Hanukkah with Hot Sauce suitably Saucy

Mommy Claus came for Christmas and we decided that since it was also Hanukkah we would check out a comedy show at the Upright Citizens Brigade called "Hanukkah with Hot Sauce." For $10 bucks we were pretty sure we couldn't lose, especially since we are the kind of nerds that enjoy dissecting why things didn't work and why they weren't funny. So we headed down to the basement stage, roughly arranged as theater in a three-quarters round. Right away three cute Jewish dudes popped out in brightly colored pants (bonobos apparently, who knew). One of them actually had his real mother and grandmother on stage making latkes. Boy did they smell good- and taste great too! It was a pretty funny show. It had a higher concentration of wit than boy jokes- like Hanukkah songs, drunken mumblings and randomness- so it was quite enjoyable. The highlight for me was when a fake Mario Batali took a sip of Manishevitz and then sprayed it all over the audience in disgust. "Like a spoonful of sugar!" Quite funny, well paced, and visually appealing :)

Media Musings moves to Harlem

Goodbye Brooklyn! I will miss your stellar views, delicious tamales and generous square footage. Hello Harlem! I love your effortless express commute, tiny efficient dishwasher, and kitty friendly digs. Enjoy the photos of our apartment-in-progress.

Brandy!

I just saw the singer Brandy in my office lobby. She had a four person posse, was decked out in black lace up boots and a giant Gucci purse and chatting away on her cell. She waved hello to someone in our building and then took the elevator up to the press offices. :)

Pal Joey: Chicago wannabe

Last week I went to see the musical Pal Joey at Studio 54. With the $20 youth Hiptix tickets there was little to lose. The main draw for me was Stockard Channing, who sang her young rebellious heart out in Grease. Ah, the memories! Ms. Channing was quite a scene stealer, milking every possible laugh from the wobbly script. However, the soulful crooner from the Grease days was gone. Instead she spoke-sang all her songs, which is never something I like. If it's a musical, sing please! Don't put a little melody behind your speaking voice, arg. The hands down best part of the musical was the suprise of Martha Plimpton as Gladys. She sang a magnicifent song called Zip that made up for the weakness of the rest of the play. All in all, I have to admit that it was an enjoyable night. It was simply fun to go out to Broadway (new york, new york!) and see all the song and dance. Plus there was a great free party afterwards!

Hair returns!

http://www.hairbroadway.com/

The fabulous show will start a new run in February and this time you can buy tickets like regular. I will always treasure my free and fabulous Central Park experience but for all of those who missed out the first time, don't make the same mistake again!

Iron Chef Surprise

It was another New York Moment. I was wandering around the NYC streets as I often do when I'm bored and walked by the Union Square Barnes and Noble. They had a sign in the window that said "Mario Batali, discussion and book signing at 7pm." I looked at my watch. 6:59pm. Woot! So I went up to the fourth floor, grabbed one of the few seats left and listened to the charming Iron Chef describe how he makes the perfect Thanksgiving turkey (let's just say its a four day process). It was also neat because his show "Spain: On the Road" with Gwyenth Paltrow airs on 13/WNET and I was just watching it earlier that day while doing the copying. I also went to Otto, one of Batali's cheaper restaurants and it was quite good. The olive oil gelato was intersting and tasty. So, thank's NYC! If only I could meet Ramsey, sigh.

Side note: I swear I saw Laura Linney on the way to work today but she's already on my celeb list so it doesn't count.

Christina vs Britney, again

They're back! After taking long breaks, the blond mouseketeers have emerged in sync (no pun intended) and ready to do radio battle. So between their last records both pop divas have married and had babies- yet Christina has flown way under the radar while Britney has become a popwreck in front of all America. Now Brit is back, apparently unscathed and still as wildly popular. Why? Why when Christina outdoes her as an artist? The two might actually be equal vocalists, but Britney has always preferred a highly stylized talk-sing or baby-sing method over Christina's power ballads.

But Britney always has been and always will be about image and story. Her success is atributable to her various personas and the way she is involved with a manipulation of narrative. Her trajectory: the start as an innocent southern belle catapulted to fame in the ultimate American dream, then her toxic love story complete with two babies, then the decent into craziness where fame took its toll, and then the triumphant comeback (still in progress). The girl knows how to follow a cliched storyline and milk it for all its worth.

Listening to her new album Circus, I couldn't help but wonder what her sons will think in twenty years when they begin to understand her as a pop singer instead of Mom. Now that'll be good TV.

wow...wait, we won??!?!?!!!

Last night I watched the election results with a small group of dedicated liberals. We were all on our second (or third) beer when suddenly, out of the stinking pit of nonsensical time filling bs and way to early to be accurate projections on the red and blues, the title "OBAMA WINS" appeared across the screen. Could it be that easy? Could he simply win without recounts, hanging chads, corrupt officials or inefficient voting delays? Could it be as sweet as a landslide?? Yes.

The atmosphere in NYC was electric. People were screaming and hollering in the subways and on the streets. Giving high fives to strangers. Honking non stop. Banging pans on the roof. Setting off fireworks. There is hope now. As Bob the Builder says: "Can we fix it? Yes we can!" As a recovering cynic, I say- 8 years of change?