Whine & Cheese

Express Lane: Issue 63

'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Author Inks Six-Figure Deal - Not sure I can get through the Jane Austen classic again - even with zombies! But it sound like Graham-Smith's rumored next book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" will be more up my alley! (4/10/09)

Earth Hour 2009 - The Big Picture - Best TBP Ever! It's interactive, click on (most of) the pix and watch the lights fade off (or back on) for Earth Hour! (3/30/09)

Signs of Spring - The Big Picture - After the last TBP photo set I posted re: the recession, this one of hope and renewal is a lot more inspiring... and pretty too! (3/23/09)

CBS Renews "Men," "Big Bang" - Could care less about the Charlie Sheen sitcom, but thrilled that Sheldon & Leonard & Company got a TWO-YEAR pick-up! (3/18/09)

Scenes From The Recession - The Big Picture - Not the most uplifting or inspiring set of pictures, but always interesting ... and a couple shots of the real estate bust right here in Phoenix metro area. (3/18/09)

Stacy Keach Recuperating After Stroke - Was supposed to see Keach in the stage production of "Frost/Nixon" (playing the latter), but I think chances of returning to to the show by early April are pretty slim. (3/18/09)

Holi: The Festival of Colors - The Big Picture - That wild and crazy throw paint and powder at each other Hindu festival that I only learned about thanks to 'The Amazing Race' (3/13/09)

Various & Sundry

As often is the case, the weekend left quite a bit of things floating around my mind...

On Friday night, we saw 12 Angry Men as part of our touring Broadway season tickets.  It's rare that a play is part of the package, so it's always a nice change up.  The "star" of the show was Richard Thomas.  While I am certainly aware of "John Boy" from a pop-culture stance, believe it or not I never watched The Waltons growing up.  So, it's a good thing that, even though he didn't get star billing, that Kevin Dobson, Mac from Knots Landing, was also a jury member as well.

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On Saturday, we visited Todd's parents in Tucson.  At lunch, we had something happen to us for the very first time... the waitress looked at Todd and myself and asked "Are you brothers?"  Very funny, but very strange too.

And it's probably a good thing that I wasn't leaving the tip, as the waitress told me later of my ordered dish "I've never seen anyone eat that much of it!"  Ummm... thanks (not).

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If that didn't get me crabby, Facebook also ticked me off.  Recently I added a Virtual Book Case to my profile, and I get an email this weekend titled "You've been reading 'Pride and Prejudice' for more than a week. Still true?" and the body of the email continued to nag me "We wanted to give you a reminder so that you can keep your profile fresh if things have changed".... Y

Yes, I'm still friggin' reading the book and doing my best to get through it... and I don't need anybody or anything giving me crap about it... especially when I am very much well aware that it's killing all the surplus/progress I had made in my reading challenge up to this point!  Geez, Louise!

Speaking of Facebook, I am finally playing Scrabulous... and now really hoping that it doesn't go away as the makers of Scrabble ain't too happy about it (and I can certainly understand why).  My very best friend from college (as I often say... the Grace to my Will) and I were big time Scrabble players in college and beyond... so when she recently joined Facebook I knew we had to play... though I am not too happy that she got a "bingo" and used the word "feu" in our very first game!   If anyone wants to play (and I know there are a couple of you out there!), I am open ... though I don't know how good/bad I am right now as I don't have a "rating" yet.

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A couple of Hillary notes.   I was surprised how pro-Hillary the first Saturday Night Live was... in the opening sketch, the mocked the googly-eyes the media has for Obama (or perhaps, just the disdain for Hillary) and "Obama Girl" even made an appearance.

But that was nothing to guest host Tina Fey and her most excellent return to the Weekend Update desk. I would post the video, but SNL ones tend to go away very quickly... if you haven't seen it already -- it seems to be the big rage this morning -- if not,  this YouTube search page that might get you to it).  Anyhow, she ended the segment turning the oft-thought "she's a bitch" criticism on its heels... some entrepreneurial folks have already (wisely) jumped on it... gigglechick offers products with the follow Fey-isms:

And on McLaughlin Group, even I can get get a kick out of what some of the conservative panelists say... when asked "What Hillary Clinton needs to do to defeat Obama?" ... new regular on the "right wing" side, Monica Crowley noted that basically "Hillary has to club the baby seal" ... and that certainly (and humorously) sums up what I've been thinking about the Dem Race of late... I just wish I'd come up with that line! 

