy homeless guys, to bomb scares, to elderly couples in domestic disputes that turn violent. And nearly every time I'm in TS, I see something new that makes me say, "whoa."

-Not Currently Starving, but Looking Forward to Christmas Goodies

(To be continued...)

The City

There are days when I exit the train and walk up 6th ave to my office where I work and just breathe in the city. There are mornings like today when the air is crisp and the flow of the city just washes over me and I fall in love with New York all over again. The energy of the hustle and bustle pumps me up to face the day. On mornings like this one, I think, "Why would I want to leave this place?"


Then reality sets in. I go to my job; my job that wastes my talents and sucks out my soul ever-so-slowly, day-by-day. I put in my 8 hours, then get on the crowded subway full of cranky selfish people. I go home to my crappy apartment with the bills, the roach infestation, my broken couch, minimal cell phone reception, and the asshole landlord.


I try to look on the bright side: I'm employed, I have health insurance, I have a roof over my head, I have food in my kitchen, and I have people who love me in my life.

While I love NY, and I know that it's where I'm supposed to be right now, so I can't really see myself living anywhere else. However, the fantasies of living in a cabin in the woods for a couple of months or living near the beach for a while seem to pop into my head more frequently than they used to. Maybe, just maybe, it's time for a change...

-Not Currently Starving, But Wondering When Lunch is

Don't freak out!

I'm currently trying to tweak my blog design, and I will be busy having fun and tweeting at NYCC this weekend, so I may be on a hiatus for a while. Don't worry, I'll be back soon!

A Very Nerdy Review

(Broadwayworld.com)


Last night I attended a preview performance of Mangella, a play by Ken Ferrigni and directed by Joe Jung. In a nutshell, the play is a dark comedy for nerds, by nerds. I went into it not really knowing what to expect. Even based on the promo postcard’s description:

Ned is a low-rent hacker who uses his trusty computer, Gabriella, to shake down Asian websites with coordinated network attacks. He is hell-bent on restoring the memory of his stroke-ridden father who believes himself to be a fictional 1940’s black blues musician Mangella St. James. However, when Lily, a beautiful prostitute, arrives at Ned’s door battling an unseen tormentor, Ned is sucked into a life-and-death struggle to save his father, his desktop PC, and himself. Who will make it to tomorrow?

I don’t even know what to make of that description, even after seeing the show. The production was powerfully and brilliantly executed with wonderful use of multimedia even if I felt the script was (very briefly at times) lacking. The dialogue was smart, witty, ridiculous, and moving all at the appropriate (and inappropriate) times. There were some unfortunate coincidences in the script mentioning Apple products and pancreatic cancer with the very recent death of Steve Jobs, which sort of struck a nerve with me, but that was simply unfortunate timing with current events. While the dialogue was impressive, the plot dragged a little but also left lots of unanswered questions that it put forth. While you want to leave a good piece of theatre pondering a little, I don’t what to have to ask myself too many questions at the end of the night.
The desktop PC, Gabriella (portrayed by a very energetic and funny Ali Perlwitz) was definitely my favorite character. I love the fantastical anthropomorphizing characters in plays (such as Sylvia). I never knew a piece of technology could be so well-rounded. It’s going to make me look at my iPod and laptop differently now.
The overall story is moved forward by an unseen force that the audience does not learn about until late in the 2nd act, and even then, we still left the show asking, “What exactly happened, now?” Overall, the show was enjoyable, funny, and bizarre. It was an excellent piece of off-off-Broadway; just absurd enough to be what people have come to expect from O-O-B productions, but not so far “out there” that you start your story with, “Well, I went to my friend’s off-off-Broadway show last night…*sigh*…it was…well…” as so many of us in the NYC theatre scene know all too well. We’ve all uttered that phrase, and we’ve all probably been that friend the phrase refers to.
The show also stars Anthony Manna as Ned, Bob Austin McDonald as Mangella St. James, and Hannah Wilson as Lily. All are very talented actors with delightful chemistry. Mangella runs October 6-23 at The Drilling Company theatre 236 W 78th St @ Broadway. Recommended for theatre nerds, especially those who appreciate darker humor.





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The Joys of Apartment-Living...

I recently read a blog about what may be one of the worst and funniest landlord sagas I've ever heard. It got me thinking that my apartment life horror stories haven't been so bad in comparison, but put all-together, I can weave an epic tale of terrible apartment/landlord/roommate luck.

I think I'll chronicle my ridiculous experiences living "on my own" (i.e. away from the parental units).


I think my mom prepared me for living on my own as best she could. I know how to cook (I just don't like to), I know how to do laundry/iron (skills I have improved upon thanks to required wardrobe crew assignments in college), I know how to balance a checkbook (although this skill would very soon become obsolete with online/mobile phone banking), and I know how to clean up after myself (again, not something I like to do). That being said, preparing for doing things on your own is a whole different ball game than actually figuring life out on your own.







My First Time Living Away From Home:



The Dorm

I studied Theatre Arts at the University of Northern Colorado (the other UNC) in Greeley, affectionately (or not)known as "G-Town". It's about 90 minutes (driving while mostly obeying designated speed limit signs) northwest of Denver. The "Powers That Be" in the housing department must have thought it would be hilarious to put two freshman girls together who shared the same name and have them live across the hall from 2 guys named Bryan/Brian. Lazy-ass bastards. (In housing department's defense, we remained roommates for all four years of college and I was in her wedding, but still...lazy.) We lived on the 2nd floor of a T-shaped dorm building called Wiebking (web-king) Hall. It had 3 floors plus a basement where the laundry room, common room, kitchen, and the kids who must have pissed off someone lived. The 3rd floor was the all-girls floor aka "The Nunnery." The 2nd floor was generally where all of the performing arts majors lived. Our R.A was a very straightlaced, overbearing double business major whom we shall call Lindsey (mostly because that was her name). Lindsey sounds like the perfect resident advisor for a bunch of artsy kids who've just been given more freedom/less responsibility than any of them have ever had (or will probably ever have) in their lives, huh? Were we loud? Yes. Were we obnoxious? Definitely. Were we overdramatic? Der. Did she treat us like people? Nope. From day 1 she had a little power trip and expected us to all love her without trying to get to know any of us personally, you know...as people. And yet, she could never understand why none of us respected her. And as far as I could tell, she never "advised" us on much of anything...except what a bitch she could be.

Dorm life was an adjustment but nothing too alarming happened, except for the night the alcoholic kid down the hall got drunk and decided to take a shower at 2am only to pass out in the boys' shower in such a way that his ass blocked the drain and he flooded the second floor hallway. Yeah, he and his drunk drain-blocking-ass got expelled.
Or the time the dumbass bitchy girl down the (other) hall tried to hang a jacket on the sprinkler head (you know, the one that sprays nasty-ass flame-dousing liquid in the event of a fire or it being tampered with) and broke it and thousands of gallons of water flooded her room, 1/3 of the second floor, the 1st floor, and the basement. Yeah, her ass got sued.

Yup, just a typical college freshman year living in the dorm.





-Not Currently Starving, and Happy to Have a Roof Over Her Head

More Letters to the World

Dear MRI Machines,

You are giant and scary and loud. I do not like you. I fear/dislike you so much, that I (a late-twenty-something young woman) brought one Perry the Platypus into the procedure with me. I hope you're happy. The technicians I'm sure had a hearty chuckle at my expense after I left the facility. Do not judge me, MRI!

Perry the Platypus judges you.






-Not Curently Starving, but My Knee Hurts Like Hell.