Tuesday - I Am So Lucky!!!

Boy, time flies when you are having fun, and make no mistake about it, Billi Pod has been having fun for the past 4 weeks since moving into Penthouse C at 420 W. 42nd Street, in the Greatest City in The World.

Oh God!! I love this apartment. I am sooooooooooo fucking lucky, I really really am. Thank you Higher Power.

Now, let me share with you, my loyal and faithful readers, what my entertainment schedule will be for the next 9 days --

Tuesday - 7:05 - Yankees vs. Seattle

Wednesday - 8:00 - “The Fantasticks” - Off Broadway. This, of course, is the longest running musical in the world, which has moved from its original West Village location to a venue at Broadway and 50th Street. I have seen the show many times but when it came up on one of my services I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see it again, with a free ticket. To refresh your recollection about the show, this is the press blurb: “A new production of The Fantasticks, the world's longest running musical love story features music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. Jones also directs. The musical tells the story of a young boy and girl who fall madly in love at the hands of their meddling fathers, but soon grow restless and stray from one another. Will their separation provide a deeper appreciation for the love they once shared or create a permanent gulf between them?” (complimentary ticket).

Thursday - 7:05 - Yankees vs. Seattle

Friday - 8:00 - “The Rivalry” - Off Broadway. This show has received rave reviews and has been extended several times. I am looking forward to finally getting to see it. “In 1858, two extraordinary men shared a podium to debate issues that would rock the world. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, the nation's most charismatic orators, tackled these historic debates with a fervor and an energy which hypnotized the nation. Using their passionate words, playwright Norman Corwin opens the world of the past with searing intensity and offers a play as trailblazing as the real life characters who inhabit it.” (complimentary ticket).

Saturday - July 4th - 1:05 - Yankees vs. Toronto.

In the evening I will watch the Hudson River fireworks from the roof deck of 420 W. 42nd Street. Awesome.

Sunday - open at the moment.

Monday - 1:05 - Yankees vs. Toronto

Tuesday - 8:00 - “The Unbearable Lightness of Being Taylor Nagron” - Off Broadway. “This new spoken-word fusion of true stories and music is performed by the iconoclastic actor and comedian Taylor Nagron. (discounted TDF ticket).

Wednesday - 7:30 - “The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)” - Off Broadway. “The acclaimed off Broadway hit by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart that has played to sold-out houses across the United Stages, in Canada and on London's West End, will return to New York for a one-night-only performance, on Wednesday, July 8. The evening will benefit the York Theatre Company, the award-winning off-Broadway company that first produced the show, in 2004, in honor of the theatre's 40th Anniversary.”

“The plot is simple: June, an ingénue who can't pay the rent, is threatened by her evil landlord. Will the handsome leading man come to her rescue? In an evening of variations on a theme, this basic plot is musicalized the way Rodgers and Hammerstein might have envisioned it, taking place in Kansas in August, complete with a Dream Ballet. The story is then done in the style of Stephen Sondheim, featuring the landlord as a tortured, artistic genius who slashes the throats of his tenants in revenge because they don't appreciate his art. When presented in the style of Jerry Herman, the story becomes a splashy star vehicle, while the Andrew Lloyd Webber version is a rock musical, with borrowed themes from Puccini. The story is re-told one last time in the style of Kander and Ebb, set in a speakeasy in Chicago. The tone of this evening of satire is loving/irreverent "in a sorry/grateful" kind of way.”

I am a financial supporter of the York Theatre Company. I love this show and saw it multiple times during its run at The York and then at a larger Off-Broadway venue. I have a full price ticket to this show, which includes an after-show reception. Really looking forward to the evening.

On Thursday I have my semiannual PSA and finger-up-the-butt appointment with my urologist. I know - but it is something guys my age have to do. In fact, all guys over the age of 50 should do it on at least an annual basis.

So, my loyal and faithful readers, this is what my upcoming entertainment schedule looks like.

I am working on the stats for the month of June and for the first 6 months of 2009 and hope to post them early next week.

I was gonna post some observations about living in the Westside vs. living in the Eastside but I will save that for later because I have things and stuff to do.

Oh, last night I ordered bedroom stuff online from IKEA - a bed frame, 2 night tables, and a 6 drawer chest. Delivery should be sometime after July 4th.

Hey, anyone want to volunteer to help me assemble this stuff? Anyone??????

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.”

Sunday - Yankees Sweep Mets at Citifield

It was a terrific Sunday evening as The Yankees beat The Mets 4-2 to sweep the 3 game series at Citifield and thereby winning the 2009 Subway Series 5 games to 1.

If you watched the game on ESPN you know that The Mets played bad baseball, as they have for the entire Subway Series, ending up with their closer, K-Rod, walking The Yankee’s closer Mariano Rivera to force in a run, giving “The Sandman” the first RBI of his major league career. It was also Mariano’s 500th career save. Yes, for the past 3 nights Citifield has been “The Land of the Lost” for The Mets.

And speaking of “The Land of the Lost” - this afternoon I finally got around to seeing the Will Farrell movie by the same name, and ... what a MAJOR disappointment. Now, going in I knew that the movie had been trashed by the critics but I like Will Farrell and his brand of humor so I was actually looking forward to seeing it. Man, what a waste of time and money. It wasn’t funny at all. If this pile of T-Rex dung is on your “to-see” list, take it off immediately. You are warned, my loyal and faithful readers, you are warned.

Just a quick note about my “audition” on Friday for the upcoming HSBC (a worldwide mega-bank) commercial - I have no clue how I did. The bit before the casting director took about 10 minutes and when it was over all she did was thank me for auditioning. I totally forgot to ask her how many Extras were being cast or when the decisions would be made. On the plus side, I was able to re-connect with my friends Scott Wojcik and Michael Rodriguez who have offices (separate) in the same suite where the audition studio was located. Great to see you guys!!

OK, it is getting late, so I will post this and crash.

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."

Friday - Billi Pod Has An Audition

On Thursday afternoon I received an email from my friend Scott Wojcik, who is a casting agent, telling about a project a friend of his is working on, casting a commercial for HSBC. This is the information:

“We are seeking Real People (non-actors) for a National Network commercial for HSBC. We prefer that you are NOT a SAG member and have limited to NO television exposure. We are looking for a wide range of people- all ages, ethnicities & genders. Specifically- we would like to find, but not limited to, cowboys, fishermen, elderly, men & woman with dreads. Diversity is a plus!!!!! MUST BE A RESIDENT OF NY STATE! Auditions will be held by appointment on Friday, June 26. This commercial shoots July 16th, with a possible wardrobe fitting beforehand.”

Hummmmmmmm thought I, this sounds interesting, so around 4:00 I sent them an email with my stats and a photo (my blog profile photo actually).

Around 5:30 I got a call asking if I could come to the office of Acting Management, 247 W. 38th Street, 7th floor, at 4:00pm on Friday, today, for an interview/audition. I, of course, said yes.


