(yes, I know I have taken a week to post this.... sorry... but here is is!)
War Horse
Astounding. Breathtaking. Charming. Dramatic. Enthralling. Fantastic.
I could likely go through the whole alphabet with words to describe this show. It was a complete and utter WOW! First note, I am a musical person, I LOVE musicals. I am reluctant to see plays, and this is a play. Second note - this now has been boosted right to the top of my list as the best show I have ever seen. And it will take some work for something to top this one.
The story is set in World War I. Joey, the horse, is being raised by Albert, until Albert's father sells him to the army, and we follow his time in the army as well as Albert's hunt for his horse. That's the short version.
First things first - Understanding Joey. Joey is a puppet, but unlike any puppet you have seen before. The young Joey is operated by two people. The grown up Joey is a ride-able puppet that is operated by three people.
It is a marvel to watch. I grew up in a home where we raised horses. I don't remember a time in my youth when we did not have at least 6-8 horses in the backyard. I know their little quirks and movements, the little flicks of the ears, small movements of the tail or a foot to express things. They had it all down, even the breathing of this puppet.
The acting staff was also brilliant. I am going to step back and let the videos show you more, but let me simply say this... if you are ANYWHERE near where this is playing (it's at Lincoln Center now and still playing in London) GO SEE IT!
And, for the love of God, take Kleenex! You ARE going to be attached to Joey. You ARE going to be attached to Albert. Heck, you are likely going to end up attached to the German, even though he's on the other side of the war. You will care for them all.
You will be enthralled in the story and the nearly three hour show will flash by. Also, if you go to the Lincoln Center and can swing it, get tickets along the aisle between the 400 and 500 section. Sometimes it's good not to have center seats. Just trust me on this one!
Now, the videos - The official trailer...
A piece from Broadway.com previewing the show.
Joey at Sandown - This is a great video to see how well the puppeteers become the horse.
A cute video of the horses at Lincoln Center - again to see how well the horses move and interact.
and.... the comic relief of the show... the War Goose... anyone who knows me knows I WANT ONE! :) Go through the video to 4:25 and that's where he is.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Book Of Mormon
Ranking at number 2 in last week's 5 shows that I saw was Book of Mormon.
Now let me begin this by saying it only came in at number 2 because of the number 1 show that I saw that was astounding and then some! I thought Book of Mormon was going to be number 1 until that final show.
BOM is one of the funniest things I have ever seen, and I watch a lot of funny stuff. That said, it is NOT a show for everyone. If you get offended easily, you may just want to go away now and come back when the next blog is posted as that show IS good for everyone. BOM was written by the same guys who wrote South Park. And no, they did not suddenly become mild-mannered writers. They are their typical sarcastic and sometimes downright blasphemous selves. You have been warned.
The story is this. We are following along with a couple of guys from the Mormon Church of Later Day Saints 'Institute'. They are being educated in how to go door to door and it introduces us to our main characters Elder Price (the perfect student) and Elder Cunningham (perfect student? Not so much....) This was literally the show opener. I only have the audio version for you, but it was adorable..
You can listen and picture guys walking out on stage (and onto platforms) one at a time practicing their 'hello' lines.
Anyone who was not at the theater on time and missed the first number really missed out. I never understood those people anyways, and therefore they deserve to be punished for being late and in this case they definitely are... but I digress....
We go on to follow Elders Price and Cunningham as they take off on their mission to Africa and, well, I will not tell you all of what happens, but there is a lot of laughter, and also very some sweet and tender moments. It's got it all, characters you get to know and like, a look at some real issues, a nod to Sound of Music, Wicked and Lion King, a glimpse into some of the curious parts of Mormonism, but mostly laughter. It's something almost everyone can enjoy... but mostly me.... oh wait... that's a line from the show.
And before you pick on the fact that they are picking on the Church of Later Day Saints, they really just took the real Book of Mormon, and drew a lot of attention to some of the parts that are more 'questionable' or a little out there.
Seriously if you are looking for a show that will make you laugh, I mean all out belly laugh, this is it! Well written, well presented, just awesome. I was going on days of little to no sleep, and I was engaged and laughing all the way through!
Here's a piece from later on in the show as done on the Tony Awards, you know, as they were racking them up!
