Culture Corner Review: In the Heights

Musings was well overdue for a Culture Corner segment - and you've got at least two others in the wings. You see, about a million years ago (or in October), Jason, Kristen, Alisa, Kara and I went to see In the Heights.

I feel like a lot of the press on this show talks about how different it is, so I went in expecting something closer to the dearly dparted Passing Strange rather than a fairly standard musical production. I mean - we're talking full-on, stop-the-action-and-face-the-audinence-and-sing-musical. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that - it seemed a little disjointed, especially for solos - but as the show went on I got more used to it, but I'm still not sure I liked it. However - this kid? This kid was destined to be a star!



Jason says: "When Ken Rosato speaks, one should listen. It was one early morning around 5:30am and Ken spoke to me saying that I should go see this musical (well, not to me personally, but you get the drift). I immediately told Melanie that morning we needed to add it to the list, this new show about life above Manhattan. Though we didn't see it pre-Tony's, it was well worth the wait. An energetic, upbeat look at a life growing up different from my own. I enjoyed every bit of it, well, except for one minor thing...our seats were, how should I say it, 'in the heights' of the theater."

Westward Ho(ffman and Hill)!

Congratulations to Alisa and Matt on their move to Los Angeles. Can't wait to come visit!

Culture Corner: Review of Spring Awakening

From Playbill.com: Based on Frank Wedekind's play of the same name, Spring Awakening boldly depicts how a dozen young people make their way through the thrilling, complicated, confusing and mysterious time of their sexual awakening.

This was one of the most bizarre shows I have seen this season. Alisa, Kara, Jason and Kristen and I went to see it on a Tuesday night. It was a lot of show to take in on a Tuesday night. Pretty heavy subject matter for me to process. And of course, there's the brief nudity. SCANDAL!!!!

The cast is very talented. I would say they are mainly singers first, then actors but regardless, they really are phenomenal. The music is really superb. Hunter Parrish of Weeds was in the production we saw and for the most part, he held his own.

Bottom line? Not for kids or the faint of heart or if you're looking for a fun, feel good time. However, it is a very well done and interesting show.

Jason says: BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. This was my second time seeing Spring Awakening, which I originally ranked as one of my top 3, if not THE top, plays I had ever seen. I saw the original cast, WAY before the TONY was won. Even though I enjoyed that version better (isn't the original always the best?), this one was up there as well. A great performance by all, including Weeds star Hunter Parrish, made for a delightful evening with friends...I wonder how these kids would do growing up IN THE HEIGHTS???

Culture Corner: Review of Xanadu

Fun! Fun! Fun! No other way to describe it. I know, I know. All of you (well, except Jason, Alisa and Kristen - who went with me) are probably like - are you kidding me? You paid money to see Xanadu. And yes, we did. Discounted tickets, but still. Cash money was paid. And boy, was it worth it. From the glow sticks that were passed out at the beginning to the final number where we waved them around, this show was super enjoyable. The cast is all pretty great - Kerry Butler and Cheyenne Jackson especially - and the music is fantastic. Definitely takes me back to being a kid and listening our Olivia Newton-John records. Or to my Greatest Hits cd.

Don't believe me? Check out this clip from their appearance on The View, featuring Kerry Butler and Cheyenne Jackson. Superb!



My bottom line? If you're looking for a night of fun and not too much thinking, then this is the show for you.

Jason says: "Xana-maybe. Worth seeing if you have nothing to do one evening. But I suggest waiting until Whoopi is out of it. To me, she dragged the show down a bit, like it was getting in the way of her evening. I didn't feel that she was as into it as she could've and should've been. I went to see her mainly in it and was sadly disappointed."

And then there were none...

Long overdue write-up about the wine tasting that I went to in late July with Alisa, her sister Kara and Jason. Presented in part by Italian Wine Merchants, we tasted eight wines throughout the course of the evening. I was expecting the wine to be paired with food. It wasn't. There was some food available at the beginning (bruschetta mostly) and then a bit of a spread at the end (like one big giant antipasto buffet), but nothing while we were tasting the wines. Oh - and we were by far the youngest people in the room. We spent most of the evening trying to get Alisa's sister to hit on the wine intern (she wasn't going for it) and trying to decide if the cute guy sitting in front of us was hitting on me or if I wasn't quite his type (cause I'm a girl). And though he ended up at the bar downstairs with his friend and some blonde chick, I'm still not clear.

