Sunday, November 23, 2014

College Football - Ureuk Symphony Orchestra - The Belle of Amherst - The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever


Sunday==>Your favorite blogger hopes that everyone out there in the boondocks, wastelands and hinterlands is having an excellent weekend.

I am happy to report that Billi Pod’s weekend is going well, having started off with The Gators totally meaningless 52-3 win over Eastern Kentucky, a school with a total enrollment of 13,891 versus almost 50,000 for the U. of Fla.

Lots and lots of empty seats in The Swamp.

So ... goodbye Coach Muskrat. I hear there is an opening at Dothan Alabama High School ... you should check it out.

In all honesty I gotta say that the FSU/BC game was the most interesting game to watch. It was another nail-biter for The ‘Noles, who won 20-17 on a 26-yard field goal with only 3 seconds remaining.

The ‘Noles remain undefeated and will play my Gators on Saturday @ 3:30 from Choke Campbell Stadium, carried on ESPN.

In the ensuing days you can expect Billi Pod’s candid thoughts on this game ... so ... stay tuned.

Now ... let’s move on to Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s entertainment event ...

A classical music concert ...

UREUK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA @ Merkin Hall - The program was:

Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 20;
Koussevitzky - Contrabass Concerto;
Reinecke - Flute Concerto; and,
Beethoven - Symphony No. 8

This was another outstanding concert and a totally enjoyable evening.

For me the highlights were Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, performed by Chiyoon Chung, and, of course, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8.

My comp. seat was in the mezzanine, second row, house left and that was perfect.

Just a bit of background regarding The Ureuk Symphony Orchestra, named after the 6th century Korean musician and inventor: “It is a medium size orchestra of about forty musicians. Based in New York, the members of the orchestra are primarily students from the music conservatories of New York, the Juillard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Mannes College of Music, but also includes young professional New York musicians.”

Yes, the orchestra did an outstanding job and I left Merkin Concert Hall with a big smile on my face. This was just what I wanted/needed.

This brings us to today, which is another entertainment doubleheader for your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

First is an Off Broadway show in my immediate Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood ...

3:00==>THE BELLE OF AMHERST - “Emily Dickinson welcomes audiences into her lifelong Amherst homestead in mid-19th century Massachusetts. While Dickinson found solace in solitude through much of her life, acclaimed playwright William Luce weaves her poems, diaries, and letters into a one-woman portrait of one of America’s greatest and most prolific poets, mixing Dickinson’s encounters with close friends and family with the poet’s own, often amusing observations.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This one-woman show stars Joely Richardson, who is Vanessa Redgrave’s daughter. It received basically favorable reviews. For some reason I had been putting off seeing it but when I noticed that this afternoon is its final performance I had to book it.

It is playing at The Westside Theatre on West 43rd Street, one block North of my apartment building, has a running time of 1:40, with intermission, and the final performance is this afternoon @ 3:00pm.

When the show is over I will come back to the warm and cozy confines of PHC for my usual fruit and cheese snack and then it will be time for my second entertainment event ... something that couldn’t be more different from The Belle ...

The Off Broadway show, also in my immediate Hell’s kitchen ‘hood ... 

7:00==>THE GAYEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER - “The story centers on a struggling gay theater company in West Hollywood and its quest to stage ‘the gayest Christmas pageant ever.’ But when they're left without a script at the last minute, the theater's drama-addicted cast and crew must try to pull off their very own Christmas miracle.” (Off Broadway - $9.00 TDF ticket)

This self-proclaimed “gay-madhouse” has played in most of the major US cities, receiving mostly rave reviews.

It is playing at The Producers Club on West 44th Street, has a running time of 1:25, without intermission, and the final performances for the limited run are Sunday night @ 7:00pm and 9:15pm.

OK ... time to post this, finish reading the 3 Sunday papers and then get ready to start my doubleheader.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.28 miles (or, 9,368 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>1,318.26 miles (average 4.04 miles per day)

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.”

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