Me and Bruce!

Angle 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQaALvOveJM

Angle 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N77ps0AWyGM

Angle 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n0dMc3H2Po

Best moment of my life? Of course.

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE.

Best. Effing. Night. Of. My. Life.

Will tell more later. I have to go to bed, but I'm super wired right now.

I knew this would happen one of these days.

Broken toe+having to walk everywhere=excruciating pain.

and also...

Happy Election Night, everyone!

*sits back with a satisfied, smug smile*

Hello!

So life has been pretty insane lately. On October 23rd, I went to Bridgewater, NJ to meet Bruce Springsteen's sax player, Clarence Clemons. Barring the fact that I left my cell phone on the bus, it was an amazing day, and I'm so glad I did it. It was worth all of the trouble for a handshake and this picture.

Me and the Big Man himself.

Kayleigh came to visit this weekend! It had been three months since we had seen each other, and that's totally unacceptable and also the longest we've ever been apart, haha. So it was awesome to see her.

Saturday night (Halloween), we went out to dinner in the East Village and went to 10 minutes of the Halloween parade, but then it started raining.

So we just went to the apartment and goofed off, which we're good at.

It was like we were roommates again!

On Sunday we went to Next to Normal because Kayleigh hadn't seen it (she loved it!), went out to Indian food for with Alison and Katie, and hung out in Rockefeller Center.

We like this statue.

Then we went and wandered Times Square for awhile, and I saw Kiril Kulish walking by, which was exciting! Such a cutie.

On Monday we went and walked along the Brooklyn Heights promenade, which has some of the most gorgeous views of Manhattan, and is just all-around a great neighborhood.

This is Kayleigh on the block we're moving to next year, haha.

So yeah, that's what I've been up to. That and studying like crazy.

We had some excited in Apartment 3C tonight. An hour or so ago, I broke my toe. I can barely walk. I called the Johnsons because I figured they'd know what to do and talked to Jenn, so I'm icing it and elevating it, but it's not feeling so hot, and I'm worried about walking to class tomorrow. So that was a little more excitement than I would have liked.

Oh boy.

So, first of all, I hate my US Political Parties professor. I'm sure I've made this clear before, but really, he sucks. First of all, he gives us absolutely no schedule of assignments. I haven't dealt with that since high school, and it makes getting ahead, which I've been trying to do, hard. He ended class once and didn't tell us what to do for the following week, and then got mad that no one read. Last week, he said "read chapter 5." Okay. Done. Read it. Twice. Took notes. Felt prepared for class. Participated. All of that. So he discusses Chapter 5 for all of half an hour, and then moves on to Chapter 6. You know, the one we weren't told to read. It's so annoying. How about organization? No? Not necessary? Garbage.

Rant number two.
He continuously calls the female author of the book "he." Not to sound like an uber feminist, but please don't assume that women can't be adept political scientists. It's infuriating, and I'm also pretty sure the fact that I am one of the few females in the class is the reason that he rarely calls on me, even when I'm waving my hand around in the air like an idiot. But if there's a guy who CLEARLY raises his hand after me, he still gets called on first. It makes me mad. Also, anyone who finds me a man named "Marjorie" wins $1000.

Rant number three.
Busy work, really? Isn't this a graduate class?

Rant number four.
Um. Thanks for just completely regurgitating the text book to us. I'm pretty sure it's totally unnecessary for me to come to class, ever. He literally sits at the front of the room and takes us through the book page by page. I have no clue why I bother reading. I guess I figure I'll get brownie points if I answer the questions without having my text open in front of me, like everyone else. Not that that matters. He doesn't call on me.

Rant number five.
Thanks for telling us the breakdown of our grades. Oh wait, you didn't. I have no clue how much anything is worth.

Rant number six, and the big one.
For next week, we have a 2-3 page paper due. The topic: how has partisan politics framed the healthcare debate? What is your opinion on the issue? Great. That puts me in a really bad position. I think you can all guess my position on health care reform. However, my professor has also made his completely clear, and he doesn't leave much room for dissenting opinions. For instance, today he was complaining that the author of the book claimed that party activists tend to have more extreme views than the average American voter. He was like "I don't agree with that." I said "well, I do. I think that people with more moderate views don't affiliate with parties, or if they do, it's a weaker affiliation, and so they're a lot less likely to want to devote their time and resources to working with a political party. The bulk of the American electorate is relatively independent and moderate, therefore, party activists tend to come from the farther reaches." And he was pretty much like "no. I still don't think party activists have extreme views." And I said "I don't think SHE is necessarily claiming that their views are extreme, just that they're more extreme than the average American, meaning party activists tend to be either more liberal or more conservative." And again, he was pretty much like "no." And other people in the class were backing me up, and he still kept shooting us down. There's no room for dissenting opinions whatsoever. So the question is, do I sell out my views and write the paper that he wants me to write, or do I stick to my convictions and get a lesser grade?

I've never been in this position before. Dr. Twombly always made sure we knew that we'd be graded poorly for bad arguments, not for dissenting opinions. And obviously my grades weren't affected by my political beliefs.

Thankfully, I can argue both side of any issue, so I know I could write a paper defending health care reform and it would be well-informed and well written, but do I actually want to do that? If I knew how much this paper was worth, it would be easier to make that decision, but apparently that's not information I'm privy to.

Ughhh. I'm pretty sure I could teach this class better than him. And in seven years, I will.

I'm alive!!!

I've been kind of MIA. Sorry. Last weekend was a long weekend, but I spent catching up on sleep from the epic Bruce week and trying to get ahead on some homework.

I made beef stew for dinner the other night in my new crock pot. It was fantastic! I have a feeling that thing will be a lifesaver this year. I leave for class at 5:30, so I don't really have time to cook dinner, unless I want to eat early, which I don't. But I made the beef stew at 12, and it was ready for me when I got home at 8. Perfection. I'm trying to find a chicken curry recipe, but I don't think that'll work out. Some of them have all sorts of funky ingredients (I mean, mango chutney? What the hell?). But at least my intentions were good. I guess I'm just craving curry today.

Last night I went out to Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg to see Jesse Malin and The Gaslight Anthem. Two of my favorites. But as someone on Bruce Springsteen's message board who was also there last night said, "you know you've been to too many Bruce shows when you're surprised that a mosh pit breaks out." Moshing isn't really my style, and it was unavoidable from my stellar elbows-on-the-stage spot, so I got pushed around a little bit, but I pushed back and stood my ground. And the show was great. They're amazing.

Took this picture of my future husband Brian Fallon. I'm in love.

I love New York.

When I'm walking around the city, mostly in the Times Square area, I get so annoyed at the damn asshats who:
a.) don't know the concept of walking with purpose.
b.) don't know the concept of pulling over to the side to take pictures or to check maps.
c.) don't understand that you don't have to wait for the light to change to cross the road. There's no cars coming...GO.
d.) the crosswalk isn't the place to stop and chat.
e.) don't understand that there's not enough room on the sidewalk for you and your twenty five friends to walk together. Two by two, please.

