Monday==>BORING, Boring, boring, borin, bori, bor, bo, b ...

Tuesday==>Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, yesterday was basically a downtime day/evening for your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, and OMFG, it was totally B O R I N G!!.

Not much was accomplished on my errands and chores list and nothing ... repeat ... NOTHING was accomplished on the entertainment scene. 

Man, you know that Billi Pod is out of sync. when the highlight of his day was watching two episodes of THE BIG BANG THEORY in prime-time on network TV, something he almost never does. Yes, Billi Pod hardly ever watches prime-time network TV. Yeah, he likes BIG BANG but he only watches re-runs at 10:30pm on TBS.

Anyway ... I won’t bore you loyal and faithful readers and followers with any more of the boring details of a boring day ... so ...

Let’s move on with the details on tonight’s entertainment event ...

A classical music concert @ Lincoln Center ... 

7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall.

The program is: 

Unsik Chin - Clarinet Concerto, performed by Kari Krukku; and, 

Mahler - Symphony No. 1.

(season subscription series)

This program received a rave review in The New York Times and that is good because I am really in the need of a classical music fix.

When the concert is over, weather permitting, I will walk back to the apartment while listening to the Oakland/Kansas City wild card game on ESPN radio, 98.7 FM.

On the mound for The Athletics will be Jon Lester (16-11) vs. James Shields (14-8) for The Royals.

Well ... I will close out this totally boring posting and then work some more on my boring errands and chores list and then make the boring weekly trip to The Food Emporium across the street.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.06 miles (or, 6,699 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>1,108.72 miles (average 4.07 miles per day)

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.”

Awesome Doubleheader==>THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON & FABULOUS

Monday==>It is gray and overcast here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, which is just what your favorite blogger needs on this errands and chores Monday. 

Oh well ... at least I have errands and chores of my own choosing and on my own schedule rather than being hunched over a computer in some claustrophobic cubicle or at some steaming-hot wait-station, or cleaning out some dusty broom closet etc. ... right? Right!!

So ... we will begin this Monday posting with Billi Pod's report cards on Sunday’s totally enjoyable entertainment doubleheader, starting with ...

The Off Broadway show ...

THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON, the tale of an old man who must abandon his duties of filling up the moon every month to cross the seas in search of his missing wife, who left home in search of a mysterious melody carried in the ocean breeze==>A.

I saw this show back on November 6, 2012, when it was playing at The Gym @ Judson down in The Village, and totally enjoyed it. Billi Pod gave it an A back then.

This is a totally enjoyable production with a young, talented and mega-energetic cast.

All of the cast play instruments and sing and most of them play multiple characters. They use shadow puppets during most of the show with hilarious results.

I saw this show with Dian Crystal aka My Lady and our comp. seats were OK. She also liked the show.

As might be expected there were a lot of young children in attendance, especially in the rows in front of us. I am happy to report that they turned out to be only a minor distraction.

Billi Pod says==>worth seeing.

It is now playing at The New Victory Theatre on West 42nd Street, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and runs through October 13th.

When the show was over My Lady split. She had another show at 3:00pm. When that show was over she came up to PHC where we chilled and snacked and then it was time for our next entertainment event together ...

The Off Broadway show ...

FABULOUS! The Queen of New Musical Comedies, about two female impersonators, Laura Lee and Jane, who pass for biological gals on a luxury liner, the Queen Ethel May, where they are required to keep their male identities secret from snooping crew members, jewel heisting gangsters and every gentleman caller that comes their way==>A.

This was a totally enjoyable campy, profane, outrageous, hilarious, gut-busting funny, extremely well-performed show with a stellar cast of terrific performers.

The extremely convoluted story line turns and turns and then turns some more, helped along the way by perfect songs and choreography. No one is who he or she seems to be and almost everyone has a secret.

The stellar cast is lead by Nick Morrett as Laura Lee Handle and Josh Kenney as Jane Mann. The rest of the cast is excellent, especially the four young performers, P.J. Palmer, A.J. Hunsucker, DaWayne Alexander Hill, and Aaron VanderYacht, as the four deckhands who sing and dance and have multiple quick costume changes.

Both My Lady and I totally enjoyed this show and it was what we both were in the mood for.

Yep ... Billi Pod says==>if you are the mood for something daffy, cartoony and good-natured, then this is the show for you.

This musical is playing at the Times Square Arts Center on West 43rd Street, has a running time of 2:30, with intermission, and runs through the end of the year.

Yeah, these two shows were both highlights, adding to the awesome highlight of Derek Jeter’s final game as a Yankee, details in yesterday’s posting. 

