'The Dude and the Zen Master' and 'The Big Lebowski' coming up and 'Glengarry Glen Ross'

 Things are looking up. I can post pictures again. I've been reading 'The Dude and the Zen Master' by Jeff Bridges and Barry Glassman.  Tonight even. And, as often happens when you pick up a book and begin to read, something that is troubling you, is answered. Jeff and Barry did a signing of this book at Barnes and Noble and I was all set to go, but then... something happened. I was disappointed because Jeff is a favorite and Barry is all Zen, but I went to see Bebe Neuwirth that night instead. The play Bebe was in was excellent so I didn't feel terribly disappointed since I have met Jeff before and he was fantastic. It's in an earlier post.

   Tonight, I had plans go awry again and was a bit disappointed and decided to just read. I picked up the book where I had left off, and the first message I come across is "treat others and you want to be treated." Like The Dude, I'm a peaceful person, but stuff happens. People are cruel, selfish, thoughtless, real shitheads. Thank you for identifying with me right when I needed it, Dude!!!  :) 

 When I last met Jeff he signed a DVD he had released and a copy of 'The Big Lebowski.' I'm going to watch it again and since reading the book, it will be extra awesome.

 Last weekend I made it to 'Glengarry Glen Ross' on Broadway, the David Mamet play, starring Al Pacino, John C. McGinley and Richard Schiff. Dynamic. Great performances and Al Pacino was great to everyone after the show, signing playbills and posing as were John and Richard.

 

  

'Grace' on Broadway with Paul Rudd and Ed Asner....Last Performance Today

I'm way behind here. I'll start with today and then work my way back to all I have missed writing about. I just got home from seeing 'Grace' on Broadway with Paul Rudd and Ed Asner. It was the last performance and a grand one. I enjoyed every minute. This is the third play I've seen in 4 weeks. They've all been dark in nature. This one, as you may guess by the title, had to do with religious beliefs. The other 2 (I'll post) had to do with dementia.

Paul Rudd signed my Playbill, but I didn't get a pic. The crowd was very large. Paul was very sweet and so was Ed Asner. He played the exterminator. The setting was supposed to be an apartment in Florida. And I know you need something to kill the bugs in Florida. I had a few very peculiar bug guys when I lived there. Chemicals???

Pictures to come. It won't let me add any right now... Hmpf!

'The Good Mother' and 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood'

The week  of the big, bad hurricane and all the Broadway and Off-Broadway shows I can see. Being a Florida gal I can tell you that hurricanes blow. Pun intended. But this is NYC and the show must go on if at all possible. A couple of years ago I saw a play during a blizzard with Alicia Silverstone and Laura Linney. 'Time Stands Still.' It was absolutely no fun getting to that show that day.

Since the transit system isn't still 100% I walked to and from 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' the other night and got to 'The Good Mother' today with no problem.

Tomorrow may be a little tougher. 'Exonerated is a bit farther downtown. I was there about a week ago and met some of the rotating cast; Trudie Styler and Martin Short. Bernadette Peters was there too so we took a group shot. Pics to follow.

'The Mystery of Edwin Drood,' is a fun musical with Chita Rivera. It is the last thing Charles Dickens wrote. He didn't finish it and the audience gets to vote on the ending. It's at Studio 54 and a very good time. Chita is ageless and beautiful and awesome and a show stopper.

 

 

'The Good Mother,' stars Gretchen Mol. She is excellent and I was  engaged and entertained throughout the entire play. I can always tell if I'm really into what's going on on stage. If not, I fidget more and more. I didn't fidget once.

'An Enemy of the People' on Broadway

Want to see an awesome Broadway play? 'An Enemy of the People,' is excellent. It stars Richard Thomas and Boyd Gaines who play brothers without a common ground in a historical political setting. It's at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on 47th Street.

 

More of 'The Best Man' on Broadway

These were taken on John Stamos' birthday, August 19th. Everyone sang Happy Birthday and Kristin Davis posed for some extra birthday photos with him. Cybill Shepherd, Dakin Matthews, Mark Blum and the always great, John Larroquette.

 

"The Best Man" on Broadway

I had the great experience of seeing "The Best Man," Gore Vidal's play on Broadway. I saw it last weekend and Gore passed on this week. He was truly a great writer and the play reflects his talent with words. For a great article on Gore by another fabulous wordsmith see: "Gore Vidal Hates Being Dead" by Dick Cavett  August 02, 2012

"The Best Man" has a star-studded cast: John Larroquette, James Earl Jones, Cybil Shepherd, John Stamos, Kristin Davis, and Elizabeth Ashley.

Demi Moore sat in front of us.

Here are some pics from the very nice cast. Each one wonderful!

Woody Harrelson's Play..."Bullet For Adolf

Woody Harrelson & Frankie Hyman wrote the play, "BULLET FOR ALDOLF," now showing at NEW WORLD STAGES @ 340 WEST 50th Street. Woody also directed the play. It takes place in Houston, TX in the summer of '83. Lots of the old MTV music playing which is lots of fun. The characters are very entertaining and the story is compelling. I enjoyed myself. Congratulations to Woody for writing a Broadway play. Awesome!

