October Road on ABC

Has anyone been watching ABC's new addition to their Thursdays line up, October Road?

Well, if you haven't, let me tell you what you've been missing.

The plot line is pretty basic: A young man leaves his small town for the big city, finds pseudo-fame and doesn't return for 10 years. He then goes back in search of himself, to find his ex-girlfriend has a child that coincidentally was born within nine months of his departure.

There are other facets to the plotline, spread amoung the varied supporting characters, but I don't want to get into all that. The point is, while it's a completely predictable story line, I think the show is definitely worth watching.

If for no other reason than the leading man (Bryan Greenberg, who I discovered in "Prime" starring opposite Uma Thurman) is H-O-T. So, if there is no other reason to watch mindless TV on Thursday night between 10pm and 11pm, then let the man eye-candy here be enough! It sure is enough for me...

Bowling, Greeks, and Clubs...Oh my!

What I thought was going to be a fun yet low-key night on the town turned into an all-out and all-night event on the town. I had agreed to join a friend of mine down at Chelsea Piers for some bowling with his gaggle of gays. I was very excited. It was my first time at the piers, and my first evening out with a group of people who shared my orientation. Don't get me wrong - I love my girls! - but sometimes this boy needs other boys to play with.
Bowling at Chelsea Piers is a wonderful experience. It's disco bowling meets trendy dance club in the heart of the gayest neighborhood in the city. It is everything you would expect, plus children. Yes, it was the strangest mix of family-fun I've ever seen. At first I was worried that the children were going to be distracting, but the staff was so meticulous with keeping our drinks flowing that I had no time whatsoever to even notice them once the gaming began! Bowling plus hard liquor equals good times!
At 11:30pm we were done bowling, and decided to move on to Nisos, a greek restauant/bar on 8th Ave and 19th St. One of the guys in our group provided our transportation. It was raining, so I was incredibly grateful that Mr. Trust Fund had his drivers (yes, plural…there were 2 of them) waiting in their Escalades when we finally left the Piers. We arrived at the restaurant at midnight, after the dining room had closed. But again, spending a night on the town with someone with money has it's perks. They opened the restaurant back up for our group, and had rounds of cocktails poured and waiting before we even sat down. The décor was classic Mediterranean meets Malibu. It was a great blend of comfort and class. I wish I had more to say about the venue, but one hour and two cocktails later, it was time to move on again.

The gang decided to go to ONE, a very trendy night club on Little West 12th, right across from the Hotel Gansevoort. Now keep in mind, we are all still in our bowling gear - blue jeans and button ups. When we arrived at ONE, we looked completely out of place. Everyone in the block and a half long line was dressed to the nines. And rightly so - that's what you do in NYC. But again, traveling with a "party gay" had it's perks. We were greeted with smiles (not from the people on line…) and passed right through the velvet ropes. Blue jeans and all. We were shown to a private booth, where they had carafes of orange and cranberry juices, buckets of ice, and three or four open bottles of Grey Goose. We were our own bartenders. It was awesome, and the liquor just kept coming thanks to the wonderful manager who obviously had some special relationship with a few of the guys in my group.
The club itself was deservedly popular. The décor was asian-inspired with low booths and candles filling the niches in the black stone walls. The music was popular dance mixes, perfect for alcohol-induced dance moves.
The night after that gets a little hazy for me. There was a meaty make-out session with, get this, a gay mormon. There was pizza after we left, but I barely remember having it. And a long cab ride back up to the West Side - that I do remember feeling like it took forever because I had to go to the bathroom.
And of course, there was the compulsory hangover the next day, cured ultimately by brunch at Brasserie 52 in Hell's Kitchen. The Bloody Mary's weren't as spicy as I normally like, and we had to send our Egg's Benedict back when they came out over-cooked the first time (who ever heard of a benedict with a solid yoke?!), but aside from that the meal was really good! The food had a side of cheesy potatoes that I certainly would've been more than happy to make an entire meal out of. So while not phenomenal, it served it's purpose and I was back to feeling in good.
I felt so much better in fact, that I ended up walking home through Central Park, making plenty of stops on the way for people watching. And by "people" I do mean "homo".

