Good morning my loyal and faithful readers.
HAPPY 2012!!
It is a bright, brisk and beautiful morning in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. It was 43ยบ @ 8:30am. What a wonderful way to begin 2012.
Billi Pod is happy to report that yesterday’s doubleheader was everything that he had hoped it would be, starting with ...
2:00==>LYSISTRATA JONES - “A musical about Lyssie J. and her girl-power posse who won’t “give it up” to their basketball playing boyfriends until the boys win a game.”
Billi Pod’s second report card==>A.
Yes, the cast was still as vibrant as they were when I saw the show in early previews. This show is what it is ... a lot of fun with a mega-talented and energetic cast giving 110% to put smiles on the faces of their audience members.
Everyone around me seemed to be having a ball. I am just sorry that the show hasn’t created the buzz necessary to remain open during the dreaded months of January and February. It seems to me that the show would really fit into one of the larger Off-Broadway spaces at New World Stages, joining Broadway transfers AVENUE Q, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, and RENT.
Oh well ... ain't nothing I can do about it, is there ... so ...
And then for the evening was ...
8:00==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - New Year’s Eve Gala.
The house was soldout and the program was carried live on PBS stations nationwide.
The highlight’s of the evening, for me, came in the second act, starting with Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.” It was divinely beautiful and brought back so many fond memories. Earlier in this blog I had posted about how lucky I was to have been present at a pre-Broadway out-of-town performance of WEST SIDE STORY in Washington, DC, in 1957. I still consider this to be my No. 1 theatre experience of all times.
The audience gave the performance a roaring ovation ... but ... things got even better with the final number of the evening, which was Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” performed by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. OMFG!! It was beautiful and the audience gave the performer and the orchestra a well deserved and earned roaring standing ovation.
What a wonderful way to say hello to 2012.
The concert was over at 10:00 and I left with a smile on my face. I headed back to The Port Authority on the 1 train, which was packed with revelers, many already blitzed, heading to Times Square.
When I got off the subway and exited onto 42nd Street the crowd had already begun to gather even though this spot was blocks from the ball dropping site, which wasn’t visible. The police presence was everywhere and they didn’t appear to be too happy.
Anyway ... it was 10:30 when I opened the door to PHC. The party was already underway in PHB, the 2 BR apartment next door. The nice asian guys who live there had made a special effort, earlier, to invite me to attend but I had politely declined.
My plans had been to grill one of the awesome Allen Brothers steaks, along with a baked potato and grilled onions, but I just wasn’t that hungry, so instead I fixed an awesome salad and settled in for the final countdown.
At midnight I said “good-riddance” to 2011 and fell to my knees to thank my Higher Power for allowing me to welcome in 2012.
Then ... Billi Pod officially celebrated 2012 with a toast with his favorite libation==>Fresca.
Yes, in all honesty I can say that 2012 is already shaping up to be an interesting and eventful year.
It was around 2:15am when I finally crashed, thus ending a remarkably good day.
What about today you are no doubt breathlessly asking?
Well, my loyal and faithful readers ... in the name of fair and unbiased reporting Billi Pod will have to admit/confess that he has deliberately planned to be a 100% pro-football couch-potato today/tonight. Yes, it will be ...
1:00pm - JETS/DOLPHINS (a must-win for The Jets)
4:15pm - BRONCOS/CHIEFS (Go Timmy!!)
8:15pm - GIANTS/COWBOYS (Loser goes home with heads down - season over)
OK ... OK ... it is all right with Billi Pod if you want to be judgmental ... that is your prerogative as my loyal and faithful readers out there in the vast hinterlands ... because ... I acknowledge that ...
I report - you decide.
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-130
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