Wednesday==>AWESOME Doubleheader!!

Thursday==>Your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, is happy to report to his loyal and faithful readers and followers that yesterday’s entertainment doubleheader was excellent ... in fact ... it was AWESOME ... starting with ...

YOU NEVER CAN TELL, about a world famous author and her grown children who return to England after 18 years abroad==>B+

This George Bernard Shaw comedy/farce is very amusing, very British, and very entertaining.

The cast is also excellent. I particularly liked Sean McNall in the role of Mr. Valentine, the dentist, and Emma Wisniewski and Ben Charles as the Clandon siblings Dolly and Philip.

This classic comedy is playing at The Pearl Theater on West 42nd Street, two blocks West of my apartment, has a running time of 2:30, with an intermission, and runs through October 13th.

Billi Pod says==>if you need a smile and a laugh, then see this show.

When the show was over I came back to PHC and had my usual pre-theater snack, fruit and cheese plate, and then it was time to head out to the Upper Eastside for my second show ...

THE MACHINE, about the 1997 chess match between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue, the IBM super-computer==>A

Wow! This is a pretty amazing show that had its premiere earlier in the year at England’s Manchester International Festival. It has transferred to The Park Avenue Armory with most of the original cast.

Folks, it is difficult to describe the stage setup. The huge Drill Hall space in The Armory has been transformed into stadium setting encircling the performance space, with large TV screens everywhere.

While the story line focuses on the chess match it also develops the backgrounds of both Garry Kasparov and the equally talented Feng-Hsiung Hsu, the Taiwanese creator of Deep Blue.

There is incredible staging, an informative story line, with terrific acting from a talented cast, many of whom play multiple roles.

You don’t have to be a chess-nut to follow and/or understand the story line.

Also at the show were my theater buddies Marty Kosarik aka Whatever and Julie Miller and they both liked the show a lot.

This drama is playing at The Park Avenue Armory, Park Avenue between 66th and 67th Streets, has a running time of 1:40, without intermission, and runs through September 18th.

Billi Pod says==>this is a must see!

When I got back to the apartment around 10:30pm I have to admit that I felt a bit emotionally drained from the two excellent theater experiences.

And, speaking of being emotionally drained ...

Last night, out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, the Yankees held on to win 6-5 over the White Sox and sweep the series.

The Yankees got a journeyman performance from CC Sabathia, David Robertson imploded and Mo. got his 41st save.

Tonight at 7:05pm at The Stadium will be the first game of a 4-game series against the hated and reviled BOSTON FUCKSOX.

On the mound for The Yankees will be Ivan Nova (8-4), currently our most reliable starter vs. Jake Peavy (11-5) for the AL East leading FuckSox.

To say that this a crucial series is to put it mildly. 

It is my intention to stay in to watch each of the 4 games on the tube. Hey ... don’t judge me ... just deal with it, because this is what is going to happen ... so ...

Moving on ...

At noon today I will have lunch with my longtime friends Dwight and Joanne Wells, who currently live in Tampa, FL.

They are in the city for only two days and then will return to the Catskills where they left their motor home. They have been on a mind-boggling motor home adventure that began in April and will end in late September.

I hope to have the details for tomorrow's blog posting.

Time to post this and then get ready to meet up with Dwight & Joanne ... so ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.35 miles (or, 9,509 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>238.56 miles (average 3.61 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

Another Wednesday Doubleheader.

Wednesday==>Today is going to be another entertainment doubleheader for your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World ... so ...

Let’s get started with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway show ...

AMERICAN GAMES, focuses on a former baseball phenomenon who slips out of the spotlight after being a much-hyped prospect==>B

The show is well performed and thought-provoking, but ... there is way-too-much yelling and screaming from everyone. It really gets old. The story line has many twists and turns, but, IMHO, the message remains unsettled.

Another quibble ... the lead is supposed to be 21-years old ... well ... the actor playing him is a mature-looking 30+. Also, the show needs to be trimmed. I think it would work better at 90 minutes, without intermission. It runs through September 8th.

And, of course, it is playing at that disgrace known as The American Theater of Actors on West 54th Street. Billi Pod renews his promise to his inner self to never book another show at this dung-heap of a venue.

Moving on ...

As mentioned above ... today is going to be an entertainment doubleheader ... so ... for you loyal and faithful readers and followers ... here are the details ...

2:00==>YOU NEVER CAN TELL - “Set in the turn of the 20th century, a world famous author and her grown children return to England after 18 years abroad and face the unexpected return of her long missing husband. The family confronts love, family, money, sex, social and political issues, women's rights and the dangers of dentists in love.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This George Bernard Shaw classic comedy is playing at The Pearl Theater on West 42nd Street, two blocks West of my apartment, has a running time of 2:30, with intermission, and runs through October 13th.

When the show is over I will come back to PHC for the usual pre-theater snack, a fruit and cheese plate, and then it will be time to head uptown for the second part of the doubleheader ...

