I was so proud the other day, driving to a babysitting gig in Glendale when I heard on the news there was a robbery or assault that just happened in Los Angeles (no, that's not the thing I'm proud of).
The criminal was described as Hispanic or FILIPINO -- and I had to yelp: "We've made it! We're not just Asians or brown -- we're 'Filipinos'! And when described on a police blotter, people actually know what that looks like! WOO HOO!"
Oh a brighter note, WHO KNEW the Mark Wahlberg-Jennifer Aniston movie Rock Star could actually come true? A Filipino guy -- from the PHILIPPINES no less -- named Arnel Pineda is now the lead singer for JOURNEY. And he got "discovered" on YouTube!
When it was time for JOURNEY to look for a new lead singer, the Internet came to their rescue. Guitarist Neal Schon wanted someone new to the music business, so he turned to YouTube. After finding Arnel singing "Faithfully", he knew he had found the perfect frontman.
"I was frustrated about not having a singer," explains guitarist Neal Schon, "so I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours. I was starting to think I was never going to find anybody. But then I found THE ZOO and I watched a bunch of different video clips that they had posted. After watching the videos over and over again, I had to walk away from the computer and let what I heard sink in because it sounded too good to be true. I thought, 'he can't be that good.' But he is that good, he's the real deal and so tremendously talented. Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone. I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him that night, but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter."
Arnel Pineda picks up the story: "My friend Noel picked up the message on YouTube and told me it was from Neal. I thought it was a hoax so I ignored it. Noel said, 'what if it really was Neal and he wanted to offer you the chance of a lifetime?' So I e-mailed Neal back and the rest is history."
How cool... we're way past being "Karaoke Kings" now -- I think he sounds terrific! Good luck, Arnel!
When I was in high school in 3rd period Rock Band, for some reason our teacher, Mr. Pinto, wanted to do this Doobie Brothers song. But he didn't have any guys that could sing that high -- so he had me, an alto "rocking it out."
ROCKING IT OUT?! HA! I'm a musical theatre Old School R&B Earth, Wind and Fire chick, what did I know about ROCK? What was I even doing in the class anyway, except that we did a lot of Commodores and disco too (hahaha).
And here are the first words:
Down around the corner A half a mile from here You see them old trains runnin' And you watch them disappear Without love Where would you be now Without love You know I saw Miss Lucy Down along the tracks She lost her home and her family And she won't be comin' back Without love Where would you be now Without love
WTF? Lucy WHO? I had no idea what the heck I was singing about, and I'd never been on a train except for BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit).
But all that's changed... as I just got back from a quick 24-hour day in San Diego to see my niece's piano/vocal recital (YAY KIRA!). And I took the train, good old AMTRAK, from Burbank to Solana Beach. May I just say: PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS?! You know, because I spend so much time in my apartment and alone, I just like to get out to a mall or a bookstore to be around humanity... alone in a crowd is good sometimes.
But TRAIN IDIOTS are not the same kind of people as mall rats or bookstore lurkers!
I find a perfect seat on the coast side of the train, ready to stare at the beautiful cloud-ridden sun set onto the ocean... and the woman behind me is playing some TV show on her laptop AT FULL BLAST. Before I settle in I ask her if she could turn it down and she says, "Then I won't be able to hear it." "You don't have headsets?" "No." "I'll move then" and I did. IDIOT! How can you think that's all right that you blast your f*cking show for the whole car to have to listen and watch? There oughta be a law.
Then at one of my last stops a lady walks in with a cute little two-year-old on her shoulders in pink onesy and a slightly hacked-up bob haircut, then proceeds to nick the girl's head on the luggage rack above when she tries to take her off her shoulders. Ouch. But this doesn't make the girl cry... this girl wants DADDY. Which I guess is her word for CANDY. Because Mama kept YELLING at her saying, "No! No way are you getting any more candy! NO WAY! Tomorrow!" Which makes Little Girl yelp even more, and me cringe... please, I've only got two more stops, don't make me get up and move -- or smack your ass.
