Sunday, August 31, 2008
Now you see it and now you don't
I had plans to so several things this weekend but those plans have disappeared.
After work on Friday I went to Hollywood magic. The three guys were taking a mentalist act a little too far. It was fun at first where a card was taken out of the deck and guessed by one of the magicians. After the fifth time and close wrong guesses it was obvious a stacked deck was being used. It became annoying that they were trying to impress with it. I purchased Heiny 500 and Twisted by Andrew Mayne. I like Heiny 500 but I am not sure if I like Twisted so much. There are a bunch of trailers for other Andrew Mayne stuff and I like a bunch of it. Ghost Bills might be the next purchase.
Friday night I was strolling past Magicopolis and I saw Erik at the bar. I was showing him Colour Burn and talking opinions about what routines can follow. He asked if I heard that Jon Armstrong was showing up. I said I had no idea. It wasn't advertised and when it started it was just Jon, Erik and myself. Jon did some routines that were great magician foolers. It was a good four hours of magic. Jimmy and Kristy came out and then there was about 12 people by the end of the night. After Magicopolis I went to Kings Head and played the drunk magician. I saw Paul from work and did a little magic. Mostly just got drunk.
Today I was hungover and thought I would do some of my plans but it was a bust. I was supposed to go to a BBQ in Pasadena but I didn't want to drive the hour to get there. Scott called me before he was heading up but I was not ready to go at all.
I was also supposed to have plans with Jimmy to do something with Aron for his birthday. Aron ended up dumping us for something else. He is now not doing his birthday stuff till next weekend. Its sucky since I will be in New York next weekend.
I didn't end up leaving the house until 10pm. I headed to Magicopolis to attend the Bar Show. It was fun, I didn't drink too much. The magician was good. He had a good ring and string trick with a killer ending. He also did an ambitious card to wallet to Altoids box. I went home right after.
Speaking about magic, I caught the last Criss Angel Mindfreak. It was a close up episode and I wasn't totally impressed. He did a good cigarette through glass table. He then did a bad disolving deck because the camera cuts his desk switch (cheater). He did McDonald's Aces with casino security saying that the couldn't see his being unfair. I guess they didn't see his double lifts, maybe Luxor is the place to go cheat. He ended with a TV Frame effect with a card embedded in the glass door of the Criss Angel Merchandise Store. Not the greatest episode.
I leave for New York on Thursday and I am psyched a bit. I will get to see friends again. I will also get to visit Fantasma Magic again and I get to see some shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. It should be fun as well as productive since I have work to do too.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Its Wednesday , time for hacker drink up
I don't care about the Democratic Convention, its Wednesday and its time for the Hacker Drink Up. I am going to be packing some tricks with me. I have been working on a progression of tricks.
Last night I did Colour Burn and it was a sheer fooler because I got it down pat. The illusion is awesome. I can't wait to show it off more. I noticed the cleanup you have to do at the end but for me, I thought it would go nicely into a Red Hot Mama routine. It might be too obvious with the with the second selection but I think to laymen it will be just fine. I will see tonight.
I am still waiting for Extreme Burn from one of my ebay purchases. I just got home and there is nothing but junk mail.
I got a call from Tyler Worthington today. He's one of the fellow magicians I met at Jeff McBride's club event. He asked me about one of the tricks I do on the cell phone.
I am flying into New York next Thursday night. It might be a good night to catch UCBW and Cage Match that night with Max and Aliana. I will be in town until the 11th, so remember to call me.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
All about magic
Yesterday I got a new package from one of my favorite magic dealers. Inside some new stuff to play with. First off was a copy of the DVD Colour Burn, it's an awesome effect and I can't wait I am ready to perform it, give me a couple days. I also received a Bicycle Ghost style desk, some loops, a
mis-made dollar bill, a Bicycle Tragic Royal Deck, Reel Magic Issue 5, and two copies of Street Magic Magazine.
