Now Here's The Problem ... My Big Gay Theatre Weekend in New York City

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

I just returned from a theater weekend in New York City which also coincided with Gay Pride weekend.  So you might say it was a gay theater weekend!  I was very happy to hear of the SCOTUS decision on marriage equality - emphasis on the word "equality."  I don't know how one can justify a legal system where not all citizens are given equal rights and protections under the law.  So score one for equality for the LGBTQ community.  

I joked that for the start of my theater weekend that I spent "Gay Pride Weekend with a Front Row Seat with a Queen!"  I indeed was in the front row for the spectacular Dame Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth in "The Audience."   

Since I am woefully ignorant of British Prime Minister History other than Churchill and Thatcher, I was very excited that in my Playbill was a card with the background information on all the Prime Ministers under Queen Elizabeth.  In case there is a test later, I will be prepared!  (Prepared to get a D+.)

I highly recommend the play "The Audience."  There was actually one moment where I had a tear in my eye - but I am also overly emotional at times too. 

The next night I was supposed to see Vanessa Hudgens star in the musical "Gigi."  I'm not a Vanessa Hudgens fan and I have never seen any of the "High School Musical" franchise, but I haven't seen the musical "Gigi" in decades and that is why I bought my ticket.  Sadly the reviews were not good and the show closed early.  I received a refund and I believe it was God telling me a better show was in my future.

And God was correct because in my eyes, a much better opportunity did come along!

For the record, one of my many ridiculous obsessions is the reality competition show "RuPaul's Drag Race."  Ever since a childhood friend introduced me to the glamazon once known as "Starbooty" many decades ago, I have been in love with all things RuPaul Charles.  However my real obsession didn't kick in until I forcibly invited myself to accompany a fellow #RPDR fan to a live show at Ritz Ybor for RuPaul's Battle of the Seasons.  In this show, I was able to see several "RuPaul Drag Race" contestants up close and personal.  

To add more fuel to the fire of my obsession: I have been trying to exercise more since I have an overwhelming love of all things sugar, fat and starch.  

(And as I type this, my youngest cat - Rufus T. "Chibby" Chibs is giving me a shady side eye with a "Um yeah, that's an understatement, Tubby!" sneer.  WHY ARE CATS SO MEAN?  And yes, I am eating instant mac and cheese processed food stuffs as I type this - but what does that have to do with anything?)  

OK back to the topic ... due to my love of all things terrible for me, I started working out more.  As part of my increased exercise program, I have been trying to walk 5 - 13 miles a day.  

Newsflash:  Walking this much is incredibly boring for me.  I do see some lovely water views and floral arrangements, but I could do without the overly friendly senior citizens who want to stop and chat me up with their life story.  I will say that since I started wearing my "RuPaul Drag Race Season 6 Winner" Bianca Del Rio's "NOT TODAY SATAN" t-shirt, a lot less seniors want to chat me up.  But I have a feeling they are making the sign of the cross as they walk past me.  To entertain myself I have been listening to RuPaul's Podcast while I walk, which has made me even more OBSESSIVE about all things RuPaul and all things RuPaul Drag Race.  Yes, I know I have ISSUES.

Of all the drag queens on RuPaul Drag Race, one of my absolute favorites is Jinkx Monsoon - season five winner.  Well when Gigi the Musical fell through, I discovered that my beloved Jinkx was putting on a sequel to his/her previous show "The Vaudevillians."  This one was called "The Vaudevillians: Bringing Up Baby" with Jinkx Monson as a pregnant Kitty Witless and Major Scales as her husband.

What's more comical than a funny musical drag queen?  A funny, musical, PREGNANT drag queen.  I ordered a VIP ticket faster than you can say "more mac and cheese please!"

The show - at the Laurie Beeckman Theatre- was beyond fantastic.  Any show where you get to see a drag queen give birth on top of a piano while you're eating peppered shrimp with a side of risotto balls is a GOOD SHOW in my book!

Now I will admit that I may have possibly mentioned on social media that I love Jinkx Monsoon so much I want to skin her and wear her as a coat ... but when my "in person meet and greet" occurred, I was a BABBLING IDIOT!  I gave up drinking for a year (actually 13 months, but who is keeping track?) so I cannot even blame a cocktail for acting so bizarre.  I gave Jinkx my STALKER EYES and both Jinkx and his real life self Jerick Hofer, gave me a look of fear in return. But God bless that talented drag queen, he wrapped an arm around me (have you ever been pressed up against the bosom of a pregnant drag queen?) and posed for several pictures.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU Jinkx Monsoon!  (Season Four- RuPaul Drag Race Contestant Latrice Royale, you're next on my bucket list!)