Little Girl wasn't having it and kept screaming for DADDY -- so to make her shut up, Mama Idiot smacks her on the bottom hard twice: "No candy!" Which of course give her desired effect -- more howling. To which Mama explains to the entire car, "It's way past her bedtime -- and she's only two and she wants EVERYTHING." Explains everything right? Idiot. Two seconds later Mama gives her the DADDY anyway, with the proviso that "That's all you get tonight or else." Baby hushes up, Mama looks for some kind of audience validation -- and finding none, gets on the cell phone so we can ALL hear about her weekend hell.
I got my luggage and stood downstairs for my stop. How come nincompoops like that get to have kids but I don't?!?!?!
Actually, I do have to correct myself... I told my brother at the recital intermission that Someone Upstairs must've been looking out for the children of the world because if I had had them, I would've worked them to their musical bone -- much worse than Father Osmond or Joe Jackson... so, hm... guess it all works out, huh?
And as I walked to my car at the Burbank train station, I did think I got payback for my mean streak coming out on the train to Solana Beach the day before. I was on a crowded, Friday afternoon commuter and I was sitting in a window seat. I had already planned on getting a little snack in the cafe car (my big adventure for the week) when an older "granola-type" lady sat next to me. I "profiled" her right away: vegetarian, cat-lover and never touched hair-dye Birkenstock-wearing gal. Nice enough, smiled, read the paper.
Uh-oh. I wanted a hot dog something fierce, but I knew the cafe car would be too crowded to eat in there so I'd have to bring it back and probably disgust her to death with all the meat by-products that so deliciously make up my wonderful microwaved hot dog doused in mustard and relish.
But I didn't care! Well, I sort of didn't... the whole 10 minutes in line I kept trying to make it okay to just get potato chips for my salt fix... but finally I told myself to F*CK IT! I'm a grown woman and I can eat what I want wherever I want and it's not against the law to eat pork/beef hot dogs in trains otherwise they wouldn't sell them, right? And if she doesn't like it, she can find some other place to sit -- or stand -- or just suck it up. Wow, I'm a big girl on campus, now aren't I?
One bite, and it took her about two-and-a-half seconds to move across the aisle -- she was lucky enough that a seat opened up. And that made my hot dog taste lousy.
I admit it: I will NEVER get tired of doing this show. EVER, EVER, EVER. Of course, I miss the two songs we cut -- but if you and your organization are looking to do a short (20 minutes for the complete version) and fun take on this Biblical story with great songs and guaranteed laughs -- you just contact me, you hear?
In the meantime, here are some photos Myrna took of closing night. If it looks like we're outside -- we are! Our "backstage" waiting area was actually out in the frickin' parking lot... ugh! As someone dear on our team said about our fab group -- it's like we had taken THOROUGHBREDS to a dog and pony show... (I'm still really perturbed at what happened there, but don't want to speak to it yet...) so I'll just hold my tongue and celebrate "all the good bits"!
Feel free to click on each picture for a little more commentary. Enjoy! :)
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."
I used to love this because I would forget who I would tell what to, especially if I'd get into "storytelling" mode and depending on who the "audience" was. LOL So now I know if I just keep the FACTS straight (which I have a hard time remembering in the first place anyway, the DRAMA of any story always sounds better)... maybe I'd actually be telling the truth in there somewhere...
And I remember in high school when I realized that I had a penchant for little baby white lies... depending who my audience was, and what I story I had to tell! I realized this when I found myself even fibbing when people asked me what time it was and I'd say something five minutes off -- JUST BECAUSE. That's weird, isn't it? A control thing maybe? A habit I picked up from my mom? The time part, that is, not the lying -- she's a TERRIBLE liar. If she hates something... well, she won't lie to make you feel better, that's for sure, and there's no padding anything either... bad thing... it takes a lot to get her excited about ANYTHING. The one thing in a blue moon that DOES makes her silly happy -- well, I've discovered as adult that THOSE days are WORTH it, because they're so genuine...
But I digress.
