Friday, April 6, 2012

Another Excellent Doubleheader!

Yesterday’s doubleheader was excellent ... starting with the staged reading of FOOD, THE MUSICAL @ The York Theatre, the 5 mini-musicals about ... tada ... food. It was very enjoyable and entertaining and well performed by an excellent 4-person cast.


I attended this event as a part of Dian Crystal’s posse, which included Julie Miller, Vera Olichney and moi.


When the reading was over I had time to come back to PHC for my usual pre-theater snack, a fruit and cheese plate, and then it was time for the second entertainment event, which was at a theater on my block ...


AN EARLY HISTORY OF FIRE, the world premiere of David Rabe’s play that is set in a small Midwestern town whose mores/morals are challenged by the shifting ideology of the early 1960s, as Danny struggles against the grip of his immigrant father, who is clinging to his only son==>A.


I thought it was extremely well-written, mercifully without taking what appeared to be an obvious developing rom-com conclusion. The cast was uniformly excellent. I did find the lead female character, Karen, to be a bit too much over-the-top but this isn’t a serious flaw.


The show is in early previews and will only get better. Billi Pod recommends it.

Well, today is going to be interesting ...


3:10==>YANKEES/TAMPA BAY @ Tropicana Field on YES. This is the opening game of the season for both teams.


It will be a battle of aces as our ace CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.00 ERA) faces their ace James Shields (16-12, 2.82 ERA).


It is now 1:30pm and Billi Pod can hardly wait for the first pitch.


Tonight’s entertainment event is ...


8:00==>THE LYONS - “Linda Lavin stars as the indomitable acid-tongued matriarch of a dysfunctional family at a major crossroads. Her husband is dying, her son is in a dubious relationship and her daughter is barely holding it together.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket).


This show had a very well-reviewed Off Broadway run downtown at The Vineyard Theater. When Billi Pod saw it back on September 2011 this was his report card then ...


“Billi Pod’s report card on THE LYONS==>B<==Linda Lavin saves this from being just another trip down the dysfunctional family lane.


I really wanted to like this show a lot more and but toward the end it got way too formularized, almost cliché ridden, in what is now the mantra for most so-called ‘dark comedies’ about dysfunctional families.”


Yeah ... I know ... but when it showed up on one of my ticket services I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see its’ Broadway reincarnation with a comp. ticket.


Oh ... did I mention that today is the first game of the 2012 season for The Bronx Bombers? I guess I did ... anyway ... time to post this and walk around PHC sucking my thumb until the first pitch.


GO YANKEES!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

ALEX-232

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