700 Sundays

Work is currently "off the deep end" busy... so I will try to keep this short and maintain my sanity.  As a self-employed person I should be thrilled since the more $$$ the company makes, the more $$$ I make... but at certain times I'd sacrifice one for the other... but alas, that is not the subject of today's post.

This past Saturday night we went to see Billy Crystal's one-man show 700 Sundays.  Honestly, I was surprised when this popped up as one of our "bonus" shows... we don't often get "direct from Broadway" stars traipsing through Tempe, AZ... let alone stars in a one-person show.  While seeing Crystal was not the most hip thing we've ever done (the audience did skew a tad older), it was still a really enjoyable evening of laughs.. and even a few tears, okay maybe lump or two in one's throat.

Crystal comes out onto the stage in front of a replica of his childhood Long Beach, NY home.. and tells stories of his youth.  His family is filled with a lot of characters (what family isn't!?!), but they are very close.  Not well-off by any means, Crystal's father has to work so hard to support his family that Sunday ends up being the only day of the week young Billy can spend any quality time with his father.  When his father unexpectedly dies, the then 15-year old calculates that he had only 700 Sundays with his father.

While there were many family stories that Crystal shares that anyone could relate to, Crystal may have not had a "typical" childhood.  I, for one, was not aware that his father was involved in the music business.  So the likes of  jazz legends Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong might be around the house or at work... even Billie Holliday took him to his first movie. 

So quite interesting and some nice creativity was show when Billy would share home pictures or movies (the "windows" of the house turned into screens).  The first half of the show has most of the laughs while the second "act" gets a bit more serious, delving into his father's death as well as the his beloved mother who just passed away just few years ago. 

My only complaint... and seemingly usual complaint when it comes to theater these days... is that it was a bit too long.  Crystal did 90 minutes before breaking for a 15-minute intermission... then came back out for a second act that was nearly as long.   But you definitely could not have complained that you didn't get your money's worth (though I would have achieved that even if the show was an hour less!).

I would most certainly recommend the show.  However, Crystal is really taking it out the road.  After taking some time off to spend with his grandchildren (one of them "new" I believe), his two-week stop here was just preparation as he takes the show to Australia and England.  So while that might be a little long of a ways to go to see a show, you could likely to worse!

Weekend Update #60416

As I wrote on Friday, it was a pretty busy weekend... one of those where you seem to need a weekend to recover from it... so I guess it only makes sense if I tell you all about it (whether you like it or not).

Friday
... it was off to see Valerie Harper starring in the one-woman play Golda's Balcony.  I figured it would be pretty good and it was all that and more.  With season tickets we often see quite a few clunkers, but this was most certainly a nice case of where we saw a really good show that we probably would not have seen if it wasn't part of season ticket package.  As with most one-person shows, I am constantly impressed how the heck these folks memorize the material. 

From the minute Valerie (I guess I should add... playing Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir) took the stage and opened her mouth, she rarely took a breath for the next 95 minutes (no intermission!) -- and she voiced 30+ other characters!  Truly amazing... a tour de force, I would say.  The show was compelling, sad, funny, and educational... I couldn't even begin to create a list out things that I never knew about Israel and Meir (and I consider myself to be a fairly educated person!).

And it was a thrill to see "TV's Rhoda"... even thru the heavy make-up and a prosthetic nose, you still had the essence of Rhoda Morgenstern in there.  Harper's encores were a bit odd... she came back twice, but left the stage for maybe 2 seconds before running back to the stage.  Seems like it would have been a better strategy to at least "counted to 10" before returning... I think she missed that thunderous wave of applause by returning so soon.

Saturday
... was our first Diamondbacks game of the season.   We have new seats this season and while we had our doubts about "upgrade" ... they are really quite good (pretty much right off home plate on the first base line... row 30).   Alas, the actual baseball game was not much to talk about ... the hometeam got shellacked by the Houston Astros 10-0... yikes!   

