500 Days of Summer

Go see this delightful film right now. It's quirky and fun and one of the better films I've seen in a while. Joesph Gordon-Levitt (of 3rd Rock from the Sun fame) gives such a real performance. He's a perfect blend of dorkiness, passionate, cool, and fun. Adored him in this and can't wait to see him in something else...might go check out "The Lookout" now.

Moon

Saw "Moon" starring Sam Rockwell last night. It's hard to discuss this movie without giving away a major plot point so I'll keep it short and simple:

1) Sam Rockwell is a wonderful actor and I can watch him in anything.

2) Kevin Spacey is great as the voice of the Hal-like robot. I would also watch him in anything. (Tangent -- great article about Spacey in Playbill.com from this past week)

3) Despite #1 and#2, I did not like this film because I felt the story telling did not compel me to care for the main character at all. I know that sounds vague, but again, I don't want to give away a crucial plot point. Good performances aside, there are also some cool scenes (the ping pong scene) but all of this was not enough to make me recommend the movie.

I'd give it somewhere between a C+/B-

Food Comas and Great Acting

My weekend was back with great food, friends, and theatre.

It started Friday night with a viewing of Antony and Cleopatra at the Penn. Shakespeare Festival along side newlyweds Andy and Angela Pomo-Wertner. Our good friend, Zach Kleinsmith, was one of many notable performances (who knew Greg Wood could be such a bad ass?) The evening ended with beers around a pit fire with Philly theatre mainstays Scott Greer, Ian Merrill Peakes, and Tony Lawton -- trying to get some talent by osmosis...

Saturday I arrived in New York and began joyfully over eating with Bill, Antonio, and Kathy. Lunch began with delicious fettucini alfredo at the place where it all started called -- wait for it -- Alfredo's.

Well, it started at the same place in Rome and this is the NY store. Then we got desert at Magnolia Bakery. Delicious cupcakes at a place I know Becca D'Amato must love.

After a productive PTW meeting for the 2009-2010 season (did you buy your season tickets yet?) I headed to my plush hotel room at the Michelangelo and watched the Phils spank the Cards. Well rested, we headed off to see God of Carnage. It was a brilliant play by Yasmina Reza (same playwright as Art) that was superbly acted -- even Gandolfini only slipped into his Tony Soprano mannerisms once in a while. Set design was also a gem -- a must see stage experience. And added bonus was seeing Drew Barrymore and her beau, Justin Long, sitting about 15 feet away from us.

Just when I thought the night could not get any better we headed of to dinner at the Palm. The next morning began with lunch at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The catch at this diner is that the entire staff is trying to make it on broadway and perform different songs while you eat. Don't go if you can't stand hearing "Happy Birthday" over and over -- it was sung 4 times during the hour we were there.

The final cap on the weekend was a stirring performance of Mary Stuart. Another lesson in acting from my second row, center seat :) And added gem in this performance was the on-stage down pour at the start of Act II. It was a site to behold. To bad the real down pour followed us after the show.

I got home later than I wanted because of bad weather, but was greeted by the best Episode yet of True Blood. A PERFECT weekend.

I cannot wait for Man Men to get started again (August 16th at 10pm). There are some wonderful shows on TV right now (Dexter, Mad Men, True Blood) but I think pound-for-pound this is the best written/acted/etc thing on television. it's absolutely fabulous. Here's a wonderful article from the The New Yorker about the advertising campaign for the show.

I Bet This Gets Stuck in Your Head

This song by Blakk Rasta is being called the "theme song for Obama's Ghana visit" by the New York Times.  I know it's well intentioned, but I think it's absolutely hilarious.  Not only did I have to re-watch it 3 times this morning, I know for sure that I will not stop singing it all day :)

Picasso With Light

Being engulfed by the lights of the Vegas strip this weekend made me love this series of pictures from Life Magazine that capture Picasso using light to create drawings.  The drawings almost immediately disappeared when they were created -- it's amazing that they were able to be captured on film.

I know this sounds insensitive....

but I was happy that Newsweek cover this week was plastered with pictures of Michael Jackson. Ok, he's a huge superstar that die, but COME ON! The cable networks -- in particular CNN -- have been driving every aspect of this story into the ground. Guilty or not, this man was no saint for a majority of my lifetime. And, as my friend Bill said, "I don't even think the death of Mother Teresa got this much coverage." It's time to move on from this as the major news of the day.