Latrice Royale

Last, but NOT least, for my big gay theatre weekend in NYC was my SIXTH (yes, SIXTH) time seeing my favorite musical of ALL TIME -- "Hedwig and the Angry Inch."  This time starring Glee's Darren Criss.  Ms. Toledo and I had first seen Darren Criss in "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."  He was good in that show but he really brought it home in Hedwig.  

Because I was also in the front row for Hedwig, I had some very up close and personal moments with Darren Criss as he dropped to the stage and did the worm - as he faced me - a mere 2 inches from my face.  I also received a high five from him.  Another patron was "motorboated" by Darren Criss in his role as Hedwig.  Her name was Brie and Darren Criss referred to her as a stinky cheese and left her with a chestful of glittery eye makeup.  

My absolute favorite Hedwig is still the creator and originator - John Cameron Mitchell.  

I have seen 4 of the 5 Hedwigs - sorry Dexter's Michael C. Hall - I missed ya!

On July 22 2015, Taye Diggs takes over the role from Darren Criss.  Another one of my favorite RuPaul Drag Race contestants Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000 will also be doing a show in the city around the same time.  I'd like to see both shows but I am a bit burnt out on NYC weekends.  This has been the summer of travel for work and for fun and frankly it's nice to stay home once in awhile!  

But the one thing that NEVER lets me down whenever I travel to New York City is the BIZARRE overheard conversations.  I was staying at The Cassa Hotel and Residences - which was fabulous.  I highly recommend!  The staff was so friendly.  The room clean and modern.  The location could NOT be beat.  Win-win-win!  And it's near The Sofitel Hotel, so my deep desire to always eat French-style meals was satisfied by the Restaurant Gaby there.  Plus Alex Guarnaschelli (or however you spell it)'s restaurant BUTTER is in The Cassa (midtown location).  Any restaurant named Butter is good by me!  (My inner Paula Deen is SO HAPPY!)

Side Note:  Butter Midtown just opened a really gorgeous outdoor "secret garden."  Check it out and have their lobster roll while you're out there soaking up the sun!

Anyway, I was walking from The Cassa to Gaby Restaurant to start my day with an infusion of decaf cappuccino, French bread, ham and brie.

My perfect breakfast!

As I was walking, I heard two gentlemen talking as they walked past me.

Guy One (who I assume was commiserating about a recent woman he dated) said: "I mean, she has nice tits and all ... it's just the third one that is the problem."

Guy Two diplomatically frowned with an appearance of empathy and just shook his head in response.

New York City, you never fail to disappoint me with those eye-popping overheard conversations!  Thank you for another great theater weekend - and a happy belated Pride weekend to all my readers!

All The Way ... To NYC

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!

Bravo Playbill for honoring LBGTQ Pride with the colors in the Playbill logo

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.  

You're Welcome!

Happy Monday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

So last night, Ms. Wisconsin and I ate homemade lasagna and then went on a five mile walk.  I would have preferred to have eaten lasagna and then sat on the couch - HA HA HA!  (Sad, but true!)

I wore my "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" Broadway t-shirt as we walked in the muggy Florida air and I sweat so profusely that I looked like a drowned rat - in a Broadway t-shirt.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is my favorite movie musical, so when it went on Broadway I had to see it - from the third row! And I loved every minute of it.  I still love John Cameron Mitchell's rendition more, but Neil Patrick Harris was still pretty darn amazing.  In fact, I loved it so much that I have front row tickets later this month.  I have to see it one more time before it leaves Broadway at the end of this summer.

When I arrived home late last night, I saw that "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" won four Tony Awards!!!  I'm pretty sure my sweating up a storm along Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, Florida in a "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at the Belasco Theatre T-shirt is why the show won.  I mean, what else could it be?  I am also pretty sure Neil Patrick Harris will be sending me a mini muffin basket as a "thank you."

Neil Patrick Harris via Skype at the Paley Center's How I Met Your Mother
PaleyFest Event - March 2014

I might as well sit on my front steps and wait for those delicious muffins!  Until then I have only two things to say to the cast and crew of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" on Broadway:

1)  See you soon!

2)  You're welcome!

What I Am Trying To Say … Writing, Music, Murder and Theater in Tampa Bay

Happy Saturday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

Some may say Twitter.com is a waste of time, but every now and again a quote will turn up in my Twitter Feed (@SouthTampaLily) that just fits the moment.  It's like an electronic fortune cookie, Magic Eight Ball or freakishly accurate horoscope.  

