I Just Knew It

What Classic Movie Are You?

File under Stupid Online Tests.

8:57:43 PM      trackback []  

Gretchen's Weblog...

...is back up! Why not stop by and say hello.

File under Around The Blogosphere.

8:55:26 PM      trackback []  

Pissed, Then Pleased

Life is funny sometimes. Last night we braved the freezing cold to see Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at B.B. King's in NYC. We've been to B.B. King's a number of times before to see Johnny, Graham Parker and other acts and have always found the place to be a class establishment. Not so last night.

G.E. Smith was to go on at 8pm followed by the Jukes at about 9pm. The doors to the place were to open at 6. So what do they do on a night when it's 3-friggin-degrees outside? They make everybody stand in line regardless of whether they had a ticket or not. So after freezing outside for about 35-40 minutes we finally get into the stairwell heading down to the club when it is announced that there are no more tables but you can go across the way to Lucille's to eat and then come back in to watch the show. So I ask the guy (politely, which is rather unusual for me) where are we supposed to sit when we come back in. He responds telling me that we can sit and eat in Lucille's (which I already understood, thank you) and then come back in to see the show (you didn't answer my question dipshit). After about 5 minutes of this crap with about 100 increasingly angry people in the stairwell who bought tickets in advance and were now being told they didn't have a table, I demanded to see the manager. I was taken to the side where I explained things and how it absolutely sucked that they would so oversell the show. Now I understood that seating was not reserved, it was first-come, first-served. But there was supposed to be seating. My wife has a bad back and can't stand in a crowd for 3-1/2 hours. Quietly, they refunded my money. I say quietly because they probably would've had a riot on their hands in the stairwell if word got out.

So back out into the cold we go. A few phone calls were made by my wife, who comes from a theatre family, and next thing you know we're in a cab heading up to 51st Street to the Gershwin Theatre to see Wicked. Yep, even though it was "sold out" we got in. Probably it's the hottest ticket on Broadway right now, other than The Producers.

Well, the play was an absolute delight and I have to say that Idina Menzel, who plays Elphaba (that's the Wicked Witch of the West's real name) is going to be a big star. Her voice is absolutely incredible and her performance is so sympathetic that you are rooting for the supposedly "wicked" witch the entire time. She even overshadows  Kristin Chenoweth, who plays the "good" but not to be entirely trusted Galinda. Joel Grey plays the Wizard, a very dangerous fraud of a man, in what is really not much more than a walk-on role. My wife thought the music and lyrics were only so-so (ah composers) but agreed with me about Ms. Menzel (who I'd like to meet without the green makeup) and the story. For those of you who've read the book, the story departs in a number of ways from it, particularly the ending. I won't spoil it for you here since it still has a number of surprises. Yep, alot went on in Oz before Dorothy "dropped in."

And so the evening went, we had a few drinks afterward and headed home tired but happy. I'm still pissed at B.B. King's though. That's no way to treat loyal customers.

File under La Vida Loca.

12:11:35 PM      trackback []