Ranting Details

Boo. Halloween.

(The absolutely clear and gorgeous blue sky is beckoning all the crazy out onto the streets this Halloween!)

I don't think that Halloween is truly as scary anywhere as it is in New York City.  This year there is the extra frightening bonus of the witches holiday falling on a Wednesday, which in turn makes the entire five days leading up to the actual event, a festive occasion. 

In the past five days, I've run into a strung out looking Jesus on the subway, various Amy Winehouse's (less strung out that Jesus, surprisingly), a Lindsey Lohan, some Tennis Players, Zombies and much more and that's not even counting today.

This afternoon as I made my way through Union Square searching out a copy of "The Exorcist" (which happens to be the only scary movie that everyone is out of) I ran into so much more.  What I love about NYC Halloween is that the use of public transportation really puts everything out in the open.  There's no getting ready at home and hiding under a coat in your car until you get to the party.  You have to rock it for all to see.  Halloween is an excuse for the gay boys to get their drag on, but this year I'm not doing anything too festive.  Over the past weeks I've been a bit depressed as Halloween and the surge in Christmas decorations simply remind me how much time has passed since I first got sick.  Tonight I'm going to save myself from the crowds being belted back by the barricades at the parade, and gorge on candy and pizza with a few friends at my apartment.  Ahhh, American holidays. 

(A typical trick or treat stop.  Who is coming out?!)

(Why Cinderella, of course!)

(These beautiful structures are lining all the streets downtown by mid-afternoon.)

(Oh Alice, shouldn't you be falling down a rabbit hole to your party?)

(I guess I'll let you ride the bus since you let me take a picture of you.)

(Another normal day in Circuit City.)

(Only in New York do you find a jumbled pile of plastic masks being sold on a street corner.)

Since I'm not going out this year and can't delight you all with my fantastic costume of the moment, I thought I would share a few moments from Halloweens past.

(Last year I rocked the geek uniform.)

(The year before that I was Scooby and the gang's geisha ghost.)

And then there were those years in Montana where I think I was a bum ten times in a row.  Something about trick or treating in the snow with a winter coat covering your costume as you climbed up a mountain from house to house (not a joke in my old neighborhood) didn't exactly get you too excited for the candy spree.  Before that though, there were my days in California...

(One of my favorite pictures.)

(I'm not sure if this was Halloween or just Tuesday.  Oh lord.  This picture KILLS ME.  I obviously was predicting the Brokeback fever that would hit fifteen years later...)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My New Favorite Medicine

To be honest, I've basically done nothing the past four days except for sleep.  It seems like my whirlwind of photographic adventures caught up with me, and the social factor of my nights at ABT was significantly more draining than I expected.  Today was the first day that I didn't feel like I was sleepwalking upstream and I was able to get some writing done and do some work around my apartment. 

Then, mid-day I got the life-saver text of all text messages, "Comps for "Xanadu" tonight, do you want to go?"  Ummm....yes.  So thanks to Carson and the fabulous DJ, I took four friends and headed to the fantastically campy extravaganza that is "Xanadu."  It was exactly what I needed to put a smile on my face, and I was still laughing my ass off even though it was my third time.  It also doesn't hurt that they have Cheyenne Jackson, with the height of a tree and the arms as thick as my torso,  crooning his little heart out.   They were auctioning off pictures with him after the show.  My friends and I thought about jumping on him like little monkeys, but agreed that they probably wouldn't be too happy with that.  But would HE have been happy?  The world may never know...

I kind of want a poster the size of the one behind Adam, Jake, Cara and I in my apartment.  Or this, but not a poster...

Picture of the Day: 10/30/07

(Brush up your Shakespeare.  Oh, what it takes for a boy to get ready these days!)

"To Sontag, to Sondheim, to anything taboo..."

The past few days have been a bit rough health wise and I seem to be doing nothing but sleeping.  That is, nothing but sleeping and killing time on YouTube watching a very exciting find: the 10th Anniversary performance of “Rent.”  The entire original cast reunited about a year ago and did the entire show, which is all on YouTube.  It got me thinking about the time when I first saw “Rent,” almost ten years ago…

I first started coming back to New York for a week every summer when I was ten.  From the moment I touched down and started exploring the Upper West Side, I knew that this was where I needed to end up.  My days were spent sitting around the various dance studios of the city playing with my newest action figures while my sister and mother took classes from the top teachers of the day.  All afternoon I would sit in the muggy studios, nurturing a love for dance that I didn’t even quite realize I had yet, and waiting for the moment when day would become night and we would set foot in the theater.