Mom would NEVER tell me what the REAL time was because she knew I would always wait for the last minute to wake up, to get up and MOVE. If we were going to be late for something: "C'mon, it's 9:30, we have to go!" but it's really only 9:00. If it's too late for me doing something at night (it's 11:15 pm) she'll say, "C'mon, it's midnight already, go to bed!"
Hmmm...
In any case, I'm loving that quotes I love area falling into my lap -- ones I actually live my life by. I'm not usually a big quote collector... but when I real one passes by, I'll make sure I post it.
By the way, the TRUTH right now is I'm the most broke I've ever been EVER in my life, but other that the little stresses that having no money brings (!), I'm very happy right now! I'm doing a lot of creative work (can't wait to share... soon!!!), I'm cleaning out a lot of old shit in my life and gettin' ready for a Pluto squaring my natal moon starting in February for a frickin' year -- which means "death and destruction for the purpose of rebirth, especially in all things lunar like the home and mother issues"! The only way around this time is THROUGH it... so as Daddy says, "I'm holding on to my ears" and looking forward to what on the other side of this!
And lastly, I know have to tell the truth now, because as I get older... I only remember that which I've written down as the truth. YIKES! Does that happen to you too?
"If something doesn't turn me on, then it just makes me laugh. How can I go wrong?"
Somehow that statement told to a cab driver by a late-to-the-game dominatrix struck me as a terrific -- and familiar -- life philosophy. I need to remember that these days! My life looks easy going but the continuous STRESS is under the surface but running as hot and deep as magma in a volcano...
Breathe, girl, breathe...
My sleep is completely backwards again -- and while I hate it, I still feel pretty powerless to work on it... that's what happens when you miss a few of your hynotherapist sessions I guess.
Yesterday I did a lot of "checking off" of chores on my list before my monthly writing class (that I'm really behind on...) and put my head down for a few minutes before getting ready... and woke up and hour-and-a-half into class. OH SHIT. I guess I just didn't want to face up to the fact that I'm just BEHIND ON EVERYTHING -- and of course, missing class just makes me more behind and feeling guilty to boot. UGH.
How can one possibly passive-aggressive with MYSELF?
I at least hooked up my piano/computer gizmo and am pushing myself to finish a "rush" song for a collaborator of mine. We talked about in July... but KABOOM, now there's a chance someone can sing it for a Christmas cabaret and we need the demo SATURDAY. Good god!
Fortunately it only took me about an hour to get a decent intro the other night while I waited for him to show up at school... but now I'm a bit stuck, you know, that Perfectionist trait in me and all. But I'm trying to push through that and just get FRICKIN' PROLIFIC. There are more songs where that came from, right?
But the outline for the musical is coming SLOW. Act I feels good -- rough but good. Act II? Oh god... how is this thing gonna END? Is it EVER going to end? Am I ever going to get everything I need to say in this musical on paper, ever? Shit. I just gotta remember I need to say what I need to say NOW. There are more PLAYS where that came from too...
It's 7:49 a.m and I can't decide whether to keep working or lie down... no keep working, I'm not that tired. I can't stand lying in bed wiaitng to fall asleep... I guess I subconsciously LIKE to pass out at the computer...?
It's been awhile since I've written a "substantial" blog sometimes I wonder if I'm even capable of doing it anymore! Or maybe life has been so rich lately I don't want to stop to record it for fear of this wild ride disappearing... Well, que sera sera...
So many things: * Got to meet four of the five Filipino actors of The Romance of Magno Rubio: Bernardo Bernardo, Ramon de Ocampo, Jojo Gonzalez and Paolo Montalban (yes, THAT Paolo) and Arthur Acuna was terrifc too. More later.
* This weekend our mini-musical Cain and Abel: The Naked Truth had a three-day run at Actoberfest with John David Wallis and Rachel Payne reprising their roles as Abel and Trudy; Stephen Van Dorn as Cain, Kelly Lester as Eve and Adam LeBow as God. Michele Spears came back to direct and Myrna Emata was the music director. This is a whole post in itself -- the performances were top-notch, the team was great! That's all I'll say for now and will have photos to share soon.