So today the following quote from writer Rebecca Solnit popped up in my Twitter Feed.  (By the way, I was thinking of titling this post "Solnit is IT!")  

The quote was: 'Writing is saying to no one and to everyone the things it is not possible to say to someone.'  

That sentence, to me, is so spot on PERFECT.  Although I am not the meek silent type, so there's not much I have wanted to say to anyone that I have not said.  (It's pretty hard to shut me up!)  Although I do know some people in this world would like me to say more to them.  To those people I would say "be careful what you wish for" - bwahahhaha.

I spent a majority of my free time this week watching the Julie Schenecker murder trial.  Unlike the verdicts in the Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman Floridian trials, I agreed with this verdict.  My former New York-based "Psychology, Psychiatry and Criminal Law" seminar professor was quoted in the local Tampa paper talking about the difficulties in winning a case "not guilty by reason of insanity or mental defect."  I used to see him on talk shows a lot, it was a nice blast from the past to read his quote.  

Hearing the extremely sad details of a mother who shot and killed her sixteen year old daughter and thirteen year old son is not exactly the makings of a happy mood.  So I offset the sadness and horror by seeing three great shows in Tampa Bay.  A much more healthy thing to watch instead of criminal trials, or at least it is for me.     

I started by seeing fabulous local artists Matthew McGee and Scott Daniel in their hysterical "The Scott & Patti Show" where they play a Mother and Son lounge act.  

This particular "Scott & Patti" show was "Mother Lode" - a post-Mother's Day lounge set.  The show was held at freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida.  (And no, that's not a typo - their name starts with a lower case f.)  

I had just seen Cabaret at Studio 54 in New York City 2 weeks ago.  Don't tell actress Michelle Williams but Scott Daniel's rendition of "Don't Tell Mama" beats hers any day of the week!  

Matthew McGee as "Mama Patti" sang what is my absolutely favorite song from Cabaret - "Maybe This Time."  This is one of my traditional standards that I sing alone in my car with an umbrella and several pairs of sunglasses as my audience.  The "crowd" just loves it!   

What Michelle Williams did not do in the revival of Cabaret is sing "Maybe This Time" as Liza Minelli, Carol Channing and Cher - as Matthew McGee/Patti did.  Another plus for the Tampa Bay theater scene!

Next on my Tampa Bay theater week was Aaron Sorkin's "A Few Good Men" at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa, Florida.  Now along with "The Shawshank Redemption," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and "Pretty Woman," "A Few Good Men" is a movie I have seen over and over and over again - and NEVER do I tire of it.  If it's on cable in the middle of the afternoon, I will stop what I am doing and watch!  It's a mandatory event!  But because I love the movie so much and have never seen the play, I was wondering could the theatre hold up to the movie?

With a cast of eighteen actors, Stageworks' version of "A Few Good Men" delivered!  Dennis Duggan, who won Creative Loafing Tampa's Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Lenny in "Of Mice and Men" at Stageworks made a strong and effective Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep.  It is no wonder this show keeps selling out.  It was really terrific.

Plus points to me for not screaming out "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" the 942 times I wanted to during the show.

The show was directed by Stageworks Theatre's artistic director Karla Hartley, who also directed the fantastic "The Wiz" for American Stage Theatre in the park.  (Read my review of "The Wiz" here.)  Two cast members from The Wiz were in the front row at Stageworks.  

Scott Daniel - of the aforementioned "Scott and Patti Show" was also in "The Wiz" and was the Costume Designer for Stageworks' "A Few Good Men."  The Tampa Bay theatre people definitely get around!    

Next, it was back to freeFall Theatre for their all-male version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado."  Any show with characters named Yum-Yum and Pish-Tush has my attention.      I love, love, love, LOVE shows at freeFall Theatre.  They are THE BEST.  I cannot wait for their production of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" in August 2014!

   
Matthew McGee is also in "The Mikado."  He is a great, versatile comedic Tampa Bay actor.  He starred as the outrageous Mother Superior in Stageworks Theatre's version of Charles Busch's "The Divine Sister" which I am ecstatic to report will be coming back to Stageworks in August 2014 with its original cast from when it first played there in February 2014.  I had told many friends they should see it and now they will have another chance.  (Must see, must see, must see show!)  

Frankly, I would go to see Matthew McGee read the phone book.  He is hysterical whether in drag or in a male role.  I have seen him in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Fiddler on the Roof in addition to the shows I have already mentioned.  He will also be starring in "Mame" at freeFall Theatre in Summer 2015. 

