Here I am after a day of volunteering and Christmas tree decorating feeling nicely relaxed and happy.
Anthony is watching Monk and I'm posting.
Jason, regarding Miss Chita, my feelings are similar to yours. Although I loved seeing her there is something missing from the show. It's hard to put into words but as you said, it's like seeing her do something that 30 or 20 years ago was wonderful but now just makes you want to go back in time to see the real thing (did that make sense?). I'm glad I saw the show and listening to her stories is great fun but It's missing a spark. I don't want to constantly compare her to Elaine Stritch or Barbara Cook who is also a long-time fixture and while she doesn't act anymore she still performs and does it like no one else, IMHO. They both have an energy and a spark in their performances that have you on your feet the minute the show is over. I know Miss Rivera's show needed some kind of dramatic hook, but I don't think the Terrence McNally book works that well. It's full of stagey dialogue and it skims so many things. I did want to hear more about Merlin, not just a brief sentence. I wanted to something about the shows that should not have come into Broadway. Don't get me wrong, there were some great moments, including the second act A Woman the World Has Never Seen, but it's not the great story I expected or wanted. She's been in the business for over 50 years. She has held up well for a woman who had what was to be a career ending auto accident 20 years ago. But I wanted something more. What, I'm not quite sure. I went away glad that I saw the show but it left me, like Jason, rather wistful. The show didn't leave me wanting more in the good sense, it left me wanting something else.