OOH OOH OOH NINE

IT IS ALMOST 2009..
How amazing to slide into a new year in a few hours. It is a birth of sorts and a death too. Bye to the past hello to the present and future!
Here in Baltimore I am told they will do a Fireworks display at the harbor. That should be beautiful. I might go if I have the energy and time after the performance.
New York is snowy and wet and 19 degrees with the wind chill. Times Square looked dingy and soggy on the TV. I did that Times Square New Years once and won't do it again.
It is just too crowded and frantic.
Anyway...we had a terrific show last night and pals Clark, Bev and Brilane saw a HOT show. I got Applause on my "First real conversation" line ..I STOPPED the show!! I was amazed as it was unexpected and never happened before. Now I have to let that go and NOT expect it again! Clark was in tears at the end of the show as I watched him at the curtain call.
It was a fuller house than we have had and I think that had something to do with the collective energy and appreciation of the audience. GOOD MORE PLEASE!!
We have only a few more weeks here and I think this is a show that has gained momentum and could run longer...and should.
But we are all anxious to get back to our lives, loved ones and the endless pursuit of more work!
Brilane worked here on HOMICIDE TV show and drove us to Fells Point where they filmed. We ate at JIMMYS...a famous eatery on the harbor mall there.
It was picturesque and very different than Harbor Place which is more like South Street Seaport in NY.
Lots of shops and restaurants and interesting stores. Had a Turkey club with delicious Cole Slaw at JIMMYS..YUM!
Clark's sister Sally is going to the Inauguration ceremony. Lucky girl! But it is likely to be as hectic and frantic as Times Square
is on New Year's Eve!!
His family was part of the Government in DC as his Uncle was Senator Russell Long and very respected So the family still gets into the ceremonial mix I guess. .
I had thoughts of going there after we closed as I never have been to a major political gathering in DC. And especially nothing of such historically high profile.
I thought 40,000 or more people on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon for John Kerry was something to see and attend but that is nothing compared to what is gonna be happening in DC!!
Hope that the slide into 2009 is Fun and that all our dreams and desires are realized.
May we learn to get along with our neighbors and fellow HUMANS please!
May the Globe return to normalcy and stop warming over.
May jobs and security once again be part of our lives .
May the struggle to gain Universal Heathcare finally be resolved in our collective favor ..
And May Greed and Selfish behavior be a thing of the past.

Have a great New Year's Eve and a Greater NEW YEAR!

XXX

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PRE-LATED HAPPY NEW YEAR

It is ALMOST the End of 2008!
It is Almost the End of the BUSH MUSH..
It is the End of so many things ...BUT it is also the BEGINNING of things ...New Things and New Ways and New Thinking and Actions.
I never make resolutions as I never remember them..
But I Will Try To Be Diligent and Forthright.
Health and Work are two things one must address.
My bout with Prostate Cancer in March 2007 informed my entire New Year of 2008 . Recovering from that surgery was very difficult and was such a consideration of all my progress. But that is now in control and I look forward to strength and health in 2009. Of course weight loss is a must after the BLOAT of the Holiday Indulgence!
I am very happy to be working as the Year Changes.
There have been many a New Year that was by a performance onstage. One of the best was during SUNSET BLVD at the Minskoff Theatre. On New Year's Eve they opened the LOBBY which is all floor to ceiling windows and overlooks Times Square. All in the show and their guests were invited to share the view and watch the Ball Drop and the people Cheer in the Streets.
My friend Clark's Confetti was showered over the proceedings by the ton!
It rained that night and the inside the lobby was like looking into an Aquarium as the rain spattered the huge glass walls and the Confetti stuck and slid off the surfaces.
There were many more ..one that comes to mind is the Millennium 2000 in San Francisco while on tour with CABARET. We as a company rented the Club Fugazzi and had a great time dancing and celebrating. Joely Fisher was our Sally Bowles and the "name" in the show. A more FUN person to party with one couldn't want at any gathering. A Great Gal for Sure!
As a kid my Mom would usually have a party and at midnight she and my Great Uncle would dress up as the Baby New Year and Father Time ..I give you one guess who was who!
There were traditional LENTILS that had to be eaten as my Aunt Lena walked about with a pot of them...and Jumping off a chair with MONEY in your Hand shouting "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!" All that amongst the tin noisemakers,horns and streamers!
Other fun New Year's Eve have been spent at our Pals Oscar Chamudes & Jeff Bernstein's large apartment above WHOLE FOODS (how convenient) on 7th Ave and 24th Street. I made Jeff's Aunt Anna's Bourbon Punch..ONE SNIFF and WHAMMO you are
ZONKERS. One reason for that is that a dozen Lemons are Soaked inn sugar and a quart of Bourbon for 24 hours..WOW!
But my favorite way to ring in the New Year is to be at Home with Jeff, snug and warm and watch it all on the TV..This doesn't mean i don't Jump off the chair with the Money in hand!
So if you hear a MANIACAL --HAPPY NEW YEAR..and a THUD..you'll know it was Me Cheering in the Birth of 2009 from a nearby chair!
May all your dreams and wishes come true in the New Year and may the new President fulfill our hopes and be true as the man we elected to CHANGE things for the Better!
ONWARD and

