Harold and Maude==>A+

Happy Sunday to everyone out there in the wastelands, hinterlands and boondocks.

OK ... let’s get right to it with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s entertainment event HAROLD AND MAUDE - Musicals in Mufti Series @ York Theatre, about the quintessential May-December romance that begins when a death-obsessed teenager, Harold, meets Maude, 79, at a funeral==>A+

Folks, once you get over the kinda uncomfortable story line, this is a totally awesome production, complete with a 5-piece orchestra and a running time of 95 minutes, without intermission.

Tom Jones did the book and lyrics and the music is by Joseph Thalken (both men were in the audience). I particularly liked “Song in My Pocket” which was reprised to end the show.

The chemistry between the two leads, Matt Dengler and Cass Morgan, was apparent. I thought that Dengler’s portrayal of Harold was spot-on==>both believable and interesting. He has a great voice and stage presence for such a young performer.

Donna English, Steve Routman, and the very funny Donna Lynne Champlin provide strong support.

I left the show with a huge smile on my face. Unfortunately, the limited run ends today, with performances at 2:30 and 7:30 and I understand that tickets are still available. I hope it finds a life later on, maybe back at The York.

Moving on ...

One of the things I love about being a news junkie living in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, is the headlines and story lines in the local newspapers. For example ... here are the headlines regarding the reported recent Secret Service “screwup” in Colombia ...

“STIFFED! Bam’s Secret Service men tried not to pay Colombian prostitutes.” - front page Daily News

“SECRETLY SERVICED. Agent disputed payment with hooker.” - inside headline Daily News

“SECRET SERVICED. Agent shames US by stiffing hooker.” - front page NY Post

“HO-LOMBIA TWIST - Secret Service hooker flap over $47 (or just 83,475 naughty lil’ pesos)” - inside headline NY Post

“Secret Service Agents Accused of Misconduct” - buried inside the NY Times

Don’t you just love it?

Yes ... The Bronx Bombers got their butts kicked yesterday afternoon when Phil Hughes had his second consecutive sucky performance. Beware Phil, one more and it’s probably back to the bullpen for you. The final score of 7-1 does not adequately reflect how out-of-the-game the Yankees were. Nothing worked, and that is putting it mildly.

And ... of course ... Billi Pod’s entertainment event for this evening is ... tada ...

8:05==>YANKEES/LA ANGELS @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed and Ego Built. This is the rubber game of the series and Ivan Nova will be on the mound. The weather is supposed to be good, a forecast of 72º at game time.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN so it will last forever and ever, meaning that with the reduced Sunday subway schedules ... God only knows when I will get back to PHC.

WOW!! At 11:00am 6 fire trucks pulled up to a building on 42nd street, just East of PHC. The sirens were screaming. I had a perfect view. I could see nothing coming from the building, which is a low-rent subsidized apartment complex. After about 15 minutes the firemen streamed out of the building and now, at 11:30, all of the trucks are gone. I assume it was a false alarm.

Good way to say==>have a great rest of the weekend everyone!

GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-241