And if you do NOT offend easily - the song that will have you tapping along and then, depending on how sensitive you are, be a little mortified at what you were tapping your foot along with.... it happens when the pair arrives in Africa.
Still reading... Did I mention it's really offensive? Just warning again.... remember.. these are the guys who equate Christmas to a piece of poop... joined by the composer who wrote 'The Internet is for Porn'. That was your final warning...
And if you don't like it. It's your own fault. I said only listen if you don't offend easily... or even moderately.... it's quite high on the blasphemy scale...
Now let me begin this by saying it only came in at number 2 because of the number 1 show that I saw that was astounding and then some! I thought Book of Mormon was going to be number 1 until that final show.
BOM is one of the funniest things I have ever seen, and I watch a lot of funny stuff. That said, it is NOT a show for everyone. If you get offended easily, you may just want to go away now and come back when the next blog is posted as that show IS good for everyone. BOM was written by the same guys who wrote South Park. And no, they did not suddenly become mild-mannered writers. They are their typical sarcastic and sometimes downright blasphemous selves. You have been warned.
The story is this. We are following along with a couple of guys from the Mormon Church of Later Day Saints 'Institute'. They are being educated in how to go door to door and it introduces us to our main characters Elder Price (the perfect student) and Elder Cunningham (perfect student? Not so much....) This was literally the show opener. I only have the audio version for you, but it was adorable..
You can listen and picture guys walking out on stage (and onto platforms) one at a time practicing their 'hello' lines.
Anyone who was not at the theater on time and missed the first number really missed out. I never understood those people anyways, and therefore they deserve to be punished for being late and in this case they definitely are... but I digress....
We go on to follow Elders Price and Cunningham as they take off on their mission to Africa and, well, I will not tell you all of what happens, but there is a lot of laughter, and also very some sweet and tender moments. It's got it all, characters you get to know and like, a look at some real issues, a nod to Sound of Music, Wicked and Lion King, a glimpse into some of the curious parts of Mormonism, but mostly laughter. It's something almost everyone can enjoy... but mostly me.... oh wait... that's a line from the show.
And before you pick on the fact that they are picking on the Church of Later Day Saints, they really just took the real Book of Mormon, and drew a lot of attention to some of the parts that are more 'questionable' or a little out there.
Seriously if you are looking for a show that will make you laugh, I mean all out belly laugh, this is it! Well written, well presented, just awesome. I was going on days of little to no sleep, and I was engaged and laughing all the way through!
Here's a piece from later on in the show as done on the Tony Awards, you know, as they were racking them up!
And if you do NOT offend easily - the song that will have you tapping along and then, depending on how sensitive you are, be a little mortified at what you were tapping your foot along with.... it happens when the pair arrives in Africa.
Still reading... Did I mention it's really offensive? Just warning again.... remember.. these are the guys who equate Christmas to a piece of poop... joined by the composer who wrote 'The Internet is for Porn'. That was your final warning...
And if you don't like it. It's your own fault. I said only listen if you don't offend easily... or even moderately.... it's quite high on the blasphemy scale...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
On the list of five shows I saw on Broadway last week - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It starred Daniel Radcliffe ( you know, Harry Potter), and John Larroquette.
First, I must confess I've had a John Larroquette since he was on Night Court. Just pointing out my possible bias up front...
I am going to be beaten by a few of my Harry Potter fan friends for this, but I really hadn't paid attention to the fact that Radcliffe was in the show... nor did I really care. That said, he did a pretty darn good job. He had the comic expressions that are so vital for the show to work, down pat, and did the character of Finch justice. I, of course, loved his interaction with the boss (John Larroquette) . It's the kiss up we all know, but just better at and able to use that brown-nosing to get ahead.
If you have seen the show before, you know the story. If not, well it's a very fun little story about getting ahead in corporate and overall the show was cute and enjoyable. Below is a link to a video that pretty much gives you a glimpse at points throughout the show...
We also lucked out an got half-off tickets. So, was it worth the price of admission? Yes. I laughed a lot and had a good time at the show, especially the Old Ivy scene with Finch & the boss.
Enjoy -
First, I must confess I've had a John Larroquette since he was on Night Court. Just pointing out my possible bias up front...