But then I remember how lucky I am. I'm living in the greatest city in the world, and while the tourists are annoying, I'm living in a place that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world every year, and I think that's pretty awesome. And I also remember that I did used to be one of them. Once upon a time, there was an 18 year old girl in a red newsboy cap who came down for a day and fell in love. I like to think that I did understand pedestrian traffic laws better than some of the tourists I see here and didn't get on the nerve of the locals too much.

Anyway, I guess the moral of the story is that I love living here. And there are a lot of reasons. The theater, the pace, the stores, the smells (mostly), the noise, the life, the people...Mostly the people.

So here's to you, woman who said to me "where is the Upper East Side?" Uptown. To the east.

And here's to you, couple on the 2 train at 4am Sunday morning. I question why you had your three children, all of whom were under the age of 8, and one of whom was still in a baby stroller, on the subway at that time of night/morning. But mostly, I question why, in the basket compartment on your stroller, there were about six empty cans of Coors Light. Gotta love New York. I'm glad you folks had a good night.

And here's to you, massive African-American lady on the bus tonight, singing along to your iPod so loudly that I could hear you over mine. Your dance moves were stellar, especially the one where you would open up your hands every time the singer said "why," and the one where you would point to yourself ever time he said "you." I'm glad you're pursuing your dream of singing and dancing in front of an audience.

And here's to you, Naked Cowboy, for having the balls (or lack thereof) to stand out there in the forty degree wind tunnel that Times Square was tonight. Sorry to all of the tourists who were taking your picture. I think I walked through about 25 of them. They were in my way. I was in a hurry.

And here's to you, "I Heart New York" tee shirt selling people on the corner of 45th and Broadway, claiming that the "sale is only for today!" I've heard that a lot. Excellent marketing ploy. The tourists won't know. They're leaving. I see what you did there.

God, I love it here.

Why I love Bruce shows, and five seconds of fame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPh16BayKTg

If you look closely at the screen around 3:15-3:20, you might see someone you know.

Great song live. The guy he pulled onstage was two rows in front of me, and I had sat near him on the bus on the way there last week. Nice guy. One of the first people to tell me to skip my class on Thursday, not that it mattered anyway.

Sigh. I'm in love with Bruce.

GA ticket: lots of money.
Bus fare: Not a lot of money.
Waiting in line all day: costly and exhausting.
Spot at the back of the pit, against the rail: If I could pay to be tall, I would.
Being essentially bent over the rail with your hand in the air and four grown men squishing you and having your head in someone's armpit while Bruce Springsteen runs about seven inches away from you while singing Hungry Heart, and seeing everyone else along the rail in the same position: priceless.

Also, quote of the night from the men who thought I was 19 until I corrected them: "what, do you have a fake ID from Idaho or New Hampshire or something?" I wasn't even drinking. They were talking about how they got carded (they were in their 50s) and how amazing it was, and then they were like "oh, I bet she gets carded all of the time." And I said yes, and they said "are you even old enough to drink?" So I said "yeah, I'm 22." Which led to "you don't look it at all. I would have guessed 18 or 19. What, do you have a fake ID from Idaho or NH or something?" Funny you should say that...

Other quote of the night, from the same men: "wow, a 22 year old who is a Republican AND likes Bruce Springsteen? You're like a breath of fresh air for us! It's nice to see that."

Always love the friends I make at these shows. One in particular...sigh.

yessssssssss

I just ROCKED my first two grad school presentations. One of my professors came up to me after class to tell me what a good job I did.

That's right.

Also, does being obsessed with apocalyptic/end of days theory and addicted to shows like The Nostradamus Effect make me weird? Because I think that might make me weird.

"You are very fucking special."

Kiril's last performance was hard. I started crying before curtain, when Stephen Daldry, the director, came on stage and gave a speech about how it was Kiril's last performance, how much he'll be missed, and how he is one of the most talented young dancers in the world. I think unless you're a follower of the Broadway scene, it's hard to understand what a big deal Kiril's last performance was. He, along with David Alvarez and Trent, won the Tony for that role, and that's a really big deal. He's the first of the three original Billys, and the first Tony winner, to leave the show. These three kids have been working on this show for about three years, and that's a big deal. There was press there last night. I'm lucky I got a ticket, and I'm so glad that I sat as close as I did. It was worth it.

Anyway, Kiril came on to massive entrance applause, and his part during the opening song received a great deal of applause as well. Since there's a quick transition from that part back to the ensemble, there's not usually applause there, and I was happy to see such a great amount of support for him. I saw tears on his cheeks then, and I knew it would be a rough night. He was fantastic during the boxing scene, and his "put-off" dance went a lot longer than it usually does, and was particularly funny. He got a ton of applause during Solidarity when Billy achieves attitude promenade, and he seemed genuinely in awe of the amount of support in the theater. I had a particularly hard time with Solidarity, because Kiril was my first Billy, and Solidarity is the scene that made me fall in love with the show. He put his heart and soul into "Expressing Yourself," and during Billy and Michael's adlibbed part, Keean yelled out "it's your last one, better make it count!" And Kiril goes "I know, I'm trying to." And it broke my heart. During The Letter, Kiril was an absolute disaster, as was the audience, and as was Haydn Gwynne, who plays Mrs. Wilkinson. I knew that would be a tough scene, what with lines like "in everything you do, always be yourself," and "know that I will always be proud to have known you." The Letter is a goodbye, and last night, it really was. He put a ton of energy into Born to Boogie, even though he was still crying from The Letter, and that scene was a joy to watch. He and Haydn (who left the show today), seemed on the verge of both laughter and tears.

I had to pull myself together during intermission, and this girl I know a little bit came up to me and asked if I was okay, haha. During intermission, I realized I was sitting a few seats down from Kiril's mom, which was pretty cool. I recognized her both from press videos and when I've seen her at the stage door. I grabbed some napkins from the bar, because I knew I'd be needing them. I could see Kiril crying during "Deep Into the Ground." Swan Lake was gorgeous, but it always is with him, and he got A TON of applause after. I cried some more, and then it was time for Electricity, and I knew that would be the hardest part of the night. First of all, it's Billy's big moment, but second, I know that it's his favorite scene to perform, and he's brilliant at it. I could tell he was struggling with singing, and it got to the point where he was kind of just saying the words on beat, and I was sobbing. The dancing was fantastic, especially his no-hands flip, which I've never seen before, and Gregory Jbara, who plays Billy's dad, was in tears, as was 90% of the audience. The guy next to me handed me a tissue. After, the entire audience was on their feet clapping, and Kiril seemed genuinely touched by it. He looked out at the audience with this massive smile (and tears in his eyes), and it was a really beautiful, touching moment. He was freaking adorable when he gets his letter from the ballet school and informs his family, and Greg was funny in that scene as well. Once We Were Kings was hard to watch as Billy says goodbye to his town and his father, and The Letter (Reprise) was almost impossible. I thought I was going to have to leave. And of course, "see ya, Keean," "see ya, Kiril" at the end was a tearjerker as well. Curtain call was great, and he was obviously in tears. I put some pictures from Broadwayworld.com in, because I think they sum up the night.