(Side Note:  In terms of full disclosure … or partial disclosure … I am the "Twitter Girl" (a.k.a. Social Media Coordinator) for one of the theaters mentioned above.  But my comments about all the shows are 100% my true personal opinion!  They are amazing shows!) 

It has been a great week of theater for me.  I saw four Broadway shows in New York City recently, but I get just as much joy as seeing productions with our local talent.  (OK OK Alan Cumming in "Cabaret," Denzel Washington in "Raisin in the Sun," Neil Patrick Harris in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and the entire wonderful cast of Harvey Fierstein's "Casa Valentina" are nothing to sneeze at … those were all mind-blowingly fantastic shows!  But our local theater here is extremely good too-- and a lot cheaper, I must add!)  If you are in or near Tampa Bay, you have to check out some of our wonderful local theatre!  

Happy Saturday!    
  

THE FINAL DAY: Hedwig on Broadway Countdown! We're Talking To Phil Collins' People!

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

If you are an avid reader of LilyOnTheLam, you will know that about 9 or 10 days ago, I started counting down the days until I see my favorite movie musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" on Broadway starring Neil Patrick Harris.

Since I am incredibly lazy, I have wondered several times throughout this "journey" why I didn't start the countdown on say Day 2 1/2.  But I have had fun researching clips to include on each day, so hopefully you have enjoyed it as well.  And if you didn't, go turn on your TV to be entertained then.  Geez!

There are so many great "tongue in cheek" lines from Hedwig.  The following scene is not only one of my favorites, but one of my absolute favorite songs from the musical.  I hope you enjoy!

"We're talking to Phil Collins' people ... but then again, aren't we all?"

  

Three Days Until Hedwig: THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES! Hedwig Makeup Tutorial

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

About a week ago I started my countdown until I am attending "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" on Broadway.  Each day of my countdown, I include a mini post after my regularly scheduled "day" post.  If you haven't read my previous Hedwig countdown posts, drop everything you are doing (unless it is open heart surgery - and if so, why are you reading a blog during it?  Sheesh!) and go back and read my previous posts.  I'll wait for you here while I hum Jeopardy-theme music until you return.

Hi!  Welcome back!  Why is there blood on your ER scrubs?  Umm... OK maybe I'll just pretend I didn't see that.

I love Hedwig so very much, but when I was in Orlando at The Social for a Jay Brennan concert I found out that my love for Hedwig is only at an amateur level.  I met a man who had the same tattoo as Hedwig does in the movie.  Except it's on his arm, not his butt like the movie has it.  I thought "Wow, that is DEDICATION!"  One reason I really enjoy Hedwig is because there is a heavy undercurrent of Plato's Symposium running throughout the storyline.  Yes, Plato!  Not Play-dough.  One of my many degrees is an English major.  Another is 450 - on my toaster oven.

For "three days left" in the Hedwig, I include this fabulous YouTube makeup tutorial on how to make yourself look like Hedwig.  (I love YouTube!  There's a video for EVERYTHING!)  So even if you cannot see Hedwig on Broadway, you can make yourself look like Hedwig!

  

THE HEDWIG COUNTDOWN BEGINS NOW! Alan Cumming Medley of Hedwig Songs

Dear LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

If you are a regular reader, you will know that I have many eccentricities (a.k.a. "This biatch be cray-cray!).  One of my loves (a.k.a. obsessions) is the John Cameron Mitchell movie musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch."  When I heard Neil Patrick Harris was going to play Hedwig on Broadway, I bought my ticket faster than you can say "Internationally Ignored Song Stylist."

I am extremely excited for this musical on Broadway, but also a bit scared since I am so RAVENOUSLY IN LOVE with the movie and John Cameron Mitchell's portrayal of Hedwig.  I fear that I will be let down by the Broadway show.  But I am willing to fly to New York and take that chance!

(Seriously I'm nuts - I own a DVD of the movie, but also have it digitally from iTunes so that I can access the movie any time, any where.  Hello INSANE!)

My friend and I are also seeing the sublime Alan Cumming in a revival of Cabaret (another movie I am obsessed with) while in NYC.

While I will be posting regular blog posts from now until I see "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" on Broadway, I will also be posting daily "mini LilyOnTheLam" Hedwig countdown clips until the day I see the show.  Because I am that insane and that excited!  Care to join my insanity?

To start my "HEDWIG COUNTDOWN!" I am combining my love of Hedwig and the Angry Inch with my love of Alan Cumming by attaching this link to a YouTube video where Alan Cumming does a medley of Hedwig songs.