At any rate, I wasn't too blown away by any of the wines, but thankfully - good company more than made up for it.

The Murphy's Rock (or I Love the Suburbs, Part II)

The Reintroduction to Society Summer Tour brought us the infamous Dan Gordon Party at Casa de Murphy this past weekend. I'm pleased to say that shirtless DanGordit! lived up to the hype - not just for Sally (who was obsessed with him), but for all of us I think. To recap:

• I kicked off the weekend with Dan and his shirt at Wheeltapper Pub. Hilarity ensued.
• I continue to awesome Alisa's house (well, technically Boyfriend Matt's) for the Olympic Opening Ceremonies where I feast upon delicious Chinese food, Alisa's killer Olympic cake and Matt's dynamite lychee martinis. A lot of lychee martinis.
• I take the most entertaining ride home where the driver tells me about the men who don't have any money to pay the driver because they've spent all their money at the clubs trying to get the "boom boom." Pretty sure this would have still been entertaining even without a pitcher of lychee martinis in my belly.
• I wake up to pack and make my way to Penn Station to meet up with Dan. I may not be sober from the night before.
• I stop to get breakfast sandwiches for the train, as Dan is bringing the gatorosas. I get a text from him telling me he's running late. I immediately text him back to hurry as I'm almost sober.
• We commence our train ride with fierce blue gatorosas. I decide Dan Gordon might actually be a genius.
• Some red-headed lady tries to make a move on Dan Gordon, or maybe just his gatorosas. I refrain from shanking her because I do not want to get kicked off Amtrak for life just for that biotch. Besides, Dan didn't think she was "pretty from the front." And more importantly, he didn't dare offer her a gatorosa or he might have gotten shanked himself.
• We run out of gatorosas just as the cafe car closes. Dan valiantly tries to score some booze at 30th Street station, but comes up empty. We're booze-free for about 30 minutes until the train is moving again and the cafe car reopens. Dan comes back with a half bottle of pinot grigio that we proceed to mix with cranberry juice. It is a vile combination that we chug down and finish in about 15 minutes. Because we are committed.
• Kate picks us up at the train with Sally who is a little surprised that Dangordit exists, but is pleased about it - especially when he presents her with a stuff Big Bird. She pauses in her celebration long enough to ask Aunt Meyahnee if she remembered the M&Ms. Luckily, I did. She resumes celebration.
• We get to Casa de Murphy, where John is prepping some of the most delicious food we will ever eat. Dan falls in love with the 16 pounds of ribs the Murphy's have on deck. Much eating and drinking commences.
• Kate's brother Tom shows up with the Future Mrs. Tom, aka Rebecca. They bring soft pretzels. I immediately fall in love with the pretzels.
• Other activities that took place? Frisbee, Sally showing us her muscles, Kate showing us her muscles, Kate letting/making us feel her muscles, arm-wrestling (Dan Gordon knocked down both Aichele kids before John Murphy reminded him who's house he was in), a push-up competition (a dispute over proper form and Kate sabotaging John kept us from crowning a clear winner but Dan did take his shirt off so we had that going for us), and perhaps a short demonstration of how I would perform Proud Mary at karaoke with Kate as back-up.
• The following morning Sally showed us all how awesome she is at running and jumping and Dan even showed off his somersault skills - all pre-breakfast. A trip to the diner (bacon!), a drive around to see houses we can't afford and then back to the house to pack up and head out. And most importantly, pick up the makings for a round of gatorosas on the way home. SWEET!
• Cap off the weekend with Dan leading me out of Penn Station through a secret tunnel (well, maybe not secret but I wouldn't have gone that way on my own. I watch Lifetime, I know how that can end) and then weaving through the crowds waiting for the Jonas Brothers. We both manage to get through it without shanking any screaming little girls. Barely.