I am going to be beaten by a few of my Harry Potter fan friends for this, but I really hadn't paid attention to the fact that Radcliffe was in the show... nor did I really care. That said, he did a pretty darn good job. He had the comic expressions that are so vital for the show to work, down pat, and did the character of Finch justice. I, of course, loved his interaction with the boss (John Larroquette) . It's the kiss up we all know, but just better at and able to use that brown-nosing to get ahead.
If you have seen the show before, you know the story. If not, well it's a very fun little story about getting ahead in corporate and overall the show was cute and enjoyable. Below is a link to a video that pretty much gives you a glimpse at points throughout the show...
We also lucked out an got half-off tickets. So, was it worth the price of admission? Yes. I laughed a lot and had a good time at the show, especially the Old Ivy scene with Finch & the boss.
Enjoy -
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil
Coming in at number 4 out of 5 in the shows I saw last week was Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall. This was not because it was bad, but it was a circus show... not something that pulled me in dramatically, so it moved down to 4 of 5.
Automatic point in it's corner – it was at Radio City Music Hall!!!
I had never been inside the building before, and it's a WOW space! Beautiful!
Musically, it was a rock opera. Some parts were enjoyable to the ears...other parts had me cocking my head to the side like a confused duck trying to sort out what the song was trying to add to the show.
Automatic point in it's corner – it was at Radio City Music Hall!!!
I had never been inside the building before, and it's a WOW space! Beautiful!
Zarkana itself was an enjoyable show, but I don't think I liked it as much as I did La Nouba in Orlando. The stand out acts were the girl with the tennis balls (who gets all of 1 second in the promotional video below) and the sand artist. They were both amazing to watch!
There were also a number of acrobatic acts I had not seen before which made me tired just watching them... especially that single solitary guy in the baggy shirt... he's in the promo too...
The clowns also had some very fun gimmicks that I had not seen before that made me smile. That takes some work since I am not usually a big clown fan, but they were really cute!
Musically, it was a rock opera. Some parts were enjoyable to the ears...other parts had me cocking my head to the side like a confused duck trying to sort out what the song was trying to add to the show.
Overall, it was enjoyable to watch and a nice visual diversion for the evening... and if you like ciqrue style shows, I think you'll really enjoy it.
Here's the trailer for it so you can take a glimpse
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Broadway - 5 days 5 shows!
So, you may be wondering where I have been the past week. The short answer is Broadway.
One of my closest friends, Clay, was in town and we're both show people. So we decided to see a couple. Ok, a lot - 5 shows in 5 days last week. Some were totally amazing. One was quite disappointing and a couple in the middle. For the next couple days I'll fill you in on my thoughts about what I saw.
Let's get the painful one out of the way... shall we? Mary Poppins. I know, you're saying, Mary Poppins? Really? But you're the Julie Andrews and Disney-loving loony!! How can you have not liked Mary Poppins??? That should tell you something. If I didn't like it, that's a really bad sign.
I had heard good things about the show and was ready to be dazzled and taken into a Disney moment. It didn't happen. I just never became connected with the characters. Ok, I did with Bert, a little, but that was it. I felt no emotion towards anyone else. I am usually the first person to connect with characters and want to let myself become a part of the story... but it didn't happen... I had to fight falling asleep!
And it was not that the actors were bad. They were all good... their voices were enjoyable when they were singing. I just didn't connect.
So out of the 5 shows last week, it gets bottom ranking... heck it's the bottom of the 7 I've seen since I got here.
Now I can't end on a down note, so let't look at it's redeeming qualities. The moving sets and some of the stage magic were fantastic and this was probably my favorite song of the show... so, here you go... watch this song, and skip the show... even with half-off tickets I wouldn't do it again.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
A few more 9/11 pics
Here is the line of candles representing the 57 people who died who were from Hoboken. The city lost more residents than any other city in New Jersey.
The Tower of Light at dusk...
The Tower of light a little later in the evening.
If you watched the Jets/Dallas NFL game Sunday night and saw the tribute to 9/11, the bugler playing Taps was in the park where we all were....
And finally, a look at some of the rest of the city... it's hard to see, but most buildings were sporting red white and blue lights.
I promised I would post these, so here are a few more pics I took on 9/11, in Hoboken, NJ.
The Tower of Light at dusk...
The Tower of light a little later in the evening.
