And This Is Why I Love New York.

Yesterday was about movies, today is about theater.  Through a random concurrence of buying tickets way in advance as well as impulsively at the last minute, I somehow happened to see 4 live performances in the last week, all very different and delightful in their own way: a drag concert, dance performance, reading and a play.  Note to self: if and when I ever consider leaving New York, I have to remember that there aren't many places with a performing arts scene that is this rich and diverse.

PLAY: Thank God There's Theater.

Normally this time of the year you find me pretty down about the fact that the summer is slowly but visibly going away.  When I wake up, I panic briefly when I look out the window and see the temperature on the Jehovas' Witnesses' WATCHTOWER go a little lower every morning.   This year, worrying about seasons changing has been a tad overshadowed by the other stuff, you know, like the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it type of thing.  

So what's a comrade to do while cities are crumbling down and the planet is being flooded ON TOP OF unpleasant weather changes? 

Go to theater, I say, escape reality.  For my part, this is what I am dying to see: 

Equus - $100 to see Harry Potter naked?  Twisted, I know. 

All my sons - is what I call a good combo of talent, hottness and curiousity. 

Seagull - how will Kristin Scott Thomas and Peter Sarsgaard compare to Dianne Wiest and Alan Cumming in last spring's off broadway production at the Classic Stage?  I will see for myself on Sunday. (update - it was very good.  Kristin Scott Thomas was phenomenal but unfortunately Peter S didn't quite match the performance by Alan Cumming, in my opinion.  Maybe I was also distracted by the fact that he was speaking in an English accent, which is a recipe for disaster for most American actors..)

Margaret Cho - just love her.  LOVE her.  Saturday night she better shine!

August: Osage County - it won the TONY for best play and was called "the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years" by the Times  for a few good reasons (among them Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton.. the former of which has unfortunately left the show after pocketing her own TONY).. and even though I already saw it, I have to hit it one more time before it closes!  Takers??

Fall for Dance at City Center - all sold out, damn!
Alvin Ailey - the secret sauce for this one is the $25 "orchestra pit" seats, where you can see the dancers up close.. wanna join me 12/14 at 3pm?

Paul Taylor Dance Company - when the weather gets REALLY cold, this will keep me warm.

BAM's Next Wave - I'm sure there is a ton here, but haven't really distilled it yet..

To be updated as I find more interesting stuff..