Unfortunately someone tipped off Brad Ausmus, the scrumptious Astros catcher and latest object of my lust affection...  he played on Friday and Sunday, but not our game.  That was really not fair... and we even missed the equally do-able Andy Pettitte by one day.  But enough of this catcher and pitcher talk... instead, I drowned my sorrow a brand new food option at the ballpark this season... Cold Stone Creamery... yum!

Sunday
... was time to head down to Tucson and return Lucy the pug to Todd's parents... and this served as Toby's first major road trip (probably his previous longest car ride was 15-20 minutes).  He was pretty whiny for a good part of the trip, but settled down after some time on I-10, but then got a little more agitated back on the local roads.  He really did a good job at Todd's parent's house... but I think part of that was just that he was in unfamiliar territory and that he was pretty wiped out from the car trip (and hosting Lucy for a little over a week)! 

Needless to say, it was pretty strange when we got back... with the exception of the first 10 weeks or so, for 4+ years we were a two dog house... heck, now that I think of it the 3 pets that we moved into this house with are now all gone... but anyhow, it was very weird to be down a dog... which arguably is a much bigger presence in the house than a cat.  We definitely had our twinges of sadness throughout  the evening and certainly this morning...

Toby, who views eating a doggie meal as some form of competition and/or endurance challenge, was without an "opponent" for the first time this morning.  He eventually mosied on over and finished his breakfast... 25 minutes after it was served!  He's been pretty much crashed out this morning... so I'll try not to read any "human emotion" into that... but I know it is now absolutely essential that I get him out for walks...  he certainly won't be running around on his own... and I am guessing the cats are not going to be helpful filling the exercise gap either.

Busy Weekend

It is not too often that we have plans for Friday, Saturday and Sunday...

Tonight, we have the latest offering for our Broadway Across America series... Golda's Balcony.  With overwhelming majority of the shows being musicals, it is nice to get to see a play every so often.  Although I have to say, the show poster evokes Evita ... that is, if the Argentinian first lady ever made it to old age.

But as you can see there is something more to look forward... Golda is played by none other than Valerie Harper!  This seems like another example of the typical C-listers we get on touring productions... but I have to say I am pretty excited to see Valerie.

Sure everyone loved Mary Richards, but even as a kid I related more to Rhoda Morgenstern... she was definitely less perfect and pretty than Mary and a little "different."  And while Mary might have had the hat toss, I always remember Rhoda running through the streets of NYC in her wedding gown.

So funny how things work out... some 30 years later, I never could have imagined that I would be seeing Valerie in-person ... playing an Israeli Prime Minister... and attending that show with my boyfriend.

Saturday, we butch it up and attend our first Diamondbacks game of the season.  As I have mentioned before, it is always a funny transition to go from the theater to the ballpark... at the theater, we might as well be donning rainbow flags and "I'm not gay, but my boyfriend is" t-shirts... whereas at the ballpark, a pair of guys get nary a second glance.  Once again, we are in a season ticket "sharing" program with one of Todd's co-workers... we have new (and allegedly improved) seats this season, so we'll see how that goes.  It will be a look at the newest D-backs, the roster has certainly changed a lot this past year... and our World Series championship most certainly seems eons away.

Finally on Sunday, we head down to Tucson to return Lucy the pug to Todd's parents who are back from a Washington DC vacation.  It was decided that we hold onto her until Sunday so we can celebrate Easter... even though none of us will technically be celebrating it in a traditional manner (i.e. going to church).  We certainly have mixed feelings about returning her... she has been a good distraction and helpful to us and Toby after our loss of Mindy last week.  So we'll be headed into unchartered "one dog" territory.  I asked Todd if we could bring Toby along for the trip... he has never been down to visit Lucy's home (or, for that matter, an extended car trip period)... but I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving him all by himself for the day.  I know, I am projecting human emotions on a dog... but I am just concerned (realistic or imagined) about this transition.  Probably more for me, than Toby.

So that's the agenda... will be back a little later today with some insight of what I look like... well, kinda... check back later.

Coo coo ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson

Figured I needed to follow-up on our trip to theater on Friday night to see The Graduate.  As suspected, it was not very good.  There was a noticeable "walk out" factor at intermission (including the gay guys a row behind us), but we stuck around for the entire show... where the production received an unusually tepid 25-30% standing ovation (we remained seated).