I opened the Tragic Royals first and they are very
flexible but still better than the transparent cards. They have a weird coating on them and I only can think this is attributed to the fact they are supposed to react under black light. That was one of the main reasons for getting them, if I ever am in a situation where there is black light. I watched Colour Burn and I decided to wait to build the gimmick. I watched Reel Magic and it was
ok, it held my attention. It was cool to hear stories from some people and David Regal is funny with his product reviews. Street Magic Magazine is like a catalog with
snippets of text and interviews. What I enjoy about it, is the huge advert for a street magic hood in the back of the magazine. It says that is has a
topit, holdouts, and sharpie pockets. That made me laugh. I wanted to see what a
hoodie with a
topit cost. I went to Black Magic Group's site, which is also the site for Street Magic Magazine and they don't have the
hoodie. People have been asking for it for about 10 or 11 months. I found the post
here. I ended up trying to post and got banned because I didn't use my full name. What is this China? They also later removed my post and I bet it's because it's not endorsing their product. My post was:
Today, 07:54 AM
tommee tommee is offline
Banned Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 1
Rep Power: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is silly now. It's almost 9 months and it's still not available or
out for reviews. I am just sweating thinking about the price the hoodie is going
to go for. It would be easier just to use Michael Ammar's topit patern in a
hoodie you like from the Gap or American Apparel. Since no one has seen it yet,
why not more advertisement like 'Built-In Music System' ' Built-In folding
mirrors and black-art cloth'
Now you can charge me 2 cents
Today I made the Color Burn gimmick and it's a cool effect. Time to practice it in front of the camera. I have a couple of other things I have been working on as well but now it's really time to sit at the notebook and script out the patter into something relevant, something smooth and something me.
It's a shame, I would like to go to Magicopolis this Saturday but I think it's going to be Jimmy and I taking Aron out for his birthday. Who knows, it might be moved or we might just show up anyway. It would be cool to jam with Erik or other magicians.
I also submitted my email to subjectiveproductions.tv because I saw that they are advertising for casting calls in Street Magic magazine but they don't have much about them on the web. Sounds like it could be a scam for spam but I already get so much spam that I donate it to third world vacation territories for income making possibilities. Whats a little more?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Recall, ok I will try
So I told you on Friday I was headed into Vegas. After work I zoomed on in, leaving work about 5:00-ish. I got in about 10:30 because of the traffic. I rushed to check in for my freebie room at New York, NY Casino and then I rushed in a cab to Palace Station to go to Jeff McBride's Wonderground party.
I got to the party with enough time to see one magician and some balloon acts. Jeff did his torn and restored dollar I like to do sometimes. I met some local magicians and we sat and talked at the bar. I remember meeting Tyler, who was hitting on Palace Station help; Dave, who was cool, a bunch of others that slip my mind too. I was wondering about the local place Denny Magic and they all recommended it to me. I found out later that it was the only magic shop besides the rip-off Houdini magic stores on the strip in the casinos. I talked with Jeff McBride and then I left to do other things.
After the after party I headed to Double Down to catch up with Jamiegrrrl. I was completely over-dressed for the Double Down but no one ever cares. I hung outside drinking my beverage catching up with people. Even before I finished my drink, we headed over to Dive Bar. I saw Delchi there and Taro was bartending. a couple drinks there as well as a shot. I got pretty toasting. Jamiegrrrl ditched me there and I ended up taking a cab back to New York NY. Since I was bored and it was only 5 in the morning or so, I decided to get on the craps table. I was between there and the video poker until 11am. The host of the casino asked me if I needed anything but since my room is comped, unless they would give me tickets to Criss Angel, I don't know what I need.
Sunday was rough and I spent most o fit laying in bed procrastinating about leaving. I didn't want to hit traffic. I decided to check out at 3pm and head to Denny Magic. It was cool, a little smaller than I though it would be since I have only seen Hollywood Magic, Fantasma and Tannens. I didn't really have anything in mind but I did get to talk to a couple of people and I picked up last months Magic magazine and a copy of this months Genii.
