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[Jay]

Dear Reader Jason--

It's so nice to have you back!  Am looking forward to more juicy stories from your thespian adventures in the wilds of West Virginia.  [Cue Dueling Banjoes.]

[Jay]

And welcome to Dear Reader Knockout/Kurt!

[TCB]

Dear Reader Jason--

It's so nice to have you back!  Am looking forward to more juicy stories from your thespian adventures in the wilds of West Virginia.  [Cue Dueling Banjoes.]

Jason!  You became a lesbian in West Virginia?

[Tomovoz]

I guess it was a choice between that and "Taking to pig sticking in quite the wrong way" (Noel Coward).

[Jrand73]

DR Jason welcome back.  Check on the AMAZON site and track your packages.  You can tell if they were delivered while you were gone.

[TCB]

Welcome, Kurt.

Jason, were you really the whale in MOBY DICK?

[JoseSPiano]

Good afternoon!

Well, I've decided today would be a "fat day" for me.  

I ran my bank errand, and then headed to Ukrop's for my "traditional" Monday stop and shop.  Well... Since I hadn't had lunch or breakfast, I decided to pick up some food.  After some browsing, I decided to get some fried fish filets, tilapia, from the seafood counter (I love places where they will cook the food for you there), a twice-baked potato (with sour cream, cheddar, bacon and chives), and a package of those yummilicious Archway Malted Nutty Nougat cookies!  However, I did stop by the salad bar, and put together something for my dinner tonight.  I also picked up some more oatmeal and confectioner's sugar - I sense I will be doing some late night baking tonight.

*At least the fish was well-fried - not greasy at all - and only coated in a light dusting of seasoned flour.  Good protein.  However, the twice-baked potato was a different story...  And the cookies... I just hope the bag makes it through the day.  

Welcome to the new board, DR Kurt!  -And I do believe I have had the cookie you described.  Yums!  And that "cookie" has served as many a base for other cookies: angel bars (condensed milk, coconut, chocolate chips and pecans), gloppy bars (marshmallow, peanuts and chocolate), toffee chews (evaporated milk, crushed Skor bars, and more chocolate!), etc....

DR Jason - I will say the one thing I miss about some of my "lesser" gigs are some of the characters I used to come across.  Yes, there are still some colorful people in the "biz", but those homegrown folk are truly special.  In all senses, good and bad and indifferent.  I once worked a summer in Amish country in Indiana...

And as for a chat tonight.. I can be there, but my attention span will probably be split between the chat and Angels In America - Part 2 (It's on HBO tonight).  Sorry...

And, Jason, I hope your mail does turn up somewhere. Oh, and depending upon how much catching up you've been doing here on HHW, I'll be up in NYC from January 14-18.  See you then, I hope!

Oh, and for any NYCers or others - I have a couple of shows lined up already for my trip.  I actually want to go ahead and squeeze in one more.  I'm deciding between Wonderful Town, Little Shop..., and Caroline, or Change.  Luckily, it's January, so business is slow, and just checking Telecharge, there still be some very good seats right now for all three.  I'm leaning toward Wonderful Town, but since this will be show #5(!) of the trip, I want to save some money of these tickets, and I haven't come across any vouchers for January yet.  However, Little Shop is on sale right now, and the tickets for the Public are pretty reasonable - at least compared to the $100/ticket price for Broadway.  Any thoughts?  Or other suggestions?  *This is my first trip up to NYC since the blackout, and it will most likely be my last trip up until the summer - I'm playing catch up.

OK - that's my afternoon ramble...  Time for more cookies!

[Noel]

Diane: I know there are probably a ton of Dianes in New York, but are you the one that I know?

To clear up confusion as to who DR Diane is, look to the right and front of photos of Our Wedding - The Musical, the CD of which is available at www.WeddingMusical.com

OK, I've tried & failed to post three pictures - ones I'd managed to post before.  Here's Diane, leaning acrobatically from the right, at my bachelor party

[Emily]

The Arab World exam went very well.  I skedaddled two hours after it started... woo hoo!

But now I have to wait around until 5pm so that I can get my paper for the course back from the professor... woo woe!

I watched Survivor yesterday but, like pretty much this entire season, it disappointed me. I didn't like any of the characters in particular and in the end I was cheering for Jon.  Yes.  JON the evil bastard from hell who eats kittens and boils babies for fun.  At least he was entertaining

I am feeling most unattractive today.  Blech.  Ever since a couple of days ago I find that I have absolutely no appetite - I actually have to force myself to eat one meal a day with my family.  Coffee at 8am and then a small dinner at 6pm should not be making me feel like I had one of José's fat days.  Blech.    

I have to go to work tomorrow morning for 9am.  In the East End.  The day after a giant snow storm.  Double blech.