"The Pirate Queen" on Broadway

"The Pirate Queen" was an experience that made me truly appreciative of good musical theater. Yes, it was just that bad.
With a book and music created by the same team that brought us "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon", I was very hopeful that this new musical production would be on par with their previous works that I love. I was amazed at just how short this show actually fell.
The story revolves around a true story. Grace O'Malley was the first female head of an Irish clan. She happened to lead at the same time that the first Queen Elizabeth was taking the thrown and leading an expansionistic monarchy.
In theory, the story could've been about these two women who ruled simultaneously at a time when women did not have any power. That would have been a very intriguing and rewarding story.
It could have been a three tiered love story. A woman and her country, a woman and her lover, and a woman and her son were the three obvious through lines that could've been developed in the story about Grace. That would have been a great story too.

It could have been an epic adventure. It could've featured sea-faring battles and exciting production/effect elements. That too would've been very entertaining...
Unfortunately, I can't really tell you what the show was about, because all of the above were so superficially developed that none had any sort of final emotional payoff. At intermission, I felt utterly confused about what was happening, and more importantly why I cared about what was happening. I've never been in a theater and actually considered leaving during the intermission. It was an extremely bizarre feeling for me.
The entire plot was completely contrived and predictable. A woman feels left out in a man's world. She gains the trust of men to become a great leader. She falls in love, but is forced to marry someone else (even though she's the ruler and could've changed that situation…). Her true love sticks around, so when the husband becomes totally worthless and betrays her the Lover can sweep in and save the day. But then there's the Queen of England who miraculously has a change of heart because she has no lover and sets Grace free, so really the Lover didn't save her at all when she got captured. And then the two queens are friends…
Confused? Ya, I'm sorry, but that's how I still feel. And I was there for the whole thing!
The show had a large ensemble that would randomly break out in RiverDance-esque production numbers that absolutely made no sense in the show. Only one of the four or five dance numbers could I even understand. Yes, at a wedding there would be dancing. But in a christening? What's with all the hardshoe Irish jigging? I mean, I get it. The show is about an Irish woman. And Riverdance is an Irish style. But aside from that little connection I cannot tell you why the show had choreography at all. Not that the dancing was bad. It was very good, but just so completely out of place!
There is a bar scene in Act One where the villain (Grace's arranged husband) sings about being adulterous. He is joined by barmaids and shipmates. The number was very crass. Understandably, it was to demonstrate the morals of the time period and the quality of life in Ireland. But they were all very clean. What I mean is they had meticulous wigs, clean make-up, and untarnished costumes. None of which are very realistic for a 1500's Irish pub. So the whole number was very off putting and seemed crass for no other reason than to be just that.
The only thing worse than that scene was any time the actress playing Queen Elizabeth was on stage. Her not-quite-legit soprano was nothing but grating. The overtones never even got close to correct. She was shrill and quite possibly one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. She was falsely emotive and intensely two dimensional. Her final change of heart and emotional pay off was so poorly developed that I was grateful for the dark theater, and that no one could see my eyes rolling in the back of my head.
To be fair, the leading actress (Stephanie Block - Grace) and the leading actor (Hadley Fraser - Tiernan) were wonderful. Both had wonderfully crisp and rich vocals, and it was only their solos/duets that stood out as Broadway caliber. It is unfortunate that they were cast in such a lack-luster production for what could have been big breaks in originating Broadway roles for the both of them.
"The Pirate Queen" opens next Thursday. Perhaps the incohesion of my experience will improve as the show ages and continues to develop. I hope it does.

I doubt it will.

"Ugly Betty" has a gay moment

Last night, Broadway leading lady and gay Icon Patti LuPone guest starred on ABC's "Ugly Betty" in what proved to be the best, and most wonderfully gay, thing on basic TV.

LuPone was appearing as Marc Weiner's mother, visiting NYC and her son for a cat competition. Marc asks Betty to be his "beard" because his old "girlfriend" Mandy and he had been together too long to not break up. Betty agrees to help him out, but doesn't realize what she has gotten herself into when her father ends up calling and inadvertently inviting Mrs. Weiner and her son to dinner a la Casa De Suarez! Hilarity ensues!

