Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!
My promotion to a new job is in FULL MANIC SWING! My last job was a global role, but I had a smaller team so even though some of my days started at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. with conference calls - it was by my own choosing and never more than twice a week.
Now I log on at 5 a.m. and I already have fifty emails waiting for me. (Thanks a lot, Asia Pacific team!) Instead of having a "Farmer Lil' gets a head start on the day. I am SO productive!" feeling. I start out feeling cranky and already behind in my work. I've been working crazy hours and trying to stay positive and focused.
Thank Baby Jesus for VACATIONS.
I was supposed to have a five day weekend in NYC, but that was BEFORE the new job. Instead of three vacation days, I decided to work 1.5 days from the hotel and take only 1.5 days off. Sadly a "half vacation" day turned out to be 6 hours of work, took the afternoon off and then 4 more hours of work in the evening. But I made the best of my limited time!
Priceline hooked me up with an awesome hotel that I will write about at another date. Luckily their WiFi is fast, so I can work super-fast. I churned through meeting after meeting - no breakfast, no lunch, just crankiness! But finally, finally, FINALLY ... it was time for me to go. I had a Broadway Matinee to see!
I have been a Bryan Cranston fan since his days of playing a self-absorbed dentist on "Seinfeld." When I heard he was playing President Lyndon Baines Johnson, a.k.a. "LBJ" on Broadway in the play "All The Way," I knew I had to go!
Side Note: One of my friends said "Wait, weren't you just in NYC? Didn't you just see a bunch of Broadway shows?" Um, yes. But that was end of April/early May. This is June. See the difference?
I bought my ticket before "All The Way" won the Tony Award for "Best Play" and Bryan Cranston won "Best Performance By An Actor in A Leading Role in a Play." But hearing that the show won awards made me even more excited!
In short, the show was beyond excellent. I see why it won "Best Play" - the dialogue, intensity and pacing was riveting. I was engrossed in every single second of this show. I highly recommend it.
I was anxious to see "Heisenberg" himself, Bryan Cranston, up close and personal. I was in the third row and when he gave a speech on power, he looked right at me. But after about two seconds, I completely forgot I was watching Bryan Cranston. He so completely became LBJ that I forgot about the actor himself, the Seinfeld dentist, the Malcolm in the Middle dad and the Breaking Bad Meth Maker. I was transported to 1963, amidst Martin Luther King Jr., Hubert Humphrey, J. Edgar Hoover, George Wallace and many others.
Bryan Cranston was nothing less than 1000% stellar as LBJ. He ping-ponged between the emotions of an American President carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. If you have the opportunity, you should see the play. He had tears in his eyes several times during the show. He would rant, then tell jokes, then cry, then howl. And the audience was inhaling every moment intensely.
I must admit I am more well-versed on the Kennedy years vs. LBJ's time in office. I basically knew that he was the driver for the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, but also has the legacy of the escalation into the actions that would turn into the Viet Nam war. And of course the ushering in of "The Great Society" programs to push the American people out of poverty. He made so many changes at a pivotal time.
Spoiler alert for anyone who doesn't know US History - when LBJ was elected, confetti and streamers fell down upon the audience in the theater. I swear I had a bucket of foil confetti strips all over me. I grabbed a handful off my chest and shoved them in my purse so I could take the following picture ... This was just a fraction of the confetti that was on me!
I had no doubts that Bryan Cranston would be wonderful in the show. What I didn't expect was how good the other actors were. Brandon J. Dirden played Martin Luther King Jr. I had never heard of Mr. Dirden before, but it will be a crime if movies/TV and other Broadway shows don't grab him as fast as he can. He played the role true and whole. It would have been easy to do a shallow imitation of Martin Luther King Jr., but Mr. Dirden breathed life into the man as a regular human as well as a civil rights leader.
Peter Jay Fernandez was wonderful as Roy Wilkins. Ron Campbell infused George Wallace with a tenacity and pluck. I didn't know when I watched him on stage that Mr. Campbell was in my favorite movie musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Small world!
The role of J. Edgar Hoover is normally played by TV actor Michael McKean. However in the performance I saw, the understudy Tony Carlin was in the role. Tony Carlin is no slouch - he's been in various movies and TV shows. He played Hoover without being campy or overly evil - it was "just enough."
Actor Eric Lenox Abrams infused every scene with intensity and bottled rage that was endemic of trying to push for Civil Rights against a hostile South and a stubborn Congress. His voice was booming with the pain of generations. William Jackson Harper also gave heart as well as anger, lighting up every scene he appeared in.
I am going to pretend I didn't secretly squeal "OH MY GOD, IT'S THE DAD FROM 90210" when I saw James Eckhouse on stage. I doubt the 90 year old man in the seersucker suit sitting in front of me was sharing my same recognition moment!
I also didn't know that 84 year old Minnesota native and mesmerizing actor John McMartin was in the show. Every scene he was in was a treat for the audience. I was so glad to see him in person.
Another welcome surprise was seeing Ethan Phillips. I swear he has not aged in 40 years. I remember seeing him on reruns of the old show "Benson" and "Star Trek: Voyager." He played four roles in the play. Even when he was in a small role, he did it well.
Last but not least, Robert Petkoff as Hubert Humphrey was the heart of the play. Imploring LBJ for change but having to swallow his pride and his thoughts. It's a twisted dance trying to get any legislation through, but the Civil Rights Act? I still don't know how the bill passed when parts of the country were actively lynching and declaring themselves above Federal law.
The tragedies of the murders of American civil rights' workers, James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael "Mickey" Schwerner were a heart-breaking backdrop for parts of the play. They were barely in their 20's and yet so dedicated toward civil rights and education in the South. I can't imagine risking my life at such a young age for others. I was still in college, partying, sleeping and oh yeah occasionally studying.