At least I get the afternoon off to study for my final final final final final final exam!  Woo hoo!  Yippee!  Huzzah!  The exam is for the now infamous Conflict, Crisis and War class.  Boo!  Go Home!  Bah!

On a happier note: welcome to new DR Kurt!!!

[bk]

Just et my Quizno's Lite Turkey Sub (large, of course).  The building in which I am working provided a holiday breakfast for all tenants.  But I didn't realize it, and by the time I did realize it is was over.

I'm thinkin' we might just make 100 posts today.

[Kurt]

Jose --

Article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune regarding Caroline, or Change suggests that the show is skedded for a B'way house, but that is denied by the parties involved. Also, given that Wonderful Town sounds to be a glorious concert (yes, yes, Donna is reputedly wonderful, but it is still just an extension of the previously unable-to-get-off-the-ground City Center production), you might want to seriously consider your options and aim for the Public. Invariably, whenever a show has transferred from the Public, it is changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes worse. Better to see it in an early guise rather than wonder what all the hype was about later. . .

Just an opinion.

And: anyone got this cookie: a brown sugar cookie dough, spread with a date mixture, rolled, sliced and baked. My great aunt left before writing this one down. . . and I've tried to duplicate what I remember to be a delicious, chewy cookie.

[Matt H.]

I cannot say that I am a reality show addict. I'm now picky about which ones I will watch. As I explained to DR Ron the other day, I was once a SURVIVOR junkie: lived, breathed, ate, and slept the show. But then I realized I was getting TOO involved with the show and the machinations behind people's behavior. I was losing sleep worrying about who would leave and what people would do. NOT GOOD! (I think I've told everyone here what a good audience I am about getting involved and believing everything I see). So, I haven't seen SUVIVOR for the last three or four semi-seasons. (The last one I saw was the one Vecepia undeservedly won.)

So, I'll watch QUEER EYE and AMERICAN IDOL and give BIG BROTHER  a chance every year before my favorites get voted out, but I don't watch FEAR FACTOR or any of the dating shows (did watch BOY MEETS BOY since it was more my cup of tea date-wise). Really just depends on the show now on whether I will give it a try or not.

[Matt H.]

Welcome to our little world, DR Kurt. Hope your stay with us is a long and happy one.


BK wrote:  "I thought the ending was okay - a necessary deux ex machina and I'm sure they'll have fun explaining it all very quickly (actually, they HAVE done so - does anyone tape this series?). "

Sorry to dispute you, el supremo bk, but we are about 10 episodes into the third season and nothing concrete has been explained yet. There have been bits and pieces of explanations as Sydney tries to sort things out and piece together her life, but there has still been no real explanation and there are still many gaping holes in the story. Every week gives us only the tiniest piece of a very complex puzzle to keep us hooked and eager for more. But it's a VERY emotional season thus far with lots of stunning surprises and twists again.

Within its total fantasy world, ALIAS is one bottomless bag of tricks.

[Matt H.]

I have spent a leisurely afternoon watching GOLDENEYE, the first and still my favorite of the Pierce Brosnan/James Bond films. Continuous action, great surround sound, and beautiful people.

[bk]

Yes, but has anybody TAPED these episodes?  I don't want to wait until next summer to get season three.

[Noel]

I'm deciding between Wonderful Town, Little Shop..., and Caroline, or Change.

Sometimes, I sound like I'm on a high horse concerning this, but, as Jose sounds like he's having trouble deciding...

Every time you buy a ticket you are, in a sense, casting a vote as to what type of show you wish to see in the future.  If you buy a ticket for Caroline, or Change you're encouraging its creators.  Jeanine and Tony (both of whom I worked with years ago) will see that their work finds an interested audience, and, with any luck, they'll come up with more wonderful shows.

Now Wonderful Town is a favorite musical of mine - one of the best never to be filmed (or revived, until now).  But most of its creators are dead, and I don't think the show's success will have any bearing on whether Betty Comden writes again.

With Little Shop you have one deceased creator and one living one.  But I'm sure Alan Menken already understands that this is the most performed American musical of the past quarter century and that all of us fans wish he'd write another.

I'd go to all three if I could, but there's something to be said for choosing new shows over revivals.  It's healthier for the survival of the art form.

There.  That didn't sound too high-horsed, did it?  Nay!

I'd chat tonight.

[William E. Lurie]

Jose

There are discount tickets to WONDERFUL TOWN at Theatermania.com

[JoseSPiano]

Coffee at 8am and then a small dinner at 6pm should not be making me feel like I had one of José's fat days.  Blech.

Actually, I'm feeling pretty good about my "fat day".  Nothing like an indulgence every now and then to pick up the spirits.  And, remember, I did pick up a salad for dinner, so... It all evens out.

