Billi Pod’s Friday, Saturday & Sunday Updates.

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... I know ... I know ... you were let down yesterday by your favorite blogger when he failed to make a timely posting. 

MY BAD!! But, there is a reason for this omission ... not a excuse ... but a reason ...

What is it, I know you are rather snarkily asking your inner selves? Well, selves ... it is rather simple ... yesterday was a rare entertainment tripleheader and Billi Pod just couldn’t find the free time to sit down in front of this ‘puter and write.

There is another factor too ... for whatever reason the blog’s website has been acting up and it is taking longer to correctly post the pics that have become such a vital part of this blog ...

So ... please accept my apologies and lets get back on track ... shall we ... with ... first ... in chronological order ... Billi Pod’s report cards on Friday and Saturday’s entertainment events ...

Friday - HOLIDAY ON BROADWAY: The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band, was a lot of fun and a totally enjoyable evening of holiday themed pieces, emceed by Jim Caruso, who also performed several numbers.

The entertaining evening ended with a sing-along of 8 songs from “The Sound of Music” ending with "Climb Ev’ry Mountain."

I definitely left Symphony Space with a smile on my face.

The total walking mileage for Friday was==>4.25 miles.

Saturday - this was the tripleheader that started with ...

Breakfast at the trendy Iroquois Hotel on West 44th Street with my FaceBook friend Carolyn Stoia and her attorney husband Patrick. 

They, and members of Pat’s Lakeland, FL,  law firm are in town for a whirlwind visit, that included seeing THE BOOK OF MORMON, which they totally enjoyed.

It was great being with you guys!!

Then it was the matinee performance of GOLDEN CHILD, David Henry Hwang’s award winning semi-biographical play about a dangerous power struggle in a polygamous Chinese household==>B<==interesting and thought-provoking. Didn’t blow me away though.

I am glad I finally got to see the show (it closes today) even though both of my theater-buddies, Dian Crystal aka My Lady and Marty Kosarik aka Who??, totally hated it.

Then for the evening, downtown in The Village, was ...

MUMMENSCHANZ, the Swiss performance troupe making common materials spring to life as fantastical characters==>FANTASTIC!!<==totally enjoyable and entertaining.

Folks, this performance troupe is incredible and they had the audience enthralled for the entire 2 hours, that flew by.

The show runs through January 5th at the Skirball Center @ NYU. See it if you can, you won’t be sorry.

That brings you up-to-date on Friday and Saturday, so let’s talk now about Sunday ... which is yet another doubleheader for Billi Pod in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World ...

3:00==>HOLIDAY BRASS @ Avery Fisher Hall - “The Principal Brass Quintet of the New York Philharmonic again teams up with the Lee Musiker Jazz Trio for festive seasonal favorites guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit.” (full price ticket)

This event has pretty much become a holiday staple for Billi Pod and it is always a lot of fun. I have an excellent seat in the mid-orchestra section.

Unfortunately, when I booked this event almost 6 months ago I didn’t know at the time that the date would conflict with the only NYC appearance of THE VIENNA BOYS CHOIR, which, as you loyal and faithful readers know, has also been a holiday staple for Billi Pod. They are performing at Carnegie Hall. Damn!!

Oh well ...

Then for the evening is a Broadway show in early previews ...

7:00==>PICNIC - “A revival of William Inge’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about lust and shame and the line between restraint and desire, set in a small Kansas town.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is in early previews and so far there has been very little, if any, advance buzz.

The rather amazing thing about yesterday ... even though it was a tripleheader Billi Pod was able to clock in over 6-miles ... awesome!!

Moving on ...

I am still unable to process the full extent of the horrific event that occurred in Newtown, CT. I find myself repeatedly asking my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, how an all-powerful deity could permit the slaughtering of those innocent children ... how?

Would stricter gun-control laws have prevented it, or prevent a similar massacre in the future? I don’t know. But, please, you NRA people out there in the wilderness, hinterlands and boondocks==>explain to me why anyone needs to have the following in their homes: Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle; Sig Sauer rifle; and, Glock 9mm pistol.

I will be waiting for your answer.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>6.60 miles (or, 14,429 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>900.37 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>178.63 miles

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.

Pianist Jan Lisiecki==>AWESOME!!

Let’s start with a huge TGIF shout-out for all of my loyal and faithful Worker Bee friends out there in the morass known as cyberspace.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Last night’s NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA concert @ Avery Fisher Hall, featuring works by Shumann and Sibelius, was wonderful.