(Are you kidding?  That can't be me.  That shirt is four times the size of anything I own now, and I'm half the size that I am now.  And I have a bowl cut.  In case you didn't notice.  And Harry Potter glasses.  And a different face.  Just a few differences.  Although I'm already rocking the man purse.)

During our summer vacations, the theater was a sacred place to me.  It was where I would soak up all my inspiration for the year and carry back stories of the incredible performances I’d seen to my friends in Montana.  From the first show I saw, “Crazy For You,” I was hooked on the song and dance in a way that was impossible from watching endless shows on tape back in Montana.  I’d purchase all the merchandise I could find, CD’s, shirts, pins, posters, hats, and act as a walking billboard for the various shows I’d seen on any given trip.  I was so taken by Times Square that I have endless rolls of disposable cameras consisting of nothing but every Broadway billboard I could find. 

One of the only rolls that contained any pictures worthy of actually keeping was of the first night that I saw “Rent,” back in the summer of 1997.  By the time I saw it in the theater, I’d already purchased the CD from Future Shop (before Best Buy) and borrowed the copy of Newsweek that the cast graced the cover of from my school library endless times.

(Obviously a future member of ABT.  Look at that line, and those socks...with sandals.)

As a kid from Montana, “Rent” signified so much more than any other show.  Suddenly it was exposing me to a New York that wasn’t the strollers and grocery stores of the Upper West Side.  There was a grittiness, passion and blasting sexuality to the music that I didn’t even realize at the time.  Being twelve years old, it would have been perfectly understandable for my parents to exclude me from going to see “Rent,” but I am so extremely thankful that I was included for it’s one of the most vivid memories I have at the theater. 

Even though we saw the show almost a year after it opened, the entire original cast (minus a recently departed Daphne Rubin-Vega) was still performing with a ferocity that I don’t think I’ve seen rivaled in my ten years since.  From the moment I took my seat in the front portion of the mezzanine, until the last euphoric “No Day But Today” (I wonder how many people have used this for a senior quote…) the entire evening is a bit of a whirlwind in my mind.

(Just dressed for a night out at the theater...in pajamas?)

Without even realizing it, these characters were connecting with the confused and slightly lost gay boy inside of me.  I felt like it was my show, and that’s what I find so remarkable about “Rent," everyone thinks it’s their show.  As we stood at the stage door, my bowl cut capped with a “Titanic” hat (yes, you read that right), each cast member made their way out to the crowd and took the time to sign our posters.  It took a while for the scene to die down, and then we made our way west on 41st street to be swept back up the Upper West Side, but it wasn’t the same Upper West Side I knew before.  The only thought that seems concrete in my memory was the feeling that the two leading actors (Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp) had squatted a lot during the show.  Perhaps, it was the critic in me that found something to be annoyed with even as a twelve year old. 

In the years since, I’ve read debates over whether “Rent” really deserves all of the praise it gets.  Certainly there is no debating that the untimely death of composer Jonathan Larson garnered the show an amount of attention that it probably never would have received had he lived.  Then there is the fact that he never got to clean up the show as he would have had he lived.  There are parts of the score that, if you must, you can deem as less than spectacular, but when the score succeeds, I think it does so in a way that nothing (i.e. “Spring Awakening”) since can even touch.

("Out Tonight" from the original production.)

("Out Tonight/Another Day" 10 years later.)

("I'll Cover You (Reprise)" at 10 year anniversary.  INCREDIBLE.)

Lazy Post Of The Day: Ann Miller Will Rock Your Socks Off

I was raised on a healthy diet of musicals.  Who needs Mr. Rogers when you have Stephen Sondheim?  Who needs Bert and Ernie when you have Rogers and Hammerstein?  Ever since I can remember, I've been watching movie musicals.  My mother would pop in the VHS tapes of old MGM classics and I would spend the afternoon being swept up in the grand decadence that seems to have all but completely vanished from films today. 

Of all of those musicals that I grew up watching, "Kiss Me Kate" has always been one of my favorites.  For those of you who aren't familiar with the show, it's a musical version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."  The only twist is that it's a backstage musical following the comedic trials of two couples who are themselves putting on a musical version of "Shrew."  Kind of a convoluted backstage comedy filled with some gorgeous music by none other than Cole Porter. 