Oh, and my name is sans accent.  I've been told that that is what makes my Jose a Filipino Jose as opposed to Spanish José.  Sounds good to me.

OMG!  I'm watching the repeat of "Trading Spaces" this afternoon - Hildy's Cardboard Room!
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[Jason]

Jose: Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought the cardboard room was a bad idea. YUCK!

Now, who is this new designer--Barry? I like his...um...yeah...he can stay.

[Matt H.]

Sorry I can't help you with the taped episodes of ALIAS, bk. I watch them in high definition (sorry, I know h/ks are sick of having me talk about that) and don't tape.

And they reran the season premiere last night, bk!

[Diane]

Noel: One the best damn parties I've ever been too =-)

[Matt H.]

And I won't be around for chat tonight. Sorry, but I'm sure those who are around will enjoy it. There's a new episode of LAS VEGAS tonight, and it's in high def. . . . .  (Drat! There I go again!)  

[Ron Pulliam]

Yes...welcome, KO!

Your name "Knockout" is just fine!  I was hoping it might be a bit descriptive of you...then you could give MBarnum and Mr. Mark Bakalor some competition in the looks department!

But KO is great as "knockout" and "Kurt" is terrific, too!

[Ann]

Yay!  Archaeology test is done!!!  I know I at least passed it...with what grade I do not know and do not care.
Jason - wonderful stories!  I had people staring me in the library because i was laughing so loud.  I look forward to more.
Art history test at 4 pm...good vibes appreciated...

[Jrand73]

The Evil Kurt is indeed a knockout!

[TCB]

MattH:  Last night on NBC News, during the coverage of Sadam, they were interviewing people on the street.  One of the cities they were in was Charlotte.  Were you having snow yesterday?

Jason:  So!  Did you meet anyone interesting?

Noel:  That is a very interesting point you make about the purchase of theater tickets being the same as casting a vote.  But would that vote casting work for the artists involved with a show, as well as the creators?    I mean, I don't suppose the success or failure of LITTLE SHOP would have any effect on Jerry Zaks career, but would an early closing of their show have any effect on the careers of Hunter Foster or Kerry Butler?

[Jrand73]

Well, DR TCB - I don't think either of them will ever have to take in laundry.

[TCB]

The Evil Kurt is indeed a knockout!

Hmmm, evil AND a knockout!

[Noel]

I seem to have lost the knack of posting photos, but here's an attempt to show part of the choir from Our Wedding - The Musical (you can buy the CD at www.WeddingMusical.com - have I mentioned that?) & DR Diane is in front.

[Panni]

I promised earlier to share a delish dessert recipe - but I can't. I realize now that only I can make this dessert because only I understand the recipe. It was bequeathed to me by my mother. I looked it up in my little notebook and it has ingredients like "1/4 & 1/2 of 1/4 lb. butter."  You figure that out! I can make it by instinct, but that won't work for the DR's. Because I'm just full of stories (and this one isn't about the rich and famous) I'll tell you the story of the recipe you won't get. It's called "Ibi Neni Torta." Which means "Aunt Ibi Cake." Now even though this story has to do with lovely things to eat, it's a Hungarian story, so it's dark and tragic (and has people dancing the Csardas into the night)... The tradition in Hungary is for newlyweds to visit the various relatives shortly after the wedding. At each house you get served something special. My parents' wedding was sudden. My father's first wife was killed by the Nazis and my mother's fiancé (a doctor) injected himself with a deadly overdose on his way to concentration camp.- Are we having fun yet? - My parents met after the war through a Personal ad and had their first date on New Year's Eve. Weirdly enough, it turned out that my father (to be) was a patient of my mother-to-be's dead fiancé. In fact, my mother used to wait for her fiancé outside my father-to-be's apartment every Friday evening, while her fiancé (a doctor, remember?) gave my father a shot (of what I don't know). Anyway, on their first date they went to the opera and my father put his hand over my mother's as they watched and said, "You know this is for a lifetime."
Isn't that romantic? (Mind you, he died seven years later - but this is  Hungarian story and that's to be expected.) Anyway, we flash forward a month or two and they marry and visit all the surprised relatives and Aunt Ibi makes this yummy chocolate thing for them - which my mother then always made for me as a treat and I can make it, too. But YOU can't because I can't tell you how.
Sorry for the ramble, but all this talk of Saddam made me think of Hungary - I even took out a book about the Hungarian Revolution last night and looked at the pictures of dead bodies and fondly thought back on the good old days of my childhood. This is getting MORBID.
I think I'll take my car in now to get a Smog Certificate so I can get my CA plates. That should cheer me up. BTW - I have to take a written test to get my CA license. I know many of you HHW folks are students, but it's been a few decades since I was a student and that was the last time I took a test. I'm not looking forward to it.