All I have to say is Thank GOD for this show. Marc Weiner, played by Michael Urie, is the first character on PrimeTime television since Jack McFarland to create a stereotypical yet lovable gay role. Sometimes the stereotypes are painful (like the many drag-queen-esque moments that the show has provided thus far…) but it is episodes like this that remind us that these "types" are very real. When Marc stood up to his mother in defense of Betty's "swishy" nephew, Justin, I almost cried.

I know, I know… I'm a dork.

But it was so very real to me. I once had to tell my own mother to stop talking shit about my own "swishy" friends. I was 14, and my mother had taken issue with the fact that two of my friends were obviously gay, and she didn't have very many nice things to say about it. I had to tell my mother to look at her own "swishy" son.

So I can relate.

I've never really been able to relate to closeted gay men, because I came out so early in my own life. Marc tells Betty "I can't just tell her. All we have is lies, and if I tell her the truth then we will have nothing."

Good for you, Marc Weiner, and every other closeted gay man, who decides to risk losing a false relationship for a chance at true connection.

It makes my heart smile

(Watch the episode of "Ugly Betty" here!)

Broadway's "Mary Poppins"

When I was in elementary school, I was in a 3 year production of OLIVER! To learn a British accent, the director had me watch "Mary Poppins" over and over, and over again.

And I've always asserted that "Mary Poppins" made me gay.

I had that reaffirmed last night when I went to see the new Broadway musical version of the iconic Disney film.

"Mary Poppins" opened on Broadway in November of 2006. Disney and Cameron Macintosh moved their hit musical, "The Lion King", from the New Amsterdam to the Minskoff Theater to accommodate what they anticipating being a smash-hit. Boy, did they hit that one on the head!
This show embodies all of the superfluous elements that theater-goers crave. You get huge awe-inspiring sets, every color in the rainbow in the brightest possible hues, the glitz that reminisces the golden age of Follies, and dazzling special effects that have become commodities in Disney's musical productions.

The set and costume designs were the standout aspects of this production. The dancing statues, flying set pieces, and bright costumes were incredibly well constructed. The backdrops were like watching film. The lighting designers created a moving night sky, complete with passing flocks of birds and light breezes. They were unlike anything I had ever seen before!

The special effects were able to embody the mystery and awe that the movie inspired so many years ago. In "Practically Perfect" Mary and the children unload that famously magical carpet bag of hers. Tall lamps, foliage, and a whole chaise lounge all come out of it. I have no idea how they did it! Mirrors? Trap doors? Probably, but I could not tell you for certain. And I love that! It created so much magic right from the beginning. It didn't lose it's luster either. Tap numbers on the ceiling, dancers walking up the walls in defiance of gravity, and, of course, the flying umbrella were all phenomenally well executed.

The production numbers were just that: Productions! I haven't seen a show with so much energy, color, and flare since the revival of "42nd Street"! The ensemble left me breathless and smiling from ear to ear, as well it should!

The title character, played by Ashley Brown, was also really well done. True, she is no Julie Andrews. But then, who is? She was able to keep the same lovable subtlety that was introduced in the original performance, while still bringing to the stage a new and different character. The portrayal of "Bert" by Gavin Lee was every bit as good (if not better) than what we know from Dick Van Dyke. He was charming, quirky, and gave so much heart to the role.

One other stand out performance came from a character who was not in the Disney film - Miss Andrews. Miss Andrews is the father's childhood nanny who comes to instill the militarian qualities of Order after Mary Poppins leaves. The character isn't around for long, but is exquisitely devilish, singing of punishment by "brimstone, treacle, and cod liver oil". The final showdown between Nanny Andrews and Mary Poppins is by far the best "new" number in the production.

My only complaint would be that the story did have moments in the (too long) first act that seemed to drag a bit. The parents were not bad, but paled in comparison to the other performers. So anytime the scenes were being carried by them I found myself losing focus. It wasn't that they were bad, but they just couldn't keep the pace that the other cast members initiated and miraculously maintained.

You won't get the kind of ground-breaking vision or demanding acting chops that other new shows this season offer (see "Spring Awakening"). What you will get is 2 1/2 hours of Quintessential Broadway: high kicks, glamor, and a feel-good experience to be cherished for a very, very long time.

How Upset Are We Really?

Let's be honest…

We may have given a damn about the first upset of the competition - Ms. Sloan - but do we even now remember why we liked her? Not so much. And, by the end when Melinda Doolittle is taking the crown from that gray-haired guy from last season, we will not remember the ghetto fabulousness of Ms Stephanie Edwards either.