I have just finished updating my theater bio. As some of you loyal and faithful readers may remember, I was cast as a Background Performer (Extra) in the 2002 movie “Two Weeks Notice,” starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. I was on set at the River Cafe in Brooklyn for 3 nights shooting the gala scene. The back of my head appears in a brief scene involving Bullock, Grant and Donald Trump.

I have not gone to any other casting calls simply because I just didn’t want to get that involved.

I have no clue whether I have a chance to be cast but that doesn’t matter because what I am interested in is being involved in the “process.”

Oh, for your information SAG stands for Screen Actors Guild, a union representing actors.

So, just another page in Billi Pod’s Big Apple Adventures.

Will keep you advised.

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.”

My Ode To Fresca

It is a dark and dreary day in The Big Apple, rain is lightly falling and the forecast is for it to continue into the early evening hours. My show tonight is at 7:00pm and, of course, I will be there regardless of the weather.

But right now I am antsy because the Yankee game is not until tonight and I have no interest in the US Open. I could, of course, work on unpacking some of the boxes I still have stashed in the large main closet, or ... I could work on something to enlighten and entertain you, my loyal and faithful readers ...

Hummmmmmm ... which will it be, I wonder?

I have been a loyal and devoted fan of the soft-drink Fresca for many years. From the time I stopped drinking alcoholic beverages back in March 1990 Fresca has been my drink of choice at home, including meals.

It is not easy to find and when stores stock it there is usually only 2 or 3 12-can cartons available. That is, until Billi Pod makes his appearance, then the demand begins to soar. Unfortunately, Fresca is almost never available in restaurants, so when I am dining out my drink of choice is Diet Coke with a slice of lime or lemon.

But Fresca remains my drink of choice. Luckily for me the Food Emporium across the street from PHC is now well-stocked,

As I write this short (for me) posting I am drinking a
Fresca.

I will now share with you, my loyal and faithful readers, the results of my research into the history of this wonderful nonalcoholic calorie-free fruity beverage --

================================
“Fresca is a brand of citrus soft drink made by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in the United States in 1963, the drink is now sold throughout the world, although it is not widely available outside of North America. Unlike other Coke products, it does not have a Pepsi equivalent.

Since its inception, Fresca has been marketed in the United States as a calorie-free, grapefruit-flavored soft drink, ostensibly catering to discriminating adult tastes. Fresca underwent its major ingredient change in 1985, when its non-caloric sweetener saccharin was replaced by aspartame.

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote that Fresca was the favorite drink of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had a button installed on the desk in the White House's Oval Office which would summon his military aide to bring the drink. In addition, Fresca was the favorite drink of the expansion teams in the NHL during the 1967 season; therefore, Fresca was originally slated to be the sponsor to the NHL the following year. However, the NHL board of governors rejected the proposed sponsorship; this may have played a role in Fresca's failure to break through to the mainstream.

For years, Fresca maintained somewhat of a cult following, similar to Tab, consisting of people who had grown up with the drink, yet it didn't obtain major market appeal. Around the turn of the century (2000), however, Fresca grew in popularity somewhat organically, enough so that it was sufficiently popular for Coca-Cola to take notice.

In 2005, Coca-Cola gave Fresca a more contemporary look, Fresca's first makeover since 1995. Fresca advertising continues to emphasize sophistication. During this redesign, two new flavors were introduced (Sparkling Peach Citrus and Sparkling Black Cherry Citrus) and the original grapefruit flavor was renamed Sparkling Citrus. Subsequently, "Sparkling" was dropped from the name of the first two flavors and the original flavor renamed Original Citrus.

Fresca means "fresh" (feminine form) in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian.”
=========================

You are so very welcome. I report - you decide.

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

Friday - Why Billi Pod Lives in The Greatest City in the World.

Living in The Greatest City in the World is awesome on a day-to-day basis but sometimes even moi becomes a little blasé about the almost unlimited entertainment opportunities that are available only a mouse-click away. Yes, my loyal and faithful readers, I know that my lifestyle isn’t to everyone’s taste and that there are those living in the hinterlands that just don’t understand, but what happened this morning is an example of what I mean.

What do I mean by “mean,” you are no doubt breathlessly asking? Well, today is Friday the 19th of June, meaning a little less than a half of a month to go. This morning in less than 10 minutes of online time I was able to complete my entertainment schedule for 10 of the remaining 12 days/nights of the month. And, almost everything scheduled is either complimentary or at a substantial discount.

So, without further ado, this is what Billi Pod’s Big Apple entertainment schedule looks like for the reminder of the month of June --

Friday - 8:00 - “The Temperamentals” - Off Broadway. “Jon Marans' play tells the story of two men - the communist Harry Hay and the Viennese refugee and designer Rudi Gernreich - as they fall in love while building the first gay rights organization in the United States pre-Stonewall. The play weaves together the personal and political to tell a relatively unknown chapter in gay history. It explores the love between two complex men, as their impossible dream of forming such an unheard of organization becomes a reality in this perilous, unpredictable world.” (discounted TDF ticket). This show has generated great advance word-of-mouth and I am really looking forward to seeing it.

Saturday - 7:00 - “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” - Off Broadway. The press blurb for this show is: “Written by Charles Busch. The show is a send-up of vampiric tales and actress's vanity. The story begins in Sodom, transports us to 1920s Hollywood, and drops us on a modern stage. The rivalry begins in Sodom where a guard is lamenting his social life and a succubus is awaiting a sacrificial virgin. The virgin is turned into a succubus and a 2000 year battle of feminine wiles, toothy marks, and blackmail ensues. It is a mirthful love-hate relationship that sustains them both." (complementary ticket).

Sunday - 3:30 - “#9” - Off Broadway. “#9.” “A musical exploration of the information age and its discontents. (discounted TDF ticket).

7:00 - “Dance of the Seven Headed Mouse” - Off Broadway. “Fault lines are exposed when a seemingly picture-perfect Fifth Avenue family faces the harshest of realities, the death of their daughter. A father turns to work to drown his sorrow, while his wife drifts into a haze of pills and booze. When their surviving child Avril inexplicably drops out of her prestigious New England boarding school, her roommate Juliana arrives for a visit, determined to lure her back. Acting as a catalyst and witness, Juliana exposes the gaping cracks in the family's Upper East Side facade, forcing its three surviving members to engage with one another and the tragedy they share. (discounted TDF ticket).

Monday - 7:30 -”The Tricky Part” - Off Broadway. This is a one-man show written and performed by Martin Moran. “A true story of sexuality, spirituality and the mystery of human experience, this show is one of the most heralded one-man plays in recent memory. Between the ages of 12 and 15, Martin Moran had a sexual relationship with an older man. Now 42 and an established New York actor, he has transformed his story into a journey through the complexities of Catholicism, desire and human trespass.” (discounted TDF ticket).