But what inspires the title of this post?
I'm in the middle of breaking out an outline for my next musical, Sailors and Nurses. First of all, I'm so grateful to have two fabulous lyricists to collaborate with -- ANMT-trained and YES, FILIPINAS! Thank you for signing on Allison Johnson and Maureen Borillo... it's gonna be a TRIP... if the bookwriter can get her proverbial sh*t together. Oh wait, that's me!
My classmate, Terri, asked me how it was going -- and I all I could say was "I'm crying a lot. I can't stop crying."
But don't fell sorry for me... I've finally figured out this is my process! It's what happened when I wrote Carabao Bookends and Light Filipino Brown -- and it's when I know I'm telling the truth and writing of my heart. [As I've told many people: I'm like Dorothy Parker:
"I hate writing, I like having written"
-- because a story has to be told. So I wallow in the process, as messy and inconsistent as it is...]
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And today, Stephen, the new fellow who played (our third!) Cain so wonderfully this weekend, found out how crazy I am about these songs that are OPM = Original Pilipino Music, like Ikaw. We're backstage this weekend waiting for their curtain call and he starts singing this song, Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang, in pure, beautiful Tagalog... a song his co-star, Carol Banawa (a famous TV star/singer in the Philippines) taught him while they were in a biblical extravaganza of a musical in Singapore called Judah Ben-Hur.
Oh dear. Talk about completely melting. More watery eyeballs. And to hear this fabulous voiced white boy sing it... good grief, I'm on another planet.
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We find out last night we didn't make the finals... it's a long, long night. But I woke up: and there's a beautiful serenade of Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang on my voicemail from my new friend Stephen, singing the duet with his friend, Mel.
Now I'm just a bowl of jelly. I've never received a song that way before, EVER. And of course, it's just opening up more and more STUFF for me to write about...
Thank you, Stephen. You don't know how magical that was. Sailors and Nurses will be all the more truthful because of that gesture, you have no idea.
Here's a YouTube duet version of it and an English translation -- yeah, you better believe I'm gonna learn this one!
Enjoy.
Why only now... Why only is it now that my heart needs? It now has found out...
I wish that I'd found out That you would come into my life Then I would have waited
Pre-chorus:
You were supposed to have been the one for me to hug Your hand always for me to hold instead of hers
Chorus:
Why only now.... Is it that you arrive in my life I'm forcing to open my closed heart You are the only one for me Even though I want to forget you I want to know...why is is now that you arrive in my life?
Myrna sent this clip to me -- wow! Not only do I LOVE anything "West Side Story" -- the fact that there are so many TALENTED kids making such terrific music together and having fun... it really reminded me so much of high school band! Four years of that with your bestest friends -- and when you're ON...
GEEZ, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT!
Parents -- get your kids in playing with a group! (IMHO, there are too many soloists and piano players who have NO CLUE how to keep up a tempo because they don't have to play with anyone else...) Not only will they learn how to respect authority, learn to play together for the highest good... they will develop life long friends and have an appreciation for ensemble music like no other.
Needless to say, I cried like a baby watching this.
And here's the whole WWS Dance Suite with the kids in concert black:
My dear "sorta" cousin, Mark sent this note about what his daughter, Jacqui, said "in reference to the Harris Fire (San Diego area) as we packed our valuables and prepared to evacuate. I think we'd all like to EVAPORATE once in awhile..."
I've had a little more than a half bottle of white wine on an empty stomach at a friend's house who is going to play Macbeth in in a show this fall -- how cool is that, how many people actually can say they know a Macbeth/Hamlet?!) and it's the first time I'm blogging "under the influence." I wish I had enough money/time/gas/sobriety to go to the Thai restaurant that Prince G. was talking about here -- but fortunately for the CHP and the Burbank P.D., I'm safely at home and can only do damage as I type. Man, I'm hungry!
