Recently consumed material...

(Me and Josh Lefkowitz after his show at last year's Fringe Festival)

Ready for a LINK laden post?
Last year, I only got out to 1 Fringe Festival show which was buddy Josh Lefkowitz's Help Wanted - that was so successful that he was asked to do the show last year at Woolly Mammoth, and even was talked about in the Washington Post this year, calling his success at the Fringe the "Lefkowitz Effect", and guessing which shows from this season's Fringe Festival would have the same effect! I was kind of out of the loop on all that was going on. This year I got to see several more, as I am working downtown one block from the Fringe box office, I knew of many more shows that I wanted to see. I didn't make it to all of them, but got to take in a couple.
I also got to see Souvenir at Studio Theatre, which I saw twice because I loved it so much. J.Fred Shiffman and Nancy are treasures to this city's Theatre community. Their work in this hysterical and touching piece is unparalleled with anything I have seen in quite some time. I adored it.
OK...I saw:
Pangs of the Messiah at Theatre J
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at Woolly Mammoth
Glory Days at Signature
The New Eddie Lounge Show at Arena's Living Stage
I had a great time at all of the shows, but wanted to share several highlights...

Pangs of the Messiah's taut pressure, which built throughout the piece quite effectively...

The comic character of Andy in Glory Days at Signature, as played by Charlie Brady. Also all of the jokes about Fat Beth. Funny.

Brianne Cobuzzi's vocal stylings as Brandy Alexander in The New Eddie Lounge Show. She raised the roof off of the joint singing "Lady Marmalade". I was really impressed by her amazing voice.

TMLMTBGB at Woolly Mammoth- all of it in general. We (Me and Matty) loved this show so much that we went twice. This troupe (The Neo-Futurists) came here from Chicago, where the show runs regularly on the weekends. This troupe attempts to perform 30 "plays" in 60 minutes. The plays are not long, ranging from 5 seconds to 2-3 minutes and also ranging from comedic to tragic. I loved that they blended both, as it made the points of the serious material land so much harder after you had been laughing just 2 minutes before. But god, when you laugh, you really laugh. I scream laughed uncontrollably several times. I had such a good time, and only wish that it was running for a longer span of time, or that Woolly will bring them back for at least a month's run sometime soon.

Oh yeah,
My Favorite novel from last summer is out in paperback today. I snapped up a copy while at the Safeway getting dinner. If you have not read this incredibly terrifying book, you have to pick it up soon. You won't put it down until you are through with it. It is truly that good.

I have been really into the singer Diane Reeves lately. I started to know of her after watching "Good Night and Good Luck". Now I am really hooked on her renditions of "Who's Minding the Store", "Gotta Be This or That", and "Too Close for Comfort", among others. Her voice is smooth as silk.

I also have put an end to the summer blond look. I had to dye my hair again, and well...while I wanted to go darker, it went a little too dark...

It is already fading, though. It will be fine in a couple weeks.

Also, a recent bizarre obsession of mine is this silly You Tube video that makes no sense. The song goes on and on with lyrics that make your brain hurt if you try to understand them, and a tune that repeats over and over again without relent. I have not yet been able to listen to the whole thing, and believe that if you do, you will probably lose your sanity. Enjoy.




More news tomorrow...I promise. I've got something good to officially announce tomorrow...
Good night to all,
SGS