If you watched the Jets/Dallas NFL game Sunday night and saw the tribute to 9/11, the bugler playing Taps was in the park where we all were....
And finally, a look at some of the rest of the city... it's hard to see, but most buildings were sporting red white and blue lights.
I promised I would post these, so here are a few more pics I took on 9/11, in Hoboken, NJ.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
9/11
Living in New Jersey and working in New York makes 9/11 more personal.
I know, I have only been here just over a month, but in that month nearly everyone I have met and talked to was personally impacted by the terrorist attacks. I've heard stories of family and friends lost, fear, and terror they went through... as well as illnesses some of my co-workers suffered from being at ground zero following the attacks.
As they have told these stories, I have seen the fear and pain return to their eyes as they relive that day, I have heard their usually strong and powerful voices waiver as they recount what they went through. Here, 10 years may as well have not passed, it is still as vivid today as the day it happened.
So, as I listen this morning to the list of names of those lost read at the memorial ceremony, the tears have been in a constant stream.
I have not been to Ground Zero. I had been planning to, but a run of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, etc have kept me from getting there, but I have been touched by a piece of it.
On Friday I was at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice where they were preparing to set up their own memorial.
The college lost 68 of their own, many alums who were first responders. Their tribute is a piece steel from the rubble of the tower, to serve as a permanent reminder.
I can't even begin to tell you how small one feels when standing next to this piece of steel. While it is so small in the grand scheme of the wreckage of the attacks. What it represents is just so massive.
I know, I have only been here just over a month, but in that month nearly everyone I have met and talked to was personally impacted by the terrorist attacks. I've heard stories of family and friends lost, fear, and terror they went through... as well as illnesses some of my co-workers suffered from being at ground zero following the attacks.
As they have told these stories, I have seen the fear and pain return to their eyes as they relive that day, I have heard their usually strong and powerful voices waiver as they recount what they went through. Here, 10 years may as well have not passed, it is still as vivid today as the day it happened.
So, as I listen this morning to the list of names of those lost read at the memorial ceremony, the tears have been in a constant stream.
I have not been to Ground Zero. I had been planning to, but a run of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, etc have kept me from getting there, but I have been touched by a piece of it.
On Friday I was at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice where they were preparing to set up their own memorial.
The college lost 68 of their own, many alums who were first responders. Their tribute is a piece steel from the rubble of the tower, to serve as a permanent reminder.
I can't even begin to tell you how small one feels when standing next to this piece of steel. While it is so small in the grand scheme of the wreckage of the attacks. What it represents is just so massive.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Enough Water Already!!!!
So, how have I spent this week? Sadly...water logged.... not my home... but seeing others who were trying to recover from Hurricane Irene only to have the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee come in and cause the rivers to take over their homes again...
Remember those pictures with the boats from last week... those were Paterson,NJ and the Passaic river. The river had gone back down, within it's banks on Saturday and Sunday.... and on Tuesday.... back up it began as the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee came through...
These pictures are from Wednesday.... the crest did not happen until Friday... which means everything you see was back underwater.... the river rose another 2-3 feet after these were taken...
On Thursday I went first to Little Falls, NJ.... again... same story... the river was rising... This was Thursday moring...and again they were expecting 3 more feet before it was going to crest... My heart went out to these people..... They had JUST pulled everything out of their homes from Irene...when in comes the next flood.....
See all the machinery? The streets sounded like a construction site... they were trying to scoop up all the debris that had been piled outside from the gutted homes post-Irene, so it didn't get picked up by the river and do damage to people or homes.... it was a 24/7 operation trying to get as much up as they could before the river took over....
My final flood story of the week was a positive one...at least as positive as you can get for a flood story... I was sent to Manville, NJ... Manville had one area where literally hundreds of homes had been flooded out. As the people who lived there were able to go home, a 'scout team' from Christian Aid Ministries was with them... They are a Mennonite and Amish based group.
Team Director Leroy Heatwole surveyed the area saw how bad it was and went immediately back to Va (where they were based) packed up their 'disaster aid' team and headed back.