It was an awesome entertainment day ... and ...

My Lady==>it was great being with you!!

Moving on ... 

Well, actually there isn’t that much to move on to considering that today is Billi Pod’s errands and chores day.

At the moment I haven’t finalized my schedule for the day and Billi Pod just may give himself the day off ... or ... catch a movie ... so ... stay tuned.

He does, however, have a totally excellent entertainment schedule for the remainder of the week ...

Tuesday - 7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA.

Wednesday - 8:00==>THE LAST SHIP (Broadway musical)

Thursday - stay in to watch playoff games.

Friday - 8:00==>ON THE TOWN (Broadway musical)

Saturday - noon==>GATORS/TENNESSEE;

8:00==>LENNON; THROUGH A GLASS ONION (Off Broadway musical)

Sunday - stay in to watch playoff games.

Yeah ... looks like a totally interesting upcoming week.

Time to post this and then get to work on my errands and chores list ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.66 miles (or, 5,813 steps)

Total mileage for the week==>24.48 miles (average 3.50 miles per day)

Total mileage for 2014==>1,099.59 miles (average 4.08 miles per day)

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.”

Hereafter - Money Grubbin’ Whores - Old Man and the Old Moon - Fabulous - Derek Jeter

Sunday==>This posting is somewhat delayed because your favorite blogger is in the middle of his second consecutive entertainment doubleheader ... so ... let’s get started with Billi Pod’s report cards on yesterday’s entertainment events ... starting with ...

HEREAFTER MUSICAL - “Three women have come together at the home of world renowned psychic Jason Richards, desperate to make contact with their loved ones who have passed. Unbeknownst to them, the spirits materialize during the reading and we discover that, like the living, they are also having a great deal of difficulty moving on.”

I was seeing this show with my theatre-buddies Dian Crystal aka My Lady, Marty Kosarik aka Whatever, and his boyfriend, Robert, and our seats were together. Both Dian and Marty had seen the show before and both totally liked it.

Folks, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, I have to now admit that I made a serious error in booking this show. Right after I did I began to have misgivings but hoped that I was mistaken ...

Well, as the show developed the first story line involved a young man who was killed in a freak accident and his mother’s difficulties in reaching closure 20 years later.

This brought about a flood of emotions as a result of what happened in my family in July ... and ... I just couldn’t get it out of my head.

At intermission I told my friends that it was just too much for me to handle and I was going to leave. They understood.

So ... no report card on this show, that is playing at The Snapple Theater at Broadway and West 50th Street, has a running time of 2:20, with intermission, and runs on Saturday afternoons through December 27th.

I am happy to report that I got everything back in order emotionally in time for my next show ... so ... we will now have Billi Pod’s report card on the Off Broadway show ...

MONEY GRUBBIN’ WHORES, NYC union plumber Matt and his gorgeous Israeli wife Aviva are getting divorced. They meet for a settlement. The back-room deal is mediated by Matt’s best friend Frankie, and Aviva’s cousin Moshe. As the couple battles it out through cultural differences, mixed messages, and high passions, one question remains…what is the price of love==>B.

There is a lot to like about this show even though it is another one of those “dark comedies” that starts out kinda funny and then gets more and more serious and dark as it develops, until by the end it ain’t funny at all.

The cast is excellent.

The promo material said that it was extremely profane and, OMFG, it really was and all of the characters yell, scream, and cuss almost nonstop. After awhile it gets old and I think the show could use a bit of trimming by about 10-15 minutes.

However, Billi Pods says it is worth seeing with the above caveats.

This show is playing at The Theatre Row Complex on my West 42nd Street Block, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and runs through October 19th.

Moving on ...

Today will be the second consecutive entertainment doubleheader ... beginning with ...

noon==>THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON - “The tale of an old man who must abandon his duties of filling up the moon every month to cross the seas in search of his missing wife, who left home in search of a mysterious melody carried in the ocean breeze. On his journey, the Old Man will encounter titanic leviathans of the deep, apocalyptic storms, civil wars, cantankerous ghosts and other startling and fantastical creatures.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

I saw this show back on November 6, 2012, when it was playing at The Gym @ Judson down in The Village, and totally enjoyed it. Billi Pod gave it an A back then.

It is now playing at The New Victory Theatre on West 42nd Street, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and runs through October 13th.

I will be seeing this show with Dian Crystal aka My Lady. When it is over she has another show, so I will come back to the apartment. When her show is over we will connect again for ...

The Off Broadway show ...