The last time I'll see the board like this :( And yes, that says Keean Johnson.

Finish!

Kiril and my second favorite Matthew at curtain call.

Greg Jbara calling Kiril's family up on stage.

Heartbreaking.

And the stage door. Once again, a shitty picture of me. Oh well. The crowd was INSANE, and I'm so thankful that I hauled ass out of the theater and got up front. It took him an hour to get through everyone. Trent was there as well, and he was a mess. Tommy Batchelor got injured during the show last week so he's been out, and David Alvarez has been on vacation, so it's been Trent and Kiril all week, and Trent looked exhausted. That's a physically demanding role to play. But Trent also looked sad. One of my favorite little moments that I caught though was when Trent said to Maria Connelly, the new Debbie, "did David Bologna give you something to give to me?" And she said yes and ran inside to get it, and came back out with it, and it was a framed picture of David and Trent, and it made me remember that I miss David Bologna. Kiril was quiet as usual, but incredibly gracious and warm as well, and he seemed genuinely appreciative of everyone. He said he's staying in New York. Yay.

Anyway, Kiril is my favorite Billy, as I'm sure you all know by now. He plays Billy with this loneliness and vulnerability that Trent and Tommy both lack (though I love their takes on the role as well), and I will really miss him. I'm hoping he comes back for the first anniversary performance on November 13th, which I already have my ticket to. They brought the three original Billys back to the London anniversary, so fingers crossed. I'm going to take a quasi-break from the show. I want to see it once more before the anniversary performance, but only because that would make the anniversary performance my 10th time seeing it, and I think that would be special. Then I'll take another month long break before Tommy Batchelor's last show on the 11th of December. And when Trent leaves, I hope to be there as well.

I have a crying headache.

I want to write about Kiril's last show. But I'm really depressed right now. I'll get it. But for now, let me say that it was on par with the closing performance of Spring Awakening in the competition for best night of theatre ever. I started crying before the first song began (the director came on and gave a nice little speech, and I was sitting a few seats down from his mom, and it made me sad), and I only stopped a few times. I was in the fourth row, and could see that he was crying through pretty much the entire performance, and it killed me. Someone sitting next to me handed me a tissue at one point. I saw this girl I know a little bit at intermission and she asked me if I was okay, haha. So I'm upset right now, but I'll get to it, because I actually have a lot to say.

Also, I totally made friends with the stage door guy tonight. I'm going to continue to make friends with him so he'll let me backstage at some point. I know he's done it before. In fact, I think he may have implied that he'd get me in tomorrow. I mentioned that I wanted to go to Haydn Gywnne's last performance tomorrow, but between Kiril'ls last and David Bologna's last, I thought my wallet needed a break. He laughed and was like "well, if you're in the area, stop by anyway. But shh." And I would. But I have a shitload of homework tomorrow and my apartment has been neglected all week.

Darkness on the Edge of Meadowlands

Got to the "swamps of Jersey" at about 1:05, got number 563 for the lottery, and chilled with this guy named Neill, who is from London but lives in Chile. He was super cool. They pulled number 360 for the lottery, which wasn't too bad. I ended up behind the second catwalk two people back, standing near three people I stood near at Hershey, ironically. I remember two of them, this couple, because they didn't seem into the show, and they weren't into it at Hershey either (well, that and they looked really familiar). Then this little boy was near me, and he was saying that he sang Waiting On A Sunny Day at Hershey, and I totally remembered that. He was a cutie. He's 12, and he's been to 9 Bruce shows. I was like "well, you've got me beat."

Bruce was fantastic as usual. Darkness on the Edge of Town in full was the most brilliant thing I've heard in my entire life. To quote someone on Backstreets who was complaining that the rest of the set was average, "this WAS NOT an average show. He played the entire Darkness Album. Umm HISTORIC. Give me a fucking break. Cry me a River and drown in it." It was a fantastic show, a good crowd, and a wonderful setlist.

He totally didn't play my sign. Loser. I'm optimistic about Friday though. Plus he played Thunder Road and I wasn't expecting that, so that kind of made up for it.

That's me with the orange.

I can't wait until Friday. I'm sad that it's Kiril's last night though.

Brrr.

Of course it's frigid today. This should be a lovely 10 hours outside.

Remember when?

I met one of my favorite actors of all time and forgot my camera? I remember that. It just happened.

My class got canceled today, ironically, given that it was Mountain Day at EC. I did homework for a good deal of the day, then at about 4 o'clock, I was like "hey, there are some plays that I've been wanting to see. It's a Thursday, seats don't sell as well, so discounts are usually higher than weekends. I'll go see what is on TKTS." So I got on the subway, and went into Times Square, and Oleanna had tickets for 50% off, so I thought that sounded perfect. Oleanna is about the relationship between a male professor and his female student. Some boundaries get crossed and accusations are made, and there's fallout from it. First of all, the play itself was brilliant. But second, the cast was great. Julia Stiles played the student, and Bill Pullman played the professor. I really respect both of them as actors and always have, and they did not disappoint. After the show, I needed a few minutes to collect my thoughts from it, and I'm always looking to learn, so I stayed for the talk back after, which was fascinating. It was interesting to hear other perspectives on the show, and I figured that with my opinion, I would be in the minority, but I so wasn't, and that was good.

I had no clue what the stage door situation would be like, but I happened to see it when I was walking out, and it wasn't busy at all, so I got in a space towards the end of the barricade, and Bill Pullman came out. First of all, let me just say that I adore Bill Pullman and have for as long as I can remember. I mean, he was just so freaking amazing in his few scenes in "A League Of Their Own" and I've loved him ever since. Plus, he was in Spaceballs. And Sleepless in Seattle. And While You Were Sleeping. And Indpendence Day. And Lake Placid. And a lot of movies that I love. And I'm sorry, but he's also attractive, and I had a crush on him when I was a little girl. So I was really excited to meet him. First of all, I think it's worth mentioning that I was the youngest person at the show and at the stage door by about 10 years. He comes out and gets to me, and just gives me this look like "you have no clue who I am and probably are only here for Julia Stiles." But then I said "thank you so much. I've been a fan of you since I was like, five." And he immediately perked up and turned into the nicest person ever. He laughed, and was like "oh really?" And I was like "yeah, you know, I went through this phase when I was little of watching A League Of Their Own" every day, and the scene where you come back and surprise Geena Davis in the hotel was always one of my favorites." And he laughed again, and asked me where I was from and all that. So amazing.

