2000 and Thin: 166 - 167: New York Demystified

Is it just me, or is the Big Apple looking less magical and more real by the day? Maybe it's the fact that I'm here almost every year, watching shows, shopping for new or recycled fashion in old stores, eating the same junk food, walking the same streets, only this time - it's way hot and not the Trench coat weather New York that I always knew. They say familiarity breeds contempt... but when a person gets too familiar with a fantasy, he's left with reality. It is what it is - not the fairytale. It's what comes after happily ever after - the hard knock life. Honest living man, honest living!

Mememoy in the elevator

Mememoy in the waiting lounge of Ate Leslie's Office. She writes a column for Baron's.

Where the action happens at FOX NEWS

Ate Leslie. I love her to bits.

Day 166 (Friday):

8pm Fela
RATING 4/5

When I entered the theater, I remember being stunned by the live Afro Band that was playing on-stage. The whole theater was dressed as though you were inside the theater where Fela was to perform his last show in dangerous South Africa. Colorful. Festive. Audiences could even bring their snacks and cocktails to their seats. It was really like a concert. The dancing was superb. The guy who plays Fela is amazing. The show dragged from time to time but i had that right emotional punch and rollercoaster ascent just when you thought your attention was taking the plunge. I found this one particular moment in the show really creepy when Fela's house was sieged, and all his wives were abused by the African military. It also showed how his mother died, a plot thread that is developed since the show's opening. I think Will Smith, Jada, and Jay-Z were right to invest in this show. Spectacular.

Day 167 (Saturday):

2pm Mamma Mia

RATING 3/5

I actually really liked the show. What's not to like? The songs of Abba. A fun story involving a daughter, his three purported fathers, and a hippy of a mother with her two laugh out loud sidekicks. How can you go wrong? Unfortunately, the producers did... in casting some annoying nasal lady as the mom, and some whippersnapper of girl for the daughter. They pulled the show down for me. Everyone was else was great, especially the three dudes, the two female sidekicks, and the fiance. But again, when you have awful leads who have no marketing value whatsoever, the show gets pulled down. Thankfully in Act 2, the mother improves. But the daughter? Still an annoying lookalike of that girl who plays Christine in the Phantom of the Opera movie. I forget her name as of the moment. But overall, I enjoyed more than I hated. And I absolutely love the concert ending. One of the best curtain calls I've seen - if only I didn't have to rush to a 5pm show.

5pm Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

RATING 5/5

I hate that I was late for this show because Mamma Mia was taking so long. Anyway, it follows the story of Andrew Jackson and his rise to the presidency from being the dude who expanded America and ghettoed the Indians. Ironically, despite the plot, the play utilizes elements from the modern times. From the use of "dude" lingo, to the punk rock costumes, and to the Spring Awakening-esque musical that was infused with the show. But the best part has got to be the slapstick comedy that was larger than life and was the bread and butter of the show. The actors were HILARIOUS as they exaggerated all the dialogue and coupled it with wit and comic timing. I found myself not wanting the show to end. I'm so excited that they're moving to Broadway by the end of the year.

8pm Come Fly Away
RATING 2/5

Should've listened to my brother. What a lousy way to spend over a hundred dollars on an orchestra ticket. I'm a fan of dance. I love So You Think You Can Dance. And that was also the reason why I watched Burn the Floor last October... a ballroom extravaganza that featured Anya and Pasha. I thought, maybe this would be a different dance experience... infused with the music of Frank Sinatra. I love Frank Sinatra. I'm actually an old soul at heart. But I found myself waaaaayyyyy bored with this one. It starts of in a cafe with all these characters who thankfully get developed throughout the show via dance... But weirdly enough, towards the eclipse of Act 2, you see them in their underwear... I dunno... to signify that it's come to that time of the day when things get raunchy. That... I did not get. I also don't know why everyone is a buzz with the choreography of Twyla Tharp. I don't get it. And I didn't like it... Ba-humbug.