Even as a kid I remember being stunned by the insanity that is Ann Miller.  I use the word insane in the best possible way, because there is an energy to her performances that can really only be rivaled by a tropical storm with a sunny smile.  While I would love to show her opening number, "Too Darn Hot," I was unable to find it but came up with the next best thing "Tom, Dick or Harry."  Just wait for the dance break, it's quite nuts. 

Picture(s) of the Day: 10/28/07

(Does anyone have any clue what is happening here?)

(Swoopy arms and unitards.)

All In The Family

A few afternoons ago, I had the opportunity to watch some incredible dancing.  No, I wasn't at yet another ABT rehearsal, instead I was watching a run through of Barbara Duffy and Company's new show "Stages" that my sister is currently featured in. 

Over the past few years, I've had the pleasure of watching Ms. Duffy's choreography and seeing my sister grow even more proficient as a tap dancer at the same time.  Carson has always been an incredible dancer, but I think that the clear, rhythmic, classical and joyful movement that Ms. Duffy choreographs is perhaps the most perfect showcase for Carson's feet (and exuberant energy) that I've ever seen. 

Ever since childhood, I've been exposed to some of the greatest tap dancers in the world, and gotten to know some of them personally,  but I don't think I've ever seen a show as tight and all around excellent as this current show (which has its premiere in Arlington, MA this evening.)  One of the biggest problems I've found with tap performances, is that there is a tendency for the dancers to not only want to show off with their feet, but to show off with their mouths as well.  Long spoken interludes often draw out tap performances, instead of showcasing what the audience has really come to see, those spectacular feet.

(Carson and her trusted tap shoes.)

Fortunately, Ms. Duffy has avoided this problem, and even though there are a few spoken sections of the show, they never seem unnecessary, instead they give us glimpses into the various dancers different personalities.  By combining these brief expository sections (often about the origins of the various dancers' tap careers) with exceptional choreography, Ms. Duffy and company have crafted a superb showcase of one of the most misunderstood dance forms. 

Tap dance can at times become so much about spectacle that as an audience we can forget that it is an incredible display of what makes dance so unique: the display of personality and personal expression through movement.  I also find that it is easy for that movement to come across as repetitive to an audience.  Whereas other dance forms differentiate in a clearer way between movements, so much of tap relies on minute changes in the release of the ankle to produce different sounds.  What I was most astonished with at the rehearsal the other day was how varied the choreography and performances were.  There are various combinations in dance size and partnerships (alternating between group dances and duets, trios or quartets) that keep every portion feeling fresh.

(Barbara sings a little song.)

(And Maya follows.)

As a ballet dancer, I find that often the world I am immersed in is too self-contained for its own good.  I feel so fortunate to have this built in exposure to another art form within my family (as both my mother and sister are tap dancers.)  It's extremely important for dancers to draw inspiration from other art forms and we could all benefit from studying the incredible musicality that is required of tap dancers.  The show should be coming to New York sometime soon, and I'll be sure to post all the information, as it's something that everyone should most definitely see.

(Carson and her sassy hair.)

(Chikako takes a moment to fix her laces on the side.)

(Carson in the middle of her incredible duet with Lynn.)

(Carson and Lynn mid duet.)

On a side note, I had a great time playing with my camera in this rehearsal but I quickly found out that tap is EXTREMELY difficult to capture on camera.  There are much fewer "poses" than in ballet which makes for a lot of awkward in between shots.  However, I got a lot that I like as you can see from the many photos in this post.

(Look at those levels, they're practically a show choir.  Oh, just you wait, you'll know what I'm talking about with my next "Lazy Post.")

(Ahhh!  They're attacking me like a swarm of bees.  Bees with tap shoes instead of stingers.)

(Scoot it back.)

(What would they do without their handy piano man (not Billy Joel) who played both the melody and bass lines for this rehearsal.)

(Ain't they cute?!)

(Look at that gorgeous skin!)

(Who doesn't need one more shot of Carson's Hershey Kiss Hair?  Potential Halloween costume?)

(We LOVE IT!)

(And what a view.  I feel like there should be Jets and Sharks rumbling on the roof across the way.)

Picture of the Day: 10/27/07

Last night I spent my first night sitting in the audience at City Center for ABT this season.  It was a rather emotional evening for me, and I found myself alternating between panic and support at the sight of watching my fellow dancers while I am sidelined.  I find it almost impossible to describe the feeling a dancer has when they aren't able to dance, but there is an almost phantom-like quality to watching.    Even though my limbs were completely immobile, each extension and jump prompted feelings in me as if my own body was traveling through space.