Traffic sucked all the way home. I do not know what the hold up was. I ended up stopping in Barstow for an hour to let the traffic clear up. I was supposed to have dinner with Sqweak and Mags but I wasn't going to make it home in time. I got Jack in the Box and didn't even stay awake enough to see Tim and Eric.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Might be a bad decision but that has never stopped me before
In just a few minutes I am planning on heading out to Vegas. It is going to be hot and yucky I am expecting but next weekend I will be hanging out with Jimmy and the weekend after that, I am supposed to be in New York.
Last night I didn't really do much. I walked up and down the Promenade but didn't see anything fun. A little later in the evening, I took a walk down by Santa Monica Place because the was some sort of police action. The was a ghetto bird in the air with a spotlight and cops were everywhere. Apparently the was a shooting. Weird to have that happen in Santa Monica.
I didn't pack when I left the house today so I bought everything I need. I noticed that I went up one size, not good. I listened to Desert Radio and I have a feeling I am going to hit some traffic. I don't care so much as ling as I get int Vegas by 9 or 9:30 tonight. I want to make it over Palace Station and check out Sound Trax for Jeff McBride's after party.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Oh my blurry eye suprise
Its hangover day and Jimmy Crack Corn and I shot him.
Yesterday before I left work, I got a call from the Magic Castle. They are closed and my audition is canceled. The said I could do it on the 8th but I will be in New York for the dates 9/3 to 9/9.
I went out after work to the Hacker DrinkUp. I decided to take the number 2 bus down to Rick's Tavern. It was extremely easy and convenient. There was way too many people at our little hacker drink up. When the tab came and everyone chipped in, we were short $150. We didn't see how this was possible with me and Chris putting way more than our share. After the debacle we decided to grab a small table inside the bar.
It was after 11:30 when we left Rick's Tavern and the buses were not running through the Neilson area. I decided to walk the distance back home with Eliot. It only too like 20 or so minutes, it wasn't bad.
Project Runway was drama-licious. I was happy to see Chris March again. It was full of surprises with drag queens for the challenge. It was great to see Hedda Lettuce since I haven't see her since Deanna and I were at East of Eight. Joe made a great Barbarella type of outfit, Daniel didn't know his shit and got booted. Keith was pretty rotten also but he got to stay. Keith cried because Daniel got kicked off, weird. They didn't show my baby Kenley, she was probably a mess because she is so crushing on Daniel. Kennley, call me.
I saw that Jeff McBride has a new show at Palace Station and a whole bar experience too called Wonderground. I am so contemplating going into Vegas tomorrow. I have a couple comps for New York NY. I don't have any plans for this weekend other than that. Magicopolis Bar Show is dark this weekend. I got a bunch of new cards from ellusionist.com and it would be fun to try them out.
Lastly, I will be out in New York again from September 3rd till the 9th. This will not be a vacation but I will have a weekend to hang out with you bitches.
*holla*
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
We are not breaking up, I just have had time to talk to you
I am so disappointed in myself for not blogging for a couple of days. I have been doing stuff. I told you about Saturday night fun at Magicopolis.
Sunday I called and called Jimmy but his phone was just sending me to voicemail. I decided to go there around four o'clock because I didn't want to waste my day. I got over there and Kristy was sorting letters and documents and Jimmy was couch vegging while playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on his old Xbox. We talked about Defcon, New York and my plans to stay in Los Angeles for another six months or so.
We decided we must do something and the only thing we thought of was to go to the movies. We looked for some movies and we wanted to see Henry Poole is Here but it was not showing in the close theaters. We opted to see Pineapple Express.
The movie was ok, I wouldn't buy the DVD. I guess the funniest part was the parking lot's levels names when we were parking. They were named for movies. One was for Dracula and another was for Lawrence of Arabia. The one that made us laugh was A League Of Their Own.
The only other things I have been doing has been magic. I am supposed to audition for the Magic Castle the upcoming month and I want to stay sharp. I did order some new supplies. I love my Assassin wallet. I should have some new stuff coming in the mail this week too.
Tonight is the weekly Hacker Drink Up. I think I will try to take the bus there. I see the number 2 stops at Neilson and Ashland. Then its time to drink up.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Not sure but I feel a little smarter today
Maybe it's the viral visitor leaving my temple that is my body or it's that I am watching Current.TV today. Either way I feel a little more centered. I woke early to clean my living room and organize a little. I even did a little maintenance on my Eeepc to speed it up, even though it's going in for RMA soon.
