Favorite Things Friday.

I haven't posted one of these in awhile, but I was sitting here whining to no one about my pinched nerve (slighty better today), and I decided to mention a website that I love.
It's called bluegobo.com, and it's a gay boy's dream come true.
It's a video archive of musical theatre clips, some from the Tony Awards, some from old Ed Sullivan shows, and all of them amazing. It's one of those websites where you must set aside large blocks of time before visiting, since you will get caught up in the magic and suddenly discover you've been sitting there for three hours.
The first show I saw on Broadway was "The Secret Garden," and here is a montage created and presented for the 1991 Tony Awards show, narrated by Julie Andrews. (I had trouble embedding the video, so here is a link instead.)

Secret Garden

Amazing. I just love reliving the glorious theatre moments of yesteryear, as well as moments I had the great fortune of seeing live on Broadway.
Enjoy!

Favorite Things Friday.

I haven't done one of these kind of posts in awhile, but as I drove home from work today I was listening to one of my favorite artists and decided I should blog about him.

I really love the music of Jason Mraz. I first enjoyed his cd "Waiting for My Rocket to Come" a couple years back and since then have bought everything he has recorded. He did a cover of Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze" which appeared on the "Everwood" sountrack. There is a winsome Don McLean-esque sound to his voice at times. On other occasions he recalls a sort of belty showtune voice. No wonder... he has a big musical theatre background and is, by the way, a big Sondheim fan.

Which explains why lyrics are very important to him. He often sings about words, in a variety of contexts, and has been known to say that it's extremely important that his lyrics be heard and understood. More on him here. He's also really cute... like the skinny nerd who was part of your group in high school and always made you laugh.

If I were a dancer, I'd love to do a solo routine to "Make It Mine," the first track on his latest cd, "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things."

Here is a video of the acoustic version of "Make It Mine." It's much better with the big ol' brass section, but this is nice, too.





I lerve it!

Favorite Things Friday.

I enjoy my gay hobbies-- theatre, music, sewing, sex -- as much as the next 'mo, but when I want to really create something I can be proud of, I turn to power tools.

I love to build things. And I have several tools that I love to use. My Makita 18v cordless drill / screwdriver is a dream. My inexpensive Pro-Tech 10-inch compound miter saw is one of my most oft-used reliables. My Ryobi table saw is also great to have.

But it's my Porter-Cable compressor/nailer kit that gets me hard. Oh, it's amazing. There are three different nailer guns that can be used with it, so I can shoot everything from staples to 2-1/2 inch finishing nails.

I've been using all my tools lately in the construction of a wall unit for some friends. It's a mantle, fireplace surround, cabinets and bookshelves, with the entire wall clad in oak. It's all built around a stacked-stone fireplace, so I'm going with a sort of craftsman / arts and crafts / mission style. When it's finished, I'll take pictures and post them here.

I feel so butch right now. I think I'll go have a cigarette and think about Jessica Alba.

Or about sewing clothes for Jessica Alba.

Or about Paul Walker, who starred in "Into the Blue" with Jessica Alba.

Favorite Things Friday.

Being a big ol’ theatre queen, I thought I would share what I believe are my top 10 favorite musicals of all-time. It’s tough enough coming up with just 10, so I won’t even attempt to put them in any particular order.

A Chorus Line
Quintessential classic about auditions for a Broadway musical, featuring gay, Puerto Rican, black, Jewish, Asian, and WASP characters. And Cassie, who gets in because she slept with the director and learns not to pop her head. So to speak.

Les Miserables
Tragic, epic, accessible. And that march-step/waving flag finale of act one still induces goose-bumps.

Ragtime
A slice of Americana with several intertwining stories and a fantastic Ahrens/Flaherty score. “Wheels of a Dream” evokes pure patriotism.

Wicked
Yes, I admit it… I love this show. I’m neither 12, nor a girl, but I got chills when Elphaba flew.

Crazy for You
One of the few shows I saw more than once on Broadway. Great old Gershwin songs, and a farcical book by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor).Fun, fun, fun! My first Susan Stroman experience... brilliant.

Thoroughly Modern Millie
Pure entertainment, old-school musical. I saw this one three times on Broadway and once here in Chicago on a tour. And fell in love with Marc Kudisch.

Baby
This one has sentimental value, since I was in it once and musical directed it twice. It’s a great show for an intimate setting and also great for community theatre.

Company
Possibly my favorite Sondheim show. It was the first of his that I ever saw (my college did it), and I was utterly hooked in every way. It was also the first show I was ever in (I played Harry).

Into the Woods
I laugh, I cry, I smile… lots of great songs, and one of my favorite to have musical directed and played piano for.