ENJOY!

Gorgeous Oatmeal and Remembering Why Friends Rock

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

How are you?  I've missed writing to you.  Where have you been?  Where have I been?  Watching a lot of HBO's Season Three of Game of Thrones and the even better sassy Jonathan Van Ness starring in FunnyOrDie.com's Gay of Thrones.  If you love sassy gay hairdressers, Game of Thrones and laughing your arse off - you need to watch "Gay of Thrones" but only AFTER you have seen Season Three of Game of Thrones - because there are some spoiler alerts!  

(I seriously have watched the 9 episodes of "Gay of Thrones" ten times ... I have a problem because I loves me some straight up Winterfell Realness!)

And find out which actor used a "stunt tushie" in Game of Thrones on episode 3 of "Gay of Thrones."  

(Here's a spoiler hint - he's singer Lily Allen's brother.  I am all about anyone and everyone with the name Lily!)

And I am IN LOVE with Jonathan Van Ness' head wrap in the Episode Six Recap ... so fabulous!

Time to get back to the business of me writing and you reading and unicorns roaming the land.  Deal?  Deal!

I know you come to LilyOnTheLam.com to find out the real meaning of life and the whole "What's It All About, Alfie?"-ism of it all ... And today is your lucky day because this blog post is all about the true meaning of Friendship.  Not the true meaning of Christmas because people it's June, OK?  

(Side Note:  Read more about my thoughts on "What's It All About, Alfie? in my blog post titled "Why It's Not A Good Idea to Get Drunk and Then Go To The Asian Dollar Store."  You know you want to read it!)

In life, friends are important - they support and encourage and yet call you on your sh*t if your head is getting out of whack.  And maybe they'll even share their popcorn with you at the movies.  But on Monday I was reminded why it's worth having friends in this world.  

(Side Note:  However sometimes friends are not always the most responsive as when I went into all crazy hysterics about being stalked by a local prosecutor who wanted to date me and Nicky G's first response was "Is he cute?"  Biatch please, the guy has a gun!  Nicky G, you're on notice!) 

Anywho ... Monday I got a big reminder of why friends are important and why I try to (most of the time) be a nice, loyal friend.  

You may remember Miss LM from my previous blog post The Importance of Friends and a Tasty Belgian Wafel.  Awhile ago, Miss LM was the victim of a car crushing hit and run about 10 minutes from my home.  Being from Minnesota and growing up in Wisconsin, I did what any good Midwesterner should do.  While Miss LM waited by the side of the road for Florida Highway Patrol officers who never came, I drove over and brought her some cheese.

Yes, cheese.  Nothing says "I am glad you're not dead, but I am sorry your vehicle got accordian-smooshed" like a deli plate of multiple varieties of sliced cheese.  Didn't your Mother teach you that?  

But seriously, I did bring her cheese.  Because sometimes you just don't know how to say "I am so sorry this happened to you."  So you give some cheese and hope the person knows you care.

Now contrary to popular belief and rumors written in lipstick in various Tampa Bay area bars, I don't just run around giving cheese to everyone.  You have to be a quality person to get some cheese from LilyOnTheLam.  And I have found time and time again, that if you pick the right people to give cheese to - you will be rewarded.  Hopefully with more cheese and some crackers and a bottle of wine, but sometimes the gift is even greater than that.

Monday was a perfect demonstration of that principle in action.  Miss LM had found out that an actor we both like will be starring in my favorite musical OF ALL TIME on Broadway Spring 2014 and she sent me a link to the news article.

This was like a 20 pound brick of manchego, sitting on a 50 pound brick of Jalapeno Jack, sitting on a 1000 pound brick of aged white cheddar with a vat of Big Woods Blue cheese and Purple Haze cheese next to it.

This is why you make and keep friends - so that one day they will be your publicity crew making sure that you are fully aware of all social events that will be the highlight of your life.  

If you have not clicked the news story link and if you are not a frequent LilyOnTheLam.com reader, I'll give you a heads up.  My favorite musical and movie musical of all time is John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  It reigns high above all other plays, television shows and movies about wannabe rockstars who cut off their penis to escape Communist-run East Germany searching for their other half to make them whole.  I can quote all the dialogue, sing all the songs and I may just have a big old blonde wig in a box ready to be pulled out for spontaneous living room concerts of the Hedwig song "Wig In A Box." 