The highlight of the concert was Schumann’s Piano Concerto performed by 17-year-old piano virtuoso Jan Lisiecki.

He was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and is tall, skinny, with bushy blond hair. When the 31-minute piece was concluded he received a roaring standing ovation from the audience.

I cannot begin to imagine how it must feel to be 17-years-old and performing with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, in New York City, The Greatest City In The World.

The rest of the evening was excellent. I have to admit, however, that as much as I have tried to get into Sibelius, he doesn’t blow me away like the Old Masters (Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Mozart etc) do. I’m gonna keep working on it.

Tonight’s entertainment event couldn’t be more different from last night's concert ... 

8:00==>HOLIDAY ON BROADWAY: The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band @ Symphony Space - “Featuring the music of Irving Berlin, John Williams, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Mannheim Steamroller, Leroy Anderson and David Foster.” (discounted TDF ticket)

I have seen this talented group perform several times and it is always a lot of fun and smile-inducing.

OK, everyone, Billi Pod has some things and stuff to do, including, hopefully meeting up with my FaceBook friend Carolyn Stoia, from Lakeland, FL, who is in town with friends for a whirlwind visit.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.16 miles (or, 11,285 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>889.52 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>189.48 miles

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.”

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN==>A

Good morning to all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers on there in the wastelands, hinterlands and boondocks.

In the name of fair and unbiased reporting Billi Pod must reveal that yesterday’s entertainment doubleheader was a mixed blessing.

My first show was downtown, SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN, a new three-character comedy whose title says it all, as they say.

WTF?? What “they” (our ticket service) didn’t tell us was that this was a staged reading and as such was missing most of the necessary sound cues, graphics, props etc etc. WTF??

The premises is that a book called “Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man” is being presented to a very conservative book club by its authors ... tada ...  a straight woman and a gay man. It is extremely, and I mean extremely, profane with an overload of penis jokes spurting out.

Yes, it is often kinda funny but, it needs a lot of hard work to get it up for a life on stage, in my humble opinion.

The good thing about the show was that its running time was only 65 minutes, so I able to come back to my ‘hood and meet up with my two theater buddies Dian Crystal aka My Lady and Marty Kosarik aka What’s His Name for an early dinner at our favorite Fallopian restaurant, Meske, located on West 47th Street in my Hell’s Kitchen hood.

We had a nice ... what Marty? ... oh ... sorry ... my bad ... folks, I meant our favorite Ethiopian restaurant ... my bad ... sorry Marty.

Anyway ... we had a lot of catching up to do since My Lady has been away from the theater scene for over a month due to surgery on her right foot. Happily, she is now back, going full-steam-ahead!!

The food and company was excellent. It was great being with you guys.

When dinner was over I briefly came back to PHC to make an important phone call to a very special person (and you know who you are) and to pick up a heavier and warmer coat.

Then it was time to head back downtown for my second entertainment event ... 

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN, about the execution, in 1952 Russia, of twenty-six established Yiddish writers and one young non-published writer, on secret orders from Stalin==>A

There is superb acting, especially young Noah Robbins. The story line is very engrossing and emotionally involving. The staging is scarily realistic.

The house was full and you could hear a pin drop because the audience was so transfixed with what was happening on stage.

The final scene is so emotional that the women seated on either side of me were softly crying. I have to admit to being emotionally drained when the show was over.

I am so glad I finally got to see it before its Sunday closing.

Moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - The program is: 

Schumann’s Piano Concerto featuring 17-year-old virtuoso Jan Lisiecki; and,

Sibelius - Symphonies No. 3 and No. 7. (subscription series)

Having two shows downtown made for a nice walking day ... so ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.63 miles (or, 12,308 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>884.36 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>194.64 miles

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.”

Kevin Youkilis A Yankee?==>WTF!!

Good morning to all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers. Why don’t we get this mid-week posting started with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s entertainment event ...

As I had anticipated, the NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC concert was wonderful, especially Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by Andre Watts.

In 1940 Frank Sinatra took the melody from the third movement and turned it into what has now become a classic in its own right “Full Moon and Empty Arms.”

Yes, this concert was just what Billi Pod wanted/needed.

What about today I know you are all breathlessly asking your inner selves? Well, selves ... it is going to be an extremely diverse entertainment doubleheader, starting with ...

3:00==>SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN - “A new three-character comedy whose title says it all. Welcome to a fun-filled, sex-filled world of foolproof moves, filter-free observations, and insider advice.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

Yeah, I know.