Life has been really full this weekend -- event/appt after event/appt -- so much so, I've actually been SLEEPY and overwhelmed. I wish the wonderful hypnotherapist I've been seeing could only know the success he's/we've made in this (sleep) regard!
Just bulleting because I feel like I'm gonna LOSE it -- and the Scott Baio show comes on in 50 minutes:
* Saw "The Bourne Ultimatum" last night with Jeffrey at the Arclight -- we had dinner there too. I LOVE THAT THEATRE -- you get assigned seats so there's no line-waiting, and though there are previews (YAY!), there are no COMMERICALS.
* I also LOVE that movie. For all the fab car chases and fighting... it was all worth it. The "Ultimatum" only stands there as INTENSE as the "choice" of "Sophie's Choice" -- the quiet core of the film. SO F*CKING WORTH IT -- go spend that $$ NOW on Matt Damon -- I mean it: N.O.W.!
* I also LOVE that theatre because -- well that was the first time I'd been there at a 7:50 show on a Saturday night -- and I was so comfortable because Kathy Griffin's gays were there! HAHHA Actually, what I told Jeffrey was it felt so comfortable... it really was the hotspot to see a film... and if I was a straight man... well, it would take a very comfortable-with-himself straight man to hang out there! So many wonderful gay men there... was so... COMFORTABLE! I keep going back to the word "comfortable." It really is THE PLACE to see a film.
* Why the hell is it spelled "theatre" as opposed to "theatER" What's the difference and the correct usage? I just want to be "correct" about it... because I really have no idea, and I think I better figure it out if I'm gonna be workin' in it.
* Was the "audition monitor" for the Perfomance workshop at ANMT Saturday -- wow, how fun is that to hear people auditioning on THIS side of the table. (Okay, so I was looking to get a head start on the talent coming through... SSH!)
* I babysat today and it was a big YOUTUBE adventure with my charge. She's really loving "A Whole New World" from Aladdin, so we watched the recording of it with Lea Salonga and Brad Kane over and over. (Someday I'll write a whole entry about Lea... she's one of those BALINGKINITAN (slender/pretty) girls that I've ALWAYS been jealous of growing up... and the fact that she's a soprano just about tops it for me... anyway, another day, another blog post.
But here's the video:
One story about "A Whole New World" -- when it first came out I showed the song from the video to a friend of mine who had a five-year-old and three-year-old and had been married for about six or seven years. She was in town from Holland -- and as soon as it was over said:
"Do you REALLY think it's like that? All love and adventure?! It's not like that. Marriage isn't like that at all."
I've never forgotten that... but I'll also never stop hoping it is.
My stomach is so upset... lately I've been thanking the heavens for TUMS... and like I've completely lost the skill of feeding myself healthily. YIKES.
It's Stress, DefCon 4.5... ugh.
It's good that food is not MY COMFORT anymore -- but hey, I'm ready to let go of it being TORTURE. Goodbye!
And if anyone's up at wants to play -- geez Louise -- CALL ME!!!
It's 4;27 am and I'm just back from a couple of hours by myself at Sitton's NoHo Diner -- an almost regular hangout after classes at ANMT with the girls, but tonight I had to get the f*ck out of the house... and Harry's in Burbank just isn't cuttin' it anymore. Can't deal with truck drivers, cops and no Ricardo...
So I bring the notebook and go into the backroom -- the waitresses now are asking where my friends are -- tonight, it's just me and the hundreds of 8x10s of old movie stars on the wall staring at me in the face. Much more atmosphere than Harry's... tonight, the very loud table of three next to me has just come back from a club.
Chelsea apparently has kissed her first girl tonight and she's cussing up a storm and a bit freaked out, especially since she thinks "the kissee" was Lindsay Lohan's ex-girlfriend. HUH? And Dave and J, his girlfriend, are teasing her so much she decides to get a STEAK with her eggs, to prove "I'm not into tuna -- I want MEAT." HAHAHA!
Dave, who's a bit older, asks me if I'm offended by their talk -- and I can only laugh because Chelsea is one good swearer -- got quite a knack for it, and she reminds me of myself...