They came with volunteers about 150 strong, generators, tools and started going home by home asking people if they could help them. Now... I'm not talking a little help here.... They would send teams of 10 or more into the home and get all the water out, muck it out (meaning get all the gross sediment that was in there out), take out all the destroyed items and pile them outside,rip out ruined floors, carpets, drywall, everything! and clean it all up as much as they could. When they were done, the residents could literally start rebuilding. They honestly were faster and more effective than professional demolition teams at what they did... just astounding.
This picture shows one of the piles they made in just one day in front of the house on the right.
The homeowners I talked to said it would have taken them months or thousands of dollars, or both to do what these folks did in a day....They called them a blessing, a godsend, and were beside themselves with gratitude....
And they stuck around all week doing this work for 100 homes in the area.... What did they take in return? Nothing... One of the homeowners said he was even trying to give them some bottles of water, but they said they had their own and did not want to take from those who had already been through so much...
Truly an amazing group of people and their efforts truly touched the hearts of people who were having a tough time... so.... for that, I offer a plug.
Christian Aid Ministries
They do take donations from the rest of us :)
And my funny side note on this topic.... so.... there I am... covering a group of Mennonite and Amish folks.... it's lunch.... they're in a circle for a song and prayer (which by the way was beautiful!)
All I can think of is that as I look around the circle... I look like the heathen.... I was the ONLY woman in pants.... add to that I had makeup, my hair was down, and.... for the love of God, I had midnight sky (sparkly black) nail polish on....So, yeah... 'heathen' written all over me!!!
But, they were kind, hospitable and humored me, even offering me lunch that they had prepared for their group.... and Leroy gifted me a Mennonite Choir CD before I left - the giving just seemed to never stop from them!
Did I mention how wonderful they were? And that was the final flood story I covered this week... I so love ending something on a positive note!
Remember those pictures with the boats from last week... those were Paterson,NJ and the Passaic river. The river had gone back down, within it's banks on Saturday and Sunday.... and on Tuesday.... back up it began as the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee came through...
These pictures are from Wednesday.... the crest did not happen until Friday... which means everything you see was back underwater.... the river rose another 2-3 feet after these were taken...
On Thursday I went first to Little Falls, NJ.... again... same story... the river was rising... This was Thursday moring...and again they were expecting 3 more feet before it was going to crest... My heart went out to these people..... They had JUST pulled everything out of their homes from Irene...when in comes the next flood.....
See all the machinery? The streets sounded like a construction site... they were trying to scoop up all the debris that had been piled outside from the gutted homes post-Irene, so it didn't get picked up by the river and do damage to people or homes.... it was a 24/7 operation trying to get as much up as they could before the river took over....
My final flood story of the week was a positive one...at least as positive as you can get for a flood story... I was sent to Manville, NJ... Manville had one area where literally hundreds of homes had been flooded out. As the people who lived there were able to go home, a 'scout team' from Christian Aid Ministries was with them... They are a Mennonite and Amish based group.
Team Director Leroy Heatwole surveyed the area saw how bad it was and went immediately back to Va (where they were based) packed up their 'disaster aid' team and headed back.
They came with volunteers about 150 strong, generators, tools and started going home by home asking people if they could help them. Now... I'm not talking a little help here.... They would send teams of 10 or more into the home and get all the water out, muck it out (meaning get all the gross sediment that was in there out), take out all the destroyed items and pile them outside,rip out ruined floors, carpets, drywall, everything! and clean it all up as much as they could. When they were done, the residents could literally start rebuilding. They honestly were faster and more effective than professional demolition teams at what they did... just astounding.
This picture shows one of the piles they made in just one day in front of the house on the right.
The homeowners I talked to said it would have taken them months or thousands of dollars, or both to do what these folks did in a day....They called them a blessing, a godsend, and were beside themselves with gratitude....
And they stuck around all week doing this work for 100 homes in the area.... What did they take in return? Nothing... One of the homeowners said he was even trying to give them some bottles of water, but they said they had their own and did not want to take from those who had already been through so much...
Truly an amazing group of people and their efforts truly touched the hearts of people who were having a tough time... so.... for that, I offer a plug.
Christian Aid Ministries
They do take donations from the rest of us :)
And my funny side note on this topic.... so.... there I am... covering a group of Mennonite and Amish folks.... it's lunch.... they're in a circle for a song and prayer (which by the way was beautiful!)