Tuesday - 8:00 - “Unmitigated Truth: Life, a Lavatory, Loves and Ladies” - Off Broadway. “Emmy Award Winner and Four-time Tony Award Nominee Melvin Van Peebles performs his newly penned show. With his characteristic wit and sharp eye, Van Peebles's latest work candidly recounts the memories of a life well lived, ...well almost, through song. The production also features music director and guitarist William "Spaceman" Patterson and vocalist Carmen Barika.” (complimentary ticket).

Wednesday - 3:00 - “Don’t Leave It All To Your Children” - Off Broadway. “Steve Rossi (who partnered with Marty Allen in the famous Allen & Rossi comedy team), Marcia Rodd (Last of the Red Hot Lovers), Ronnie Schell (Gomer Pyle) and Barbara Minkus (Picon Pie) are the veteran performers featured in this new musical comedy. The show is 85 minutes of music and comedy that celebrates the occasionally bumpy but amusing journey as baby boomers become "seniors".” (discounted TDF ticket)

7:30 - New York Philharmonic Orchestra @ Avery Fisher Hall. This is the last concert program by conductor Lorin Maazel who will be ending his tenure with the orchestra at the end of the month. He is going out in style with this concert which will be Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 “Symphony of a Thousand.” (season subscription series).

Thursday - 7:30 - “Tin Pan Alley Rag” - Off Broadway. “Two of America's greatest composers, Irving Berlin and Scott Joplin, share an evening of fascinating stories and toe-tapping rhythms. This show weaves their tales together into one syncopated rhythm, as two great icons discover they have more in common than they ever imagined." (Roundabout Theater subscription series).

Friday - June 26 - open at the moment

Saturday - 8:00 - “Danny and Sylvia: The Danny Kaye Musical” - Off Broadway. “This new musical stars Helen Hayes Award winner Brian Childers as Danny Kaye and Kimberly Faye Greenberg as his wife and creative partner, Sylvia Fine, who wrote many of his most famous songs. The musical follows the duo from the time the young undisciplined comic Danny Kaminsky meets aspiring songwriter Sylvia Fine at an audition in the 1930s. Under Sylvia's guidance as mentor, manager and, eventually, wife, Kaye rises from improvisational comic to international film star.” (discounted TDF ticket).

Sunday - open at the moment

Monday - 7:30 - “The Umbilical Brothers: Speedmouse” - Off Broadway. I have seen these guys several times and they are truly unbelievable. This is the press blurb: “These toon-like troublemakers mimic sounds, creating a warped world where they whip up another uproarious fiesta of carefully choreographed mayhem. Silly behavior of the highest quality. Up to the minute tomfoolery in the new vaudeville tradition of thinking man's clowns. Like Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd on the set of Terminator." (discounted TDF ticket)

Tuesday - June 30 - 7:05 - Yankees vs. Seattle.

So, to those of you who had the courage and stamina to read this way too long blog from beginning to end, I hope you understand that this is the reason(s) why Billi Pod is, and will forever more be, an awestruck resident of New York City - The Greatest City in The World.

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."

Wednesday - Michael Jackson and Stuff

I’ll probably get into trouble for posting the following item from today’s Cindy Adams (the noted gossip writer) column in The New York Post, but this is it --

“...Our president is black; head of the RNC, Michael Steele, is black; best-known media mogul, Oprah, is black; greatest golfer, Tiger Woods, is black; highest-grossing actor, Will Smith, is black. Michael Jackson must be kicking himself ...”

Anyway ... please remember to write me if I end up in Riker’s Island. Oh, I posted the photo, it wasn't in the column.

Now some comments on my entertainment schedule and events ....

Saturday afternoon was a rather strange musical called “Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe.” starring the respected actor Andre DeShields. I have never been a fan of Moliere’s “Tartuffe” so I can’t really give an unbiased opinion about this show, but, I would call it a so-so performance at best. And, gospel music isn’t high on my list either.
.
Monday night I saw a really interesting one-man show called “The Monthly Nut,” written and performed by James Braly about the difficulties in living and working in NYC. The show has a limited run but I highly recommend it.

Last night’s, Tuesday, entertainment event, Matthew Broderick in “The Philanthropist,” which I described in the last posting, was a MAJOR disappointment. I knew the show had gotten very lukewarm reviews, especially Broderick’s performance, but I went with an open mind because I have liked him in all of the other works I have seen him in.

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, it was one of the most boring shows I have seen in ages and Matthew was simply ... oh what is the word ... simply ... blah. Yes, blah and double blah. At intermission there was a mass exodus to the exit as it appeared as if at least 25% of the audience fled. I came close to joining them but I didn’t. Instead I opted to give Matthew and the cast an opportunity to make Act II interesting. Well, they failed. Act II was just as flat as Act I. Oh well ...

Sunday afternoon I was at Yankee stadium when the Bronx Bombers put a major ass-whipping on the Mets, winning 15-0 against the Mets’ ace pitcher Johan Santana and winning the Subway series 2-1. This was my 15th game of the season and the Yankee’s record for those games is only 8-7. Not one of the 3 games at the new stadium was a sellout and this in and of itself speaks volumes about the wretched decision by Yankee management to price the prime seats out of the reach of almost everyone. It’s called GREED assholes!!!

Tonight, Wednesday, I will head out to the stadium to see the game against the pathetic Washington Nationals. Chien-Ming Wang (0-4) will have what is probably his last shot at remaining in the starting rotation. If he fails his spot will be taken by Phil Hughes.

I have added a show for this coming Saturday, an Off-Broadway show called “#9.” that is described as: “A musical exploration of the information age and its discontents. (discounted TDF ticket).

Finally, let me highly recommend the movie “The Hangover” about a Vegas bachelor party that goes awry when the 3 buddies wake up to find their suite trashed, their memories fuzzy and their soon-to-be-married friend nowhere to be found. Trust me, if you are in a mood to laugh then this is the show for you. If you aren’t, then stay the hell away.

This is just the kind of movie Billi Pod loves and I am really looking foward to “Year One” starring Jack Black and Michael Cera, opening on Friday.

In closing, my loyal and faithful readers - it is hard to believe that I have been in PHC for 2 whole weeks. I am loving it and will write about my thoughts and impressions soon.

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.”

Saturday - Billi Pod's Awesome Upcoming Schedule

Last night was the first game of the 3-game Subway series with The Mets at Yankee Stadium and I was there to watch the improbable ending of a game the Yankees should have lost. If you are a baseball fan you know that the Yankees won 9-8 on a 2-run error committed by Mets 2nd baseman Luis Castillo when he dropped a routine pop-up that should have ended the game. The stadium went wild. We couldn’t believe what we had just seen.

It brought back a memory of something I have never forgotten - a game I was involved in back in Junior High School. We were behind 1 run in the bottom of the 7th (games in Jr. High were only 7 innings), the bases were loaded with two outs. I was on first base. The pitch count to the batter was 3 balls and no strikes and ... I got picked off, ending the game. Our coach and my teammates gave me the silent treatment. Wow - after all of these years I still feel guilty. Some things are never forgotten as I was reminded by one of my classmates at our 55th class reunion.