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

XXX

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BROAD-WAYS

Thought it would be FUN to look back at some of the BROADS that made the Great White Way shine.
Can you find Shirley MacLaine in the that group of wide brimmed hats?
Among the Broads:
Ethel Merman-Mary Martin-Joan Blondell-Angela Lansbury-Shirley MacLaine-Carol Channing-Barbara Streisand-Julie Newmar-Carol Haney-Audrey Hepburn-Kathrine Hepburn-

HOLIDAZICAL

MERRY HOLIDAYS TO ALL AND TO ALL ;;;;;
Had a hectic holiday as I am sure most of us have had!
We at CAROLINE OR CHANGE had Secret Santa on Tuesday right before our show at 7PM.
It was great fun and everyone enjoyed it.
My secret Santa was Brett Johnson who plays Joe Thibodeaux Caroline's youngest.
I was showered with terrific computer gifts and then two beautiful Photo Albums for my Photo Fetish! I LOVE TAKING PICTURES!
I am still eating the Yummy Candies that came along with them.
Thank You Brett and your sweet mother Nina.
My Secret Santa person was LIBYA PUGH who plays Dottie (Flawlessly).
She so appreciated the Grey Goose and Pineapple juice mixes I got her..among other fun stuff. She told me she loved the Penguin container a lot!

We had a great show Tuesday and then went to a LATKE party at Carole Schweid's apartment. Everyone brought goodies and Carole's Latkes were Delicious and they went great with ALL the other tasty treats..including guacamole!!
We then played a frantic game of TABOO..which I SUCKED AT.
I also STINK at CHARADES...ask the Jelineo Family on the West Coast! OY!

After Taboo Humiliation I slunk back to my apartment to prepare for the X-Mas festivities!
Wed, Christmas Eve, I went to pal Bob & Kevin's wonderful home and started food prep..
Made Spinach Ravioli in an Artichoke /Pesto/ Parmesan sauce...some terrific veggie meatballs on the side and Chicken Sun Dried Tomato sausage..Yummy. All that and dips and the usual eats and sweets.
It was 60 degrees..Like a Christmas in Los Angeles!!
X-Mas day we were still bloated ..but I prepared Wild Rice and Wild Mushrooms and Steamed mixed vegetables and a really good Turkey Breast...then we Indulged and gorged on Ta'rea's (One of our FAB RADIO GALS) , on her Mom's incredible Carrot Cake. The unanimous opinion was: "IT IS THE BEST CARROT CAKE I EVER TASTED!" And that was TRUE CORRECT and DEAD ON!!
YUMMMMMMM
Our new Dog Pal "SHORTY" (Bob & Kevin's huge, sweet hound) was enjoying all the tasty treats as well.


Jeff arrived Wednesday at about 7:15 and he stayed until about an hour ago .
He saw CAROLINE last night..and had the reaction I knew he would. He LOVED IT.
Found it more accessible and intriguing and more FULL and easier to follow than the one we saw in New York.
He thought the cast was incredible. And found E.Faye Butler a revelation of talent and force.
My feelings were exactly that from day one when I heard this cast in rehearsal!! WOW!
A bunch of the cast came to the Mezzanine Bar and met Jeff and we all had drinks and fun.

I am a bit tired today and we have the matinee and an evening then a repeat of that tomorrow.

CAROLINE is a show I am thrilled to be in and so proud to be a part of.
Haven't felt this about a show since SWEENEY TODD National Tour.