Only at Sitton's! Very exciting. Last time we were singing "Always and Forever" with three young black kids singing their guts out; before that, Hillary and I ran into people listening to us and asked us about doing book for a composer who HAS no book for his musical...
The waitresses now know me and I feel taken care of -- I think I've found a home away from home in the middle of the night. Thank goodness.
While we're on the subject of Filipinos -- here's my favorite Tagalog song (granted I don't know many!). I heard sung as a duet at my brother and sister-in-law's housewarming party... didn't know what it was about, but I cried like a baby. OPM -- Original Pilipino Music -- well, those composers sure know how to write a ballad, doesn't matter WHAT language it's in.
It's sung here by superstar Regine Velasquez.
"Ikaw" means "You." And dammit if I won't have that sung at MY wedding...
If you get to know any Filipino closely, you will eventually get to know his or her REAL name -- something really crazy and funky because -- Filipinos are just like that.
Now that I've started to outline my next play, I've got a zillion Filipinos, young and old, to name and nickname. How fortunate I've found this generator!
Well... my NAME is anyhow. Enjoy! Cain and Abel: The Naked Truth Book by Myrna Emata Music by Madley Katarungan Lyrics by Kellen Blair (Songs are sung in order)
"New Eden" (Amy Reiss, John David Wallis)
"Every Time You Fall" (Leighton Grampp, John David Wallis)
"One Button at a Time" (Rachel Payne, John David Wallis)
And of course, that's Brent Schindele there, the football player, second from the left.
Welcome to Heartsville, U.S.A. -- where gay is good, chess is cooler than football, and the Army has a strict "Don't ask, don't tell" policy for heterosexuals. Here at Heartsville High, Zanna, the school's magical matchmaker is busy keeping everyone in town happily, homosexually paired up ... until all hell breaks loose when quarterback Steve falls in love with overachiever, Kate. Can a straight boy and straight girl find happiness in this topsy-turvy world?
It's a sweet and funny show with an energetic and talented cast in an intimate little theater -- go see it if you have a chance (closes in September). For more info: West Coast Ensemble.
We waited afterwards to say hello and congrats to Brent, then AJ and I got a bite at Fred 62 on Vermont (their Mac Daddy Cheese Balls are AMAZING). Just as we were leaving, a familiar shock of spiked hair went by and I couldn't help myself but call out:
"Zanna!"
He turned, and yes, it was Danny Calvert, who had just played Zanna (center in photo) that night! He was there with another cast member, Dan Pacheco ("Mike", who's giving Brent a smooch above) -- we introduced ourselves (friends of Brent and composers from the Academy of New Musical Theatre -- hey, we have a rep!) and congratulated them on a great job... lots of smiles all around!
As AJ and I were walking out, I told her that one of my friends always laughs at me because she thought it was odd that here (and especially when I lived in NY) I always see someone I know when I go to these things -- public events -- and it happened at the theatre tonight, and then at the restaurant.
My secret? I look UP. Most people don't look up! Plus I like to tell myself that I'll see someone I know, so maybe it's part self-fulfilling prophecy too. In any case -- it's fun!
Filipinos as the ultimate entertainers -- who thought of this, anyway? What, is this their exercise time? Did they pay the prisoners, what US$2.00/day to do this, or were they having so much fun and were to "ashamed" to know to ask for it? Well anyway, does it matter? We love a camera, don't we?
And usually I think Filipino trannies are the most beautiful in the world -- here... um, not so much.
Haven't done a quiz in a long time -- how fun! I LOVE that I'm scored as a "CREATOR" :) Mouse over the different colored boxes to how I scored on certain things -- good to know I scored really low on "masculinity"!
It's an unbelievable process to have your material interpreted by actors. Musicals don't exist on paper... they have to be brought to life by folks as talented as these "Red Team" actors are!
I'm so grateful we had such a great group... damn, the life of an actor is really difficult, yet they're so willing to share of themselves like this... Thanks forever, guys!
