Some Guys Got It...And Some Guys Don't

These past few days have been a strange combination of the terrible, the mediocre, and the amazing...all rolled into one. I guess it's been a guilty pleasure sort of week. Let's start with the worst and build our way up...

Well, first let me provide you with some more advice for NYC tourists: if you are looking to see a Broadway show, do NOT - I repeat, DO NOT - see Bye Bye Birdie. Kelly and I have realized that we are roughly 8 shows away from seeing everything on Broadway, so we figured why not go for it? The downside of this effort is that it may require seeing some atrocious things - case in point, the revival of Bye Bye Birdie. Now I am actually a fan of the show itself - I think it's pretty funny and has some very catchy songs. But this production may have changed all that. Let's start with a list of the good things: Jayne Houdyshell's performance as Mae Peterson. [.....silence as people wait for the list to continue.....]. Sorry, but that's where it ends. She gave an admirable performance (and notice I said good things, not great) and provided the only genuine laughs in the show. The rest was pretty terrible - John Stamos and Gina Gershon both have terrible voices and gave weak performances...not to mention that the latter had a CD for sale in the lobby - who let her record a CD?! The kids were trying so hard to give the show energy, and some of the teenage boys were hilarious in how much they committed to their roles. Bill Irwin, who played Mr. MacAfee (a role I once perfected myself...), was clearly aware of how terrible the show was and as a result gave an unrestrained, out of control, admirably awful performance. In the end though, this was one of those shows that is so bad that they I began to enjoy it for that very reason.

One thing that was not so bad (other than our terribly distant seats) was Girl Crazy at City Center Encores! (that exclamation point is a part of the title - not that I'm not excited anyway). MTC got some comp tickets, and I snatched them right up. Amanda accompanied me, and we had a ball. This is a show from 1930, so there was basically no substance to it. However, the book was pretty darn funny and Gershwin's score was played to sumptuous perfection by a huge orchestra. There were some pretty big names, too - Wayne Knight (Newman on "Seinfeld"), Broadway star Marc Kudisch, and Ana Gasteyer ("SNL" and, of course, MTC's The Royal Family). The best part of the event was just to be able to hear Gershwin as it should be played - because they just don't write music like that anymore...

And now for the greatest guilty pleasure of all...This week, Kelly and I had the honor and privilege to attend a taping of "The Tyra Banks Show". We got to sit through the filming of two episodes. What more could one ask for? We kind of got jipped on the seating - we were way in the back corner of the section they don't film that much - but it was still a blast. They divided the audience up into 5 sections, and each had to compete against the others to cheer the loudest and be the craziest. During the first taping, our section (Section D!) were the clear winners...but they gave it to Section A. Which means that they got Tyra shirts. Not cool.

That's alright though, because I soon made up for my lack of prizes. Before the second episode, they selected a representative from each section to take part in a contest. Because of my insane enthusiasm, I was selected to represent Section D. And then they revealed what kind of contest this was: a dance competition. I was doubtful about my odds, because I was up against three black girls and a Latina. But I broke it down and held my own. So after the dancing was over, the four women were presented with a bag of various products, and I received the grand prize: a $100 gift certificate to Levi's.

The taping of the show itself was pretty terrible...and wonderful. The first episode was a makeover show - three average people gave makeovers to strangers they found on the street. There was also a beautiful segment in the middle in which Tyra gave a quadriplegic fan a makeover. Tyra really knows how to tug at my heart strings...Now the second episode was a strange potpourri of sorts. Topics include little girls struggling with body image (this was sad and frightening), a boy wrongfully accused of a crime who was proven innocent with the help of Facebook (really, Tyra?!), a woman who has had three plastic surgeries without anesthesia (eek), and organic skin treatments (lame). So we didn't really get the best episodes - but gaining $100 and experiencing Tyra up close in all her madness made it more than worth the trip.

And of course, no indulgence of guilty pleasures is complete without a visit to Jamba Juice. On Friday night, Amanda, Anna, Bryce, and I spontaneously headed up to Times Square to get some late night refreshments. That is the farthest I have ever traveled strictly to get Jamba, but it was more than worth it. Actually, this time I didn't feel so guilty, as I tried a delicious Jamba Light, and found myself very pleased with the slimming decision.

Coming up this week, we have Thanksgiving, which means family, turkey, parade, shows, fun tourist activities, and (strangely) lots of work. Although I get off at 2 on Wednesday, I am working some crazy front desk and patron lounge shifts (for cash) that will keep me busy all the way up until break begins. I don't hate it.