Musical Monday

Apologies for the poor clip quality, but it was the only one that had the ridiculous story before the song.

I did not like the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding", but I LOVED this scene! I think it's the wait staff in the back with their crab claw hands waving in the air that really push me over the edge. And of course, my beloved Rupert. I may need to add him as a label for my posts, since there have been at least three featuring him. While we're at it, here's another favorite bit from a movie I didn't love:



"Maybe there won't be marriage, maybe there won't be sex, but by God there will be dancing!"

Words to live by when life is in fact a musical.

Pick Up on the PATH train

After my life changing decision to not tackle Rupert Everett, Chris Ian and I hugged and kissed Marc goodbye and then headed over to the PATH station to head home.

Have I mentioned that as much as I love the city, I had forgotten a few key things? Like how to be smart and safe. Fortunately, I'd been in the company of two gorgeous men all day, so I thought nothing of my safety as I walked around looking rather fetching (if I do say so myself). I had done my hair. I wore make-up all day. I had on heels. In short, I looked foxy.

I had been in the city a couple weeks earlier, again in the company of Marc and Sukhvinder, and it was a weekend so riding the train home was packed with people and I had no worries for safety.

I hadn't a care in the world as Chris Ian and I waited for the train with no crowds around us. I began to be aware of the situation when a gentlemen on the PATH train outright leered at me while Chris Ian and I were talking. It wasn't until Chris Ian got off at his station and I looked around that I realized I had forgotten how to scope out a safe situation. Midwestern suburbia has definitely weakened my street smarts. I was the only girl on a train full of men. And I looked good. More than one man was leering at that point without my Filipino male companion by my side.

This may seem improbable. I'm not the kind of girl that gets oohs and ahhs of admiration over my looks. Ever. And it's been a solid decade since anyone tried to pick me up. (Except that one guy at the bookstore when I had two small children and a husband at home. It had been so long that I nearly wept with gratitude for his apparent admiration.) (Oh, and the guy at the gym that one time.)

Lest you dismiss this and think it was all in my head, let me tell you what came next. The guy who was responsible for opening and closing the doors sat across from me and said, "You look tired, honey." I weakly smiled, and replied that I was. At which point he said, "You want me to hold you so you can sleep?"

I laughed and told him no thanks. And then he got up and moved to a different car. Apparently, it was a rough shoot down.

When I got to Newark to wait for my husband to pick me up, I was again the only woman on a street corner full of big burly men. It occured to me that I was something of an idiot. And then I wondered if anyone would mistake me for a hooker. My hair was big enough. But my heels weren't high enough and I wasn't showing enough cleavage. That was something of a comfort.

It's the little things.

Blithe Spirit!!

I have been wanting to see Blithe Spirit on Broadway, ever since Todd mentioned to me months ago that it was coming!! Hello?! A chance to see Angela Lansbury on stage AND Rupert Everett!! Too good to pass up!

So after our day in the city with our boys, Todd bundled them home, I shopped a little and then met two wonderful friends for dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. Chris Ian, a.k.a. the tooth fairy to my children, works there and took us to meet all his fellow singing waiters and waitresses. Again, snobby me was a little appalled at the idea of going to such a touristy place, but we had SO much fun!! You can't not have a good time at Ellen's, specifically if the entire staff is stopping by the table to check on you. All of the staff take turns singing either a song from the 50s or a show tune, and all of them are working there way into showbiz, so they are goooooood! One of the guys there had just been hired to be one of the Hyenas in The Lion King tour. There were lots of other similar stories. Anyway, fun, fun, fun! You should go if you're in town. (And order the strawberry shortcake! Perfect proportions of cream, strawberries and cake. Mmmm.)

Chris Ian and Marc were delightful company! The two of them kept humming the theme from "Murder She Wrote" in anticipation of the show. For me, it was all about Rupert. Who despite recent plastic surgery is dang good looking on stage and in a tux.

"I'll take one of those, please."

The play was delightful! (And should at least be nominated for a Tony for the lighting design.) Angela Lansbury is amazing considering she's 84 years old, and according to Rupert when he appeared on the Today Show, she never misses a show, which guilts the rest of the cast into having to do every show as well.