"All The Way" had me thinking long after the show had ended. Which I think is a sign of a truly good play. I can't shake its grasp. An excellent show.
My promotion to a new job is in FULL MANIC SWING! My last job was a global role, but I had a smaller team so even though some of my days started at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. with conference calls - it was by my own choosing and never more than twice a week.
Now I log on at 5 a.m. and I already have fifty emails waiting for me. (Thanks a lot, Asia Pacific team!) Instead of having a "Farmer Lil' gets a head start on the day. I am SO productive!" feeling. I start out feeling cranky and already behind in my work. I've been working crazy hours and trying to stay positive and focused.
Thank Baby Jesus for VACATIONS.
I was supposed to have a five day weekend in NYC, but that was BEFORE the new job. Instead of three vacation days, I decided to work 1.5 days from the hotel and take only 1.5 days off. Sadly a "half vacation" day turned out to be 6 hours of work, took the afternoon off and then 4 more hours of work in the evening. But I made the best of my limited time!
Priceline hooked me up with an awesome hotel that I will write about at another date. Luckily their WiFi is fast, so I can work super-fast. I churned through meeting after meeting - no breakfast, no lunch, just crankiness! But finally, finally, FINALLY ... it was time for me to go. I had a Broadway Matinee to see!
I have been a Bryan Cranston fan since his days of playing a self-absorbed dentist on "Seinfeld." When I heard he was playing President Lyndon Baines Johnson, a.k.a. "LBJ" on Broadway in the play "All The Way," I knew I had to go!
Side Note: One of my friends said "Wait, weren't you just in NYC? Didn't you just see a bunch of Broadway shows?" Um, yes. But that was end of April/early May. This is June. See the difference?
I bought my ticket before "All The Way" won the Tony Award for "Best Play" and Bryan Cranston won "Best Performance By An Actor in A Leading Role in a Play." But hearing that the show won awards made me even more excited!
In short, the show was beyond excellent. I see why it won "Best Play" - the dialogue, intensity and pacing was riveting. I was engrossed in every single second of this show. I highly recommend it.
I was anxious to see "Heisenberg" himself, Bryan Cranston, up close and personal. I was in the third row and when he gave a speech on power, he looked right at me. But after about two seconds, I completely forgot I was watching Bryan Cranston. He so completely became LBJ that I forgot about the actor himself, the Seinfeld dentist, the Malcolm in the Middle dad and the Breaking Bad Meth Maker. I was transported to 1963, amidst Martin Luther King Jr., Hubert Humphrey, J. Edgar Hoover, George Wallace and many others.
Bryan Cranston was nothing less than 1000% stellar as LBJ. He ping-ponged between the emotions of an American President carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. If you have the opportunity, you should see the play. He had tears in his eyes several times during the show. He would rant, then tell jokes, then cry, then howl. And the audience was inhaling every moment intensely.
I must admit I am more well-versed on the Kennedy years vs. LBJ's time in office. I basically knew that he was the driver for the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, but also has the legacy of the escalation into the actions that would turn into the Viet Nam war. And of course the ushering in of "The Great Society" programs to push the American people out of poverty. He made so many changes at a pivotal time.
Spoiler alert for anyone who doesn't know US History - when LBJ was elected, confetti and streamers fell down upon the audience in the theater. I swear I had a bucket of foil confetti strips all over me. I grabbed a handful off my chest and shoved them in my purse so I could take the following picture ... This was just a fraction of the confetti that was on me!
 |
| Bravo Playbill for honoring LBGTQ Pride with the colors in the Playbill logo |
Peter Jay Fernandez was wonderful as Roy Wilkins. Ron Campbell infused George Wallace with a tenacity and pluck. I didn't know when I watched him on stage that Mr. Campbell was in my favorite movie musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Small world!
The role of J. Edgar Hoover is normally played by TV actor Michael McKean. However in the performance I saw, the understudy Tony Carlin was in the role. Tony Carlin is no slouch - he's been in various movies and TV shows. He played Hoover without being campy or overly evil - it was "just enough."
Actor Eric Lenox Abrams infused every scene with intensity and bottled rage that was endemic of trying to push for Civil Rights against a hostile South and a stubborn Congress. His voice was booming with the pain of generations. William Jackson Harper also gave heart as well as anger, lighting up every scene he appeared in.
I am going to pretend I didn't secretly squeal "OH MY GOD, IT'S THE DAD FROM 90210" when I saw James Eckhouse on stage. I doubt the 90 year old man in the seersucker suit sitting in front of me was sharing my same recognition moment!
I also didn't know that 84 year old Minnesota native and mesmerizing actor John McMartin was in the show. Every scene he was in was a treat for the audience. I was so glad to see him in person.
Another welcome surprise was seeing Ethan Phillips. I swear he has not aged in 40 years. I remember seeing him on reruns of the old show "Benson" and "Star Trek: Voyager." He played four roles in the play. Even when he was in a small role, he did it well.
Last but not least, Robert Petkoff as Hubert Humphrey was the heart of the play. Imploring LBJ for change but having to swallow his pride and his thoughts. It's a twisted dance trying to get any legislation through, but the Civil Rights Act? I still don't know how the bill passed when parts of the country were actively lynching and declaring themselves above Federal law.
The tragedies of the murders of American civil rights' workers, James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael "Mickey" Schwerner were a heart-breaking backdrop for parts of the play. They were barely in their 20's and yet so dedicated toward civil rights and education in the South. I can't imagine risking my life at such a young age for others. I was still in college, partying, sleeping and oh yeah occasionally studying.
"All The Way" had me thinking long after the show had ended. Which I think is a sign of a truly good play. I can't shake its grasp. An excellent show.
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