Of course, this turned me into an epic fangirl. I didn't actually realize how exciting it was to meet him until it had happened, and I literally had to take a few deep breaths to calm down after. And I had tears in my eyes by the time I got to the subway. I've never reacted like that to anyone (I mean, if it was Bruce, I'd turn into a blubbering mess), and I wasn't expecting myself to react like that at all. I don't know why it was like that. Maybe because it was such a good interaction? I don't know.

I'm bummed I forgot my camera. I had it in my hand before I left my apartment, but being the idiot that I am, I put it in a different purse than the one I was using. I'm super sad. But I'll probably try to see the show one more time (I wouldn't see it a bunch, but I'd see it again). I want to wait until it's cemented and not in previews anymore (this is the first week), as there were a few kinks that needed to be worked out. I think they have student rush. So maybe then I'll get a picture with him. But I have an autograph, so that's pretty cool.

Also, tomorrow...BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE. As you can imagine, I'm not excited at all. I hate Bruce Springsteen. This show will suck. I'll feel better once I'm there, haha. NJ Transit confuses me and I hope it goes smoothly. But since I'll be nice and close, I made a sign request (he collects them during the show and plays two or three)!
I call this "insurance that I won't do well in the pit lottery," and also "why I'm not an artist." It's such a connundrum. If I carry it, I'll end up in the back of the pit, with no chance in hell of him seeing it. If I don't, I'll be up front. But I figure I have three chances in the next month, so we'll try it.

Tomorrow Bruce is playing the album "Darkness on the Edge of Town" in its entirity. That will be great. I love that album, plus it means I'll definitely hear "Racing in the Street." One of my favorites. I feel like it will be kind of low energy though. There's a lot of slower songs on that disc. But that's okay. It will be fantastic, and I can't wait.

You know I'll be reporting back on Saturday morning in my post concert haze. Then I'll be all emotional because Kiril is leaving Billy Elliot Sunday night, and I'm bummed. So get excited for both of those posts, haha.

Jamie, Flea Market, Bologna's last.

Jamie came to visit this weekend. On Friday we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and then wandered around downtown for awhile.
On Saturday we rushed Next to Normal for the matinee, went out for sushi after, and then went home and watched a movie. I think I was asleep by like 9. The Flea Market was on Sunday, and it unfortunately got moved from Shubert Alley to the Roseland Ballroom on 52nd because of the weather, which made for crappy traffic patterns inside. But it was amazing. I got to talk to Greg Jbara and Will Chase from Billy Elliot for awhile, which was super cool because I've never met them before. We commiserated about Kiril leaving. Alice Ripley from Next to Normal recognized me, and she and I also talked for awhile. I alos met a couple of people from American Idol, as well as Christopher Sieber, who was on "Two of a Kind." But most importantly...

I met John Stamos! He was super sweet, which was a good thing, because I kind of feel like I'd be trauamtized if Uncle Jesse turned out to be a douchebag. I was walking away and he grabbed my arm and was like "hey, thank you so much for doing this. It was great to meet you." Love him. He's my new hero. And...
I bought Kiril's dirty socks/ballet shoes that he wore onstage in Billy Elliot. The show means a lot to me, and Kiril is my favorite (and my first!) Billy, so I'm glad I have one of his costume pieces.

They also fit me.

And speaking of Kiril, here we are after David's last show. Apparently, it's impossible for me to get a good picture with him. He wasn't on that day, but he came out of the stage door and most people there recognized him so he signed and posed for pictures anyway. That was the highlight of my day, and I will miss him so much when he leaves.

Trent was on for Billy, and it was the best performance I have seen from him. I figured he was going to be on. I've always gotten the impression that he and David Bologna are very very close, and I figured David would want Trent to be Billy that day. And I could tell that Trent was struggling with David leaving. His last line, which is usually "see ya, Michael" was changed to "see ya, David," and he could hardly get it out. I felt bad. It made me cry.

And there's the little firecracker himself. I'll miss his Michael so much. He's the best one, and I have a hard time watching other people in that role. He was obviously on fire during his last performance, and I had tears in my eyes during "Expressing Yourself." Every single cast member was crying at the stage door, and that was tough to watch. I'm worried about how I'm going to get through Kiril's last performance, especially from the fourth row.

Wow.

Can't believe I'm saying this...

Thank you, Jon Stewart, for actually calling out everyone who went to the UN conference on the environment for going to the conference in massive motorcades of SUVs and private jets and helicopters.

This is my problem with the environmental movement right now. I care about the environment. A lot, actually. I live a relatively green lifestyle (although a lot of that is because of necessity, but what matters more, the motivation or the results?), and I do think that humans are perpetuating global warming, and I think it's relatively naive not to. But the blatant hypocrisy of some of the leaders of the movement drive me insane. Don't tell me I should cut back on driving my tiny Escort that is great on gas mileage as you go to your campaign events in jets and motorcades with three or four SUVs. I'm looking at you, Al Gore. I mean, practice what you preach.

Also, finally saw Kiril again. Someone tipped me off regarding his schedule for the upcoming week, and by some miraculous stroke of luck that I won't even begin to try to understand, I was able to get a cheap ticket at the last minute. And it was well worth it. As someone on Broadway World said "the role of Billy has seldom been performed better and has NEVER been danced better." This kid is a genius. He's obviously too old for the role now (hence the fact that he's leaving next weekend), and it shows. His voice has gotten deep and he towers over half of the cast. This means that he struggles with the score a little bit, because it was written for a boy who is prepubescent, not going through puberty. But his acting, particularly his scenes with his mother, is breathtaking, and his dancing moves me to tears. This kid is a splendid dancer who has been offered scholarships to ballet schools in New York, London, and Paris, as well as offers to tour with a number of ballet companies (personally, I'm pulling for ABT in New York). He told me last night he doesn't know what he's doing next yet, but I really hope it's something that is either here or stops here, because I would go and see him dance in anything. And I was about to ask him if he thought he'd ever do Broadway again, but some jackass totally interrupted me, which obviously pissed me off because I'm pretty shy at stage doors and it takes me a lot to actually talk to them, and Kiril is SUPER shy and not the easiest person to have a conversation with. He's always very happy and gracious and willing to sign anything and take pictures, but he's just very quiet. He mostly walks down the line with a huge grin on his face and says "hi...thank you...hi....thank you." And the funny thing is that David Alvarez, one of the other Billys, makes him look outgoing. Bologna is easy to talk to, Tommy Batchelor is easy to talk to, and Trent is a little shy but more outgoing than Kiril. So the fact that I was actually having a conversation with him was huge. Jackass.

