CLOSER THAN EVER==>A

Happy Tuesday to all of my loyal and faithful readers out there in the wastelands, boondocks and hinterlands.

I want to start off this posting with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s entertainment event ...

CLOSER THAN EVER, the Richard Maltby/David Shire musical review about love, friendship, security and happiness==>A.

I loved everything about it. The 4-person cast - Jenn Collela, George Dvorsky, Christiane Noll, and Sal Viviano - does a terrific job with the incredible music and lyrics by Maltby and Shire. 

Each number is a self-contained story about making a connection (or not), aging, second marriages, missed opportunities and unrequited love. The sold-out house gave each number a roaring approval.

Billi Pod was transfixed for the entire 2+ hours. Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, this show earns its positive reviews and then some.

It runs through August 25th at the York Theatre in the basement of St. Peter’s Church on East 54th Street.

Billi Pod says==>See it!!

As I posted yesterday, my plan following the show was to walk back from the theatre to my apartment on West 42nd Street ... but ... dammit ... it was raining when the show was over. I hadn’t brought my umbrella so I had no choice but to subway it back. Oh well ...

Was back in the cozy confines of PHC in plenty of time to watch the YANKEES/SEATTLE game, which began at 10:10pm.

Before the game The Yankees announced that they had just acquired veteran outfielder Ichiro Suzuki from none other than the Seattle Mariners. Wow ... Billi Pod didn’t see that one coming, that is for certain.

Suzuki was in the starting lineup in right field replacing the injured Nick Swisher. At his first at-bat in Yankee Pinstripes he got a hit and then immediately stole a base. He also caught a fly for the final out of the game.

The Yankees got a stellar performance from Hiroki Kuroda who gave up only 1 run on 3 hits in 7 innings, while striking out 9.

The Yankees won 4-1 to break a 4-game losing streak. Nice!!

Tonight it will be Freddy Garcia (4-2) on the mound for the Yankees vs. Felix Hernandez aka King Felix (8-5) for Seattle.

On another sports topic==>I totally agree with the penalties that the NCAA gave to the Penn State football program:

*Vacating all wins from 1998 through 2011

*A $60 million fine.

*A ban from bowl games for 4 years.

*Reduction of football scholarships from 25-15

*A 5-year probation period

*Virtual free agency for current players to transfer and play elsewhere.

It wasn’t a death penalty, it was more like a life sentence, without parole.

Moving on ... 

Tonight’s entertainment event is something that Billi Pod has been eagerly awaiting ...

8:00==>FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING - “After a three-year hiatus, Gerard Alessandrini - Broadway’s loyal opposition - brings back his long-running satirical review featuring outrageous costumes, comedic rewrites of songs you know, and dead-on impressions.” (Off Broadway - discounted ticket)

I have really missed this show and am so happy it is back ... so ... Beware==>Porgy and Bess, Anything Goes, Follies, Spider Man, Book of Mormon, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Once and Death of a Salesman, you are now in Gerard’s cross hairs.

Tonight is the first preview performance. Can’t wait!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.03  miles

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.”