Passtime Potpourri

These past few days have been eclectic, to say the least. It wasn't my same old routine (work-->show; repeat) - I shook it up a little bit. On Saturday I did actually have a double shift working the patron's lounge for Nightingale. But I had four hours between shifts, so I hoofed it over to Central Park to (finally) get a look at the fall foliage! And let me say I was not disappointed. Sure, it was drizzling out, but the leaves were still all sorts of lovely colors - and the rain even added to the autumnal ambiance. That is until I reached the dead middle of the park...and it started pouring. Buckets. Vats. Dams. (It was raining very hard). I could not escape it, and even though I had my umbrella, I still got a got soaked. I hope the patrons at the night performance didn't notice my soggy clothing and the faint smell of mildew...











On Sunday, a whole gaggle of NYAPers went to see improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade. On Sunday nights, there are free shows - all you have to do is wait in line for an hour so, at which I am a pro. The show is basically an hour and a half of improv - the troupe performs skits based on improvised monologues given by a person called the "monologist" (who is generally famous). This was actually my second visit to the UCB - last time there was a whole slew of famous people - lots of SNL cast members, including Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, and Bobbie Moynihan, as well as Jack MacBrayer from "30 Rock" - and the show was absolutely hysterical. This time around, the troupe didn't have any particularly famous people, although the monologist was none other than...Chevy Chase. That's right, the Chevy Chase. His monologues were actually incredibly strange and not terribly funny (and the ensuing improvs were a little sub-par as well), but being able to see Chevy Chase up close was alone worth the trip. I shall be returning very soon.

And now comes Nick's advice for the day. This one is for prospective NYC tourists: if you want to win tickets to a Broadway show via a lottery, go for Rock of Ages. I tried this on Monday, and the contest was virtually nonexistant - roughly 14 people vied for 28 tickets (at 2 per person), so everyone got in. I had my hesitations about this show, but I cannot lie - I actually liked it. A lot. It does for 80's rock songs what Mamma Mia! does for ABBA - and it even does it slightly better (although sadly without the exclamation point). The show is just downright silly, and I even recognized most of the songs! Not to mention that the vocals were absolutely phenomenal. I really went for Kerry Butler, who did Xanadu last year - I know, you wish you had seen that one, right? She was hilarious and sassy of course. And Constantine Maroulis (of "American Idol" Season 4 - back in the day when I still watched) was surprisingly great. Add to the mix the battery-powered lighters they handed out and the glittery confetti at the end of the show, and I am sold.

And finally, tonight I attended a taping of "Inside the Actor's Studio" with the Strasberg Institute - Kelly got comps, and I tagged along. The special guest was Kate Hudson, so it wasn't the most intriguing of discussions. Although I do love her work in "Almost Famous" and am super excited for "Nine". In the end though, it was just amazing to see James Lipton in the flesh - he seriously had a colossal stack of note cards and went through all of them. So look for the episode to air later this year and listen for a sustained scream during the final applause - that would be me.