Yesterday, James and I got to sleep in late, which hasn't been that common of an occurrence for us lately. We headed in to the city early for the matinee of "A Little Night Music". There was a bitter cold wind in the city, but we stocked up on Starbuck's before we left Penn Station. James got an Iced Latte, just for that extra jolt of chill, but the triple shot had him speeding down 8Th Ave. at record speed, so I really don't think he noticed the icicles encasing me. We for once were ahead of schedule so we grabbed a cocktail, until all the theater novices shuffled in. We had excellent seats on the aisle, which were a great necessity. (The munchkins from Wicked would have complained about the leg room). Stephen Sondheim's musical starred Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The first act dragged on with light weight songs and intermittent humor. I have to confess, I had no previous knowledge of the musical, and was still unsure of its' storyline half way through the 1st Act. Angela Lansbury was intermittently wheeled out as the saged Grandmother, who had quips worthy of Dorothy Parker. Angela, a true Broadway legend, had her skills greatly under utilized in what has to be Sondheim's weakest musical (But even Sondheim at his weakest can have great moments). The 2ND act was much better and more cohesive, with the highlight of "Send in the Clowns" performed emotionally wrenching by Ms. Zeta-Jones. It turned out to be an enjoyable musical, but ultimately it will be a forgettable one.
We headed straight home on the LIRR, where I was able to devour my latest Kindle novel "Bloodroot". I just finished "The Help" which was a "Can't put the book down" read. Set in the 60's in Mississippi, it tells the story of black domestics sharing their stories of life serving in bigoted households. The book takes a deep look at the Good and the Bad of domestic service during the Civil Rights Era, and a ultra-secret attempt to documenting these tales. it is far from preachy and reads more like a suspense novel. I also read Kathy Griffin's Official book club selection, which was much better then I could have expected. Though not void of humor, it seemed to be an honest biography of life on the D-list (Though I could have done without the Andy Dick stories).
We packed our Tuxes last night and are headed into the city for Mr. Riepe's birthday present. We will be attending the Drama League Benefit Gala at the Grand ballroom of the Pierre Hotel. It's the 26Th annual musical celebration of Broadway honoring James' Idol Ms. Angela Lansbury (The original Mame, though I really know who put the noxious in obnoxious). It's a virtual who's who of Broadway, and though we'll be sitting off of the kitchen I'm sure, we will do our best to hobnob with the elite. Boy, I wish I was so lucky to have a boyfriend get me such great gifts. So stay tuned for "How to embarrass yourself in 3 easy hours, My life on the F-List"
If you've never seen this clip, it stars Nathan Lane and Cheyenne Jackson honoring Xanadu's Broadway nomination last year. I promise you Nathan Lane's reactions are Priceless. Tata for now