Anyway - back to other things - I have a ticket to the Sunday afternoon game.

Thus far this season I have seen 14 games at the new stadium and the Yankees record is a rather pathetic 7 and 7 for those games. I will post my thoughts on the new stadium in a later blog.

I can honestly say that Billi Pod has returned to his frenetic entertainment mode. This is what the next 10 days looks like --

Saturday - 3:00 - “Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe” - Off Broadway. “This original play with music is inspired by Moliere's great comic classic and informed by the gloriously unorthodox ministries of Reverend Ike, Daddy Grace, and Rasputin. Set within a fabulously theatrical Harlem Renaissance-era "church", the play explores the outrageously creative criminal mind of the title character through a series of songs, dances, sermons and feats of divine inspiration. The cast is headed by two-time Tony Award nominee André DeShields.” (complimentary ticket). Very early previews.

4:10 - watch the second Yankees/Mets game on TV.

8:00 - The New York Philharmonic Orchestra @ Avery Fisher Hall. The program is Britton’s War Requiem. (discounted TDF ticket)

Sunday - 1:05 - Yankees vs. Mets

Monday - 7:00 - The Monthly Nut” - Off Broadway. “This autobiographical tale performed by James Braly is about the struggle to be a provider, including working at a job he hates to pay for a lifestyle he can’t afford while living a life that makes him miserable so that his family can be happy.” (complimentary ticket). Early previews.

Tuesday - 8:00 - “The Philanthropist” - Broadway. Two-time Tony Award® winner Matthew Broderick (The Producers, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) stars in this biting comedy that turns Molier's The Misanthrope on its cynical ear. Set at an elite British university, The Philanthropist is about nice-guy professor Philip (Broderick), who in refusing to succumb to his colleagues' excessively critical ways winds up destroying his own credibility in the twisted world of academia and in the bedroom.” (Roundabout Theater subscription series).


Wednesday - 7:05 - Yankees vs. Washington Nationals

Thursday - 7:30 - New York Philharmonic Orchestra @ Avery Fisher Hall. The program is: Two works by conductor Lorin Maazel and Sibelius Symphony No.2.(season subscription series)

Friday - 8:00 - “The Temperamentals” - Off Broadway. “Jon Marans' play tells the story of two men - the communist Harry Hay and the Viennese refugee and designer Rudi Gernreich - as they fall in love while building the first gay rights organization in the United States pre-Stonewall. The play weaves together the personal and political to tell a relatively unknown chapter in gay history. It explores the love between two complex men, as their impossible dream of forming such an unheard of organization becomes a reality in this perilous, unpredictable world.” (discounted TDF ticket). This is in early previews.

Saturday - 7:00 - “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” - Off Broadway. The press blurb for this show is: “Written by Charles Busch. The show is a send-up of vampiric tales and actress's vanity. The story begins in Sodom, transports us to 1920s Hollywood, and drops us on a modern stage. The rivalry begins in Sodom where a guard is lamenting his social life and a succubus is awaiting a sacrificial virgin. The virgin is turned into a succubus and a 2000 year battle of feminine wiles, toothy marks, and blackmail ensues. It is a mirthful love-hate relationship that sustains them both.” (complementary ticket). Make no mistake about it - this will be either a love-it or hate-it show, with no middle ground.

Sunday - 7:00 - “Dance of the Seven Headed Mouse” - Off Broadway. “Fault lines are exposed when a seemingly picture-perfect Fifth Avenue family faces the harshest of realities, the death of their daughter. A father turns to work to drown his sorrow, while his wife drifts into a haze of pills and booze. When their surviving child Avril inexplicably drops out of her prestigious New England boarding school, her roommate Juliana arrives for a visit, determined to lure her back. Acting as a catalyst and witness, Juliana exposes the gaping cracks in the family's Upper East Side facade, forcing its three surviving members to engage with one another and the tragedy they share. (discounted TDF ticket). Me thinks this may also fall into the love-it or hate-it category. It is in very early previews.

So, my loyal and faithful readers, I think that you will agree that my upcoming 10 days should be very very interesting.

I also need to report that Gina Falletta, who is married to my oldest grandson Alex, is in The Big Apple with 5 friends (4 gals and 1 guy) for a few days of vacation time. They are having a blast. On Wednesday I was able to meet up with them for dinner at my favorite theater district restaurant, Angus McIndoe on 44th Street. After dinner they came over to PHC to get a peek at my new digs and to see the awesome views. Thanks Gina and your posse for including me in your plans.

Sooooooooooo much more to write about, but this is enough for now.

Go Yankees and Go Gators!!

Billi Pod 

Thursday - Hot Off the Internet

This just in, my loyal and faithful readers, an update on “You Know You Are A Redneck When ...”

“You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree.

You can entertain yourself for more than 15 minutes with a fly swatter.

Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.

You burn your yard rather than mow it.

The Salvation Army declines your furniture.

You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don't want it.

You have the local taxidermist on speed dial.

You come back from the dump with more than you took.”

Yes, it feels soooooooo good to be back in the “I report - you decide” mode. You are so very welcome.

Billi Pod

June 10, 2009 - A New Adventure Begins!!

Yes, I know I have been most remiss in writing newsletters and/or posting to this blog - but I do have an excuse, sorta ...

You see, my loyal and faithful readers, for the past 6 weeks I have been involved in making a decision whether I would renew my lease at 335 E. 51st Street, or, move into a nice 1 BR apartment in the Senior Citizen's Home, The Williams, at 95th Street & West End Avenue, or, select one of the several 1 BR apartments available in a newish high-rise building located at 420 W. 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues. I postponed making my final decision until after I returned from my wonderful trip to Paris to be with my former college roommate David West.

When I got back I decided that I just wasn’t ready for the structured environment of living at The Williams. Maybe some time in the future but not now. My options then were: renew or become a Westsider. I have been an Eastsider the whole time since my Big Apple adventures began back in June 1995. Was I ready to make the change?

I went back to 420 W. 42nd St. to look at their apartments and the leasing agent told me he had a new availability located in the Penthouse section, on the 41st floor. Penthouse!! Holy F@@k!! From an alcove studio to a Penthouse apartment - no way, thought I.

When he opened the door to PHC and I walked in and saw the Northern and Northeast views of The Greatest City in The World, my heart began to race. It was awesome and the apartment was in pristine condition. A spacious 1 BR with breathtaking views, in mint condition, at a rental far below what it was one year ago - Oh My Fucking God!! I asked if I could have 24 hours to think about it and he said yes, but no longer because obviously PHC is a prime location even though the rental market is way down (good for us renters, of course).

Let me make a very difficult decision making process quicker - 4 hours later I called the leasing agent and said I wanted it. OMG!!

