Billi Pod Blogs: Sunday’s Doubleheader==>Excellent!!

Monday==>Good afternoon everyone out there in the boondocks, wastelands and hinterlands.

Your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, is happy to report that yesterday’s entertainment doubleheader was EXCELLENT and a terrific way to end the weekend. So ... let’s get this Monday posting started with ...

Billi Pod’s report cards on ...

GYMNOS: A GEEK’S TRAGEDY, about an out of shape playwright who heads to the gym for the first time to conquer his writer’s block and to, hopefully, attract his muse==>A-

Folks, this show has an incredible 22-person ensemble cast. There are great dance/performance numbers and it is very in-your-face funny. Honestly, it was way better than I had anticipated.

My only quibble with the show is the 1:40, with intermission, running time. IMHO it would work better @ 1:30, without intermission.

It is playing at the HERE Arts Center in SoHo and runs though October 6th.

Billi Pod says==>if you want a fun evening, then this is the show for you.

When the show was over I leisurely walked up to The Village where I had a slice and a diet coke and then it was time for my second show ...

PERFECTLY NORMEL PEOPLE, about what happens when a clueless NYU freshman from Kansas moves in with a dysfunctional Italian family from Queens, in 1981==>A

(reminder ... that is not a misprint ... it is Normel ... not Normal)

This was my second visit to this excellent show. I originally saw it back on August 9th as a part of the NYC Fringe Festival. I gave it a thumbs up back then.

It won several awards and is part of the Fringe Festival Encore Series. It was playing at The Players Theatre on MacDougal Street. This was its final performance.

The show is very well performed and the basically new cast is excellent, especially Will Sarratt as Hadley and Amy Losi and Paulette Bertolami as the battling sisters.

I found the story line to be funny, thought-provoking and totally enjoyable, with just enough plot-twists. The 90 minute running time flies by.

Yes, there is yelling, screaming and cussing ... but ... not at the distracting level that Billi Pod hates so much.

The house was virtually full and everyone around me seemed to be really into the show.

I am soooooooo glad I decided to see it again and Kudos go out to the Playwrights and Co-Directors Thomas and Judy Heath and their Charlotte, SC, based company and crew.

So ... my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... I hope you will agree with me that yesterday was an EXCELLENT entertainment doubleheader.

Now, what about today, I know you are all anxiously asking your inner selves? Well ... inner selves ... I have just booked the following event for tonight ...

8:00==>BROADWAY UNPLUGGED: BARITONES UNBOUND @ Town Hall - “An evening of Broadway tunes, performed without amplification, by an all-star cast of veteran Broadway performers and dancers.” (concert - complimentary ticket)

This concert series is produced and emceed by Scott Siegel and is always a lot of fun and tremendously entertaining.

Without a doubt my comp. seat will be in the upper nosebleed section, but no matter, because the important thing is to be there.

Moving on ...

Tonight @ 8:05pm on TBS will be the tie-breaking wild-card game between The Tampa Bay Rays and The Texas Rangers. Billi Pod will be pulling for The Rays, of course.

Tomorrow I will give you loyal and faithful readers and followers the benefit of Billi Pod’s post season predictions, including The World Series.

As you know, today is Monday and that means Billi Pod has his usual list of chores and stuff that need to be done ... so ... will post this and then get at it.