Grind

It's been an interesting few weeks. A decent mix of good and bad, not much left to complain about in the end, but a rough patch.

I've seen a *ton* of theatre to offset the personal dips--

- Spring Awakening - Broadway (with friends who hadn't yet seen it): with a complete replacement cast from the original (which I saw more than once). I was impressed with Hunter Parrish as Melchior, whom you may know as the teenage son in the series Weeds.

- Spitfire Grill - Off-Broadway: Cute show. All but one performance was pretty spot on.

- Lillias White (singing -- mixed genres, all amazingly wonderful): if you've heard the revival cast of How to Succeed, she's the fierce Miss Jones. She's a hell of a singer.

- In the Heights - Broadway, original cast: I really enjoyed it. Having seen all the shows nominated for the Best Musical Tony now, I completely agree this was the winner

- [Title of Show] - Broadway, original cast: Yes, for the second time. I was comped, how could I say "no" to that? Even more funny the second time, catching more and seeing them from the orchestra vs. the nosebleeds.

- Legally Blonde - Broadway: Yes, it did get a little chilly as hell froze over. I was never against the show itself, I just get annoyed at the massive fangirl crowds coming home at night when I forget to cross the street before passing the theater. Again, comped, so no complaint ;) It was a lot of fun. Overall, a very cute show. I need to see Orfeh in more stuff down the line. She was hilarious.

- Fifty Words - Off-Broadway: I'll pretty much see anything with Norbert Leo Butz. His performance in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" won me over. The play itself had its strengths and weaknesses, but the performances were enjoyable. His costar was Elizabeth Marvel whom I saw immediately afterward in the new Coen Brothers movie, "Burn After Reading".

I think there's actually been more, but those are the ones off the top of my head.

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I've seen a lot of movies, too. No need to list, really, as you can just check the listings and assume I've seen just about everything remotely interesting (indie and Hollywood), and some not-so-interesting, just funny. Highlights include Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen), Tropic Thunder, Elegy, and Dark Knight (in IMAX-- very much worth it). I haven't seen the Anita O'Day documentary, but it's next on the list.

I also got a haircut by my most favorite French stylist in town. The pampering alone is worth every cent.

That's about it. Work is, well, work. Our latest launch got delayed, but it's going fine. The delay had nothing to do with our group. Not really a big deal, although it was a bit anticlimactic.

The tourists are gone (as much as that happens) until the holidays and it's slowly turning to autumn here. I know I've adapted when I declare 70 degree temps to be non-summer. Even so, I saw a few trees in my travels today already starting to turn. I'm liking the cooler weather. I'd be happy if it stayed in the 70s for a while before dropping into the 40s and below.