Last night I went out. I made plans for myself to go to Magicopolis to see the Bar Show. It's a good time with beer and wine while watching various comics and magicians. The only downside is that Magicopolis isn't a full bar venue and zoning requires them to close at midnight but the show starts at 10pm and there is not cover or drink minimum. Being a drinker, I wouldn't mind either way. Last time I went, I was met by Jimmy, Chris and their girlfriends as well as Eliot from Hack-a-Day. I also saw Joshua Wiener from one of the Upright Citizens Brigade Harold teams.
This time the Bar Show fell a little short. The host decided to put a spin on the entertainment. There are so many magicians in the world and a handful of magicians that call themselves comedy magicians. Being that the comedy magicians are pretty shitty comedians. Erik decided why not put comedians up and show their shitty magic.
The show started with Erik and his co-host girl pretending she was a psychic. Some funny stuff, some of it I think didn't please some of the younger patrons who came in for a magic show. The first act was pretty funny. It was so in the flavor of Tim and Eric or an Andy Kaufman sort of thing. It was a guy who hosts an underground comedy night somewhere here in LA. He dressed up as a girl with a Hello Kitty backpack while he danced and sang to a dance track. It was repetitive and awkward making it pretty funny. I don't know if it really worked in this venue since it is a magic venue. I though it would have worked at the Upright Citizens Brigade or somewhere else although I thought it was funny regardless.
Next act was a gal who runs GarageComdedy.com who presented herself as an European artist of balloon sculpting. It was a funny character and when she brought out the balloons and the tension built, my mind went south. I thought we were to see a dirty show. What followed surprised me. She made balloon animals faster that I have ever seen before. It was ridiculous and amazing.
There was some magic that Erik did throughout the night. He did some Ace Productions, deck to pocket and signed card to mouth. It amused the young patrons.
The venue closed and it was just Erik, the balloon twister and myself. It got very third wheel feeling and I never how to bail out of those situations gracefully. I didn't get a goodbye when I bailed either, I might have prematurely ejected. Either way, three beers and nothing to do I headed home and crashed out.
Today I have learned some new items. Because of the Olympics, smoking bans have spread throughout Beijing. Pandora, the streaming media site, might collapse because of royalties. I also saw Drunk History which I think is a great concept. It features one of the guys who wan in L33t Haxxors I think.
I am supposed to hang out with Jimmy today but I haven't heard from him yet. I kinda want to talk about sketches and have multiple drinks. I don't know what will happen though.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
This life is always interesting
My life has been so busy lately with the vacation and just being back for a couple days right now. Ever since I have been back I have been thinking about New York and I am reaching the end of my apartment lease in just over a month. I did have a conversation with one of my bosses today where I learned that I am most likely going to be needed out in Los Angeles a little longer, like six months longer.
Its not as bad as I am making it out to be because that would put me back in New York in the spring instead of the fall. New York winters suck but I miss the New York comedy I was part of.
So now that I am back in Los Angeles and I am getting back into my West Coast life, I have been catching up on my Tivo'ed shows. I have finally caught up on Weeds and I am sitting on the edge of my seat for this comedy. I am waiting to see Doug to get back with Mer-Mex. I am also caught up with Project Runway and I love that Henley. I don't know if she and Elena want to battle it out for me but I am leaning toward Henley. Thank God that Daniel didn't get kicked off so Elena is still safe.
I have been feverish since I have been back so I haven't been too energetic. I didn't even make the weekly Hacker Drinkup. I have even stayed home for Friday night. I am itching to go out, I was even thinking Vegas but I have my health to take care of, I just got home from a vacation and I do want to go to the The Bar Show at Magicopolis. I don't know if anyone else is going to show up tomorrow with me to Magicopolis but I am sure I would have fun regardless.