Then began the long and arduous process of: jumping through the necessary hoops to get approved; informing my current landlord of my decision (she offered a substantial rent reduction to keep me); arranging a wire transfer of funds for the first and last month’s rent; signing the 1 year lease; sorting, throwing away and packing stuff; and, making moving arrangements with a professional mover.

I moved into PHC on Tuesday, June 2nd. Then began the task of unpacking and settling in. Student/bartender/manager Scott Reed helped me hang some of my art work. Thanks Scotty.

The whole process has been much more stressful than I anticipated. Maybe it is just a result of getting older - whatever - bottom line - Billi Pod has now become a Westsider and is loving it.

This is the building --


This is the northern view --

This is looking down on 42nd Street at the intersection with 9th Avenue.


Why am I here? Well, to begin with, when you walk out of the building door and turn left, right next door is The Little Schubert Theater and next to that is a very nice diner. If you turn right from the building entrance - immediately next door is Playwright’s Horizon Theater (with 2 venues), next to that is the trendy Chez Josephine restaurant, next to that is Theater Row (with 5 venues) and next to that is a pizza place. The Port Authority terminal is a block and a half away. Across the street is a grocery store that comes as close to being a Publix as any store I have seen in Manhattan. And I could go on and on, but ... you get the picture.

I know some of you want to know this: the rent is only $850 more per month than I paid at 335 E. 51st for my alcove studio. Stop your deep breathing - remember - this is New York City.

Interestingly, since June 2nd I have somehow found the time to do the following: 3 Yankee baseball games; 1 Off-Broadway show; and 1 New York Philharmonic concert.

So, my loyal and faithful readers - bottom line - I am alive, well, and very happy to be embarking on a new adventure. I expect to be blogging on a regular basis again.

Go Gators and Go Yankees!!

Billi Pod

PS: This morning I signed an amended lease agreement for 2 years rather than 1 year.

Tuesday - April in Paris

On Wednesday evening I will fly out of JFK headed to Paris to spend 8 days there with my former law school roommate David West, of Gainesville, FL, and Paris, France. My exact schedule and details are:

Wednesday - April 22 07:00pm - depart JFK - Delta #8581
Thursday - April 23 08:35am - arrive Paris - Charles De Gaulle

David West
55 Quai des Grands Augustins
Apartment 1, Building 2
Paris, 75006 France

Telephone when dialing from Paris: 01-77-1054-01
When dialing from outside France: 33-1-77-1054-01

Thursday - April 30 01:35pm - depart Paris - Delta #8550
Thursday - April 30 03:35pm - arrive JFK (hopefully)

I will have my laptop with me and my iPhone, but the iPhone won’t work once I leave the US of A.

On Thursday the 23rd I will celebrate my 75th birthday (barf and double barf - I hate being old).

David has planned a lot of things and stuff for us to do, including some out-of-Paris day trips, the details of which he hasn’t shared with me. I will also have plenty of on-my-own time to revisit some of my favorite museums and art galleries.

I am very pumped about the trip.

Tonight student/bartender/manager Scott Reed is taking me to Randall’s Island for an early birthday party. We will be seeing Cirque du Soleil’s newest show called “Kooza.” Really pumped about this.

And, speaking of being pumped - the past week was really one of the most interesting I have had in a long long time. It was full of towering highs and gut-wrenching lows, experiences of a once-in-a-lifetime nature.

So, my loyal and faithful reader, here are the details --

On Monday the 13th was an outstanding benefit concert called “BROADWAY FOR A NEW AMERICA - Standing Up for Marriage Equality and A Progressive Agenda for Change,” and featured numerous broadway and TV performers including: Stockard Channing, Jim Dale, Kathleen Turner, Rosie Perez, Richard Belzer, Anne Meara, Tovah Feldshuh and Norm Lewis. It was performed at Symphony Space at 95th and Broadway, on the next block from The Williams Residence where I would check in later on in the week for my “introductory visit."

Tuesday was the taping of The Colbert Report at his studio located on West 54th Street, as I mentioned in the last posting. It was quite an experience. The studio seats only 106 people but there were only 25 people ahead of me when I arrived around 4:30 for the 5:30 door-opening. About 5:15 my friends Ben Sears and Justin Pifer arrived. They had also gotten tickets. I was able to sneak them in line with me so we were able to sit together once we finally were admitted into the studio.

I have to comment at this point that the security system was very tight, which included bag/briefcase/etc. searches and walking though a metal detector. Once we passed that we were all crowded into a smallish waiting area, and wait we did for a long time while the rehearsal process was completed. When we finally were let in we were directed to our seats and given instructions about laughing loudly and clapping fast so it would sound like a larger audience.

A semi-funny comedian did a warmup bit and then Colbert came out and talked with us, not in character. He is soooooooo funny. Then it was time for the taping. They had to reshoot his introductory monologue because he made a slip but that was the only “glitch.”

I didn’t check the time when the show began, but once it got started it zipped through. We were outta there at 8:00. As I said it was a very interesting experience and I look forward to seeing the taping of The Jon Stewart Show on July 13th.

Ben, Justin and I walked over to Restaurant Row on 46th Street where we had a great dinner at Joe Allen.

Wednesday night was an outstanding New York Philharmonic concert at Lincoln Center. The program was: Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G; and, Shubert’s Symphony No. 9.

Thursday was Opening Day at the new Yankee Stadium, something I had been anxiously awaiting. Two preseason games were played there but I opted not to get tickets because I wanted my first experience to be at a game that really mattered. The game was against the Cleveland Indians and first pitch was at 1:05 with the Opening Ceremony at noon. I got to the stadium at 11:00 so I would have plenty of time to walk around and check things out. I took lots and lots of pictures on my iPhone which I will share in a later posting.

Now about the stadium - it is as awesome as I expected with the Great Hall being jaw-dropping. My seat location is satisfactory but ... and a huge but ... despite all of the pre-season hype about larger seats and more leg room - not true in my $70 section, in fact, my seat seems to be smaller and more crowded than my comparable Loge seat in the old stadium. Now, I know what some of you are thinking, and, no, I haven’t gotten bigger, in fact, I weigh the same as I did this time last year, the usual 162 pounds.

Everyone around me in my section are season ticket holders and they were all bitching about the seat size and lack of additional leg room. Thank you Yankee Management, thank you so very f-ing much.

But, I was still pumped about the start of the home season until the Yankees tanked, losing 2-10. The one place I would not have wanted to be was in the Owner’s Suite with GeorgeS. Oh well ...

On Friday around 2:00 I checked myself into The Williams Residence for my “introductory visit” to help me make a decision regarding where I will live for the next several years. I will post my thoughts, mostly positive, about this facility when I get back from Paris.