No, she did not deserve to go home yet. But she really didn't have a chance at winning. It all comes back down to the demographics! She was in direct competition with Melinda and LaKisha, and there was no way she could possibly usurp either of them. She just lacks the "likeability" (not that I like LaKisha, but she's far more talented and I know that a lot of people really do like her.)

The question is: Who is the heir-apparent to Stephanie Edwards fans?

Her loyal voters are obviously going to pass to one of three contestants: Doolittle, Jones, or Sparks.

But who is the most like Stephanie?

Melinda Doolittle has the same soul that Edwards had early on and lost as the competition progressed. She is consistent (unlike Edwards) and it wouldn't be surprising for Edwards fans to jump on her band-wagon. But is Doolittle too old? She definitely lacks the young contemporary edge. And she is so nice. I think that those that appreciated the ghetto in Edwards won't adore the humbleness that has set Doolittle apart.

LaKisha Jones has the same ghetto-fabulous factor shared by Edwards. But, may I say, Jones may just be too black? I know how that sounds, but she is the Effie in this vocal horse race. Her sound is much more intense than the light and contemporty sound that Edwards fans were committed to.

And then there is Jordin Sparks. Jordin has a youthful presence and very contemporary pop-relevant sound. But does she have the soul? Can she embibe the fans who had clung to the ghotto factor? Um, no. She has about as much soul and ghetto in her as one of the Cosby kids.

It will be interesting which of these three ladies comes out on top in this race.

The bright side to this is that we know one of the boys will be leaving next week, as NONE of the Edwards votes will be going to any of the gentlemen.

Please, sweet lord jebus, let it be Sanjay.

Feeling Something Like Home

It's no little secret that I have been down and out since relocating to New York City. I've got a good job and a great family, but I haven't been able to fill the void that was left by all of my amazing friends in Salt Lake City. I've gone out, and met a few people here and there. But nowhere I have been nor no one that I've met has felt like 'home'.

Until last night.

Last night my friend Katie and I decided to go out, which is strange for me because I haven't been out on a "school night" since leaving Utah. We started at some random sports bar. The drinks were good, but I paid seven bucks for a vodka and tonic. No Bueno. It's one thing to pay $10 for a froofey drink (which I did for the second round, and now I know that I don't love Rum Runners...) but for a well drink? That's a little ridiculous, even for New York.

After the second round of disappointing and over-priced cocktails, and getting frustrated by not understanding a damned word coming out of the Irish bartenders mouth, we decided to move on. Katie suggested that we go to Rudy's (see pic above) She described it as kind of dark, gritty, and divey.

So I need to thank my best friend, Marci, for teaching me to appropriately appreciate the wonder that is the American Dive Bar.

You're greeted at the door by the cutest pig (not the one on the cell phone...). I can't even begin to tell you how odd that porker seems standing on Ninth Avenue in the heart of a very trendy Hell's Kitchen. We made our way into the bar, which wasn't well lit. The floor was grimey, the booths had tape on them, and there were drunks dancing in the middle of the floor.

Ah, it felt like home! For my Utah friends: Imagine Todd's before it changed management.

It's the kind of place where people come to hang out. Not to be "seen", not to get crazy. Just a place to let your hair down, laugh as loud as you want, and maybe join the bar in a chorus of "Margaritaville" after throwing a few back.

We saddled up to the bar, where I introduced Katie to Pabst. I was a little amazed that she had never had it. Albeit she's not really a beer drinker... but still! And in a city where I have seen bottles of Bud Light sell for $6, the $2.50 price tag on their draft was much appreciated! As we were settling, I got the best surprise of the night... COUNTRY MUSIC!

Rudy's doesn't host a DJ. It's just not that kind of bar. Instead they have a digital juke box and the crowd pics the music. And someone in the crowd had picked "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" by Kenny Chesney. Who I'm really not a huge fan of, but just the fact that Country had been turned on made me feel not so lost in this big ole city.

I wish Rudy's was closer to home. I would have no problem going to that place a few times per week.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready to settle in there. There are still far too many places to go and check out. But finding a place like that gives me hope that there's room for this little closet cowboy. And everything is just less scary...