(Side Note:  Read more about my obsessive love for Hedwig and the Angry Inch in three, yes three blog posts: (1) Panic! Shazam! I'm Going To Guam!  (2) Midnight Radio: How I Found My Doppelganger Via Twitter.  and (3) Wicked Little Town:  Please Don't Think I Am Creepy But ...

And read this beyond awesome clip reel article on Buzzfeed about the movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch - regardless if you're gay or straight, you need to read this article.  It is fabulous and distills the Hedwig philosophy perfectly.

And if you live in Tampa Bay, get your tickets to Jobsite Theater's Fall 2013 production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.)

I have been avoiding going to the grocery store while I try to eat up things in the freezer and the cupboard, so my dinner Monday night was Quaker Oats Real Medleys Apple Walnut Oatmeal.  (Don't judge me!)  When I received news from Miss LM that we have to go to NYC Spring 2014 to see the Great Neil Patrick Harris star in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, I looked down at my bowl of oatmeal and said "You are the most gorgeous bowl of oatmeal EVER" and then started singing Hedwig and the Angry Inch's song "Sugar Daddy."

In short, I was happier than a cat in a sink about the upcoming Broadway show news!

Chibby singing selected tunes from Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Of course Miss LM is going to rue the day she told me that Hedwig was coming to Broadway, as I fully intend on spending the next 6-9 months peppering her with Hedwig and the Angry Inch trivia, making her learn all the songs and possibly making her get the famous Hedwig tattoo.  I met a guy at a Jay Brannan concert in Orlando who had the Hedwig tattoo and I wanted to clutch him to my bosom and embrace him as a long lost brother!  But that would have been slightly weird.  Just slightly.

(See this cool video of a gentleman getting the Hedwig tattoo to the Hedwig song "Origin of Love."  God, I love YouTube.com!)

So you see Ladies and Gentlemen - this is why it is important to be good to people and occasionally give them cheese because one day they just might give you news that causes you to leap for joy and rate the attractiveness of oatmeal.

Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway is going to be spectacular.  But what's even more terrific is awesome friends.

And cheese.  

And gorgeous oatmeal.  

See you Spring 2014 in NYC, Neil Patrick Harris - you bring the Wig in a Box and we will bring the love!  

"Don't you know me, Kansas City?  I'm the new Berlin Wall - TRY AND TEAR ME DOWN!"

An Omnipotent Mind, A Rude Fur-Wearer, Lucky Guy and Courtney B Vance - A Day in New York City

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

I'm still feeling blue about the passing of Roger Ebert (see my blog post "Goodbye and Thank You Roger Ebert" here).  I was very fortunate to spend my Thursday, April 4, 2013 evening at the Broadhurst Theatre seeing Tom Hanks in the very first week of his Broadway debut in Nora Ephron's "Lucky Guy."  But thinking about the loss of great writers Nora Ephron, Mike McAlary and now Roger Ebert, it's just a sad day.

I am in New York to see my Broadway shows, shop and as my pal Miss Brandy would say "eat my way through the city."  I go to NYC at least twice a year and when I was in management consulting, I was in NYC up to 12 times a year.  But until February 2012, I had never ventured off the island of Manhattan to truly see Brooklyn.  

(A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge where I then turned around doesn't count.  Neither does the time "Little Jen" and I got on the wrong train, ended up in Brooklyn and jumped on the first train headed back to Manhattan.)  

In February 2012, the magnetic pull of actor Kevin Spacey got me to cross over and see Brooklyn.  (Read about it here in:  "A Space in My Heart for Kevin Spacey and Charo - Part One" and "A Space in My Heart for Kevin Spacey and Charo - Part Two."

Now in April 2013, another magnetic force was pulling me back to Brooklyn - Williamsburg, to be exact.  The magnetic attraction of Southern cuisine.  I have had "Eat at Pies 'N Thighs" on my "Must Do" list for quite some time now.  But for this trip, I was ready to make it a reality!

I'll be writing about my lunch experience at Pies 'N Thighs in a future blog post, so stay tuned!  Before and after lunch, I window shopped around Williamsburg.  Seeing that it was 88 degrees when I left Tampa Bay for New York City, I had no idea what to pack.  I ditched my flip-flops for new boots I bought just for the NYC trip.  I had ordered them online and hadn't even tried them on.  I knew it was a risk, but I was willing to gamble with my feet.  (Do you hear my toes screaming "Say what now??") 

These boots were NOT made for walking!

After four miles of walking around Williamsburg (yes, I was wearing my Fitbit pedometer so that is an accurate measurement!), my right pinky toe was in horrific pain and I hadn't seen any taxis at all during my entire shopping afternoon.  Seriously, are there no cabs in Williamsburg?  Someone needs to warn a girl! 

