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ceebeegeeMy Mom was here this weekend--she arrived on Thursday and left yesterday. She had foot surgery this summer and is still recovering so we couldn't do as much walking around as we would've liked. I especially wanted to take her to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum but it wasn't to be this time. We did go to several restaurants--we hit the Delta Grill on 9th Avenue the first night, which I knew she'd love. Friday night we went to McHale's where we've been before--we-all must go there at least twice more before the end of the year before they close. *sob* She spent Saturday with my brother--I love Bart but every time we get together it always seems to involve a long-ass train ride for me and I simply wasn't in the mood. I don't understand why he always has some reason why he can't be the one to travel.
Anyway, Saturday night I went to see Paula and Duncan in Measure for Measure which I thoroughly enjoyed. First off I loved the aesthetics of the production--it looked so sexy and smoky, and I loved all the music. It was very well-cast also--the Duchess and (male) Isabeal were excellent, especially her, and Angelo was also great. Of course I also loved Dundan and Paula--Paula had some very nice moments as the Provost. Really not one weak link in the show. It got me thinking about the difficulties of M4M--the central conflict is that Isabel doesn't want to sleep with Angelo to save her brother's (sister's, in this case) life, which is a difficult conceot for the modern audience--well, any audience really. Isabel's objections have a lot to do with who she is, and not her time or whatever--she's a postulant and has very strong ideas about the integrity of her sexuality/body/"virtue." We have a tendency to dismiss Isabel's objections--"why won't she give it up to save her brother? It's no big deal." But that's assuming the sex would be no big deal--if the Angelo is a sadistic fuck and it's all about power and debasement and not just a harmless romp in the sheets, it's a huge deal. I don't know if I could sleep with, say, Uday Hussein to save my brother. In this production the Angelo was pretty damn creepy--he really seemed to get off on humiliating Isabeal, so his refusal made sense to me.
I also wanna know when was the casting notice for women who enjoy frolicking around in their lingerie? How did I miss that one? Damn.
At one point the Constable "noticed" the audience and pointed his baton accusingly at all of us and I giggled, thinking it was like the end of Act I of Hair where the police come out and arrest the audience. He swiveled to me, and a little while later called me up and likewise arrested me, by tying my hands. Another audience member and I were hauled onto stage and made to kneel during a scene, while the "Pimp" (Pompey) looked me up and down and said sotto voce "Dost thou need a job?" I smiled and said "Nay" and then, in response to a line of the Constable's "Art thou truly a whoremaster?"
Sunday my Mom and I went to brunch at the Galaxy. We were sitting by the big semi-circle window and I was people-watching along the sidewalk. A couple came in and sat down next to us--I looked at the guy and gestured to my Mom, and said to the guy "Aren't you Anthony Mackie?" He looked caught and said "...Yeeees?" I said "I used to live with Tracie up in Harlem! I was Ryan's friend!" He was like "Oh man! How are you?" I've talked about Anthony before--he was Tracie Thoms's BF when I loved with her and they both went to Juilliard. The nicest guy--he always gets cast as bad guys but he's so sweet. He's the one who said "We should get a cat. Tracie's roommate has the cutest cat" about Tatiana. And now both their careers have totally taken off--she's Joanne in Rent and he's been doing tons of movie work (Papa Doc in 8 Mile, the sparring partner bad guy in Million Dollar Baby, the lead in She Hate Me). We had a great conversation about Tracie and Ryan, and his family (he's from New Orleans and he and my Mom talked about that). Such a nice guy and I'm so stoked my Mom met him since we saw M$B together and I pointed him out. It seems every time my Mom visits, we run into some famous friend of mine! (In May of 2004 we saw Mark Hollman at Rachel's.)
Sunday evening we went down to the Village and walked around. We ended up eating at a cute lil' Thai place called isle, and then went to Marie's Crisis. Sunday is a GREAT evening to go there--there's a much smaller crowd and it's easy to get a seat at the bar. Mom and I had a blast--I knew she'd love it.
Anyway, Saturday night I went to see Paula and Duncan in Measure for Measure which I thoroughly enjoyed. First off I loved the aesthetics of the production--it looked so sexy and smoky, and I loved all the music. It was very well-cast also--the Duchess and (male) Isabeal were excellent, especially her, and Angelo was also great. Of course I also loved Dundan and Paula--Paula had some very nice moments as the Provost. Really not one weak link in the show. It got me thinking about the difficulties of M4M--the central conflict is that Isabel doesn't want to sleep with Angelo to save her brother's (sister's, in this case) life, which is a difficult conceot for the modern audience--well, any audience really. Isabel's objections have a lot to do with who she is, and not her time or whatever--she's a postulant and has very strong ideas about the integrity of her sexuality/body/"virtue." We have a tendency to dismiss Isabel's objections--"why won't she give it up to save her brother? It's no big deal." But that's assuming the sex would be no big deal--if the Angelo is a sadistic fuck and it's all about power and debasement and not just a harmless romp in the sheets, it's a huge deal. I don't know if I could sleep with, say, Uday Hussein to save my brother. In this production the Angelo was pretty damn creepy--he really seemed to get off on humiliating Isabeal, so his refusal made sense to me.
I also wanna know when was the casting notice for women who enjoy frolicking around in their lingerie? How did I miss that one? Damn.
At one point the Constable "noticed" the audience and pointed his baton accusingly at all of us and I giggled, thinking it was like the end of Act I of Hair where the police come out and arrest the audience. He swiveled to me, and a little while later called me up and likewise arrested me, by tying my hands. Another audience member and I were hauled onto stage and made to kneel during a scene, while the "Pimp" (Pompey) looked me up and down and said sotto voce "Dost thou need a job?" I smiled and said "Nay" and then, in response to a line of the Constable's "Art thou truly a whoremaster?"
Sunday my Mom and I went to brunch at the Galaxy. We were sitting by the big semi-circle window and I was people-watching along the sidewalk. A couple came in and sat down next to us--I looked at the guy and gestured to my Mom, and said to the guy "Aren't you Anthony Mackie?" He looked caught and said "...Yeeees?" I said "I used to live with Tracie up in Harlem! I was Ryan's friend!" He was like "Oh man! How are you?" I've talked about Anthony before--he was Tracie Thoms's BF when I loved with her and they both went to Juilliard. The nicest guy--he always gets cast as bad guys but he's so sweet. He's the one who said "We should get a cat. Tracie's roommate has the cutest cat" about Tatiana. And now both their careers have totally taken off--she's Joanne in Rent and he's been doing tons of movie work (Papa Doc in 8 Mile, the sparring partner bad guy in Million Dollar Baby, the lead in She Hate Me). We had a great conversation about Tracie and Ryan, and his family (he's from New Orleans and he and my Mom talked about that). Such a nice guy and I'm so stoked my Mom met him since we saw M$B together and I pointed him out. It seems every time my Mom visits, we run into some famous friend of mine! (In May of 2004 we saw Mark Hollman at Rachel's.)
Sunday evening we went down to the Village and walked around. We ended up eating at a cute lil' Thai place called isle, and then went to Marie's Crisis. Sunday is a GREAT evening to go there--there's a much smaller crowd and it's easy to get a seat at the bar. Mom and I had a blast--I knew she'd love it.