Friends are coming through Jan 11th and I hope they will appreciate the show the way we have.
I leave this blog with Jeff's quote:
" IF THIS CAST AND PRODUCTION HAD BEEN ON BROADWAY IT WOULD STILL BE PLAYING!"

Happy PRE-NEW YEAR to ALL!

XXX
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on

COURT-ING BALTIMORE

DEC 23RD ONLY ONE MORE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
Here are some Observations..
I borrowed friend Bob's car yesterday...TOWSON MALL was my destination..About 25 minutes to get there..No problem at all..BUT IT TOOK ALMOST A HALF AN HOUR TO FIND A PARKING SPACE ..even with 7 levels !!
The mall is a SPRAWL MALL and Anchored by Nordstrom & Macys and then a CRATE & BARREL and POTTERY BARN. I walked all over it up down and around the 4 levels including the lower less appealing stores on that level.
I found NO REAL BARGAINS. So much for Recession busting.
"BUY 3 GET 1 FREE!" That sounded to me like a Brooklyn Scam. And A 30% DISCOUNT ON A $500-$600 item is hardly appealing. And Macy's had junky items around $19...the better quality items had maybe a $3 or $4 reduction..Lousy marketing and who cares? I found the 1930's cast iron model planes with with clear plastic disc propellers used for display more desirable than the clothing in that dept.
Nordstrom was upscale and not cheap either.
Macy's had some kitchen stuff that was decent but generally nothing you couldn't find other places or online.
I tried o find "special" stuff and that was not happening.
I gave up after Pottery barn had Christmas Ornaments that were cute but $19 . Stuff that would have been maybe a DOLLAR at WOOLWORTH'S or KRESGE remember the 5 & !0 cent stores??
They have more or less morphed into DOLLAR STORES that are charging at least $1.29 now??
So what is all this about ECONOMIC RECESSION?
Every News program has sob stories about the BAD selling season for the Poor Stores.
Bullshit..they are charging too much and always have been.
I blame Bush and the collective psyche that made the country think they had to Overspend on Everything to be with it
And how about re-thinking the .$10-$12 Movie prices and the $3 cuppa Java
Anyway...I did the Costco and Trader Joe's thing for Christmas and the Eve.
SO after my TOWSON MAULING at 4Pm I was on the EXIT ramp from the 5th level for ALMOST AN HOUR!!!
My Holiday Joy level was highly diminished!
Today I walked downtown to the Court House and took many pictures. The War Memorial building on Gay Street was an imposing edifice with gorgeous 1930's Deco-esque statues. LOVE THAT.
Baltimore has some extraordinary buildings but also some horrid depressed areas. Boarded up houses are in the outskirts and there is much depression here. In this area one sees no more begging or street life than on the NY street. But since this place is less populated it is more "In Your Face."
I am sure the crime rate is high here but doesn't seem to be publicized..I could be wrong , but that is the feeling I get. Like something is bubbling but not boiling over.
The father of the little boy playing Joe in our show had his car window smashed at the matinee and his laptop and bag stolen. I am surprised that there isn't more going on in this area as the Prison is a city Block across the highway 83 from where we are staying.
Nonetheless the weather has been non-seasonal until the last couple of days. 22 Degrees is Winterish, no?
However we are expecting 50 degree temp for CHRISTMAS DAY..Oh Come On.
Portland,Oregon is having A white Christmas and all Canada as well...!!!l
HAPPY HOLIDAY
MERRY SEASON
and May ALL your Christmas's be White!

XX
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WEAK FROM WORK

We just finished 18 days of tech rehearsals, opening and previews and the last show was at 7:30 Sunday.,
We have the Eve and Christmas Day OFF!!
Came home after a few drinks with the cast to do LAUNDRY!
And JUST SAW ANOTHER MOUSE scampering around here...SO I have to deal with that AGAIN!
HEIGH HO THE GLAMOROUS LIFE!!
The show continues to grow and shine. We got a good review in the Baltimore Sun and although the pre holiday audiences
have been about 3/4 full, they have been great and rowdily appreciative.
Am looking forward to enjoying a wonderful run and more wonderful audiences.
And of course some CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY JOY TOO.
HAPPY
HOLIDAYS
and
ALL THAT JOYZZ

XX LAUNDRY
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PARTY PEEPS

PARTY POPS