My issue with Kiril is that I always look like shit in our pictures together. Tommy and I take good pictures, Trent and I take good pictures, Bologna and I take good pictures. Kiril and I...not so much. I think the problem is that he's just such a cutie that he makes everyone else look bad. That, and the angle on this is REALLY bad. At least I didn't cut off his eye, like I did with Trent. Oh well. I'll be at his last show, so hopefully the stage door won't be crazy (or I can run out quickly after curtain call and still get a good spot). I'm relatively optimistic. There will be a lot more fans there than on a typical weeknight since he's the first of the three original Billys to leave, but the Billy Elliot stage door is usually only crazy after matinees, when there are a lot of kids there. Unlike shows like Next to Normal and Spring Awakening, BE lacks big names and attractive men, haha. So yeah, we'll try this again then. I'm sad he's leaving. He'll be missed. Mostly by me.

Procrastination is my middle name.

Name something you dislike about the day you're having?
The fact that I had to wake up (I'm tired today). The fact that it's my night of two classes.

Who was the last person to smoke a cigarette in your presence?
CONSTANTINE MAROULIS. I'm dead serious. He used to be on American Idol, and I walked next to him down 8th for a few blocks last night after I left Starbucks, and he was smoking.

What are you sitting on right now?
My desk chair.

Does anyone regularly - other than family - tell you they love you?
Ms. MacFarlane

A random person yells to you "aybaybay" you say...
I look down at the sidewalk and keep walking.

Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night?
In person? Emily Westbrooks. Online? Keith.

Would you consider painting your bedroom purple?
My bedroom IS purple.

Are you a mean person?
No. Unless you're in my way on the sidewalk. Then I hate you.

Does anyone hate you?
Probably.

Do you think relationships are even worth it?
Ummm...yeah, I guess. It depends on how shitty the relationship is. I'd rather not be in a relationship than be in another bad relationship.

If someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you?
Yes I would.

Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
Hahaha no. You should see my hair.

Do you usually tell people when you're mad at them?
No, I'm a suffer in silence kind of person.

Are you in a good mood right now?
Eh, I'd like to not be awake right now.

What do you hear right now?
E! News. My fan.

Do you have a person of the opposite sex you can tell everything to?
I do! And he knows who he is.

Is it possible to be single and happy?
I'm single and happy.

What's the last thing you put in your mouth?
My toothbrush.

Do you plan on sleeping in tomorrow?
Probably. Not that much though. I have work and an apartment to clean.

Who's the last person you hugged?
Matthew? I don't know. I haven't hugged anyone for awhile. I'm not really a huggy kind of person.

How often do you hold back from saying what you think?
In class, more than I should. With my friends, not really.

Would you pay someone to kill the person who hurt you a lot?
No. He's a piece of shit, but I wouldn't want that.

Will this weekend be a good one?
Of course! Jamie is coming to visit and it's the Broadway Flea Market and David Bologna's last show, which will be sad, but last shows are always amazing. I'm dreading it though, but not quite as much as the impending final performance next weekend.

Are you wearing something that belongs to someone else?
No.

Are you mad at someone right now?
I'm annoyed.

Did you deny or accept your last friend request?
Accept.

Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your own bed?
I don't know. Does my couch count? I don't really sleep anywhere that isn't my bed here.

What made you cry last?
"Once We Were Kings" at Billy Elliot last night. I was thinking about Kiril leaving.

What time did you go to sleep last night?
3. I couldn't sleep.

Are you trying to avoid liking somebody at the moment?
No.

Who was the last person you met?
Alison's friend Maury at Next to Normal on Sunday. He was amazing.

Where are your parents?
New Hampshire.

You secretly love the last person who texted you dont you?
Kayleigh? She sucks.

What you waiting on?
The weekend. Someone to come clean my apartment.

Do you have a hard time admitting you're wrong?
I do, actually.

Do you have any tattoos?
Not yet. I would like one or two.

Do you prefer to take showers at night or in the morning?
Morning. I'm always groggy and gross feeling until I shower.

Is there anybody you wish would just fall off the planet?
Not literally, but disappear from my life? Yes.

Were you single on your last birthday?
Yes. As always.

When you watch movies at home, do you like the lights on or off?
Depends.

Are you short?
I am 1/2 an inch below average. Compared to my family, I'm a midget.

How was your day overall?
Hasn't really started yet. Yesterday was great! I got a ton of work done and I got to see and talk to Kiril, and Constantine Maroulis looked at me.

Has anyone ever called cops on you?
No.

Do you think relationships are hard?
Yes.

Are you good at following directions?
Yes.

Do you swallow gum when your finished?
Haha, yes.

Do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?
Keena's probably telling Jeff that I'm being crazy with Bruce Springsteen's birthday, but let me assure her that this is nothing compared to everyone else on his message board. People are like, making cakes tonight.

Are any of your friends taller than you?
Actually, most of my close friends are shorter. But yeah, I have taller friends.

Have you ever liked someone that you didn't expect to?
Not really.

When did you meet the last person you texted?
Freshman year. Orientation.

It's....someone's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE PERSON ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.



That's right. I'm celebrating in full force for this baby...next weekend. Giants Stadium. Can't wait. In the meantime, here's hoping Mr. Springsteen/The Boss has a "magic" 60th!

Oh yeah?

I see what you did there. The B Street Band? Freaking posers.

Kidding. I'm glad Bruce is popular enough to have tribute bands that play at well known venues like this.

Hmm. And a rant.

So at the Sunday matinee of Billy Elliot, I'm in the rear mezz (obviously), about four or five rows back. In the three or four rows in front of me where a bunch of high school girls who were clearly on a class trip or something and who obviously had no desire to be at the show. And we all know high school girls are obnoxious anyway, so couple obnoxious with bored, and it makes for a not so great audience. First of all, they were doing the standard things people do when they're bored. Talking, texting, etc. But that I can almost deal with, as long as I can't really hear you talking or you're not leaning in to your neighbor and obstructing my view. It was their other behavior that was much worse. First of all, eating. I don't care if you eat at a show. They wouldn't sell food at the bar if it was a problem. But loud crinking and chewing is just absolutely obnoxious. Eat at intermission or before the show starts. Or at least open your packages then. Instead of listening to "Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher," I'm hearing "crinklecrinklecrumplechewchewchewchokechewcrinkle," and that's annoying. And that's still not the worst of it. At one point during Act I, I look down, and they have their feet on the ledge in front of them. REALLY? It's not a goddamn movie theater or your freaking living room. You're in expensive seats at one of the more upscale theaters in the Times Square area. Act like a damn adult. Oh, also, there's the issue that you're blocking the view of everyone sitting behind you. I was too far behind them to tell them to take their freaking feet down, but finally someone did. But my view was still obstructed. You know why? Because they had water bottles on the ledge. And it happened to be DIRECTLY in my line of vision at the end of Electricity, which is my absolute favorite part of Tommy's performance. So annoying. I'm shocked that the ushers didn't say anything to them. They're tough at that theater, to say the least. G-D tourists. I had to take a picture at intermission (subtly, of course) to document how annoying this was.