I feel like every time I'm doing anything now, all I want to do is have my camera attached to me as if it were as much a part of my face as my eyelashes.  Unfortunately, the shutter sound that my camera emits would be just slightly distracting.  I'd also look a bit cyborgian if I had a huge camera planted on my face at all times.  However, I did play around with my camera a bit during a rehearsal earlier in the day and I got this photo, which has quickly become my new favorite photo I've taken.  It's one of the most visually striking moments in Benjamin's new ballet, and to me sums up what is so extraordinary about dancer's physiques.  Of course, Paloma and Marcelo make catching beautiful shapes pretty easy.

I also had the pleasure of meeting several blog readers yesterday during my two excursions to City Center, and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed meeting you all.  It's always a bit startling to put a face to the name of frequent comment contributors, but Donna, Keith, Nancy and Arlene were so spectacularly kind in person and I want to thank you all for your kind words.  They mean more than you know in this difficult time! 

Picture of the Day: 10/26/07

It's been a long day, so I'm going to have to wait to post a more substantial post until tomorrow but for now I'll share a picture.  I took this photo mere hours ago when I stopped by City Center to catch a rehearsal of Benjamin Millipied's new ballet "From Here On Out."  The piece has its debut tonight at City Center and I'll be in the audience cheering my friends on. 

(Jackie takes a minute to gather her thoughts beneath that complicated hair.)

Balls

Sometimes titling a post "balls" is about where I'm at maturity wise, and for this post it's very fitting as the other day I went bowling at Bowlmore Lanes.  One of the most annoying things to me in this city is the fact that a majority of the bowling alleys require you to be at least 21, which until recently, I was not.  So in the past few months I've reclaimed my joy for throwing heavy balls down a slick floor and gone bowling several times.

Ever since I was young, I've had fond memories of the bowling alley.  I would spend my summer afternoons there with my friends in Montana, gorging on mozzarella sticks and Shirley Temples (with extra cherries, of course) until I was so strung out on sugar and cheese that I might as well roll myself down the lane.  Nothing like being surrounded by drunken Montanans who can balance a beer, a cigarette and a bowling ball with ease. 

The great thing about bowling to me, is that it's just as much fun to suck at it as it is to win.  Perhaps that's an overstatement, as bowling brings out the insane competitive side of me where I verbally abuse people until they throw the ball with such fervor that it skids off the lane and rockets across to someone else's game.  Kisses.  It's all about the mind fuck people.

(Blaine visualizes how he's about to lose.)

Interestingly enough, bowling has been one of the most "active" things I've done in the past two months.  Whereas normally I'm used to lifting the remote control, suddenly my arm is blowing up to "Arm and Hammer" proportions from my intense games hoisting the twelve pounder.  Perhaps a slight exaggeration.

After my experience at both "300" (unfortunately not housing loin cloth wearing Romans) at Chelsea Piers and "Bowlmore" right below Union Square, I've come to realize a few important things. 

1)  Bowling two games in the city is as expensive as buying a bowling alley in Montana. 
2)  There's a reason why these lanes are 21 and over: they're basically nightclubs.  Between the music pumping, the lights flashing and the people screaming in excitement, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to "drop it like it's hot" or drop it like I'm trying to make a strike.

(Jared displays his form.)

(Oh my god.  Am I on Star Trek: The Next Generation?!  YESSSSSS.)

Speaking of strikes, they tend to avoid me.  Pesky little devils.  Although I did manage to bowl 140 the other night with Jared and Blaine (both of whom I beat like the wimpy players they are) and I'm sure I would have completely annihilated the drunken office party a few lanes down.  Unfortunately they were too busy gorging on their gluten picnic, which my eyes were magnetized to, for me to challenge them to a proper show down.  By the end of the night I was actually bowling the ball as opposed to hurtling it like a shot put.  They would have been sorry.  Perhaps next time...

Before I leave, I'd like to introduce you to a few of my new friends.  On top of being some of the sexiest men I've ever seen, they are so informative too!

(I still haven't figured out what a strike, a burger and an 80's business man (?) have in common but more importantly how is this part of the "Vintage" screen series?)

(This is my new boyfriend Harold.  Harold likes to do bunny impressions in his "spare" time.  Jeez I'm too funny for my own good.)

(You would think that I took this picture mid blink, but nope...that's just how he looms on the screen for ten seconds.  The combination of stoner face, a football and the number 8?  The ultimate aphrodisiac.  Obviously.)