(All photos by Myrna Emata)
Second Assessment (May 12, 2007): John David Wallis, Amy Reiss, Leighton Grampp, Rachel Payne and Christopher Carothers (our original Cain).
Rehearsal (June 13, 2007): Amy Reiss, Leighton Grampp, Rachel Payne and Brent Schindele in In the Nick of Time by Hillary Rollins, Tara Redepenning and Darin Goulet.
Cain and Abel: The Naked Truth with Rachel Payne (Trudy), Amy Reiss (Eve), John David Wallis (Abel) and Brent Schindele (our new Cain) doing "New Eden."
John David Wallis (Abel) and Leighton Grampp (God) in "Every Time You Fall."
Rachel Payne (Trudy) looks on as Brent Schindele (Cain) sings "See the Light."
You can click on the link above and watch the whole show.
Wow. I used to adore THIS Scott Baio... used to cut class at Oxy so I could take the bus from Eagle Rock to Hollywood's Paramount Studios to wait ouside on a Friday to get into dress rehearsals and tapings of "Happy Days." Pathetic, huh? Well, part of my reason of going to Los Angeles to college -- so I could go to these damn tapings! (There's more neurotic/fan stuff I did -- we don't need to go there!)
I was at least right about Los Angeles -- except for two years in NYC, I've never left. And the day I actually worked on the Paramount lot -- oh, that was a private Happy Day. :)
But this show -- he's sarcastic and afraid and funny and nervous of commitment -- and shit, it's the same frickin' life I'm leading, 47 and single. Same issues too (watch it because I can't describe it). How the hell did he/I/we end up like this?!?!?!?!? What the fuck went wrong here?
I'm gonna be watching him and his life coach "Dark Alley" ("Doc Allie") really close -- I've gotta learn something too, right? Especially since I'm not seeing good old Norm the Hearing Challenged Therapist for awhile... yikes.
It's amazing when you live in a big town like Los Angeles what you can do for absolutely NOTHING. And mind you, lately, that's exactly what my budget has been: absolutely ZIP, ZERO, NADA, ZILCH.
Yet, in wonderful downtown Burbank, I went to a FREE big band concert outside in the evening in front of the AMC Plaza -- a cool group called the Royal Crown Revue that played big band, swing and blues (7-9 pm) and had a big dance floor in the front... I can't tell you how happy it made me... just cheery! Old people, kids, swing dancers dressed up, non-dancers learning how to do it (there's a free dance class an hour before by Francisco and Stacey too, but I missed it this time). Unfortunately now I have a class on Thursday nights, but if you get a chance to wander on over, have an Cold Stone Ice Cream or Ben and Jerry's... it's Thursdays until the end of August, from 6-7 (dance lesson), 7-9 pm (live band, different ones each week) at Palm/San Fernando.
Saturday night at the California Plaza downtown, I went to a FREE concert of my favorite cabaret duo (and Oxy-ites), Karen Benjamin and Alan Chapman, with special guest, the fab and expressive bassist Jennifer Leitham. There's a mini-amphitheater there, surrounded by beautiful waterworks, and Myrna happened to be working that until 6:00 pm that evening a block away -- talk about blowing my mind. A full show, outside in the beautiful evening -- my favorite piece was a merging of two Irving Berlin songs, "Sayonara" and "What'll I Do." It was so clean and clear... the tears bypassed the heart and fell straight out of my eyes. Geez, that was good! And I haven't even really said "Goodbye" to anyone lately...no, sorry, not true (sort of, yes, I'm being cagey)... or was it just such a universal feeling delivered straight up that got me? Delicious.
(What else was fun -- I ran into a fellow Oxy classmate that I used sing with in Glee Club, Amy Fogerson, who sings with the LA Master Chorale... how cool was that, since we haven't seen each other for 25 years? Yikes. And BTW, Jeffrey, Karen wishes you well and says you should call her for those lessons!!!)
Then of course, my favorite past time lately: YouTube!
