Boy Meets Boy

Now here's something different my 'cupcakes of love.' This book called "Boy Meets Boy" is a gay teen book. I've never read such a thing. Obviously when I was in my teens gays were to be beaten and not heard. Now luckily, with school groups and educated counselors that is a thing of the past. Only small children should be beaten and not heard. And that's a fact.

Moving on, let me tell you about this book. This book, obviously written for teens (and myself), is touching in it's own fantastical way. And I say fantastical because it's so far fetched in so many ways that I worry if it gives gay kids a false sense of reality. What school has a drag queen for the star quarterback? How many gay kids are the class president in 3rd grade & out? And really, do the straight boys really just accept gays in school and help them get dates? Do you see my slight problem with this book? It's totally unrealistic in this world that we live in. 'Boy Meets Boy' paints a broad picture of a Utopian high school where gays 'rule the school.' I don't buy it. And the way the young boys in high school seek a "one and only" relationship is nuts to me too. Don't they know in the real world that men, straight or gay, are pigs and monogamous relationships are in the females head? Sure guys say they are and I do believe as men get older they choose to monogamous. But c'mon teens? No way.

As for the story, I also find clear thinking teens unnerving. Mostly because there's no such thing. Sure there are good kids, but kids who think ahead and weigh consequences to their actions? Um, no. I don't buy into that anymore than I buy into this 'gaycentric' high school. But what I do buy into is the fact that these kids get to be themselves ages before most. Sure there was the one kid who had the religous fanatics as parents and worried about thier boy's soul burning in hell. But really, in real life I have no patience for that so in a book I only want to smack those parents around till their friggin God comes down and saves them from this evil, mean gay. Are you listening Amy Contrada? I will smack you around like bigot bitch you are. Or at least a like a child who should be beaten and not heard.

Personally I like the idea of literature written for teen gays, but perhaps the book should be based in a reality that mirrors our society now? Our biggoted, hatefilled, fauxChristian filled country. And I know you know what I mean. Regardless, this book was written by David Levithan and his writing actually is very good. He keeps the chapters short enough that I can zip through 2-3 chapters in one sitting. A very easy read. And touching to boot.

The Drowsy Chaperone (redux w/ Bob Saget)

OK, I saw The Drowsy Chaperone last Friday night with my friend Michael. The show was packed and I was excited to see this as it's one of my favorite shows playing right now on Broadway, well would be playing had the greedy stage workers not gone on strike so they could keep their feather bedding jobs. But that's another whole story. Let's just say for the record: the union is wrong.

Moving along, Having already seen this musical I was eager to see what the new cast members were bringing to the table. Let me begin with saying "not too much." Bob Saget is mediocre as the 'man in chair'/ narrator of the musical. Is he bad Ryan Charisma? - you're all thinking at me. No, please don't misunderstand me. The show is written so well, with all the jokes built in that the piece stands on it's own well. But I have to say for all intensive purposes "Bob Saget doesn't bring much to the role." There I said it. What I don't understand is why this character wasn't replaced by a huge mega-star? Almost any male over the age of 35 could have played this role. Why Saget? Why? Is his acting that bad Ryan Charisma? No, no my childrens. It's not his acting, well OK yes, it is, but it's not that it's bad, it's just dull.

Overall, Saget's opening monologue in the dark (for those of you who know the show) was lame. Which quite reversely, when I originally saw the show, I was doubled over in stitches laughing before the lights came up with that monologue. So I'm gonna have to go on the record with "Saget's comedic timing is weak and his endearing moments seem scripted." There I said it. I know it hurts to read Mr. Saget, but you should know this. Before a paid critic sits in a seat at the Marquee Theater, and wipes your performance up like a child's snack time mess. I'm sorry but for a $100 ticket - you should be funny, you should be performance ready and you should earn your salary. Mr. Saget, you didn't. Will you ease into the role? Probably. Is there any excuse that you haven't although you've been in the show for 2 weeks now? Sadly, no.

BTW - JoAnne Whorley is in the show as well. And as non-mention worthy as Saget's performance is, Ms. Whorley is worse. She's just not good. Really. Luckily her character doesn't really matter all that much.

But I love the show! Should you see it?... Yes! Yes! Yes!

Possible Side Effects

OK, I've finished another Augusten Burroughs book. You're all clamoring now "was it good Ryan Charisma, was it?" Well, settle down kiddies. Momma has to tell you everything.