Saturday afternoon was the 2nd game of my 41-game package and the weather was terrific. It took me a little longer to reach The Bronx from my Westside location because of weekend service changes. No matter, I was in my seat in plenty of time to watch ace pitcher Chien-Ming Wang make his 3rd start of the season - he lost the first two starts and pretty much sucked. It felt good when he had an easy first inning and the Yankees took the lead ... then ... OH MY F**KING GOD - what happened next is still difficult for me to process even 3 days later.

If you are a baseball fan you know that Cleveland scored 14 (yes that is the number) runs in the top of the 2nd inning, a record in the history of the Yankee franchise. It was a nightmare that cannot be described. I kept thinking that I had died and was in purgatory, or that someone had slipped LSD into my diet coke - I wish. I stayed in my seat through the end of the 5th inning and then I left it and wandered around the stadium and then left at the end of the 7th inning. To say that the remaining fans were upset is a gross understatement. So, bottom line -- the Yankees lost in record fashion, 4-22, F**K!!

Sunday night was an excellent Off Broadway show called “Offices,” 3 one-act comedies written by Ethan Coen and starring Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham. It was funny and very well performed.

Monday morning I checked out of The Williams Residence and returned to Midtown East, and you know what? It really felt good to be back in my ‘hood, in my building and in my apartment, alcove studio that it may be.

Last night was a special benefit concert at Lincoln Center by the New York Philharmonic, with guest conductor Marvin Hamlisch, called “New York Moments” and featuring Joel Grey, Jennifer Holliday, Kelli O’Hara, Paulo Szot, and ending with Liza Minnelli, who looked and sounded great.

So, my loyal and faithful readers, this is what has been going on in my life in the Big Apple. I need to post this and then get ready to head out with Scott to the Circus, so ...

Paris - here I come.

Billi Pod

PS: I just got back from the Circus and had a great time. Thank you Scott. You are a good and caring friend!!

Tuesday - Billi Pod Is Alive And Well In The Big Apple.

I know that it has been a long time since I posted to this blog and I do appreciate the emails and telephone calls from you, my loyal and faithful readers, about what is going on in my life.

Why haven’t I posted? Well, the simple truth is - I have had a lot of “stuff” going on, mostly in my head, and I just haven’t felt like writing about it until I sorted through most of it and made some tentative decisions. Rest assured - it has nothing to do with either my physical or mental health, that I promise you.

OK - this is it - I have decided not to renew my lease on my alcove studio. My lease is up on July 31st and I have been here for 8 years. Before moving to 51st Street I was in a studio (known as the “dorm room”) on the 4th floor of a walkup building on 53rd Street, for 2 years. This means I have been in a studio apartment for the last 10 years.

I love the location of my current apartment, the building and the staff. The apartment itself is in need of some major upgrading, which will be a huge pain in the ass for whoever is occupying it.

The main reason for making a change, however, is my determination that I am no longer in NYC on “vacation.” I admitted to myself that I am a full-time resident of the Big Apple and as a resident I need more space. I have grown tired of living in a motel room/suite. I also acknowledged to myself that I really want to stay in NYC for the remainder of my life, however long (or short) that may be.

So, I have been 1 BR apartment hunting and have pretty much narrowed down my choices to: apartments in a new high-rise building located on West 42nd Street, in the heart of the theater district, or a Senior facility known as The Williams Memorial Residence, located at the corner of West 95th Street and West End Avenue and run by the Salvation Army. No 1 BR’s are available in my current building.

OK - stop it - take a deep breath and go to the website: www.salvationarmy-newyork.org/housing/williams

I am considering a very nice and large 1 BR located on the 15th floor, the top floor. The rent includes: 2 meals a day (required); all utilities; weekly maid service; security; and, many in-house activities.

I have been approved by this facility, having passed the examination by the Admission’s Committee and passed the physical exam requirements. This coming Friday through Monday morning I will be staying there as part of what is called “an introductory visit.” This will be in one of their guest rooms and will include 3 meals a day.

I think I need to emphasize - this is not, repeat NOT, a nursing home. It is a well-maintained facility directed at healthy and financially secure seniors who are at least 50 years old.

Yes, I know this would be a MAJOR lifestyle change but it is what I am considering under circumstances where I will be making the final decision, not someone else (read between the lines). Luckily I have some time before I have to make my final decision(s). However, next week I am going to notify my landlord that I will not be renewing my lease.

Now, on to other stuff, briefly. Of course, I have been going and doing lots of things. So far the highlight for this month was a wonderful Easter Dinner Sunday with my theater buddies Michael Pederson and Dennis Dohman, and some of their longtime friends, at M & D’s apartment in Chelsea. Thank you guys!!
Today I will see a taping of The Colbert Report. I am really pumped over this. I have to be at the studio not later than 5:15. To be safe I plan to get there around 4:30 because it is still on a first-come-first-served basis even though I have a "reservation."

Thursday afternoon is the Opening Day at the new Yankee Stadium - awesome!! I will take lots of pics and will post some of them here.

In closing - on Wednesday, April 22 I will leave JFK to fly to Paris to spend 8 days with my former law school roommate David West, in his new apartment across the Seine from The Louvre - awesome, again!! My 75th birthday (damn and double damn - I hate being old) is on the 23rd.

When I return I will make the final decision(s) about where Billi Pod’s next pad will be.

Go Yankees!!

Billi Pod

Tuesday - The New York Times vs. Saint Bobby Bowden

Good morning my many loyal and faithful readers. I know that most of you read the New York Times on a daily basis, but for those of you dwelling in the hinterlands, I have taken this opportunity to post an article in today’s Times regarding Saint Bobby Bowden aka the head football coach at Florida State University.
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“BOBBY BOWDEN FUMBLES CHANCE AT GREATER LEGACY -By Harvey Araton. Published: March 24, 2009

Presented with the opportunity to forge a legacy as a teacher with integrity, Bobby Bowden has chosen to stand for his record as a football coach.

Given a chance to take one not for the team but with the team, Bowden has opted for a common 21st-century American alibi: I’m in charge, but don’t hold me accountable for what’s going on.

The specter of losing as many as 14 victories from his grand total of 382 has moved Bowden to accuse the N.C.A.A. of “killing a flea with a hammer.” If he believes that institutional classroom cheating is an insect on the face of big-time college football, it is time for Bowden, 79, to flee Florida State.

Let me add that I have never been of the opinion that Bowden or Penn State’s Joe Paterno — three years his senior and one career victory his superior — were too old to coach or deserved to be run from their campuses by Sunday morning quarterbacks and chat room quacks. They had won too much, given too much, to their respective universities to be dismissed because their programs fell from championship-contender grace.

Bowden won nine games last season, paling next to the national championship that Florida’s Urban Meyer won, but no dadgum disgrace. The real dishonor is in how he has tried to distance himself from the involvement of nearly two dozen of his players in a cheating scandal involving a total of 61 Florida State athletes in 10 sports.

