Friday, February 14, 2014

Weather Report/MURDER FOR TWO/MALPRACTICE MAKES PERFECT


On this Friday morning your favorite blogger is happy to report that it is a beautiful bright and sunny day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. At 8:30am the temperature was 35º, wind chill 25º.

But, and a huge but, the sidewalks, intersections and crosswalks are a total mess from yesterday’s snow and rain and there is a possibility of more snow tomorrow.

As I posted yesterday, at the last minute I booked an Off Broadway show at a venue up on West 50th Street, mostly because I wanted to see my theater-buddy Marty Kosarik aka Whatever and I was also suffering from cabin fever. I had earlier canceled a show that was way downtown in the East Village.

I felt pretty safe with this booking because I could ride the E train one stop up to 50th Street, meaning my exposure to the elements would be limited to the short walk from my apartment to The Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) and another short walk from the 50th Street subway station to the theater.

Just before it was time to head out I looked out my 41st floor window to check the intersection at 42nd and 9th Avenue and everything looked good with, apparently, little accumulation. So ... out I went ... and ... when I got to the intersection ...

WTF!! The reason it looked clear from my window was because I was seeing the reflection off of the standing water that had turned the entire intersection into a frigid pool atop black ice. OMFG!! It was terrible, and that is an understatement.

Somehow I finally made it across the street but my feet were freezing because I had to wade through the ankle deep water and slush. The short walk to the PABT was over a very slippery sidewalk.

When I got to the 50th Street station I found about the same condition(s) at the 50th and 8th Avenue intersection.

I have to admit that when I finally got to the theater the thought was swirling through my head that this was perhaps one of the dumbest things I had done during my entire tenure in The Big Apple.

But, I was there. Marty arrived and we had time to do some much needed catching up.

Now, about the show ... 

MURDER FOR TWO, a hilarious musical murder mystery with a twist: one actor investigates the crime, the other plays all of the suspects==>A

In the story line a police officer and wannabe detective named Marcus Moscowicz is trying to solve the murder of Arthur Whitney, a famous mystery writer who made the fatal mistake of using friends and neighbors as characters in his novels, without their knowledge and/or permission.

Marcus is played by Brett Ryback and Joe Kinosian (who also wrote the book and music) plays all of the suspects - the deceased’s widow and niece, three choirboys, the bickering couple next door, a ballerina and the psychiatrist of all of the above (including the investigating detective).

Both performers play the piano, alone and together. They do an outstanding job.

The show is very very funny and well-performed. I totally enjoyed all of it, especially how Kinosian moves between characters.

There was a good house, especially on a “snow-night,” and everyone seemed to be enjoying it a lot. It earns its highly favorable reviews, including a rave in The New York Times.

Marty liked the show, but apparently not as much as I did because he gave it a B-.

Billi Pod says==>if you need a good laugh, then see this show.

It is playing at New World Stages on West 50th Street, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and runs through July 6th.

I am happy to report that on the trip back to the apartment I took another route from the PABT that kept me out of most of the water and slush.

Moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is another “Musical’s In Mufti” presentation by The York Theatre ...

8:00==>MALPRACTICE MAKES PERFECT - “A woodcutter is manipulated by his spiteful wife to impersonate a brilliant doctor. Called to an emergency case - a lovely young woman who feigns sickness to avoid her impending marriage - the ‘doctor’ prescribes a perfect remedy for an uproarious situation.” (Off Broadway - discounted TDF ticket)

As I said, this is part of the York Theatre’s Musicals in Mufti Series, and, as you now probably know “Mufti” (pronounced MUFF’tee) means “in street clothes, without the usual trappings.” The show is presented script-in-hand, with minimal staging and props.

The show is playing at The York Theatre @ The Citigroup Center on East 54th Street and has remaining performance dates of tonight @ 8:00pm; Saturday @ 2:30pm & 8:00pm; and, Sunday @ 2:30pm & 7:30pm.

Have a great weekend everyone ... and ...

STAY WARM!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.57 miles (or, 5,625 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>131.92 miles (average 3.00 miles per day)

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

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