Seeing that I am staying in Midtown East, there was no way I could walk all the way back without doing a battlefield amputation of several toes.  I started praying to Jesus to send me a taxi cab.  But Jesus wasn't amused.  I could distinctly heard a "Get your arse to church more often and then let's talk" whispered in the wind.  Sorry Jesus!

I kept hobbling down the sidewalks with my huge parka coat slowly roasting me as the sun beat down harder.  When I was in Portland, Maine in September 2012, I went to a psychic named Jackie Major (@MajorMeditation on Twitter).  Jackie told me something along the lines of we can use our minds to bend energy (or something like that) and make things happen.  She used the example of thinking really hard about wanting a parking spot close to the mall and then arriving at the mall and finding the first parking spot open. 

 (Hey Jackie, I'd do a better job of remembering what you said if you had sent me that recorded CD of our session that you were supposed to send me!  Not that I'm bitter or anything ...)

My aching right foot needed some energy bending, pronto.  I stopped walking, stood up straight and focused my brain on one thought "I will get a taxi - it will arrive very soon and it will not be occupied.  I will get a taxi NOW."  I started walking and less than 30 seconds later, a taxi appeared.  

HOLY COW!  Jackie Major's mind-bending energy thang really works!  My toes screamed "THANK YOU!" as I literally crawled into the SUV taxi.  I mentally patted myself on my back.  

Evidently, I am all powerful.  

Said with all humility, I am pretty much the Wizard of Oz. 

Just don't look behind the curtain.         

I went back to my hotel, rested my toes and before going out for the evening I changed into much more comfortable ballerina flats.  I had a third row ticket to "Lucky Guy" and I could not wait!  

I am a huge Nora Ephron fan and a huge Tom Hanks fan.  However, I didn't know that Peter Scolari was also in the play.  I kept hoping that at the end curtain, Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari would run out in their cross-dressing Buffy and Hildegard from TV show "Bosom Buddies" costumes.   

Spoiler alert - it did not happen.  I should have used my mind-bending energy thang to make it happen.  Sigh ... hindsight is 20/20.

I also didn't realize that the uber-talented Courtney B. Vance, Maura Tierney and Christopher McDonald were also in the cast!  Wow, this show was going to be amazing!

I dropped my coat off at the downstairs coat check (hallelujah, my parka is too huge for those little Broadway seats).  I stood in line at a bottleneck while people waited for the ushers to give them Playbills and escort them to their chairs.  There was a 50-something, skinny, redheaded woman in a big fur-collared coat who reminded me of Danny DeVito's character's mistress in the movie "Ruthless People" (see clip of the actress here).  The fur-laden woman reached out toward my waist with long, bony fingers.  I was holding a small black sequined clutch purse in front of my waist.   

My brain was thinking "What the hell is this bony, pasty woman doing?"  She looked at me as her hands were reaching at me and asked "Do you have any Playbills?"  My head snapped to attention.  

"WTF?"  

I looked at her and said "No ... because I - DON'T - WORK - HERE."  She just blinked at me as if she couldn't understand why I would be at the theater if it were not to wait on her.  Evidently there was no way I could be a patron of the theater.  

The woman's husband, who was wearing a track jacket; started chuckling.  He may have been amused, but I was not.

I looked at all the ushers - they were generally older, Caucasian, wore tuxedo-style shirts with bow ties and wore big red buttons saying "no cell phones."  I was in a black shirt and skirt and was holding a sequined clutch and no Playbill - but evidently in this hare-brained, fur-wearing lady's mind, I looked like "The Help."  

I grew up in the Midwest and have had more than my share of people confusing me with "The Help" because I'm not 100% Caucasian.  Although I am 1/2 Asian and 1/2 Caucasian, some crack-smokers think I look Latina.  I've had people loudly enunciate "Por Favor" or "Muchos Gracias" when trying to ask me to go fetch them something in a store.  "Um, queso caliente Motherfrickers, I don't work here.  Dos caminos!"  

I walked down to my third row stage left seat, second in from the center aisle.  The fur-wearer was also in my row, but the furthest seat practically sitting in the exit.  Sorry hare-brained lady, this "theater help" apparently has a better seat than you for the play.  

Normally I would attribute an interaction like this to subtle (or not so subtle racism) but seeing that all the ushers I saw were white, does this count as racism to my 1/2 Caucasian side?  Regardless which half the woman was consciously or subconsciously attacking, I was 100% annoyed and offended.  I know it may sound thin-skinned, but when it happens over and over again it can be difficult not to get a bit of bitterness over it.