Best exchange of the weekend:
John (watching the Olympics - men's swimming): He's just not a good breaststroker.
Melanie: That's what she said!
FYI - That kicked off a full scale "that's what she said" assault by me for the rest of the day and evening. I had mixed success - not all instances were accepted by the crowd - but even when I was denied they were still pretty amused. So, mission accomplished!

A picture is worth a thousand words. Behold:



And a video is priceless, especially if it is video of a push-up competition. I can't figure out why they are so dark, but I'm going to see if I can do anything to fix it. The videos are much better in their full glory. Suggestions welcome.

The Shirtless Wonder Dangordit shows what he's made of

Tom trys a slightly "different" approach

John gets sabotaged by his own wife

So, who won the battle of the burbs? I think I did because I got to have two really awesome weekends with great friends. I would road trip with Dangordit any day of the week - even with his shirt on. And as for the Murphy Family and Los Fitzes? I guarantee I'll be back to visit each of them as soon as they'll have me. Wait - that's what she said? Hmmm... Nah. She probably didn't say that. But she might. She just might.

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Alisa!

Lucky for me, Alisa's birthday fell during the same week that the Cornell Club was hosting a wine tasting dinner featuring Ellie Krieger and wines from Banfi. We each got a signed copy of Ellie Krieger's latest cookbook and as much delicious food and drink that we could stomach from the list below.

Reception: Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers
Crudite with Herbed Goat Cheese Dip
Principessa Perlante 2007
1st Course: Crab Salad in Crisp Wonton Cups Served on a Bed of Mixed Greens
San Angelo Pinot Grigio 2007
2nd Course: Scallops with Succotash and Parsley Drizzle
Centine Rose 2006
3rd Course: Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary and Chocolate
Cum Laude 2003
4th Course: Seasonal Dessert Selections Coffee and Tea Service
Rosa Regale 2007

We had a really great time. Ellie Krieger is super pretty and nice. And Alisa was sweet enough to bring me a bottle of the Rosa Regale the next morning. Can't wait to break into it!

It really was a banner week for Alisa. A friend of her's had gotten them tickets to go see the premiere of Sex and the City. However, they did not get in line a week beforehand, so unfortunately they didn't get to see the show. The Daily News caught up with her - here's her quote (they must have misspelled her name to protect her identity, but I'm blowing up her spot here):

Alissa Hoffman had taken off work for the day to attend the premiere as a treat for her 27th birthday. "We waited in line 21/2 hours...I guess we'll go drink a Cosmo or five now," Hoffman said.

'Atta, girl! Hope you had a great birthday, Alisa!

A Walk in the Park

Alisa was kind enough to meet me at Central Park today for my first outdoor run since my ill-fated "Intro to Running" class at Cornell that started with a 3 mile run across campus on the first day. Needless to say, I finished that class on a treadmill indoors. Though I couldn't run the entire 1.5 miles today, I did run most of it and I'm hoping to do better next time. And yes, there will be a next time.

The most interesting part of the day, was the parade that we stumbled across on Fifth Avenue. Because, why wouldn't there be a parade? And of course, it would be a military parade that we walked into. What else would it be? Here's a couple videos of a marching band. You can thank my cell phone for the awesome quality of the videos you are about to witness.

Operation Steamy Hot in Vegas is in Effect, Baby!

So, since Mrs. Fitz started Couch-to-5K, Mrs. LaPage was so fine in her wedding dress, Ms. Hoffman has SkinnyHawaii on the brain, Mrs. Murphy is, simply, a weight-loss machine and now Mrs. Clark (my Mom) is getting in on the action by dropping 10+ pounds, I've decided it's time to get on the stick. Of course, booking a trip to Las Vegas may have jump started my motivation as well.

Operation Steamy Hot in Vegas (aka, Operation SexyBack) kicked off this evening with a visit to the gym I've been paying for since January. 35 minutes on the bike because it's all that was open. Pretty sure it's better than the sitting on my couch I've been doing for the past five years. I also signed up for a personal trainer "try-pack" that gets me a couple sessions, so hopefully I can start off on the right foot and keep up with it.

I need help creating a good gym mix. Email me your suggestions or leave them in the comments below!

Wish me luck! On June 30, it's do-or-die time!