Broadway, on and off

The internet is for porn! This is a catchy line from Avenue Q, an off Broadway musical satire of Sesame Street featuring puppets and simplistic, sarcastic songs.  I really liked this witty, very adult play on my old nursery friends. It's fun to watch the humans and puppets interact- one of the puppets even has two people manipulating him. The songs were great and catchy- "I wish I could go back to college" and "If you were gay" are two of my favorites. The writing was tight and funny and the cast was amazingly talented. And if the plot seemed to simplistic- an afterthought really- it was easy to see that as following the Sesame Street Structure. Fun!

The second play I saw was on Broadway although it also took place in the mythical world of New York City in another borough; in the margins, or In the Heights. I thought it was funny when in the opening title number they specify that the Heights does not include Harlem- no, no you have to go past Harlem on the A train to get to this magical inner city neighborhood where everyone sings and dances and wins the lottery. Besides the sentimental syrup, the play was filled with a great enthusiastic energy. Rap on Bway, yup yup. Those kids really sang their hearts out and it was awesome to be there live to really heart. That's the great benefit of Broadway and one that simply doesn't transfer through the screen.

Both plays were exhilarating and a real treat.

Paper Heart

Background: Paper Heart stars Charlyne Yi as a young comedienne looking for a definition, a meaning, a feel for the four letter word LOVE. The mix of fiction, documentary and animation gives the film a loose, whimsical feel and reinforces Charlyne's background in comedy. Paper Heart always feels like a big joke, and really like a big in-joke that we in the audience will never really get. 

The shot above shows Charlyne and Michael Cera running from the documentary camera crew. Plot wise, this was because they had fallen in love and craved some time away from the invading camera that was ruining their natural love. Beneath the surface it's another constructed image- this shot obviously reveals that they are running towards another camera capturing them running away from the cameras behind.

The relationship between fact/fiction and love/hate is mirrored by the camera's inability to capture the essence of love. Maybe this is why the audience is not allowed in to the last scene, where Char disappears in Michael's house, shutting the door quietly behind her.

I liked this movie because it was about a girl and a camera. I liked the scenes where the apparatus of film making was revealed. The two lovers sit on a couch, kissing. They stop, looking awkward. The scene pulls back to show a camera guy and a sound guy, their attention focused on the young couple. It sounds simple but this kind of transparency is rarely used, and is especially relevant in asking about our female protagonist's relationship to the power of the camera. Indeed, much of the tension is about how much the camera gets to penetrate into her life and how much narrative control she has.

London vs New York

I just got back from a week long trip to London and it was fabulous! I really do love London, but this was the first time I've been back after living in another big city. It was interesting to see the differences between NYC and London.

First, London is physically prettier. The streets are curvy and lined with older, more stately buildings in a mix of styles. There are parks and squares dotting the city, and pretty pubs dripping with potted plants (nice alliteration!). London just has a more romantic, gothic atmosphere. New York is all skyscrapers, angles and concrete, albeit you can find pockets of cobbled streets and elegant brownstones.

The downside of all these wavy streets and hidden alleys is that London is quite hard to negotiate. NYC is tons easier to get around with the grid system and the plethora of public transportation. The tube is more expensive and less efficient than the subway; in London you are better off sticking to the double decker buses.

NYC wins on nightlife- almost everything closes down in London around 11pm except for a few skeezy clubs. London social hour is right after work, while New Yorkers tend to go home, eat dinner and then come out to a bar around 9 or 10pm.

London wins on accents! Yay for Scottish, Welsh and Irish accents not to mention the English classic :)

London also wins on castles and palaces. Yes, NYC has great museums but does it have ancient castles where Queen Elizabeth once walked? or Shakespeare? or Jane Austen?

New York might win on food, simply because it has such variety and cheap options as well as gourmet. Although I love fattening pasties and steak and ale pies, it's great to be able to eat almost anything at any price.

The two cities have very different alcohol cultures. London is all beer. Great beer- fresh, sweet Guinness; Trappist and Abbey Belgian ales; Bavarian beer houses; Irish pubs.  NYC is about liquor. Rum and coke is the dominant and cheapest option but the city is also known for its cocktails (the Manhattan, the Cosmo) and mix-ology trend. This may be the reason for the different styles of nightlife.

So the solution? Visit Paris and see how it compares!

star sighting

I saw Christopher Lloyd (back to the future!) today :)

party crashers

Ever dreamed of an endless stream of free drinks and tasty food in a hot nightclub with no cover and great dance music? Well it can happen- if you are willing to crash. The party I crashed was a friend's work's partnering company holiday party. It was meant as a networking event lubricated with dark lighting and fruity drinks (mmm sangria!). 

I was an impostor with a fake, lying nametag and a weak back story. And that story fell all into pieces the moment someone- who just happened to be a COO or something- started asking me what I did and throwing out names. I responded meekly with "I'm new" and sipped my drink and tried to look tipsy. 

Besides the interrogation, the party was a lot of fun. My friends and I ate, drank and danced the night away. One of us even won an Ipod Touch through a texting guessing game! I really enjoyed it, but I also love the parties where we potluck cheap booze and cheezy puffs, board games and computer playlists. Those home grown budget friendly parties also don't require bad lies!

pet peeve

People who insist on adding my name to every single sentence. Do you really need to punctuate every "thank you" or "good morning" or "hey" with my name? I'm not formal- I like casual interactions and don't like to feel dogged by someone who always has to have the last word, arg!