*** CASTING NOTICE***
Musical Theatre Repertory
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Massman Theatre
1029 Child's Way
Los Angeles, CA
Phone: 4083144478
Email: usctmtr@gmail.com
Musical Theatre Repertory
presents
*HELLO AGAIN*
by Michael John LaChiusa
Directed by Briga Heelan
Musical Directed by Brian Kennedy
Choreography by Lili Fuller
Produced by Ashley Strumwasser
Audition Sign-Ups will be available in the DRC starting Friday, August 24th
AUDITIONS: (ALL IN THE MASSMAN THEATRE)
Wednesday, August 27th (7-10pm)
Thursday, August 28th (7-10pm)
CALLBACKS:
Sunday, August 31st (12-6pm)
CAST LIST POSTED:
Monday, September 1st
WHAT TO PREPARE:
32 bars of a contemporary ballad and 32 of a contemporary up tempo. The two selections should differ in mood and theatrical content. Vocals should try and capture a jazzy/ pop feel in at least one of the selections. Women may additionally be asked to vocalize into their soprano range.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Reading and a brief movement combination will occur at callbacks only. If possible, please be very familiar with, but not emulate the original cast recording.
SHOW REHEARSES:
September 1st - September 30th
SHOW PERFORMS:
October 1st through October 5th
Massman Theatre
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
The Whore: Mature, low alto voice. Possessing of a grounded yet mysterious quality. Worn down, yet still alluring.
The Soldier: Tenor voice. Versatility in terms of age. A restless soul with relentless energy. Can be aggressive and unpredictable.
The Nurse: Mezzo with a belt. Versatility in terms of age, can be both demure and totally domineering.
The College Boy: Baritone. Can play 20's- 30's. Young man aiming to experience life thats a little less safe.
The Young Wife: Mezzo/Alto. Can play 20's. Though young, a lonely soul and somewhat vacant. Jittery and yearning for excitement.
The Husband: Lyric Baritone with legit sound. Can play 30-50 yrs old. An upper class business man used to being comfortable and in control. Also exhibits a hidden sense of sexual desire and desperation. A closeted homosexual.
The Young Thing: Baritone/Tenor. In some parts, must have pop sound. An androgynous, beautiful young male callboy. He is worldy wise and seems far older than his appearance.
The Writer: Baritone. Strong falsetto/mix. Considers himself a jack of all trades artistically. Caught up in the search for beauty and inspiration. Bisexual.
The Actress: Mezzo with a pop and operratic sound. Can play 20's-30's. Seemingly confident and in control. Completely dissatisfied but forever hopeful. Vivacious and attractive.
The Senator: Baritone. Can play 40's. A man of power who is looking for true connection. Carries a strong sense of duty and pressure with him.
ABOUT HELLO AGAIN:
The joys of sex are here for the asking in this adult musical fantasy suggested by Arthur Schnitzler's "La Ronde." As though seen through the lens of a combination time machine and bawdy, old-time kinescope, HELLO AGAIN crisscrosses beds and jumps from decade to decade, intimately examining the painful secrets that drive characters into each other's arms and towards the bruising effects of reckless passion.
With a score that saturates the mind, HELLO AGAIN has an unforgettable, dreamlike quality—and all the luxuriance of an insistent seduction. "Mr. LaChiusa's smart, beguilingly world-weary work was the best original musical of the season…" —NY Times.
"LaChiusa is an artist with a puckish, damn-the-torpedoes imagination…his deliriously eclectic score is like tuning into a radio station with a serious President Clinton complex: It wants to please as many listeners as possible. For the camp mavens, there is a devastating pastiche, from "shlag"-heavy Viennese operetta to Yiddish boogie-woogie. For the Sondheim freaks, some devious wordplay. For the 'they don't write them like they used to' crowd, a plangent and hummable ballad…HELLO AGAIN scores." —NY Newsday.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
I love New York: Vacation Wrap Up Report
To continue about my experiences of the vacation. I decided on Thursday to go down to Astor Place for a haircut and then to visit Tannen's Magic. I got my hair cut first because I wanted to get it out of the way. I found that my
guy I went to in the past was still there after the past year. I waited for him to finish with his customer and showed him a past picture of my best haircut. He tried to replicated it but at least its better than my hair in the state it was.