Also, this is the second cutest Matthew in the world...
Matthew Mindler of BE (obviously. It's not like I talk about anything else. Except Next to Normal and Bruce Springsteen). He plays "Small Boy," alternating with the cutest Mitchell in the entire world, but that's irrelevant right now. Anyway, Matthew is seven, and outside of the stage door on Sunday, he serenaded me with all of the songs from the show. He was hyper, to say the least, and the fact that I was laughing at him got him even more fired up. He's actually really good at Billy's songs! I nominate him for Billy in 2015. I love him.

I can't tell if I'm excited for next weekend or dreading next weekend.

On Friday night, I have a date. Me. Bruce. Giants Stadium. It will be awesome, and I'm excited. Especially since I don't have to dread the post-show depression that always hits me really hard after Bruce. I'm still feeling it from Hershey, although whether that's the show itself or my company from the concert is anyone's guess, and I'm leaning towards the latter. But anyway, I'm seeing him on 10/2, 10/9, and 11/7. So I have a lot of Bruce to look forward to in the coming month, and a ways to go until the withdrawal hits. I'm really excited for Friday night.

Saturday...eh. It's Kiril's last show in Billy Elliot, and I'm going. I think it will be a great performance. Last shows always are, and Kiril is the first Billy and the first Tony winner to leave, and it's a role he's been working on for three years. It will be emotional, and I love emotional theater, so I'm looking forward to it. But then that means Kiril is gone. And he's my favorite Billy, so I don't want him to be gone. And the even sadder thing is that this will promote Tommy Batchelor to the status of "Heather's favorite Billy," but he's leaving on December 11th. So then what? I have Trent, but only until the early Spring. This is why I hate getting attached to actors in their role, but those boys are so sweet, with such infectious performances and personalities, that it's hard not to.

So in short, Bruce=Good. Billy Elliot/Kiril=good. No Kiril=not good.

My "See Kiril Kulish one more time before he leaves Billy Elliot" mission failed this weekend. On Saturday night, Trent was on. I love Trent, so it was fine, and David Bologna was on, and we all know I'm the quintessential Bologna fangirl, so I was happy about that as well.

Here is a failed picture. So I cut off half of Trent's face, but I still like it.

I rushed N2N on Sunday with Alison and Emily. I had my nose in a textbook during most of rush, but I looked up at one point, and it was a gorgeous day and the juxtaposition of the marquis against the very blue sky look amazing.

There was a street fair on 8th on Sunday, which I love because it means that there's no traffic on 8th and I can walk down the middle of the road. It's much easier than navigating sidewalk traffic. But it does have this crazy ability to bring more people than I've ever seen in my entire life. You can't see it well from the picture (I tried), but there were people for as far as I could see.

I have to go finish reading. I'm reading portions of a book about an American socialist who migrated to the Soviet Union to realize that life wasn't actually so great in a socialist country, and it's amazing.

Good news.

My appendicitis seems to be gone :-)

And no, I didn't go the open house at the Al Hirschfield (Hair) Theater today. It ends at noon, and I woke up at ten, so I figured by the time I actually got into Manhattan, it would be too late. But the Broadway Cares flea market is next weekend! Super excited. Who has two thumbs and is meeting Bernadette Peters? This girl. That's right. It's not even that big of a deal for me. She's not like, a legend or anything.

In other news...actually, I guess that's it. My apartment was spotless two days ago and now it seems to be a disaster. And my kitchen is disgusting. So I'm going to go clean.

Can't Sleep.

Mostly because I have psychosomatic appendicitis right now.

1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Tea.

2.Where was your profile picture taken?
At the Zurenda Garden in Elmira.

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?
Not too well, but yes. I kick ass at the easy level.

4. Name someone who made you laugh today?
Matthew. Let me recap our conversation...
MC: Hi!
Me: Hello. How are you?
MC: I don't know.
Me: Did you decorate your bike at Jason's?
MC: I don't know.
Me: What did you put on it?
MC: I don't know.
Me: Okay, well I'll talk to you later.
MC: WAIT!!!!!! I got a big rig in the mail.
Me: Oh yeah? Have you worked a lot this week?
MC: Yes I did.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
I went to bed at about 12:30, I think. I was watching Project Runway, then I did a little bit of homework.

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
I would like to move out of my neighborhood, but in terms of a different city? No. Never.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Not that I know of. Maybe.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
Sam Moch. He lives in Brooklyn.

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Sure. That doesn't mean it won't be awkward though. I'm looking at you, Mr. Conroy. And Mr. Davis, for that matter.

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
I am pro-Dr. Pepper.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?
Kyle's last performance in Next to Normal. It was a rough night.

12. Who took your profile picture?
Ms. Jamie Pinkham.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Me with David Bologna!

14. Was yesterday better than today?
Not particularly. I had a good day in class yesterday. Today I slept and went to the grocery store and cooked somewhat blechy dinner. And ate dry cereal because my milk spoiled and I had no yogurt.

15. Can you live a day without TV?
Definitely.

16. Are you upset about anything?
Not really. I miss my family. I miss Kayleigh. I wish Keith wouldn't play the "I'm leading you on about visiting" game, as usual. But overall, I'm good.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
None of mine have been, but as a rule, yes.

18. Are you a bad influence?
I can be.

19. Night out or night in?
I actually love both. It's fun to go out and do stuff, but sometimes there's nothing I need more than sitting on my couch watching TV. Or reading. Or doing whatever.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?
Bed. My computer. A toothbrush. Deodorant. All that jazz.

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
Keena and Luke.

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
"Jeremy Gray wrote on your Facebook Wall..."

23. How do you feel about your life right now
Feeling pretty good.

24. Do you hate anyone?
Yes.

25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
A lot of stuff that I wouldn't want you to find. Namely, a lot of back and forth messages with a certain friend that say not so nice things about a lot of people.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Of course I would.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Nah. We all know I'm not. And I like it that way.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
Well, after that question, "Perfect For You" from Next to Normal.

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
Well, given my neighborhood, I would prefer that that not be happening. Ever.

30. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?
Nope.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
I don't know. There's free tours of the Hair theater. If I can get into Manhattan in time, I might do that.

32. Do you think too much or too little?
I tend to be an overthinker, but I can turn it off if absolutely necessary.

33. Do you smile a lot?
Depends.

No.

Honestly, I was underwhelmed by Gavin. He's good, he's attractive, and he's a good person, but his performance underwhelmed me. If anyone was robbed this year, it was J. Robert Spencer. And seriously, Broadway community people, the Tony's were over three months ago. Can we get over this?