'Wit' on Broadway with Cynthia Nixon

   Just experienced another fantastic Broadway play. 'Wit' is at the Samuel J. Friedman theatre and stars Cynthia Nixon as Vivian Bearing, a poetry professor with cancer. Cynthia is excellent from the first instant on stage and never loses her momentum. She teaches her students about the poems and metaphors of John Donne, a seventeenth century metaphyscial poet. She has a passion for his words and their meaning. She dissects the poems with fervor, leaving her brightests students to ponder and the others to find excuses for not writing their papers. Vivian has a strong sense of intellectual superiority, brought full circle in her final hours as she finds compassion from her nurse who knows how to comfort, but knows nothing about cerebral poetry. With her last breath she realizes there is more to life. No wonder the play is so marvelous!!!!

"Relatively Speaking"

     Last night was the final performance of "Relatively Speaking," three short plays written by Elaine May, Ethan Coen, and Woody Allen and directed by John Turturro. I have not laughed that hard since I saw Mark Rylance in Le Bete. Marlo Thomas was spectacular. All the plays were excellent, but she was so so so funny. Tony win, I'm saying. And the cast of the Woody Allen play was like old home week for a Woody film, beginning with Julie Kavner and Steve Guttenberg. I love it when I laugh so much my cheeks hurt. All the actors on stage last night out did themselves. Excellent. Thank you for such a great night of fun!

Broadway Broadway Broadway

There's a lot going on in the theatre district in NYC right now. Lots and lots to see. My favorite, Hugh Jackman on Broadway. The one man show with the 18 piece orchestra is total bliss. Here's some pictures of Hugh leaving the show on Sunday afternoon. The crowds are huge. Just like the crowds for 'How to Succeed in Business' with Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette. Here's Hugh
signing for the crowd.

Right across the street from Hugh, opening for previews on November 12,  Harry Connick Jr. in On A Clear Day. And, there's more going on. Kim Cattrall opens on November 6th at the Music Box Theatre (the same one Mark Rylance was at for Jerusalem and Le Bete. The name of that play is: Private Lives. Also Angela Bassett is starring with Samuel L. Jackson in The Mountaintop. I recently went to a talk with Angela Bassett being interviewed by Jordan Roth.  The picture below is from that evening. Jordan asked Angela some really tough questions which she answered with grace and eloquence. And she had on the greatest shoes ever. Very spikey heels; leopard on top and black with rhinestones on the bottom. She looked fantastic.

And there's more. I've been busy. Off-Broadway there's a play called Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling. It's a really good one. Christine Lahti is super in it. Here's a picture from right after the performance the day I went.

Lots happening on Broadway and off. I recently visited the Regis and Kelly set and Kevin Spacey was the guest. Here's some pics from that day. That's always a superfun time. Regis and Kelly are awesome. :( and Regis is leaving this month.

That's not all. But I should blog tomorrow about all the fantastic movies that are out and coming out. Creativity abounds when the world is in a mess!!!



Just home from opening night of 'Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway'

Schwing! Schwing! Schwing! I don't know if I have words to describe this night. If you were lucky enough to see Hugh Jackman in the Boy From Oz, you will have an idea of what I'm trying to convey. How can one human being have so much talent, energy, beauty, be able to sing, to dance and to share his very essence of the love he has for doing all that entertaining with his audience?

He does. He does all of that and more. His voice is pure and I'm ready to buy the CD, but it wasn't for sale yet. Hope there is one. His dancing was fantastic.
He shared fun stories and did a little bit of everything and did it to pure perfection!

His choice of songs was superb. Deb, his wife, was there and he introduced her. She's a beautiful lady. I won't give away the details in case you're going.
But if you're even near NYC, you'd be cheating yourself to miss Hugh back on Broadway!

The Broadway Cares-Flea Market and Grand Auction Celebrate its 25th year today in TimeSquare

It's the 25th year for the Broadway Flea Market/Auction and my first time to get there. Times Square on 44th Street has table after table covered with memorablilia from Broadway shows playing now to way back when. I saw a Playbill with Richard Burton on the cover (Camelot). Now that would have been something to see, the play with Richard Burton I mean. :)

I heard the auctioneers yelling about a dress going up worn by Christie Brinkley in Chicago. Size 1. Are they serious? The lady is tall. Another person said, "but the material is stretchy." How stretchy?

I got my Jerusalem baseball cap that I missed getting on the last day. And, a Tony Awards tee.

There were raffles for backstage tours with the actors and singing lessons and you could bid for opening night tickets with an after party. I didn't hang around for all that, but it was a fun first run.

Here are some pictures from the event. And btw, see my very own Hugh Jackman 'Boy From Oz' autographed CD just as a reminder to tell you that Hugh is coming back to Broadway this fall. I'll be seeing hin on October 5th so stay tuned for that excellent adventure. Also I took a pic of Harry Connick Jr who is also returning this fall in 'A Clear Day You Can See Forever.' I saw Harry in the 'Pajama Game' the last time and it was great. Hugh will be in 'Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway' opens in November. My pre-see is at my favorite hangout 92Y.