After my haircut, I wanted to visit the Barnes and Noble next to Astor Place Hair but it was no longer. I walked around the block to make sure I wasn't going nuts. Sure enough, after asking friends about it, it is gone. The one on 23rd Street is also gone.
I took the train to Union Square and as I was climbing the stairs, ready to start walking down 14th Street, I hear "tommEE!" It was Calin, I believe I was with him in Shannon's workshop if not Christina's. I caught with him during a break so I didn't keep on blabbing. He said we would see each other at the marathon most likely.
After I left Calin, I searched around for headphones at Circuit City and Best Buy. You wouldn't believe how limited headphone selections are nowadays. I ended buying a pair at the Best Buy on 23rd and 8th. I don't like them and it feels I over paid for them.
Thursday night I ended up meeting up with Alaina and Max at Wogie's Bar down near their apartment. It was great catch up with them. I didn't know so much has happened while I was away. Fucking Futti Di Mare closed as well as Blue Moon, these were some of our favorite restaurants. We drank some at Wogies and then we headed to a brewery that Rachael is working at. We didn't stay. I walked with them home and then I ran up to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater to watch "I've Got Next". Its a show where two teams get 5 minutes to perform and winning team keeps the stage for the next battle.
When I got to the theater, a bunch of people saw me like Chuck Darble and Brian Berrebbi as well as Rachael Mason. Everyone seemed to welcome me back to New York. I miss the bind I have with the UCB people in NYC. The show was awesome and the winning team was Eric Scott with a stool with a wig. It was histerical and it was a shame because Starband, made of David Bluvband and someone else, could have won the night with their multiple wins.
When the show was over, I headed down to Pete McManus to drink with some UCB people. There were a ton of people at the bar, comedians, improv people and famous comedians. It was a great gathering and again seeing more people who remembered me was fun.
Friday I woke up with a hangover and decided to stop by Fanstama Magic over on 33rd and 7th. An old friend Magic Balay is working there. He is someone I haven't seen for over 10 years. I waited around the store while he demo'ed some tricks to a 10 or 12 year old. It took forever but I guess that how you continue the legacy of Magic. When I finally got to chat with Magic, he was more of a salesman instead of conversationalist. He did show me one thing I wanted to buy but it was $60 more than I found it online. I decided to pick up a Genii magazine and split.
I headed to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater to pick up my weekend pass for the Del Close Marathon. I did bump into Ben Whitehouse and I said hi, he actually saw me first, it was nice. I didn't see his sister but he said she was fine. I got a black wristband and then saw some people in line. I told everyone I was going to skip the press conference and take a nap. I didn't return until 11:30pm to catch Glaser and Walsh. They ended up doing Apples and Oranges and deciding who's crowd was better. I caught Rondo's set after that and they had a great group organic opening.
I went to backstage to grab a drink and see if I could find my friends. I got to the back and the line was so long to get drinks. I was behind Doug Benson who was talking about gas prices or the government. I didn't listen. Rachael, like in earlier years, was bartending. I kept it easy and just got a beer from the tap. I waited like 30 minutes for a free beer. I paid for PBRs in the front to avoid the wait after that.
At 2:00 AM I got to see Wicked Fuckin' Queeyah and I love Jackie Clark with her Boston dialect and accent. Then came Cracked Out. They were ok, they freestyled instead of performing some song they put out before. I then went looking for friends and I bumped into plenty. I did see Sean Hart outside and he suggested I perform with the UCBW Wrestlers in the UCBW: Kicking Ass and Taking Suggestions". I told him I didn't feel up to performing but I would play it by ear.
4 AM I caught the 1986 Mets' Extravaganza. Funny characters before a bunch of the audience was born. I caught No Posers at 4:15 AM with Jason Mantzoukas playing Drums, Seth Morris on Vocals and Brian Huskey on guitar. It was great.