First off, this was not as good as the other two Burrough's books I've read. It didn't have the storyline connecting these short essays together. The book was more of independent essays that stood on their own. Excellent for many short reads, but for a book it lacked cohesiveness.

I enjoy Burroughs writing, perhaps because I can relate to him on several levels. My childhood would rival his. My outlook on life is just as insidiously deformed. And I formed rules and regulations in my youth that I still feel I must adhere to for no particular reason other than some built in, self inflicted superstitious belief that I created. That being said. I wouldn't recommend this book, although it states that it was on the NY Times bestseller list, his book Dry is the best one so far. I've got others to go, and I do intend upon reading them. I just gotta mix it up to amuse myself.

Annie Lennox live

Last Saturday night Erik, Michael & I went to see the original Diva, Annie Lennox live at the Union Palace here in NYC. What a show! She was outstanding in a category all her own. Was this show a "spectacular, spectacular" like Madonna's Confessions Tour? No. Annie was a rock star. She sang and at some points accompanied herself on the piano.

Her set included equal parts new Annie, old Annie and old Eurithmics. Yes, she did Why and Walking on Broken Glass! She was phenominal and I'd see her again and again.

As for the venue, Union Palace, what a gorgeous old theater! I've never been to this site way up on West 175 street. The outside is a delapidated old theater but the inside is beautiful and guilded. A treasure in the middle of no where. Much like the concert was....'a treasure in the middle of no where', or rather Washington Heights.

AUGUST: Osage County

Last night, my friend Michael took me to see August: Osage County on Broadway. First of all, I went into this show knowing very little about it except that it was 3 hours long with 2 intermissions. The show actually started at 7:30PM because it runs so long. So I left work and hurried over to the Imperial Theater for an evening of play. I had my low-fat, pumpkin spice latte with no whip cream to prep myself for the long evening.

Well, although this play is indeed 3 hours it didn't feel like it. I enjoyed this play, which was originally produced at Steppenwolf in Chicago so much, that the time was a non-issue. This show was chock full of talented actors. I can't say there was one performance that I considered off or wrong. The script was amazing and so well written. The set was awesome. Like a really, really big budget college set. It is a 3 dimensional home with break-away walls. Very similar to a set that would be used for Brighton Beach Memoirs. And the entire stage was filled and used.

The story was one that made all of the people sitting near me say out loud "now I don't think my family is so crazy." Funny though, in my mind, I was thinking "my family is much more crazy than them." Goes to show you that we can all relate to the story unfolding, and quite quickly, before us. This story starts off with the mother and father of the Weston family and then we meet the aunt, and the kids and their spouses, and the grandchildren. This is a family drama/comedy and it is outstanding. I must repeat this. This show is outstanding. Especially for anyone that has a crazy family past. And I don't use the word crazy lightly. I would love to review each and every performance, but I'll just focus on the mother, Violet Weston played by Deanna Dunagan - this will be her year for a Tony Award. She is vulnerable, yet says the most horrible awful things a person could say to their children. She plays a drug addicted, cancer patient wonderfully. Really, this woman deserves some sort of recognition.

I urge everyone to see this production, it has a limited run, so you should run don't walk to spend 3 hours alone with superb theater art. It's one of the few chances you'll probably get this year.

"It's Britney Bitch"

OK, I admit it. I bought Ms. Spears new CD BLACKOUT. I did, but I won't apologize. I've always been a Britney fan. And I won't stop now because she's a disaster.

First off, I purchased the CD because I told her I would. I feel that although she is a disaster, I'm allowed to like her highly produced, catchy, dance hall, hip hop, electronica pop music. And this CD delivers in full. I was ready for it to be bad, as bad as her performance on this year's VMA's. But you know what, IT'S A REALLY GOOD CD!

I figure, Britney is no more a disaster than any of the rockers from the 70's & 80's were. She's a mess, but honestly it's not her CD, it's her producers'. Today, while I was clammering to get my iPod to play her new CD, because I just can't get enough of it yet, I pondered Britney and what she meant musically. Is she an artist? I wondered.... No I had to confess, she's merely an instrument of some force bigger than her. I mean, yes, it is her voice, and yes it is her image. But they're not her musically. Someone else wrote the music, someone else put it together, other people played it and obviously some amazing producers told her how to breath/sing/speak her songs to make them oh just so right. So I see Britney as nothing more than a musical instrument. Britney, wear this, sing this and sing it this way while you dance these steps. She's someone else's instrument.

So whoever is playing Britney on this new CD did a fine job, I just can't get the catchy pop hooks out of my mind. Can you smell dance hits? I can.