Friday==>I hope that all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers had a grand time celebrating the 4th of July because your favorite blogger certainly did.
The only downside, as you know ... he failed to post the usual entertainment update on the awesome tripleheader he experienced on Wednesday.
So ... in order to relieve all of you out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks of your fears and anxiety let’s get this posting started with an update, in basically chronological order ... beginning with ...
WEDNESDAY
The first part of my tripleheader started with a much needed face time opportunity with John Scott Reed aka Fabson. Scott came up to my apartment on West 42nd Street and we did some catching up and then had a nice lunch at The Theatre Row Diner, located just steps away from my apartment building.
Scott is totally excited about upcoming events in his life and so am I.
When we finished lunch we split and I walked over to the Second Stage Theatre on West 43rd Street for my second entertainment event ...
NOBODY LOVES YOU, about a philosophy grad student who is reluctantly cast in a reality TV dating show, in a attempt to win back his former girlfriend==>B
There is a lot to like about this show, starting with a very talented cast but it has a kinda clunky story line that gets a bit tiresome and predictable.
My theatre-buddies Dian Crystal aka My Lady, Marty Kosarik aka Whatever, Dennis Dohman and Michael Pederson gave it report cards in the C to B range.
Is is worth seeing? Yes, with a discounted or comp. ticket.
It is playing at Second Stages on West 43rd Street, has a running time of 1:45, without intermission, and runs through August 11th.
When the show was over I came on back to PHC for the usual pre-theater snack, a fruit and cheese plate, and then it was time to head downtown to 16th Street in Chelsea for my third entertainment event.
Even though the weather was iffy I decided to walk. Well, it started to rain when I reached 30th Street. I had packed my umbrella but I ended up getting pretty wet due to the wind. Oh well ... that goes with the territory if you are a walker in The City.
My entertainment event was ...
SERIOUS MONEY, a scathing satire set in London's 80s financial district==>B+
The show is noisy, vulgar, witty, salacious and very entertaining. It is written in rhyme and that takes a bit of getting-used-to. There is also song and dance.
The cast is fabulous, especially David Barlow, as an American Banker, and Alex Draper, in multiple roles.
Billi Pod says==>if you want something a bit different, then see this show.
This show is playing down at The Atlantic Theatre Stage 2 on West 16th Street, has a running time of 2:20, with an intermission, and runs through August 4th.
When the show was over the weather had cleared up so I walked back to PHC on West 42nd Street.
My walking mileage for the day was 5.30 miles.
It was a extremely enjoyable day/night.
THURSDAY - JULY 4TH
My entertainment event for the day was a concert at Avery Fisher Hall @ Lincoln Center ...
3:00==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA & US COAST GUARD BAND - “Star-Spangled Celebration.” (concert - full price ticket)
I have seen this 4th of July themed concert event for at least the past 5-years, probably longer, because it is perfect for this occasion. Also, the conductor is Englishman Bramwell Tovey, who adds a lot of humorous comments and asides during the concert.
The NY Phil performed first, including works by Copeland and the World Premiere of a piece written by Tovey called “The Lincoln Tunnel Cabaret for Trombone and Orchestra," featuring principal trombonist Joseph Alessi. Alessi was awesome!!
Then it was the US COAST GUARD BAND’s turn. They performed works by Sousa and Bernstein.
When that was completed the two groups combined on stage to perform “The Armed Forces Medley” and marches by Sousa.
“The Armed Forces Medley” encompasses the official songs of the five branches of the Armed Forces. Audience members who were in, or have family-members in, the respective services are asked to stand when the appropriate song is played. It is very very emotional, trust me on this ... it is.
“The Army Goes Marching On” was the first played and when I stood up so did the guys seated to my immediate left and right. Each of them appeared to be about my age.
The guy to my right asked me when I was in The Army and I said 1955-57 and he said ... me, too. He asked where I did my basic training and I said Fort Jackson (in Columbia, SC) and he said ... me, too, in December. OMFG! ... I said ... me, too. He then said ... 101st Airborne Division, and I said ... OMG, yes!! I then asked if he by any chance had been in Charlie Company ... and he said that he couldn’t remember.
When the concert was over we had a brief conversation. He (8Oyrs. old) and his wife live in Albany and had come down solely for the concert. We talked about how miserable we had been crawling through the icy mud on more than one occasion during basic training.
They had to leave to catch their train back home so we had to cut our conversation short.
Wow ... it really is a small world, isn’t it?
Well, needless-to-say ... your favorite blogger left Avery Fisher Hall with a huge smile on his face. The weather was OK but kinda humid. I walked back to the apartment while listening to the final innings of the YANKEES/MINNESOTA game.
It was only 5:30pm but the crowds were already moving to viewing vantage points on the Hudson River in anticipation of the fireworks show. There was a definite police presence.
When I got back to the apartment I changed clothes, had the usual fruit and cheese plate, chilled and then around 8:30pm joined the hordes of my closest friends to find a viewing spot for the fireworks show.
The weather was great with a nice breeze coming off of The Hudson River.
As I mentioned above, there was a large police presence. I am happy to report that all of the cops that I saw seemed to be in a pretty good mood, thankfully.
I found the spot I had used for the past 3 years and just chilled and people-watched until it was time for the show to begin.
It was just a little before 9:30 when it started and the show lasted for almost 30-minutes and it was AWESOME, as usual. Took lots of pictures, of course.
What isn’t awesome is the rush of the crowd once the show is over. I knew it had been a problem in the past so as soon as the final display began I was outta there. Luckily I was a bit ahead of the teeming masses and made back to PHC without any problems.
Yeah ... I hope you loyal and faithful readers and followers will agree with me that The 4th of July was a very interesting day.
Now about The Yankees. Yesterday they swept the 4-game series with The Twins, winning 9-5 on a decent outing from David Phelps and some multi-base hitting.
Tonight @ 7:05pm The Bombers return to Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, for a 10-game home stand: 3-games with Baltimore; 4-games with Kansas City; and, 3-games with Minnesota.
On the mound tonight for The Bombers will be Ivan Nova (2-2) vs. Miguel Gonzalez (6-3) for The Birds.
Tonight’s entertainment event will be an Off Broadway show down in Chelsea ...
7:30==>THE CASTLE - “After an absence of 7 years, a group of Crusaders returns 'home' to find authority, religion, and human relations all upended and a new society established by the women who have been left behind. The battle lines are drawn immediately.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)
This show is playing down at The Atlantic Theatre Stage 2 on West 16th Street, has a running time of 2:20, with an intermission, and runs through August 4th.
This is the same theatre company that is doing SERIOUS MONEY.
So ... my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... you are now up-to-date ...
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.35 miles (or, 7,324 steps)
Total mileage since 7/1/13==>15.03 miles (average 3.76 miles per day)
GO YANKEES!!
Billi Pod
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
No comments:
Post a Comment