After that was To Catch a Predator: Improv Edition. Paul Scheer was playing Chris but the highlight (per se) was Andy Rocco bearing his junk. I saw Working Girls after that and they were good but I believe last year they had a full half hour instead of 15 minutes. Ben Schwartz the star of Worst Heckle Ever. This was where Gil and Adam along with select others heckled Ben for a full 25 minutes. Last show of the night was UCBW: Kicking Ass and Taking Suggestions. I was thinking about performing but I just didn't feel up to it. I feel bad because Sonny D was waiting to see me in it. It was good, I just wished there were more performers. There seemed to be only 10 performers when last year it was like 35 performers or more.
I didn't start again until Sat 6:00 pm when I got to the theater I saw Alex. I hung out in line with him and we talked about UCB, Internet and I shot a video for him. We waited in line to get in for Improvised Shakespeare. When we got inside, seating was pretty much non-existent. I finally got a seat and I have to say, Improvised Shakespeare was the best show I saw. It was a great form and well executed and funny as hell. They received an enthusiastic standing ovation. I Eat Pandas followed and was awesome as well, I was a real appreciation for them and I wish there was more musical improv. I had not seen Mother in a long time, about a year so it was a treat to see Mother: The Soundtrack. After that, the forms changed a little with MISTER DIPLOMAT and Just Pallin Around. It felt more liek short form and it fell a little short with me. I left and at 10:30 pm I went to see The Handymen (Merrit and Meeks)at Hudson Guild. I love the Handymen and they have great rhythm. They were tasked to fix a broken heart, whether it was Johnny's or the patients, I don't know.
At 12:00 am I caught America's Best Comic - The Finals! at UCBT and with Matt Besser as the Pope and lots of comics it was good but very hot and crowded in the theater. I watched some of "Hey, Uncle Gary!" but it was hard because of the heat. I did notice that Casey Wilson wasn't performing, I didn't know why. I headed to Urban Stages at 2:45 am to see Chekh-prov!, Christina Gausas was supposed to be performing but she didn't show. I found out later she was auditioning all week and was too out of it to show which was understandable. At 3:15 am I headed back down to see FabriceFabrice-athon at UCBT with Nick Kroll and it was hysterical. 3:45 am was one of my favorites when I am drunk, Drunken Sonic Assault: Ten Year Retrospective. This year the Matt Walsh, Seth Morris, Shannon O'neil, Horatio Sanz, Matt Besser and others performed the song "Fame" acoustically. It was funny, they would bring audience members on the stage and force them to sing. Walken Walks In followed and there was some good and some real bad Walken imitations. 4:15 am had JFK Jr. and The Plane Crash All-Stars and was funny with characters but the improv was a little slow at this time in the morning. Cosbyprov was awesome! Everyone Get In Here! was great also, so many group games within 15 minutes and funny as well, or maybe it was the beer. ROAST followed with Justin Pernell as the roast master and they roasted Hannah Montana. Dirtiest Improv in NYC gave Andy Rocco another chance to show his junk and he also made a change purse out of it. Last shows were Robot TV which was good. Some great improv with Eric Scott, Neil Casey, Billy Merrit and others executed a great form. Last was Crazy Hundreds which was funny but the performers got tired to quickly, I am sure it was hard but I wish it didn't run out of steam.
Sunday another late start because I was tired from the night before. At 5:30 pm Imaginary Friends and it was good but I was waiting for Rogue Elephant. I saw Silvja before it, which was nice. Rogue Elephant drew a great crowd and was fantastic. After them at 6:30 pm was Monkeydick. One word, Awesome! Then it was Five Dudes which looked injury based. With no Zack Woods, they used an ironing board in place of him which Chris, Charlie and Bobby all beat up and got beated up by it.
Sunday night I cruised by McManus a couple time but didn't bump into anyone.
All over it was a great trip. No, an awesome trip. I can't imagine a better vacation for me. I do wish I had more time to spend with friends. I miss Alaina and Max a bunch. I didn't get to hang with my boy Jawnee Conroy. I didn't get to see Christina Gausas or Vicki Ferrentinos. I didn't spend enough time with Curtis Gwinn and Neil Casey. It was great seeing everyone else and I hope to be back home soon.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
In short
I am back in Los Angeles. I rode the Big Blue Bus and walked home. I jumped on my couch and took a long nap. Happy to be resting, getting food now and then more vegging. I will work on the Weekend Entertainment Wrapup later.