7:30==>FABULOUS! The Queen of New Musical Comedies - “Two female impersonators pass for biological gals on a luxury liner, the Queen Ethel May, where they are required to keep their male identities secret from snooping crew members, jewel heisting gangsters and every gentleman caller that comes their way.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

Trust your favorite blogger on this ... it is gonna fall in the "loved it or hated it" category, with no middle ground.

This musical is playing at the Times Square Arts Center on West 43rd Street, has a running time of 2:30, with intermission, and is an open run.

In closing ... this is being finalized after my first show. I made it back to the apartment in time to catch Derek Jeter’s final at-bat as a Yankee in the Boston FuckSox game up at Fenway Park ... and ... guess what ... The Captain, who was the DH, got a single in the 3rd inning to drive in a run and the stadium went absolutely crazy when Jeter was then removed for a pinch-runner. His Yankee career was now officially over.

So==>so long Derek ... thanks for the memories.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.91 miles (or, 6,376 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>1,102.50 miles (average 4.08 miles per day)

GO GATORS!! 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.”

The Fatal Weakness - Upcoming Doubleheader - Hal & Hank Steinbrenner WTF???

Saturday==>Your favorite blogger is happy to report to his loyal and faithful readers and followers that it is a beautiful early Fall day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

At 10:30am it is 73º with azure blue skies, just a few puffy clouds, and a nice breeze coming off the Hudson River. The high is forecast to be in the low 80s with no rain. Man, I will take this with a big Thank You to the Weather Gods.

On this happy note we will get this posting started because Billi Pod has scheduled for today the first of two back-to-back entertainment doubleheaders. So ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway show ...

THE FATAL WEAKNESS, after 28 years of marriage, Ollie Espenshade is still an incurable romantic (her fatal weakness). Perhaps discovering that her husband is a lying cheat will cure her==>B

When I left the theater last night I had mentally given the show a C+ because I had found the story line to be contrived and the ending totally unbelievable. The steps taken to discover if the husband was in fact “cheating” are so ridiculous and convoluted that it would be too much to swallow even in a screwball comedy. But ... 

As I have processed it overnight I have concluded that the acting, staging and sets support a higher grade, thus it now receives a B from Billi Pod.

The length of the show, 2:30, with three acts and two intermissions, wasn’t a downer because I knew this going in.

The 6-person cast is stellar, especially: Kristin Griffith as Ollie; Sean Patrick Hopkins as Vernon, the son-in-law; and, Patricia Kilgarriff as Anna, the maid.

So ... Billi Pod says==>have a double espresso and then see this show.

This show, set in 1946, has received mixed reviews, is playing at The Mint Theatre on West 43rd Street, has a running time of 2:30, with two intermissions, and runs through October 26th.

Now ... moving on to today’s entertainment doubleheader ... 

First will be an Off Broadway show ...

4:45==>HEREAFTER MUSICAL - “Three women have come together at the home of world renowned psychic Jason Richards, desperate to make contact with their loved ones who have passed. Unbeknownst to them, the spirits materialize during the reading and we discover that, like the living, they are also having a great deal of difficulty moving on.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

Yeah, that is the right time ... it ain’t a typo.

I am seeing this show with my theatre-buddies Dian Crystal aka My Lady, Marty Kosarik aka Whatever, and his boyfriend, Robert.

This musical is playing at The Snapple Theater at Broadway and West 50th Street, has a running time of 2:20, with intermission, and runs on Saturday afternoons through December 27th.

When the show is over I will race down to 42nd Street for the second part of my doubleheader, another Off Broadway show ...

8:00==>MONEY GRUBBIN’ WHORES - “In this new dark comedy, NYC union plumber Matt and his gorgeous Israeli wife Aviva are getting divorced. The back-room deal is mediated by Matt’s best friend Frankie, and Aviva’s cousin Moshe. As the couple battles it out through cultural differences, mixed messages, and high passions, one question remains…what is the price of love?” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is playing at The Theatre Row Complex on my West 42nd Street block, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and runs through October 19th.

Moving on to the sports scene ... and ... hold on ... yes ... I know that I promised I wasn’t going to post about The Yankees for the remainder of the 2014 season ... but ... and a huge but ...

In today’s papers it was revealed that neither Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankee managing general partner, nor his brother Hank, who is the general partner/co-chairperson, were at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, Thursday night for Derek Jeter’s final home game. WTF?

The only member of the Steinbrenner family in attendance was Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal. WTF??

As one baseball official said: “I can’t imagine any owner in baseball who wouldn’t be on hand for the last home game of his team’s greatest player.” WTF???

This is totally disgraceful. They MUST step forward and explain what appears to be a grievous error. WTF????

