I got back to my E. 51st Street apartment at 3:15pm on Saturday and I am happy to report that The Norris Travel Curse did not raise its ugly head on my return flight from Orlando. I was even able to score an exit row seat.
It felt soooooooo good to be back home. I sorted through the accumulated mail, went to the grocery story to restock fresh fruit and Fresca and then to a local pizza place to get a slice and a sausage and pepper roll for later.
I had a show scheduled for the evening, something I don’t usually do on the evening I return from out-of-town trips but the show sounded so interesting that I decided to give it a chance. It was a workshop performance by the cutting edge LAByrinth Theater Company (and, yes, that is how it is spelled, it is not a typing error) at The Public Theater at Astor Place. As a note, the co-Artistic Director is Philip Seymour Hoffman who won all kinds of awards for his portrayal of Truman Capote.
The show, Sweet Storm, is set in September 1960 in Lithia Springs, FL. The story-line blurb is: “In SWEET STORM, rain clouds and a heavy wind blow love, revelation and honesty into the lives of two tree-bound newlyweds in a story of a honeymoon in a treehouse,” but that doesn't do the show justice. The male is a late 20s preacher who built the tree house as a honeymoon surprise for his virginal paraplegic new wife. It was really eerie to hear references to Brandon, Tampa, Clearwater and St. Pete. The show was excellent and it got a roaring standing ovation from the sold-out house. I feel rather confident it will have an Off-Broadway run. I had a complimentary ticket.
On Sunday I had another brush with Philip Seymour Hoffman when I saw a one performance benefit production by the LAByrinth Theater Company of the award winning show “Jesus Hopped the A Train,” at Town Hall. It was directed by Hoffman and was a reunion of the original cast. It is set in Riker's Island - “Angel and Lucius are in lock-down, spending all but one hour a day in their cells. That hour they spend outdoors "together", albeit in separate chain-link cages. Lucius is a serial killer awaiting extradition to Florida for execution; he has found God. Angel is a rough but essentially good young man awaiting trial for shooting a religious cult leader who got his grip around Angel's best friend. He didn't intend for the man to die -- his defense is that he shot him in the ass -- but he died. Confused, traumatized and filled with rage, Angel doesn't know himself, much less God.” I had a complimentary ticket. It was a great show.
Monday was another two show day/night. In the afternoon I saw a staged reading (with a complimentary ticket) to a show called “The Onion Man,” about a dysfunctional English family whose father, the head of an onion farm, wants to break away from the farm, his nagging wife and the world in general by become a first-time novelist. His novel is about his dysfunctional marriage and his dysfunctional family. It was very funny.
Then for the evening was a Broadway show, “Cirque Dreams - Jungle Fantasy,” in previews - “This exotic circus extravaganza is inspired by natures unpredictable creations and features an international cast of 25 soaring aerialists, spine-bending contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians. The astounding feats are enhanced with over 150 spectacular costumes and set in a fantastical jungle ignited by striking visual effects, including an aerial ballet of butterflies, balancing giraffes, gigantic flowers and trees.” The advance buzz on this show has been good and I certainly agree. It is the ideal family show but with plenty of adult humor too. The performances are breathtaking. I had an excellent seat, 5th row, Orchestra. (discounted TDF ticket).
OK, that brings us up-to-date. So, this is what the upcoming two weeks will be for me -
June 24 - Tuesday - 8:00 - Ringo Starr and his All Star Band @ Radio City Music Hall. (full price ticket).
June 25 - Wednesday - 2:00 - "Reason to be Pretty" - “Greg's tight-knit social circle is thrown into turmoil when his offhanded remarks about a female coworkers pretty face (and his girlfriends lack thereof) get back to said girlfriend. But that's just the beginning. As their relationship crumbles, their friends are pulled into the fray, and all 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);
7:30 - New York Philharmonic Orchestra Summertime Classics - “Moscow on the Hudson.” (complimentary ticket).
June 26 - Thursday - 7:00 - “The Cocktail Hour” - “In A.R. Gurney's delightful play, a writer returns home to ask permission of his parents to produce a show that he has written about them. Over cocktails, the family rehashes old slights and reopens old wounds but, with unflagging humor, they look toward the future.” (discounted TDF ticket)
June 27 - Friday - 8:00 - Yankees vs. Mets @ Shea Stadium
June 28 - Saturday - noon - meet Gordon Warner of Tavares, FL, and his new significant other for lunch
June 29 - Sunday - noon - Gay Pride Parade. I will probably march with the GMHC group this year;
7:30 - “Forbidden Broadway Dances With Stars” - “This special summer edition features past favorites in addition to hilarious new spoofs. Watch us waltz away with Kelli O'Hara in South Pacific, foxtrot with Patti LuPone in Gypsy, and samba around In The Heights - plus Sunday In The Park With George, Grease and more - all in one evening! Featuring jaw-dropping costumes, hilarious spoofs of Broadway's best songs, and madcap impressions by a stellar cast.” (discounted TDF ticket).
June 30 - Monday - 7:05 - Yankees vs. Texas Rangers
July 1 - Tuesday - 10:00 - eye doctor appointment;
7:05 - Yankees vs. Texas Rangers.
July 2 - Wednesday - 2:00 - “Some Americans Abroad” - “A group of partying American college students, accompanied by their pretentious professors, embarks on a literary tour of England. With a crammed itinerary and barely enough time to digest the sites, their behavior devolves from appreciative to appalling in this humorous comedy.” (discounted TDF ticket);
7:05 - Yankees vs. Texas Rangers.
July 3 - Thursday - 7:05 - Yankees vs. Boston Fucksox.
July 4 - Friday - 1:05 - Yankees vs. Boston Fucksox; evening - fireworks show.
July 5 - Saturday - 3:55 - Yankees vs. Boston Fucksox
July 6 - Sunday -8:05 - Yankees vs. Boston Fucksox
July 7 - Monday 8:00 - “{title of show] on Broadway” - “This new Broadway musical portrays two nobodies named Hunter and Jeff who decide to write a completely original musical starring themselves and their attractive and talented lady friends, Susan and Heidi. Their musical, [title of show], gets into the New York Musical Theatre Festival and becomes a hit. Then it gets an off-Broadway production at the Vineyard Theatre and wins three Obie Awards. Then (drum roll if you’ve got a drum) its announced that their musical is going to Broadway (hooray!).” (discounted TDF ticket). I saw this very funny show in each of its earlier incarnations and loved it. I hope it can make it on Broadway. It has a history similar to Avenue Q.
July 8 - Tuesday - 7:05 - Yankees vs. Tampa Bay.
July 9 - Wednesday - 1:05 - Yankees vs. Tampa Bay
OK, OK, I know you are thinking: “this is way too long” and I totally agree but I just wanted to record what my schedule is going to be. Rest assured - future posting won’t be this long. Promise, sorta.
In closing - Bill is doing well and my sister Ann Parker, now living in Indio, CA, is in my thoughts and prayers as she has yet another surgery to unclog some arteries.
Go Yankees!!!
Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com
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