Granted, I'll never get over Miley Cyrus winning an award over Bruce Springsteen, but that's because I'm right on that one, and these people aren't. That award was never Gavin's.

Just sayin'

'Twas a good night for stage door pictures.

Saw Billy Elliot again tonight. Bologna was on (thank god. I would have been disappointed given that this is probably the last time I'll go before he leaves), and Tommy Batchelor was on for Billy. I was hoping to see Tommy. I've had really good luck with seeing the Billys I hope for. My thought process last time was "I hope Trent is on, and if not Trent, then Kiril." And Trent was on. And my thought process this time was "I hope Tommy is on. If not Tommy, then Kiril." I was ecstatic when I saw the board.

I chatted with the people sitting next to me for awhile before the show, and I mentioned that I had seen it a few times before, and they asked me all sorts of questions, and then did the obligatory "where are you from? what are you studying? what do you want to do with it? what do your parents think of you living here?" So Dad, they give you major props for being relatively okay with this, haha. They said they live in NJ and they always get nervous when their sons go in to the city for a few hours, and that they're not sure they'd let them live here. So they were nice and very interested to hear what I thought of Tommy Batchelor.

Tommy was brilliant. I can't quite decide if he's my favorite or not. I love Kiril, and I love Tommy, and it's hard to choose. Tommy looks the part more and has a better singing voice, but Kiril is the only one whose dancing can move me to tears, and I think for that reason, he'll always be my favorite. Tommy is a close second though. And Trent is great as well.

So there is Mr. Batchelor himself. Cute kid. Someone on Broadway Secrets said that he looks like Gollum. So not true. He's adorable. Also, he's a total pimp, in a completely awesome way. I saw him on the street once, and he had on these huge green sunglasses and had one of the ballet girls (the little girls in the show) on each arm. Too cute.

BOLOGNA. We talked Next to Normal, and then I accidentally followed him around Times Square. I was just trying to get to the subway.

Super happy with both of those pictures.

Also, Alex Ko, Kiril's replacement, was there tonight. Also a cute kid.

Irony.

I'm bored, so I'm reading through old blog posts, and I found this...

He was actually nominated for the Tony for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, but lost to the three kids who play Billy Elliot, which I'm bitter about (although not that bitter. Kiril Kulish is some lovely 14 year old jailbait, and I want to see Billy Elliot, but only if he's on for Billy that night. Otherwise, no desire).

And this...

Next to Normal was nominated for the Tony for Best New Musical. It didn't win (stupid Billy Elliot).

And also this...

Ugh, I have zero interest in Billy Elliot...

And this....

Will I run out for tickets again right now? Probably not (especially since there's no student rush, lottery, or TKTS discount). Would I go again if I wasn't 100% sure Kiril was on for Billy? Eh, probably not. Is it my new favorite show? No.

Yeah. Guess what my second favorite show on Broadway is right now. As you can tell, I originally went to see it because I knew when Kiril was going on, and I wanted to see him because he's a cute kid. I didn't think I'd actually like it. Well, that's not true. I thought I'd enjoy it, but I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. And in fact, it took a few days after I saw it to realize how much I liked it. I'm the kind of person that will see a show and think about it for a few days after, and relive certain scenes and moments and performances, and then make a final decision on it, at least if the jury is out when the curtain falls. Obviously with shows like Spring Awakening and Next to Normal, I'm obsessed about ten minutes into Act I. But anyway, I thought about Billy Elliot and realized I liked it. Then I happened to mention on TGO (the Spring Awakening message board) when it was posted that David Bologna was leaving on September 27th that I hadn't seen him, and my friend Rob said "I hope you do. That little firecracker is fierce." So I bought a ticket blindly, hoping he'd be on. And I think it took me seeing the show again to realize how much I love it, and how much I relate to Billy. Because I do. More so than I've related to a lot of musical theater characters, except maybe both Mark and Roger from RENT (I say both even though they're so different, because sometimes I'm lonely like Mark, and sometimes I'm dark, brooding, and angsty, like Roger. It depends on my mood.). I mean, at first glance, Billy is a twelve year old kid in a mining town during the 1980s miner's strike in England who really just wants to dance and has a lot of potential in ballet, but his father won't let him. And I'm a 22 year old graduate student from a small town trying to find myself in the big city. Not a lot of similarities there. But then you look at the heart of both of us. We both lost our mothers and were raised by our father, our much older sibling(s), and our grandmother. And we're both trying to pursue what we love, against the wishes of our families (don't lie, I know you're all still not comfortable with me being here, but I do appreciate that you're all willing to put that aside to let me do this, just like Billy's family). And at the end of the day, we both want to get out of our town and know that we need to in order to chase our dreams, but have a harder time leaving than we thought we would. And most importantly, we both swear like sailors.

Also, Kanye West, you need to go away. The real winner in all of this is Beyonce, who came off as a total class act and made me gain a ton of respect for her. Poor Taylor. First country artist to EVER win a VMA, and Kanye has to ruin it.

And lastly, I'm having an identity crisis. I'm really loving my comparative politics classes this semester. Soviet Russia yesterday was the best class I've sat through since I've been here. I only took a general European comparative politics class as an undergrad because that was all we had so I don't have much background. It's just interesting because I've always been an American government person. But I think I have enough time to double concentrate in both, which would probably help me in the long run anyway, especially since I think a lot of political scientists do that. The other thing though is I don't know if I want to teach. I mean, I do. But the problem is that I'd have to be willing to move, and right now, I don't think I am. I know it's only been six weeks, but honestly, I can see myself living here forever. I saw the skyline when I was flying in yesterday, and my first thought was "home." And for the first time since it happened, 9/11 footage made me cry. I love this city. I'm where I want to be, and I don't see that changing. But with a degree in comparative politics, I'd be well qualified for a UN job, which is right here. And I wouldn't be wasting my time, because I'd need at least a Master's, if not a PhD, for that. I might try to intern there this summer, and see how I like it. Hilary is there right now, and we have tentative plans in a few weeks (she has her GREs on the 10th, so we're hanging out after that so she can study), so I can talk to her about it. It'd be a trade off. She wants to get her Master's at Brooklyn. And in the meantime, I'll keep at this, because like I said, I'll still need my degree. What I want to do with it might change.

Each time you smile, it'll only last awhile...

Avenue Q is closing on Sunday, and since I won't be at my computer then, I wanted to say my goodbyes now, so to one of my Top 5 shows, I'll miss you. We had a short relationship, but a good, intense one, and I'll look back fondly on our memories.

I mean, it's a show I relate to, because the characters are at the same place in their lives that I am at. And I also relate to it because of where I live. I really think this show was based on my neighborhood. The set looks similar, the setting is an "outer borough," it's supposed to be kind of a sketchy area, and the streets around these parts are labeled by letters. And even if it isn't based on my neighborhood, there are a lot of similarities.