After the show I convinced Marc and Chris Ian to be theater geeks with me and to wait by the stage door for the actors to come out. I was not leaving without a signed program and a close up glimpse of Rupert.

I can't remember which one of them came out first. But...

Angela came out of the theater, and she was a delight! She smiled and talked to everyone and signed any program or poster handed to her. (She did refuse to sign anything not from the show. She didn't want to encourage people who hadn't been at the show and were just glomming on to the awaiting theater crowd.)

Rupert came out (snicker), signed a few programs (mine being the most important) and then waltzed away all by himself, casually down the road. One very handy thing about being in the company of a man who is 6'5" is that he can see over the crowd and when I had lost sight of my darling Rupert was able to spot him immediately strolling down the sidewalk. All. By. Him. Self.

Do you hear me?!

No security.

No friend.

Alone.

Marc suggested that then was my chance to tackle him. I would be lying if I said that the thought was not instantly appealing to me. But then I had a sudden vision of having to call Todd to come bail my out of some precinct in the city. I didn't think he'd find it very amusing...well, not for a few months at least.

I struggled inwardly at my decision to not throw my arms about Ruperts waist at a stampeding run, but then he got in a car at the end of the block and my turmoil was over. The moment had passed and I wasn't going to have to explain any ridiculous behavior to my ever-loving-and-ridiculously-patient husband.

Though I may forever regard Rupert Everett as "the one I let get away".

The oh-so-sassy Chris Ian and Marc waiting by the stage door.
Rupert!!! He signed my program and made eye contact, and yes, Marc, is shorter than you. You still win.

Angela Lansbury!! Also signed my program and looked at me when I told her how delightful she was, and didn't complain about the fact that I was draped across the hood of her waiting car to get said signature. And yes, Marc and Chris Ian continued to hum the "Murder She Wrote" theme song. I wonder if you can get sheet music for that...

Crushes-H.S. through College

It is snowing here. Shocking, I know. I would just like to say that nobody warned me about the lake effect before I moved here. However, regardless of how it looks outside, I have decided to take down the Christmas wreath from my door in honor of March. (All my other decorations were put away in the middle of January, but the Christmas wreath seems to help make it prettier outside in the sea of gray and white.)

And with another snow day and kids home from school with friends over, I have decided to add my high school and college crushes. Because I can. I could be doing dishes or laundry, I suppose, but this is more fun.

1) Robert Sean Leonard. Another New Jersey boy. Dreamy then and now. Actually, Todd and I refer to him as "pretty boy" whenever we can't remember his name. Somehow this started when he was playing in that Tom Stoppard play several years ago..."Inventions of Love", I think.

2) Keanu Reeves in his pre action movie and Paula Abdul video days.


3) Jason Scott Lee. When I went to Disney World with my family over winter break of my freshman year of college, I was very disappointed to learn that they did not in fact carry a life size poster of Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli. This was the closest they had:

4) Rupert Everett. Yes, I know he's gay. And therefore, not unlike every other man I was spending time with in college. Maybe it was a crush of empathy. Still, I find him wonderfully amusing and have compulsions to watch nearly everything he's in. With exceptions. No movies with Madonna.

5) Colin Firth. It all started with Pride and Prejudice, of course. You all know what I'm talking about. Was there any woman who watched him in that movie and came away unscathed?


Here are Colin and Rupert together!

You may notice that my list of crushes for high school and college is significantly shorter than my earlier list. Part of it is I was too busy for TV and movies. The other reason is that there were plenty of real boys to be enjoyed. ;)

Stay tuned for "Crushes-the married years". (When I was originally making the list and mentioned Orlando Bloom in all his elfen glory, Todd perked up and said, "HEY. That was just a few years ago. We were married then. We saw all those movies together while you were holding my hand!" When I said, "Are you telling me you haven't had any movie star crushes since we've been married?" he went a bit pink and suggested another name to add to MY list.)

Maybe it won't snow anymore and that portion of the list can wait until next winter!! A girl can dream, right?