Follies
A masterpiece of Sondheim with a score rich in contemporary ballads as well as delightful but sarcastic pastiche. A sad but realistic commentary on the state of theatre, memory and marriage (well, in 1970 anyway).

Alright, feel free to share yours. But leave mine alone!

Favorite Things Friday.

Every now and then, I treat myself to a little gift. No special occasion, just wanting to give myself a smile. Well, last week it was more than a smile—it was loud guffaws.

I bought the entire tv series “Soap” on dvd.

If you’ve never seen it, I recommend renting the dvd’s. Here’s a little bit for you—nostalgia for old fans of the show, and an intro for those unfamiliar.



Some of the funniest stuff ever. Every single cast member had opportunities to show off their comic side. A young Billy Crystal as Jodie, the gay almost-transexual… Richard Mulligan as Burt, who insisted he could make himself invisible… Jay Johnson as Chuck (and Bob)... Diana Canova as Corinne... Arthur Peterson as the Major, the befuddled grandfather who thought World War II was still going on… and of course Robert Guillaume as Benson, the sassy butler.

But it was Katherine Helmond and Cathryn Damon, as Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell, respectively, who were the stars of the show. They got to demonstrate the widest emotional range, from side-splitting comedy to gut-wrenching drama. I cried many a time during the show’s all-too-brief four year run.

Love it!

Favorite Things Friday.

I guess my favorite guilty-pleasure food would be Krispy Kreme donuts. The original glazed variety, mind you, not the overwrought versions covered in sprinkles, filled with horrible creme or jelly, or iced with icky frosting. I'm a purist... even gluttons have their limits.

I had my first Krispy Kreme donut in Atlanta, Georgia in July of 1997. I was there at the NEA convention, and some of us were out drinking quite late. Someone suggested a run to an all-night KK, so there we were. It was love at first taste. I've learned recently about a bread pudding recipe Paula Deen featured that uses 2 dozen Krispy Kremes.... I mean, how beautiful is that?

I've since heard that every Krispy Kreme donut you eat takes 3 minutes off your life. Oh, well, that's three less minutes of gasping on my deathbed, right? End the suffering; eat another donut.

I was Googling for illustrations for this post, and I came across some pretty funny stuff.

Favorite Things Friday.

Good Scents...

I've always been a cologne-wearer, since about 1981 or so, when I received my first bottle of Polo. (I don't count the Brut 33 days, pre-1980.) I've been through the usual fragrances... I had my Drakkar period, my Halston Z-14 period, my Paco Rabanne period. Ultimately, I have gravitated towards clean-smelling, fresh scents.

There are four that I currently wear in rotation:

Clinique Happy for Men (and, as I say, who isn't happy for men?)

Bora Bora by Liz Claiborne (an oldie and a cheapie now)

Nautica Voyage

Calvin Klein Euphoria

I wore John Varvatos for about a week before it started making me sick. I smelled like a mom at a 1974 PTA meeting. (Don't ask me to explain that metaphor... I'm not sure even I get it. Well, I guess Varvatos smelled female and old-fashioned to me, and reminded me of the only times I'd ever smell ladies' perfumes when I was a kid-- at evening school functions.)

Since smell-o-blogs don't exist yet, you'll have to go to the nearest Ulta3 store or Macy's and test some of these. Then you'll know (kind of) what I smell like. Well, that and a Salem Ultra-light. And a cup of coffee.

Lovely.

Favorite Things Friday.

I feel that some of my postings can be a little negative. I posted recently about things and people I'm sick of. I often tell tales of worry, fear, problems, etc. So to remedy that, I've instituted Favorite Things Friday, which will focus on things I have, or want, or enjoy, or love.

And here is the first....

Harlequin dinnerware.

It was manufactured by the Homer Laughlin Company (the same folks who brought us the much-more-famous Fiestaware) and sold exclusively through Woolworth's starting in the late 1930's and fading out sometime in the early 1960's. There was a re-issue in 1978 or so that did not have the popularity that was hoped for. There are a total of 12 Harlequin colors: rose, turquoise blue, yellow, gray, chartreuse, maroon, tangerine (called "red" by the pros), light green, dark green, medium green, spruce green, and mauve blue. More info here, with lots of pictures.

I own well over 100 pieces of Harlequin, including teacups and saucers and dinner plates in every one of the 12 colors. I also have lots of specialty pieces, including a teapot, a pitcher, an ashtray, and several gravy boats.

I much prefer Harlequin to Fiesta because of the more angular, art-deco look. And the colors are much more interesting in the Harlequin. I have been known to serve a complete meal for 8 using my Harlequin dishes, and yes, I put them in the dishwasher... how cavalier of me! But I love the stuff, and I display it in my kitchen in a large cabinet that I made.

And here is something interesting... perhaps the colors of these dishes have something to do with why I want this sweater vest?