All I can think of is that as I look around the circle... I look like the heathen.... I was the ONLY woman in pants.... add to that I had makeup, my hair was down, and.... for the love of God, I had midnight sky (sparkly black) nail polish on....So, yeah... 'heathen' written all over me!!!
But, they were kind, hospitable and humored me, even offering me lunch that they had prepared for their group.... and Leroy gifted me a Mennonite Choir CD before I left - the giving just seemed to never stop from them!
Did I mention how wonderful they were? And that was the final flood story I covered this week... I so love ending something on a positive note!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Follies
Well, I've seen my first Broadway show since I moved up to New York City.
And I saw it for half price.
And, it gets better....
It had Bernadette Peters in it!
The revival of Follies is in preview at the Marquis Theatre and the other night I decided to see if I can get a good ticket at a good price. Perhaps you seen those red buildings that say TKTS on them? Well, there are three of them in the city and they offer discounted tickets within hours of a show. You know, the seats the theater has been unable to sell and they prefer to get a few bucks for them versus nothing. Well, thanks to that discount plan, I was able to get a $140 ticket for 70 bucks! Score!
I borrowed the synopsis from Playbill
At a 1970's reunion of aging Follies chorines, two of the "girls" have a chance to reexamine their lives, and especially their marriages. Did they marry the wrong men? The answers begin to emerge when the ghosts of their former selves lead them back into the Ziegfeld-like Loveland, where everybody "lives to love" and "loves to live." Includes the songs "In Buddy's Eyes," "I'm Still Here," "The Girls Upstairs" and "Losing My Mind."
Now my version....
Bernadette Peters is Sally Durant and Jan Maxwell is Phyllis Stone. They were a couple of Weismanns Follies in the 40s... and now they are back at their 'final reunion' in 1971. They both had married and started lives with the men they met while they were Follies.. but Sally always wanted to be with Benjamin Stone (Ron Raines). He, however, married Phyllis so she married Buddy (Danny Burstein). At the reunion, she wonders if she can change her life and be with Benjamin now.... that's the crux... wanna see what happens? Go see the show! It's fabulous! It opens officially on September 12th....
Ok, so I will give you a little more... Here are a few pics from the website http://folliesbroadway.com
And someone posted a couple of clips on Youtube from when the show was at the Kennedy Center...so here are a couple numbers.
Don't look at me
Bernadette Peters Ron Raines
I'm Still Here
Elaine Paige
Who's that woman
Weismann's Follies
Buddy's Blues
Danny Burstein
But trust me, these video clips are not doing it justice, you really should go if you are up this way.
And I saw it for half price.
And, it gets better....
It had Bernadette Peters in it!
The revival of Follies is in preview at the Marquis Theatre and the other night I decided to see if I can get a good ticket at a good price. Perhaps you seen those red buildings that say TKTS on them? Well, there are three of them in the city and they offer discounted tickets within hours of a show. You know, the seats the theater has been unable to sell and they prefer to get a few bucks for them versus nothing. Well, thanks to that discount plan, I was able to get a $140 ticket for 70 bucks! Score!
I borrowed the synopsis from Playbill
At a 1970's reunion of aging Follies chorines, two of the "girls" have a chance to reexamine their lives, and especially their marriages. Did they marry the wrong men? The answers begin to emerge when the ghosts of their former selves lead them back into the Ziegfeld-like Loveland, where everybody "lives to love" and "loves to live." Includes the songs "In Buddy's Eyes," "I'm Still Here," "The Girls Upstairs" and "Losing My Mind."
Now my version....
Bernadette Peters is Sally Durant and Jan Maxwell is Phyllis Stone. They were a couple of Weismanns Follies in the 40s... and now they are back at their 'final reunion' in 1971. They both had married and started lives with the men they met while they were Follies.. but Sally always wanted to be with Benjamin Stone (Ron Raines). He, however, married Phyllis so she married Buddy (Danny Burstein). At the reunion, she wonders if she can change her life and be with Benjamin now.... that's the crux... wanna see what happens? Go see the show! It's fabulous! It opens officially on September 12th....
Ok, so I will give you a little more... Here are a few pics from the website http://folliesbroadway.com
And someone posted a couple of clips on Youtube from when the show was at the Kennedy Center...so here are a couple numbers.