7:30==THE MACHINE - “In 1997, Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest grandmasters the chess world has ever produced, arrived in New York City for the match of his life, against Deep Blue, the IBM super-computer.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This drama is playing at The Park Avenue Armory, Park Avenue between 66th and 67th Streets, has a running time of 2:30, with intermission, and runs through September 18th.

I think it really sounds interesting.

Now, for your sports fix ...

Last night out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, The Bronx Bombers staged a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Chicago White Sox, overcoming a 3-run deficit by scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning, winning 6-4. Mo. got his 40th save.

Unfortunately, Hiroki Kuroda had another lackluster outing, giving up 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings.

With the win we are only 2 1/2 games behind in the wild card race.

Tonight at 7:05pm is the final game of the 3-game series. On the mound for The Yankees will be our former ace CC Sabathia (12-11) vs. rookie Erik Johnson (0-0) for the White Sox.

In closing==>I have to admit that I am still basking in the positive feelings from yesterday’s session with my cardiologist. I have soooooo much to be thankful for, I really do.

OK ... time to get ready to head out for my first show ... so ...

Yesterday was a good walking day, too ... 

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.33 miles (or, 11,662 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>234.21 miles (average 3.60 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

Appointment With Cardiologist Went Very Well.

BREAKING NEWS==>This morning at 9:00am I had an appointment with my cardiologist, Dr. Fred Feuerbach, who I have been seeing since July 2001. This appointment was for a stress test and an echo gram to determine if any of my meds should/could be reduced or eliminated.

Everything went extremely well and this is Dr. Fred’s summary, in his own handwriting ...

“Stress/echo. Normal EF 60%. Normal stress test. Valves fine - mild mitral regurgitation - mild tricuspid regurgitation. Aorta Normal. No changes for now. Still considering less medication.”

He was also totally satisfied with the results of the fasting blood work.

To all of this, this 79-year-old guy humbly says==>Thank You My Higher Power, who I choose to call God!

I have to admit to being somewhat emotionally drained though. I mean ... one never knows how the blood work and other tests are going to play out.

Dr. Fred’s office is in the far Eastside, so I actually logged in 2.90 miles on the roundtrip. It was 11:30am when I opened the door to PHC.

I checked my email and then crashed for about 90 minutes. It is now 1:00pm and I feel great ... so ... let’s get back on schedule with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway show ...

EVERYTHING IS OURS, a comedy about what happens when two people who have it all get one more thing==>A-

This is a totally enjoyable comedy. The “one more thing” is the unexpected arrival of an 11-year-old girl, who “might” be joining their family.

The acting is excellent, especially from the young girl, Rachel Resheff, whose impressive bio includes 4 Broadway shows.

The staging and sets are also excellent.

The show is playing downtown at the HERE Arts Center in SoHo, has a running time of 90 minutes, without intermission, and runs through September 21st.

Billi Pod says==>see this show.

I saw the show with my theater buddy Marty Kosarik aka Whatever and he also enjoyed it.

After the show we walked up to The West Village where we had a great late dinner at Westville on West 10th Street.

Moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is an Off Broadway show ...

7:00==>AMERICAN GAMES - “Baseball phenom Henry Wool is widely considered to be the greatest pitching prospect in the history of the sport--subject of vast speculation, analysis, and media hype. But when he decides to hang it up for good, Henry must deal with the consequences of fame, love, power, and history.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is playing at another one of the venues at The American Theatre of Actors space on West 54th Street, probably my least favorite Off Broadway venue, has a running time of 2:00, with an intermission, and runs through September 8th.

Yes, I know that last week I promised that I would never again book a show at this venue ... but ... I had already booked this show before I made that promise to my inner self.

So ... let’s get back on a positive note with some sports ...

Yesterday afternoon, out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, The Bronx Bombers put a major ass-whipping on the Chicago White Sox, winning 9-1, in a game that had an almost 2 hour rain delay. The Bombers scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Tonight it will be Hiroki Kuroda (11-10), who has imploded in his last three outings vs. Chris Sale (10-12) for The White Sox.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, your favorite blogger still has some leftover chores and stuff ... so ... time to post this and get at it ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.97 miles (or, 6,499 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>228.88 miles (average 3.58 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

Have A Happy Labor Day Everyone!

Monday==>HAPPY LABOR DAY to all of my Worker Bee friends and loyal and faithful readers and followers out there in the boondocks, wilderness and wastelands.

Unfortunately, it is a gray and overcast day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, with rain and stormy conditions predicted from mid-afternoon into the evening hours. The temperature at 11:00am is 80º and there is just a light breeze coming off the Hudson River.

So ... let’s get today’s posting started in the usual way with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway show ...

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST HEMINGWAY, the gay romance in Oscar Wilde's best-loved work collides with Hemingway's impossible machismo==>B+

The acting is excellent, especially Ross Cowan and Tim Hassler in the lead roles. The staging is also first-class. This was the final performance of the limited run and the house was full.