Hollywood here we come
I have been writing my vacation wrap up but its not complete yet.
I am flying out in a couple of minutes. I am yet again on a Virgin America flight but at least get to plug in my laptop for the 5 1/2 hour flight.
Virgin still doesnt have internet or shopping on the plane yet but it isn't the most uncomfortable flight. I just hope for a smooth ride and possibly a nap.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
A slow start
I guess I could say I was a little tired when I got here to New York. I didn't get much sleep on the plane, not really any.
My first goal was to get some New York Chinese food in my belly. After I checked into the hotel I dodgeball'ed people to let them know I was in town. Alaina texted me to see what I was up to. She informed me that Frutti di Mare was no more which disappointed me a bit. She wanted to know what I was to do but we both seemed not to have any energy to do anything fun. I got my food delivered and it was a nice treat for my first day of my vacation.
Tomorrow's plans are going to be to buy some new headphones(for the ipod), get a haircut, and visit Tannen's for magic supplies. I will most likely be going out for drinks and dinner but nothing is firm, I also should call mom.
Well back to catch some more sleep.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Keeping it short
Even though I drank the Jagermiester and Dr. Pepper as well as 3 drinks, I only could get less than an hour of sleep.
The flight was ok and I got to watch Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Smokey The Bandit and Cloverfield.
When I went to the bathroom and started heaed back to my seat, I heard my name called and it was Kendal with her boyfriend. We chatted for a bit and then we said we will see each other Friday.
Right now I am on the airtrain making my way to Jamaica Station to jump on the A to the E. Saving money where I can and avoiding city traffic at 6:30pm. I will update you on my progress.
Ug I hate flying
So I am ready to take off from LAX to NYC on flight 318. I got up nice and early because I wanted to catch the bus. Funny story though, I ended up just making the flight. I got to the airport terminal 55 minutes before flight departure. I got in line for the TSA screening and it ended up taking forever. There was this guy in a wheel chair and they just ignored him for the longest time. They maybe didn't realize that his wheelchair would set off the alarm before anything else would. It held up the line forever. I whistled (i never was able to whistle this lound before) and I shouted out complaints. Well would you know, I then got randomly chosen for secondary screening. Its nice to know that TSA's bad day could lead to unnecessary secondary screenings.
I feel a little at ease, I boozed before I got to LAX. I made a Jagermiester and Dr. Pepper. I don't know if I drank enough because I mixed a half a can of Diet Dr. Pepper and the other half Jagermiester. That is what the recipe said online for the cocktail.
Either way I made the flight within seconds and we are heading to NYC. I should be touching down around 6:25pm and then its time to party like an Alpha Beta from Adams.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Have you noticed, I vanished
I haven't been blogging lately. A bunch of stuff has been happening but I didn't feel like writing.
The last couple of weeks I have been hanging out with friends. There has been some entertaining things like hacker meeting/drink up at the Joker and the has been fucking awesome things like the bar show at Magicopolis.
First off, the hacker drink up at the Joker was fun. Pinguino was in the area and it was nice catching up with her. We didn't get to go up the the Urban Poetry thing but I ended up drinking so late, we didn't make it.
Saturday, we went to the Bar Show at Magicopolis. It started with me Chris and his wife at the bar talking with Erik the bartender and then Jimmy and Kristy showed. The show started with a comedian and it was amusing and then came the close up card magic of Jon Armstrong. It was crazy good. I was in awe the whole time and it is probably because he is the Magic Castles Close Up Magician of the Year. He also sits on the board. I was supposed to audtition for the Magic Castle yesterday but I cancelled last week because I didn't feel my act is strong enough. I am going to try next month.
We drank and drank and then headed to Britannia after. It was fun the bunch of us hanging out. It ended up being Eliot, some friend of his, Chris, Chris' wife, Jimmy and Kristie and me. It was good ol times.
Tomorrow I head to New York. This time for a vacation. I will be looking forward to see everyone. I know a lot of my LA friends are heading to New York also. It is for the Del Close Marathon and it should be a blast.