My poor collaborators -- when we were in driving on our way to Palm Springs for our writing weekend (and yes, that's Kellen filming me/us at the timeshare for the ANMT documentary... more on that later!), Kellen had made a CD for us that had the kind of feel for what we were trying to write -- and here was this cool-ass song from "City of Angels" called "You're Nothing Without Me."
OMG, I fell in love with it! Probably because it's big band, that always reminds me of high school jazz band. It's a writer, Stine (in browns), singing with/to/about a character he wrote, Stone (in black and white -- get it?!) -- and how they're nothing without each other! So clever, happy, syncopated... and I made poor Myrna play it over and over again in the car! Couldn't stop snapping my fingers!
And of course, good old YouTube has a sweet high school version of it -- pretty good for my money, even though they did tame down the lyric of "Your broads in bed are bored" (!) Though I do love the line: "Your pen is no match for my sword"! And the enthusiasm from the crowd -- isn't that just the best?!
STINE: You are some gumshoe You just don't think well Get this, dumb gumshoe, You come from my inkwell
Is your mouth lonely With one foot in there Stone, your brain only Holds thoughts I put in there
Just what you are I'll spell out You are a novel pain One speck of lint that fell out The last time that I picked my brain
STONE: You are so jealous Of my track record Tolstoy, do tell us Your feeble hack record
Your weak knees brand you Soft and unstable One small threat and you Fold like a card table
You drool at my adventures Your broads in bed are bored Go home and soak your dentures Your pen is no match for my sword
BOTH: You're nothing without me A "no one" who'd go undefined You wouldn't exist You'd never be missed
STINE: I tell you you're out of my mind
BOTH: A show off, a blowhard You're equal parts hot air and gall And no one would doubt me Without me you're nothing at all
STINE: You're in my plot I'm still your creator I call each shot I'm your private dictator
STONE: You are so thick, you Eat, breathe, sleep fiction I'm your meal ticket Knee-deep in cheap fiction
STINE: You gloating ignoramus You haven't any shame
STONE: Hey, I'm a famous Seamus And most people don't know your name
BOTH: You're nothing without me Without me you'd just disappear Right into thin air And no one would care Or notice you ever were there
A puppet, an upstart A loser who's destined to fall I'm everything you always wanted to be Let's deal with the issue: You wish you were me You're nothing without me Without me you're nothing ...
(To prove his dominance over STONE, STINE resumes typing, reactivating MUNOZ, who steps back into the light)
MUNOZ: (Spoken, to STONE) Let's go!
STONE: Manny, wait!
MUNOZ: I said, keep my name out of your mouth!
(MUNOZ punches STONE hard, in the stomach, sending STONE to his knees. STONE stares at STINE, a character betrayed)
STONE: You bastard!
(STINE, ignoring him, types four letters)
STINE: "Fade..." (Types three more letters) "Out." (And the LIGHTS do just that, on MUNOZ and STONE. Then:)
STINE: (Sings, triumphantly) You're nothing without me Without me you're nothing at all.
We waited afterwards to say hello and congrats to Brent, then AJ and I got a bite at Fred 62 on Vermont (their Mac Daddy Cheese Balls are AMAZING). Just as we were leaving, a familiar shock of spiked hair went by and I couldn't help myself but call out:
This is Star Jones now. I'm shocked. Apparently she's ready to "spill" about how she did it. I'll still never trust her.
Leighton Grampp
Brent Schindele
Amy Reiss
John David Wallis
Rachel Payne
VH1 is debuting a reality show tomorrow night called:
Wow. I used to adore THIS Scott Baio... used to cut class at Oxy so I could take the bus from Eagle Rock to Hollywood's Paramount Studios to wait ouside on a Friday to get into dress rehearsals and tapings of "Happy Days." Pathetic, huh? Well, part of my reason of going to Los Angeles to college -- so I could go to these damn tapings! (There's more neurotic/fan stuff I did -- we don't need to go there!)
Saturday night at the California Plaza downtown, I went to a FREE concert of my favorite cabaret duo (and Oxy-ites), 