However the show must go on!  I set aside my prickly annoyance once the play "Lucky Guy" started.  The first scene has all the major actors, except for Tom Hanks.  I was excited to see Courtney B. Vance.  I think he is absolutely the unsung talent of his generation.  He is under-utilized.  I would love to see him in more roles as a serious dramatic lead.  He has such gravitas and yet such subtle, smooth transitions between joy, anger, sadness and happiness.  He is a consummate actor. 

When my sister was twelve years old, I took her on her first trip to New York City and to four Broadway shows.  I let her in on a game I have been playing for years.  Whenever I go to a Broadway show, I search the Playbill to see if anyone in the cast has starred in one of the "Law and Order" television series.  I guarantee you that as long as it's an ensemble piece (no one-person shows), there will be at least one actor who has been on "Law and Order."

"Lucky Guy" was no exception - Courtney B. Vance actually starred in "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" as well as appeared in the original "Law and Order."  Cast members Brian Dykstra, Michael Gaston and Danny Mastrogiorgio as well as three of the understudies had all been on "Law and Order" as well.  Lily's Theater Game wins again!

I knew Tom Hanks would be good in "Lucky Guy."  He's a two-time Oscar winner, for heaven's sake.  Even though this was his first week of performances, I knew he would wow the audience.  Just like in his movies, he took me on an emotional rollercoaster with Nora Ephron's dialogue.  

But it was Courtney B. Vance, who was like a conductor on a train or to stick with the analogy, the calming older brother who sat next to us on the emotional rollercoaster.  He wove the seams of the play and pulled it all together.  Like the Narrator in the play "Old Town," Courtney B. Vance was the nurturing presence and the heartbeat of the play. 

Plus the scene where Tom Hanks and Courtney B. Vance's characters are on a morphine high together brings down the house.  Courtney B. Vance brought as many emotional highs and lows to the party, as Tom Hanks did.  If you're in New York City, I strongly urge you to see "Lucky Guy." 

After the play, once again I was left thinking that Courtney B. Vance needs to star in many, many more roles.  More people need to see the depth and expanse of his creative range.  It is a moral imperative!  I need to do some mind-bending, energy-bending mojo mantra magic on that task.  

Nora Ephron's last play reminded me not only of what a true talent she was, but what a great void we have in her passing.   

After the show, I tweeted: 
 

Loved seeing #LuckyGuy tonight -Tom Hanks was superb and it's always a great delight to see true talent @CourtneyBVance in action! #broadway

     
Well, the Twitter account of Courtney B. Vance (appropriately titled @CourtneyBVance on Twitter.com) favorited my Tweet and re-Tweeted it!  Now I am sure Courtney B. Vance has some social media intern who runs his Twitter account, but in my energy-bending mind I like to think that Courtney B. Vance was kicking back in his chauffeur-driven car checking his Tweets.  I also like to think that he thought "Well damn, that LilyOnTheLam (@SouthTampaLily) is one smart Tweeter!" and promptly favorited and reTweeted my Tweet.  

And if that scenario didn't happen, I like to think that Courtney B. Vance's also uber-talented spouse, the gorgeous Angela Bassett was at home with their twins and retweeting on her husband's behalf.  I see her in my mind's eye spotting my Tweet and knowing that LilyOnTheLam needs to be retweeted to the universe!  

 I suddenly have the urge to watch a double feature of "What's Love Got To Do With It?" and "Waiting to Exhale."

(Side Note:  Angela Bassett, Morgan Freeman and the one sole shot of Gerard Butler's chest were the only reason to see the movie "Olympus Has Fallen.")

I think Courtney B. Vance's Twitter account re-Tweeting my Tweet basically makes me a Broadway star too, right?  Right?  (Just agree with me!)

So what have I learned today as I pranced around Brooklyn and New York City?  

I learned that I should have gone with unfashionable athletic shoes instead of sassy boots.  

I learned that when your toes are about to drop off, my mind can bend energy to make taxis appear out of thin air.

I learned that even though I have a law degree, a good job and a sexy BMW convertible, ignorant people are still going to mistake me for "the help" - and that that is their issue not mine.  

I learned that while some of our great writing talents have been silenced recently, that their voices can still be heard through the talents of others.  Their contributions have immortalized them and they will not be forgotten.

I re-learned that Courtney B. Vance is amazing.

And I re-learned that New York City never fails to disappoint. 

Thanks for reading!