Trust me on this ... it’s gonna fall into Billi Pod’s “loved-it” or “hated-it” category.

Then for the evening is a show that couldn’t be more different from the matinee ...

8:00==>THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN - “A Soviet prison, 1952. Stalin's secret police have rounded up twenty-six writers, the giants of Yiddish literature in Russia. As judgment looms, a twenty-seventh suddenly appears, unpublished and unknown. Why is this young man there?” (Off Broadway - discounted TDF ticket)

This 90-minute show has received excellent reviews. It is closing on Sunday, so I am glad I was able to score a ticket.

Yep==>diversity, thy name is New York City.

Moving on ...

As you know, A-Rod is scheduled for major hip surgery which will sideline him for a good part of the 2013 season, if not all of it. The Yankees have been looking for a replacement/standin and finally came up with ... gasp ... their former FuckSox nemesis, the 3rd baseman ...

KEVIN YOUKILIS

Last year the FuckSox traded him to the WhiteSox where he had a so-so year. The Yankees just signed him to a 1-year, $12M contract.

When he was with the FuckSox he was probably the most loathed opposing player to venture into Yankee Stadium

These are the headlines in the local papers ...

“RED STOCKING STUFFER - Yanks get Youk in time for holidays” - backpage of the Daily News

“NEW YOUK YANKEE - Kevin agrees to 1-year, $12M deal” - back page of the NY Post.

“Yankees Are Set to Add Youkilis, Symbol of Rivalry” - sports section of the NY Times.

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, with the re-signing of 37-year-old Hiroki Kuroda, 40-year-old Andy Pettitte, 43-year-old Mariano Rivera, the probable re-signing of 39-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, the injury to 37-year-old Alex Rodriguez, the the acquisition of 33-year-old Kevin Youkilis, plus 38-year-old Derek Jeter==>the Yankees’ old-age home is fast filling to capacity.

So much so that it is rumored that they are already in the process of filling the clubhouse with rocking chars. Jus sayin ...

Oh, yes ... the upcoming season is gonna be interesting.

On this positive note I will post and get ready to head out a bit early for my afternoon show for some walk and wander time ... so ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.71 miles (or, 12,482 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>878.73 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>200.27 miles

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.”

UNBELIEVABLE==>Yesterday Was A Total “DAY OFF.”

Yesterday was a rarity for Billi Pod==>A DAY OFF???

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, you read that correctly - Billi Pod’s Monday in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World was ... gasp ... make that ... double gasp ... a DAY OFF??? He did nothing, nada, zilch for the entire day/evening, leaving the confines of PHC only to carry stuff down the hall to the trash chute. He didn’t even go downstairs to check his mail.

His last day off was back on October 29th and that was a result of Hurricane Sandy. Yesterday his decision to stay in was also helped by majorly nasty weather.

The bottom line==>yesterday was Boring. Boring! Boring!! BORING!!!

So ... there you have it ... and now it is time to move on ...

The weather has cleared up but it is still in the low 40s at 10:00am. The sun is out and the skies are azure blue.

Since I stayed in yesterday I still have lots of errands and stuff to do during the day, then ...

Tonight’s entertainment event will be ...

7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - The program is: 

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by Andre Watts; 

Weber’s Oberon Overture; and, 

selections from Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten and Der Rosenkavalier. (season subscription series)

Yeah, I am definitely in the mood for some classical music.

I totally agree with the decision to award the Heisman Trophy to Texas A&M’s red-shirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel aka Johnny Football. He is the first freshman to take the prize in the Heisman Trophy’s 77 years.

He had an awesome season against everyone except the Gators. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his collegiate career develops.

Oh, does anyone else think he looks much older than 20?

Moving on ... 

The remainder of the week is booked with the exception of Saturday ...

Tuesday - 7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC @ Avery Fisher Hall

Wednesday - 3:00==>SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN;

8:00==>THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN

Thursday - 7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC @ Avery Fisher Hall

Friday - 8:00==>HOLIDAY ON BROADWAY: The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps.

Saturday - open at the moment

SUNDAY - 3:00==>HOLIDAY BRASS @ Avery Fisher Hall; 

7:30==>PICNIC (Broadway)

Since yesterday was a day off I didn’t get in much walking, only 1.10 miles, all around the apartment, the second lowest since July 1st.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>1.10 miles (or, 2,420 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>873.02 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>205.98 miles

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.”