It's also given us some of the funniest songs in musical theater. "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist," "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today," "If You Were Gay," "My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada," and "The Internet is For Porn" all come to mind. The titles of those songs alone are enough to make me laugh, and the content is even more funny.

And let's talk about originality. The characters are puppets, for Christ's sake, and their super is Gary Coleman. Played by a woman. That shit is unparalleled. And this show beat WICKED at the Tony's, which no one saw coming. Five years later, Wicked is still the hottest ticket on Broadway. It's pretty damn impressive that this little show with a small cast and minimal running cost was enough to beat it.

So, in closing...
Nothing lasts, life goes on
Full of surprises
You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
For now.
But only for now.
For now we're healthy
For now we're employed
For now we're happy
If not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
For now.
But only for now.
...everything in life is only for now.

Just an idea.

Hey, Obama-

How about rather than dismissing your critics as partisans who are spreading misinformation and using fear tactics, you actually address their concerns? That might work better than empty rhetoric and divisive speeches.

Thanks,
Heather.

I have other interests, I swear...

It's not just theater. I like, um...Bruce Springsteen, and uh, music in general. And I like books. And that's about it.

But anyway, I was just thinking about the 2009-2010 theater season, and I came to an interesting realization. I've always been more of a musical person than a straight play person, but then I realized that I'm much more excited for the upcoming straight plays. Here's a preview of the season:

At the Schoenfeld, we have A Steady Rain, with Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman. That will be fantastic, and not just because I love the cast. The story sounds great. I mean, cops in Chicago. How can that go wrong? Previews begin today, and I can't wait for reviews.

At the Jacobs, we have God of Carnage, with Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, and James Gandolfini. I LOVE that cast. It won the Tony for Best Play, then went on hiatus for the summer and came back on Tuesday. I NEED to see this. It's about two sets of parents who get together after one son beats up the other family's son on the playground, and it is supposedly fantastic. And Marcia Gay Harden won the Tony for that role.

At the Golden (sad. I'll miss Avenue Q), is Oleanna, with Julia Stiles and BILL PULLMAN. Love him. Basically, Oleanna is about the relationship between a professor seeking tenure, and his female student who accuses him of sexual harrassment. Again, a compelling story with a cast that I love.

At the Music Box is Superior Donuts, which is literally about a donut shop. The cast is relatively unknown, but it was written by Tracy Letts, who is brilliant and wrote August: Osage County (I need to get to Boston in May to see that tour). She won the Tony for that, and I have a good feeling about this one.

And last but certainly not least, can we talk about what's happening at the Broadhurst? Three words. Hamlet. Jude Law. That's all I need to say about that one.

And the musicals for this season suck. I mean, Burn the Floor looks like shit, Fela! looks like shit, Memphis looks like shit, and I have zero interest in seeing these. And none of them will last. I think that the Spiderman musical has potential, given that Bono did the music and it's a Julie Taymor production, but that's had so many problems and has such a ridiculous production cost that I'll be surprised if it happens as planned. Plus, with Disney just buying out Marvel, something might change with the production. The one musical that I'm super excited for is Bye Bye Birdie. Matt Doyle, John Stamos, Gina Gershwin, Allie Trimm. It will be great. Previews start tonight. I'll be going soon. Maybe the weekend of the flea market. And who can complain about $20 tickets? I love hiptix. Best program ever.

So I guess I won't have to worry about buying cast recordings this year, haha.

loVe

So, over a year after attempt number one, and after four weeks of unsuccessful lotto attempts, I finally saw "Hair" tonight. I got a facebook message from my new friend Katie telling me that she and my other new friend Karlie were going to go, and would I like to go with them? So I said yes, and I'm glad I did. It was a fantastic production with a stellar cast and wonderful audience interaction. And I love Billy Elliot so much, but I have absolutely no idea how it beat out Hair for Best Lighting. The lighting in Hair is spectacular. Of course, Kevin Adams did it, and his lighting designs are always brilliant (SA, Passing Strange, Next to Normal, Hair, etc...he's amazing). I'm so glad this show won Best Revival. It's so incredibly deserving of it.

So this is Ms. Caissie Levy, who plays Sheila and is brilliant. Her "Good Morning, Starshine" is gorgeous.

This is Will Swenson, who plays Berger. My favorite part of the whole night was when he called out the latecomers at the beginning of the show, haha. "Hello, late people! She just sang the shit out of Aquarius, and you missed it!" Pet peeve: when people come late to shows, unless it's under extenuating circumstances . Anyway, Will was nominated for the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, but lost to Gregory JBara from Billy Elliot, who is great, although I was personally pulling for David Bologna.

This is Kacie Sheik, who may be the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen in my life. And she's super sweet. And fun fact, she's Duncan Sheik's little sister. I love Duncan Sheik. His music is great, plus he wrote the Spring Awakening score. It's nice to see that little sister is as talented as he is.

This is Andrew Kober. It's a terrible picture of him, but he's cute and great and his Twitter is the funniest thing I've ever read.

And last, but defnitely not least, this is Gavin Creel, one of my gay boyfriends. I first fell in love with Mr. Creel when he was in Eloise at the Plaza. Stellar movie. I was like 12 at the time. Little did I know that I'd be meeting him one day :) Anyway, he offered to take the picture himself. I'm not sure why, since I had two people with me, but hey, now I have a Gavin Creel original. It was funny because the camera wasn't going, and he goes "are we making a movie? Because if we are, it's going to be really boring." We weren't, but I'd love that movie. It would be a favorite of mine. Anyway, Gavin was a brilliant Claude, as I knew he would be. He was also nominated for a Tony (Lead Actor in a Musical), but lost to my Billys. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. I LOVE the Bilys, but I also love Gavin, and I also love J. Robert Spencer. Tough year.

So that was my night at Hair. No more shows for me for awhile, what with going to Maine this weekend and Keith and Rob coming down probably the weekend after. So that means my picspams will be ending. I know you all love them though.

Fangirling at the Booth Theater.

So I'm sitting in the back of the mezz at Next to Normal tonight for Aaron Tveit's first show back after his hiatus, minding my own business, when who should walk in and sit directly in front of me?

David Bologna, from Billy Elliot. You know, the one I just ranted and raved about in my last post.

He is seriously the cutest little boy ever. I wish he was my brother or something. I just want to hug him.

He's one of those kids that just has this innate ability to light up a room with his presence, and seeing him there put a massive smile on my face. For like all of Act I.

Of course, I was way too busy watching his reaction than watching the show. But honestly, how many chances am I going to have to sit behind Tony nominated actor at Next to Normal? Probably not a lot. Especially since I usually sit in the front row.

Also, at the stage door, Alice Ripley recognized me, which was awesome, but so did Adam Chanler-Berat. He goes "nice to see you again! Do you like my new necklace?" Love him. He needs to not be gay.