So what was wrong?  Well, I don't think the groundbreaking film translated all that well for the stage.  Some of the things that I think made the film great was how it was edited, the use of the Simon & Garfunkel music, and that it was current commentary of the mid/late 1960s.  Here it became a period piece and despite a sprinkling of "The Sound of Silence" the musical interludes included The Beach Boys and The Mamas and The Papas... a S&G medley was played at the end.

The success of this production seems to lie in the hands of who is playing the iconic Mrs. Robinson.  Here our Miss Morgan Fairchild struggled to get a passing grade.  While the 54-year old quite buxom Fairchild looked incredible, she played Mrs. Robinson as a perpetually sloshy drunk whose sole role was to toss out one-liners.  I don't know whether this was how it was written for the stage or if it was Fairchild's interpretation of the role.  Whatever the case, Fairchild did not 'act' drunk which much skill (or success).  The role still goes for laughs in the latter half...as opposed to the film where Mrs. Robinson emotionally crumbles.  In this respect, the script is much more to blame than whoever is inhabiting the role.   That said, Fairchild is no Anne Bancroft (not that we ever thought that possible/probable).

The pre-pubescent looking actor who played Benjamin also did not stand up well to the role that made Dustin Hoffman a star.   Again it is tough to know where to place the blame ... but the stage Benjamin did not have that odd combination of earnestness, innocence, confusion, and vulnerability that Hoffman brought to the role.

But this is the way theater (both plays and musicals) seems to be going these days.  Not much originality.  Producers want to temper the considerable financial risk by creating shows that have a recognition factor ... i.e. a translation of a movie or a songbook (ala the ABBA musical "Mamma Mia!" or Billy Joel's "Movin' Out").  Sometimes it works, but in the case of The Graduate -- which was not the total disaster I am making it out to be -- I think it was probably still better left undone.

Mrs. Robinson in Old Navy Performance Fleece?

We have another show tonight in our Broadway Across America season package.  It is actually the second show of the new season, but the first one for us.  We chose to skip the first one.  I think it must have been a rough work week or something ... or it could have just been the show - Oliver. 

While I am genetically inclined to worship musical theater ... when it involves child performers (especially in heavy doses) my interest level wanes significantly.  And while I am sure the production of Oliver was wonderful... it just seem more torture than I could bear.  Annie?  Pull my fingernails off.  The Sound of Music? More than bearable, but just have to get past "So Long, Farewell."  Les Miserables?  I have seen it at least 7 times and it is one of my all-time faves, but I would just as well see little Cosette be eaten by the Thenardiers before she gets around to squeaking out "Castle on a Cloud"...

But alas I digress... tonight's show (if you haven't figured it out by the title) is The Graduate.  I am a slightly concerned. I am a big fan of the movie, but have not heard terribly kind things about the stage production.  So have you guessed who is playing Mrs. Robinson?  Well, you NY-ers get Kathleen Turner...here in AZ we get Morgan Fairchild!  Yes, Morgan Fairchild of the 80s soaps Flamingo Road and Falcon Crest...and more recent appearances as Chandler Bing's mother on Friends (ironically Kathleen Turner played his father!) and those pesky Old Navy commercials.  Now don't get me wrong... Fairchild is a fun and campy choice for the role... but it is also pretty typical of the B-list (C?) celebrities that tend to populate touring productions. 

Other actresses who have played Mrs. Robinson in touring productions include Jerry Hall, Linda Gray, Kelly McGillis, and Lorraine Bracco.  So I think we lucked out just fine.  Hall has always struck me as incredibly dull.  Gray, like Fairchild, would have been a nice throwback to 80s primetime soap TV... and didn't Sue Ellen have a romance with a young stud back in Dallas?  McGillis would have been another blast from the past... but I'd rather see Tom Cruise's body circa the Top Gun days.  Being a Sopranos fan, Bracco probably would have been my top choice... she seems like she would evoke that same smoky quality of Anne Bancroft and Kathleen Turner... though she is a bit wooden (though I am probably too accustomed to her as Dr. Melfi). 

Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me?
Would you like me to seduce you?

Well Morgan give it your best shot!