So ... on this happy note will close this out and then settle in to watch a bit of college football before my doubleheader starts.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.22 miles (or, 4,872 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>1,099.59 miles (average 4.09 miles per day)

GO GATORS!! 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.”

Derek Jeter==>AWESOME - Theater Boys - Fatal Weakness

Friday==>My show last night down in the Chelsea area lasted much longer than expected. When it was finally over I checked the score of the YANKEES/ORIOLES game and The Yankees were leading 5-2 going into the top of the 9th inning. Damn, thought I ... I will miss seeing Derek Jeter in his last game at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built.

When I got off the subway at the Port Authority Bus Terminal I checked my trusty Walkman and learned that our closer, David Robertson, was in the process of blowing a save. OMFG!!

I raced the rest of the way back to the apartment and when I turned on the TV the score was tied 5-5 going into the bottom of the 9th, with Derek Jeter to be the third up. Wow, thought I==>wouldn’t it be fitting if he got the game winning hit in this final game at the stadium?

Well, the leadoff batter, Jose Pirela (who??), got a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Antoan Richardson (who??) who went to second on Brett Gardner’s sacrifice bunt. OMFG!!

The sold out crowd of 48,613 was standing and clapping and chanting.

The Captain, Derek Jeter, came to the plate and on the first pitch hit a liner into right field scoring the winning run ... and ... the stadium went absolutely crazy and The Captain was mobbed by his teammates.

Man, Derek ... what a storybook way to end your career at Yankee Stadium. You couldn’t have scripted it any better.

Thank you Sports Gods for letting me make it back to the apartment in time to watch this happen.

These are the headlines in today’s papers ...

“Jeter goes out a ... WINNER.”

front page of The New York Post

“2 PERFECT - Jeter gives Stadium fans one last thrill.”

back page of The New York Post

“2 PERFECT - Jeter pens storybook finish with game-winning hit in Stadium farewell.”

front page of The Daily News

“Storybook Ending - Derek Jeter made his final appearance at Yankee Stadium, and won the game in his final at-bat.”

front page of The New York Times

THE HERO: WHO ELSE - Jeter, in His Home Finale Drives In Winning Run in 9th.”

front page of the sports section of The New York Times

Nothing more needs to be said and this will be the last posting about the 2014 season, even though The Yankees begin a 3-game series tonight against those loathsome Boston FuckSox in that fetid cesspool known as Fenway Park. If Jeter plays at all it will be as the DH. He wants his last game as a shortstop to have been at the stadium.

Now ... moving on to Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway show ...

THEATER BOYS, about actors who are auditioning for a proposed gay musical and are asked to bare their souls ... and a bit more. As part of the audition process they must share coming-of-age stories - some broadly comic, some tender and heartfelt==>A-

Folks, this was a totally enjoyable evening even though it is playing at the 13th Street Repertory Company, my least favorite venue in the entire city.

The house was almost full and was 99% male.

The young cast is stellar, lead by Joseph Spitale as the Director and Michael Czyz (yeah, that’s the correct spelling) as the innocent Kipp, who is just-off-the-bus from Chilliwack, BC, and this is his very first NYC audition.

The book, music and lyrics by Chip Deffaa (yeah, that’s the correct spelling) is outstanding and the young performers nail all of the songs.

In yesterday’s posting Billi Pod said: “Sounds like a gay Chorus Line, doesn’t it?” Well, the answer is==>yes it does, because it is.

My only quibble with the show is the length. My pre-theater information was that the running time was 1:40, without intermission. Well, the actual running time is 2:30, with intermission, and that needs to be trimmed by at least 15 minutes, IMHO.

So ... Billi Pod says==>see this show if you can.

It is playing at the 13th Street Repertory Company (my least favorite venue in the city) has a running time of 2:30, with intermission, and runs on Thursdays and Sundays through October 26th.

Moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

8:00pm==>THE FATAL WEAKNESS - “After 28 years of marriage, Ollie Espenshade is still an incurable romantic (her fatal weakness). Perhaps discovering that her husband is a lying cheat will cure her?” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show, set in 1946, has received mixed reviews, is playing in my 'hood at The Mint Theatre on West 43rd Street, has a running time of 2:30, with two intermissions, and runs through October 26th.

About the upcoming weekend ...

Your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, has an excellent weekend already scheduled with two back-to-back entertainment doubleheaders plus some face time with Dian Crystal aka My Lady, Marty Kosark aka Whatever and his boyfriend Robert. Really looking forward to it ... so ... 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.61 miles (or, 7,891 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>1,097.37 miles (average 4.10 miles per day)

GO GATORS!! 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.”