I have to admit that I found the story line a bit difficult to follow since I have only limited knowledge of the works of Oscar Wilde and/or Ernest Hemingway.

Act I clocked in at 90 minutes and that was a bit long. After a 15 minute intermission Act II was just a bit over 60 minutes, so it was almost 11:00pm when I headed back to the apartment.

I also have to comment that the venue, The Access Theatre, at Broadway and White Street, way downtown, basically sucks. First of all ... it is 4-flights up, with no elevator and secondly, it is basically without air conditioning. In fact, when we checked in to pick up our tickets we were given folding hand fans. It was really unpleasant and the fan-waving was somewhat distracting.

Yeah ... it was a different experience but the superb acting made it worthwhile.

Tonight’s entertainment event is an Off Broadway show down in SoHo ...

8:30==>EVERYTHING IS OURS - “A comedy about what happens when two people who have it all get one more thing.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is playing downtown at the HERE Arts Center in SoHo and runs through September 21st. It is in very early previews so I don’t know, and can’t find, the running time.

Will be seeing this show with my theater buddy Marty Kosarik aka Whatever. After the show we will catch a bite at some place Marty selects.

 Moving on ...

Yesterday afternoon out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, The Yankees lost 7-3 to The Orioles as the bullpen imploded in the 7th inning, wasting an excellent outing from Andy Pettitte.

This afternoon at 1:05pm is the first game of a 3-game series against the Chicago White Sox.

On the mound for The Yankees will be the fading Phil Hughes (4-13) vs. Jose Quintana (7-4) for the Sox.

So ... again ... HAPPY LABOR DAY EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.18 miles (or, 6,961 steps)

Total mileage for the week==>23.19 miles (average 3.31 miles per day)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>225.91 miles (average 3.59 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

Saturday==>GOOD & BAD

Sunday==>In the name of fair and unbiased reporting your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, has to admit to you loyal and faithful readers and followers that yesterday was indeed a GOOD and BAD day.

I know you loyal and faithful readers and followers out there in the boondocks, wastelands and hinterlands are anxious to get all of the details ... 

So ... let’s get started first on a positive note with the GOOD ...

The No.10 ranked Florida Gators beat the University of Toledo 24-6 before a crowd of 83,604 in The Swamp. 

Florida won with defense, an effective ground game and solid special teams, basically the same formula that lead us to a 11-win 2012 season.

The game was carried locally on MSG and that was a major GOOD.

Next Saturday, at noon, The Gators will face the unranked University of Miami, down in Miami.

Man, last night’s Georgia/Clemson game was truly exciting to watch regardless of which team you were pulling for. Clemson won 38-35.

The next major GOOD was The Yankees 2-0 win over The Orioles. Ivan Nova pitched a complete game, giving up only 3 hits.

With the win The Yankees moved past the Orioles in the wild card race.

At 1:05pm this afternoon out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, it will be the final game of the 3-game series.

On the mound for The Bronx Bombers will be Andy Pettitte (10-9) vs. Wei-Yin Chen (7-7) for The Orioles.

What wasn’t GOOD was last night’s painfully inept Off Broadway show ...

TCHAIKOVSKY - A NEW PLAY, about the life, loves and death of one of the world’s most influential composers==>D

The show is dreadfully dull, poorly performed in a miserable venue, The American Theatre of Actors Chermuchin Theatre on West 54th Street.

Almost everything about this show was bad==>unlikeable characters, sloppy staging, whispered dialogue, confusing story line, distracting whirring noise from the AC unit, etc. etc.

The only positive note for me was a couple of decent ballet numbers (and I’m not a ballet fan).

The first act clocked in at 1:40 and it seemed as if the clock had stopped. At intermission I joined a flood of fellow audience members headed for the exit.

The final performance is this afternoon.

PROMISE TO SELF==>I will never, EVER, schedule another event at this wretched venue, I promise.

Another BAD was the announcement that Timmy Tebow was cut from The Patriots roster. I think his NFL days are over. Bummer.

So ... I think you loyal and faithful readers and followers will agree with my view that yesterday was indeed a GOOD & BAD day.

But, remember ... I report - you decide!

So ... why don’t we move on to today ...

I will stay in for the afternoon to watch the YANKEES/ORIOLES game and then it will be ...

8:00==>THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST HEMINGWAY - “A mash-up of texts from Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway that outs the gay romance in Wilde's best-loved work and collides it with Hemingway's impossible machismo, exposing both artists' desperate search for an Ideal Masculinity.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

The show is playing at The Access Theatre @ Broadway and White Street, way downtown, has a running time of 2:30, with an intermission, and this is the final performance of its limited run.

Yeah ... I know ... it sounds kinda iffy, doesn’t it.

HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE WEEKEND EVERYONE.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.56 miles (or, 7,787 steps)

Total mileage for August==>108.86 miles (average 3.51 miles per day)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>222.73 miles (average 3.59 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”