Earlier this month, the N.C.A.A.’s committee on infractions responded to Florida State’s internal investigation and admission of academic impropriety by imposing probation for four years, taking away a small number of scholarships and vacating the victories in which the offending athletes participated in the 2006 and 2007 sports seasons.

On cue, Florida State said it would appeal the vacated victories in all the sports, but anyone who can count to 383 knows why. Thanks to its president, T. K. Wetherell, a former Seminoles football player, the university has put itself in the position of appearing to value Bowden’s duel with Paterno for immortal glorification more than its academic credibility.

“To hold coaches accountable for something they had nothing to do with and didn’t know anything about, to penalize teams two years later when people have already graduated and don’t even know that they were involved, just flat-out isn’t right,” Wetherell said at a news conference last week.

In a letter to Myles Brand, the president of the N.C.A.A., Wetherell suggested the formation of a blue-ribbon panel to review the policy of vacating victories as a form of punishment — now that his university is suddenly in violation of said policy.

Before a Florida State media-relations attendant could intervene, he also went off on an emotional rant that included what The Orlando Sentinel called “an elaborate hypothetical story involving Florida quarterback Tim Tebow” meant to illustrate Wetherell’s disdain for the way the N.C.A.A. handled aspects of its ruling in the academic fraud case.

Sounds like a president who could benefit from the guiding hand of a higher authority. Too bad. When Bowden needed an explanation of the facts of administrative life, he got the common vilification of the N.C.A.A. When he needed an adviser, he got an enabler.

Wetherell’s assertion that Bowden had no knowledge of papers being written and test answers provided for athletes taking an online music course doesn’t excuse either of them. It just makes you wonder how excessive the culture of athletic entitlement at Florida State had become under their watch.

In its annual academic progress report for Football Bowl Subdivision teams that participated in bowl games last fall, the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida had Florida State graduating 69 percent of its football players over a six-year period, compared with an overall student-athlete rate of 80 percent. Not bad on both accounts, but if Seminoles needed fixers to pass Culture of World Music, what was done for them in classes that involved a bit more brainpower than distinguishing the Beatles’ hits from those of the Dave Clark Five?

Now, it is quite possible that the N.C.A.A., in the final analysis, will not have the stomach to proclaim the Bowden-Paterno winner by news release. Oklahoma won a similar appeal of vacated victories in 2005. But by not challenging the vacated victories, Florida State and Bowden could have separated themselves from the operational standard in big-time college sports, which university and coach typically interpret as such:

When student-athletes screw up, they are young adults who must be accountable. When they win big, Coach deserves an upgraded contract for the job he did with his “kids.”

Paterno aside, Bowden’s field legacy was never in question, but he missed a higher calling. He could have said, “My program, my recruits, my responsibility.” He would have deserved a silver medal.”
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I only report - you decide.

Billi Pod

Men vs. Women - a biased report

In the name of fair and impartial reporting I have to share with you, my loyal and faithful readers, something that is making the internet rounds, obviously written and circulated by the Feminazi crowd who are still having problems dealing with the inherent differences between males and females. This is it:



He said . . . I don't know why you wear a bra; you've got nothing to put in it.
She said .. . You wear pants don't you?

He said .. . .Shall we try swapping positions tonight?
She said . . That's a good idea - you stand by the ironing board while I sit on the sofa.

He said . . .. What have you been doing with all the grocery money I gave you?
She said . Turn sideways and look in the mirror!

On a wall in a ladies room . .. "My husband follows me everywhere."
Written just below it, "I do not."

Q. How many honest, intelligent, caring men in the world does it take to do the dishes?
A. Both of them.

Q. How does a man show that he is planning for the future?
A. He buys two cases of beer.

Q. What is the difference between men and government bonds?
A. The bonds mature.

Q. Why are blonde jokes so short?
A. So men can remember them.

Q How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?
A. We don't know; it has never happened.

Q. What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is every night?
A. A widow.

Q. Why are married women heavier than single women?
A. Single women come home, see what's in the fridge and go to bed. Married women come home, see what's in bed and go to the fridge.

Q. What is the one thing that all men at singles bars have in common?
A. They're married.

Man says to God: "God, why did you make woman so beautiful?"
God says: "So you would love her."
But God," the man says, "why did you make her so dumb?"
God says: "So she would love you."

Even though my responsibility is to report and then leave it to you well-educated and unbiased readers to form your own opinion(s), I do feel it is appropriate for me, just this once, to make the following "personal" observation:

With that, I still only report - you decide.

Billi Pod

March 18, 2009 - 19 Years of Sobriety

Today is a very important day for me because it is the anniversary of my 19th year of sobriety. As I reflect on the events of the past 19 years it is apparent to me that much has changed in me, almost all of it for the better.

I guess the most important change has been my ability to live my life by one of the fundamental teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous, that is, "One Day At A Time." This concept was totally foreign to me prior to March 18, 1990. Now, on reflection, it was the major thing that saved me during that first tumultuous and frightening year when it seemed that my world was crashing down around me. People who I thought were my friends were calling for my resignation, my young grandchildren were being approached by aggressive reporters and my home was being picketed by the KKK.

I think I survived, especially during that first terrible year, because I came to believe that my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, would not deal me more than I could handle on any one day. I also began to make my way through the AA program by working the suggested 12 Steps Of Recovery, which are:

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1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.
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As I have written before, at my retirement party in January 1995 I made reference to the role of Alcoholics Anonymous in my recovery by reading the following from the book called "Twenty-Four Hours A Day" --
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YESTERDAY, TOMORROW, AND TODAY

“There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension. One of these days is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone beyond recall.

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise, and perhaps its poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - today. Any one can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burden of those two awful eternity's, yesterday and tomorrow that we break down. It is not the experience of today that drives us mad. It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday or the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Let us therefore do our best to live but one day at a time.” Twenty-Four Hours a Day, July 29, 30, and 31
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This is how I have attempted to live my life for the past 6,935 days.

I deeply regret that 5 dear friends, David Patterson, Ray Coker, Marvin Mounts, Tom Macdonald, and Randy Bentley, who were with me at the beginning of my first steps toward recovery, are no longer able to share with me the wonderment of these 6,935 days lived One Day At A Time. I miss you guys, I really do. I also must add that none of this time in recovery would have been possible without the continued support of my family and so many of you loyal and faithful readers. Thank you so very much.

To my NYC AA buddies, and you know who you are, thank you for allowing me to stand beside you during these difficult and trying times. Together we will survive, in sobriety.

In closing - not to preach but aren’t the 12 Steps and One Day At A Time, in and of themselves, pretty good guides to living a meaningful and manageable life?

I report - you decide.