Don't look at me
Bernadette Peters Ron Raines
I'm Still Here
Elaine Paige
Who's that woman
Weismann's Follies
Buddy's Blues
Danny Burstein
But trust me, these video clips are not doing it justice, you really should go if you are up this way.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Irene Reports
In case you are curious what my take was at the locations I went to after Irene... here are a couple of the reports I did that correlate to the pictures in yesterday's blog:
Hoboken
Lodi
Milburn
Paterson
Hoboken
Lodi
Milburn
Paterson
Hurricane Irene
I've been doing lots of storm coverage and long days...so no, I did not blog during the storm... pretty much if I was not working, I was sleeping....
But now that things are calming down... I figured I will post a picture-filled blog to wrap up Irene....
Here's NYC the morning the storm was arriving (Before the eye)
I will say, this was the easiest drive I have ever had through NY... no traffic is nice and since I am a Florida girl, a couple hurricane winds aren't going to bother me! It was smooth sailing all through the city.
Post Storm, I started doing damage coverage. Here is Hoboken NJ on Sunday. Hoboken is interesting. You would think with the water like this it would be right down on a swollen river... not so. The river is actually quite a ways downhill from here, but the drive downhill is full of smaller hills and in between those hills is where the water was collecting, creating large lakes of water throughout the city, with no where for it to drain....
Monday I went to Milburn, NJ, which was shoveling out muck from the floods.... Many, many businesses are just destroyed....I can't even describe how horrible the smell was as well... think sewage mixed with rotting plants and you're in the right ball park....
As you pass many stores the outsides are just piled with EVERYTHING they had... it's all lost.... much the same outside many homes I passed... it was very sad... I really felt for the people who have weeks and weeks of clean up ahead of them as they try to get their lives back
As you pass many stores the outsides are just piled with EVERYTHING they had... it's all lost.... much the same outside many homes I passed... it was very sad... I really felt for the people who have weeks and weeks of clean up ahead of them as they try to get their lives back
Tuesday, I went to Paterson NJ.
Paterson was different than the other areas that had flooded during the storm. Paterson flooded after the storm. The Passaic River started flooding on Monday. I talked to people who had gone to work Monday morning and thought they had weathered the storm just fine... then came home to find out their home was underwater and they could not go back. Others were told they would probably be ok, and when Tuesday came and the waters were still rising they were given minutes to a few hours to get out.
Some had to be rescued by boat....
These people I really felt for! Most of the people I met lost everything they had... they were low-income to begin with, often with a lot of members of a family living in a home... didn't have insurance...and again.... many didn't even get a lot of notice to get out because it was not a 'during Irene evacuation' It all happened days after the storm...
I went back on Thursday and the water was going down, but very slowly.... Pretty much everyone I met has to completely start from scratch..with little to nothing... I can't even imagine....
The President is set to visit tomorrow...and the residents are hoping he will give them some help. To be honest, I would say they should all look to somewhere else to rebuild. The Passaic has flooded three times in the past year in that area (of course this was the worst) but I just can't see going back to a space where this could happen again....
I do have a couple of side stories here to make you smile....
#1 - Sweet Boots. It seems I have style even in muck and mud. As I was interviewing a member of the Urban Search and Rescue team one of the other guys looked over and said - Hey - sweet boots! To which I of course said 'I was going to stylish disaster coverage' and got a thumbs up :) Here are those 'sweet boots'
And what good is a blog post without squirrels... Shortly, you will see what the squirrels learned about hurricane coverage, but during my reporting in Paterson, they made it into an interview... and no... I did not do it. Tony Aiello of CBS TV New York knew about the squirrels and popped his camera, microphone and question in as I was talking to Scott Evans with Urban Search and Rescue about the people and animals they have rescued from the rising flood waters.....
Hear the Audio Here
And he went right on after that with his next serious questions....I also love that Scott, probably too used to the media and our odd questions, did not even flinch at the question....
Tony was also nice enough to snap a shot of me working, so I have proof, I really do my job :)
And speaking of the squirrels, they were able to find the silver lining in the hurricane.... acorns... the storm shook trees dropping branches and many of those filled with acorns...so I went and collected a lot of them. That made for a pair of happy squirrels.
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Susie also enjoyed some 'I survived the hurricane' yogurt
and Amelia was thankful she got new branches that the storm has knocked down to chew on...
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