Bill

Billi Pod's Next 13 Days in the Big Apple

Good afternoon everyone. Wow!! In checking my daily log I find that I have already scheduled entertainment events for 12 out of the 13 upcoming days. Wow!! And, what an interesting array of events, so ... without further delay, this is Billi Pod’s upcoming schedule, starting with tonight:

Thursday - March 12 - 8:00 - “Rumspringa” - Off Broadway. “On a cold December night, 57 year old married software executive, Steve meets 28 year old surfer, Brandon on Southwest flight 1049 from LAX to Chicago. Brandon is on his way to visit a love interest, Cecily, an expatriate riverboat casino blackjack dealer living in Joliet, Illinois. Meanwhile, an ominous rave party is percolating in a nearby Indiana cornfield - organized by a large group of rebellious Amish teenagers. These events set the stage for "Rumspringa", a dark comedy that explores the temptation in all of us to see what it's like on the outside of our own lives - and what can be gained or lost through such an exploration.” (complimentary ticket).

Friday - 8:00 - “The Unseen” - Off Broadway. “The Unseen is a psychological potboiler about two prisoners trying to crack the code of their cryptic imprisonment by a brutal, totalitarian regime. Only familiar to each other by their voices, the two men keep each other mentally and emotionally going through the cell walls as they share stories of their interrogations and torture, putting the pieces together about who their captors are and what it would take to get out. The puzzle is further complicated with the introduction of a new prisoner placed near them who only poses more questions than answers.” (complimentary ticket).

Saturday - 8:00 - “Christine Jorgensen Reveals” - Off Broadway. “Christine Jorgensen was born George Jorgensen, Jr. on May 30th, 1926 to unsuspecting middle-class Danish-American parents in the Bronx. She was drafted into an unsuspecting United States Army where she served out her time at a desk at Fort Dix in New Jersey from 1948 to 1950. She then flew to Copenhagen, Denmark where she was re-born as Christine Jorgensen, the first American transsexual. In 1958 Christine Jorgensen walked into a recording studio in New York and allowed herself to be interviewed - for 51 minutes. Arguably the most revealing, truthful and riveting 51 minutes ever set down on vinyl. Christine Jorgensen Reveals is a one-man-tour-de-force-painstakingly-accurate-reincarnation of those searing and revolutionary 51 minutes.” (complimentary ticket).

Sunday - 3:00 - “Reasons to be Pretty” - Broadway. “Neil LaBute's bristling new comic drama transfers to Broadway. Americas obsession with physical beauty is confronted headlong in this challenging new play. A tight-knit social circle is thrown into turmoil when Greg's offhanded remarks about a female coworkers pretty face (and his girlfriend's lack thereof) get back to said girlfriend. He and his friends are forced to confront a sea of deceit, infidelity and betrayed trust in their journey to answer that oh-so-American question: How much is pretty worth?” (discounted TDF ticket).

I saw this show during its Off Broadway run and liked it a lot. It will be interesting to see how it transfers to Broadway.

Monday - 8:00 - “Distinguished Concert Series” @ Alice Tully Hall. This Lincoln Center venue has undergone a multi-year renovation and has just re-opened. It is now breathtakingly beautiful and this will be my first visit since it reopened a couple of weeks ago. The concert will feature The Kansas City Chorale and The Phoenix Chorale. (complimentary ticket).

Tuesday - 8:00 - “Hedda Gablor” - Broadway. This is the press blurb: “Mary-Louise Parker heads the cast this new Broadway production of Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece. A woman of dangerous independence restrained by a conventional marriage, the newly married Hedda mourns the freedom and excitement of her former life by indulging in a cruel game, amusing herself with the misfortune she inflicts on those around her.” (Roundabout Theatre subscription series).

The show has gotten generally favorable reviews.

Wednesday - this is an important day for me because it is the anniversary of my 19th year of sobriety. Will write much more about this later.

7:30 - New York Philharmonic @ Avery Fisher Hall. This is the program: “Israeli percussion duo PercalDu is featured in the U.S. premiere of ‘Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!,’ a flamboyant concerto by Avner Dorman, conducted by Zubin Mehta. Assuring that no one on stage feels left out of the action, the program is completed with Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.” (subscription series)

Thursday - 8:00 - “The Toxic Avenger” - Off Broadway. “He's New Jersey's first Superhero and he takes to the stage in this rock 'n roll monster of a comedy. Thrown into a vat of toxic goo by two bullies, a mild-mannered science student named Melvin Ferd the Third is reborn as a one-of-a-kind environmental crusader, The Toxic Avenger! Armed with superhuman strength and a heart as big as Newark, he's out to save New Jersey, end global warming and woo the prettiest, blindest librarian in town.” (discounted TDF ticket).

This sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?

Friday - 8:00 - I have been invited to the final performance of “Enter Laughing” at the York Theater and it includes an invitation to the closing night party with the cast and crew. This will be the 7th time I have seen the show since it first appeared at the York Theater 2 1/2 years ago as a staged reading. I am going to miss it. I had previously scheduled a Chorale Concert at Avery Fisher Hall so I will give the ticket to the nice lady who lives on my floor (not in 1-B).

Saturday - 8:00 - “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” - Broadway. This is the second play of August Wilson’s Century Cycle - “Set in 1911, Joe Turner's Come and Gone tells the story of Herald Loomis who, after serving seven years hard labor, journeys North with his young daughter and arrives at a Pittsburgh boarding house filled with memorable characters who aid him in his search for his inner freedom.” (discounted TDF ticket).

I think this is the 3rd preview performance.

Sunday - March 22 - open at the moment (How can this be, you ask? Just give me time - it will be filled. I promise.)

Monday - 8:00 - “Rock of Ages” - Broadway. This show had a very successful run Off Broadway and I saw it with Sandy Mullon of Anna Maria, FL, during her brief visit in the City last summer. It has now transferred to Broadway and is in very early previews. The press blurb is: “In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker and in LA's most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the 80s. It's Rock of Ages , an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and many more. Don't miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on.” (discounted TDF ticket).

Tuesday - 8:00 - “Why Torture is Wrong, and the People who Love Them” - Off Broadway. “Back at The Public for another world premiere of a new play, Christopher Durang turns political humor upside down with this raucous and provocative satire about Americas growing homeland "insecurity. The play tells the story of a young woman suddenly in crisis: Is her new husband, whom she married when drunk, a terrorist? Or just crazy? Or both? Is her father's hobby of butterfly collecting really a cover for his involvement in a shadow government? Why does her mother enjoy going to the theater so much? Does she seek mental escape, or is she insane? Honing in on our private terrors both at home and abroad, Durang oddly relieves our fears in this black comedy for an era of yellow, orange, and red alerts.” (discounted TDF ticket).

I know, I know - I have many times observed that when works are described as either a “dark” comedy or a “black” comedy, the result is 99.9% of the time much much more dark/black than comedic. I have a gut feeling that this show will fall in the “love-it or hate-it” category. We will see.

So, in closing, my loyal and faithful readers, you are now up-to-date on Billi Pod’s entertainment schedule for the next 13 days.

I have also almost completed a posting about the past week’s entertainment frenzy, which I will post tomorrow, hopefully.

Go Gators and Go Yankees!!

Billi Pod