There's no way I'm going to win this...

Broadway-dot-com asked a bunch of TONY nominees if they were planning to write an acceptance speech. Sheesh! The bevy of emphatic "no's" is too much. Check it out for some good lines and laugh-out-loud moments... some of the best include Megan Larwrence (nominated for The Pajama Game), Elisabeth Withers-Mendes and my personal fav Felicia P Fields (for The Color Purple), Allison Pill and David Wilmot (both for The Lieutenant of Inishmore), and the shower montage of Oliver Platt, Casey Nicholaw, Lisa Kron. Oh! and Harry's seemingly selfless "plug." Isn't LaChanze adorable?

William Hinks is Back! Ah!

Emmy-winner for his recurring role William Hinks on one of my all-time favorite series, The Practice, Michael Emerson will now stalk his victims on that "lost" island on the alphabet network. Watch your back!

Bee Gets Wired

Thanks to Feed Blitz, EA(t) A(t) (j)OE'S now offers its readers some grand options! Numero uno is, of course, standard email. Beedow is now reachable at beedow@gmail.com and who knows, I just might respond in a timely way.

Also, check out our new RSS/Atom feed... I'm not even thirty percent knowledgable on how to use these grandiose features, but I figured out how to offer them as options, so I did, assuming my readers are much smarter than I. This service thanks to Feed Burner.

Thirdly, I am now offering an email subscription service to the blog. If you're interested in what's going on, but don't want to check the site every day (maybe you have a dial-up service or something, I don't know the reason...), you can now check out the bottom of the sidebar (that's on the left hand side of your screen... scroll down folks). There, you can enter your email address and click "subscribe me" and you'll receive a simple email digest ONLY when I update -- your inbox won't be littered any more than it already is, I promise.

I hope these new features work and that you'll take advantage of their slick, hot, new age feel. Nanoo, nanoo.

Good Neighbors, indeed!

Out in Allentown last night to watch the Sabres game (you guessed it, Beedow's a fairweather fan), I was so happy to see the truth behind one of our city's mottos... the city of good neighbors. Well, the kitchen at Colter Bay was out of bleu cheese, so the manager walked down the street to Gabriel's Gate (where we ended up eating, only because there was a thirty minute wait at Colter Bay) and asked if he could borrow a tub of it. He'd return it tomorrow, he explained. The hostess checked to see what their stock was like, and, turns out there was enough to share. It was a great moment in life's notebook. Unfortauntely, the Sabres were slaughtered in an embarrassing "game;" I'd call it a massacre.

Here, a watercolor (by Dr V Roger Lalli) of Buffalo's Anchor Bar, where chicken wings--and dare I say bleu cheese as well--became famous.

Drowsy in the City

I spent a lot of time in the Big Apple last week. There's nothing so exciting as a trip to the big city ... picture it: a cool breeze off the river, the smell of garbage emerging from the subway grates, the sound of taxicabs avoiding collision, the marquee lights reflecting off the wet streets ... it's magic, there's nothing like it, not a damn thing. Even those vendors on the corner hawking overpriced pretzels and pungent hot dogs can make me feel like a little boy.

It's exciting to me, knowing I've spent a good deal of time on the island of Manhattan in the past twelve months. I was there exactlyone year ago from this trip, again last fall and a third time last winter before this trip. That's pretty good I think. And I've seen probably close to twenty shows or more on those four trips. This time, it was The Threepenny Opera, The Drowsy Chaperone, Awake and Sing!, Tarzan, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and Defiance.

It's an exciting time to be in the City because of the Tony noms and all that jazz. The streets were buzzing with celebrities... my second encounter with the insane Harvey Fiersetein (excuse the spelling error), and downtown a bit, McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey.

Most of my excitement came in the form of a brand new musical from Toronto. There was nothing else able to hold a candle to the delightful Drowsy Chaperone. The show is grand, but the chaperone herself, Beth Leavel, is DYNAMITE. Her character is perfection personified--brilliantly crafted from thin air, she shows EVERYONE how it should be done. Not to be left out was the delightful if daffy Georgia Engle. SEE THIS SHOW. They deserve all the praise in the world.

glad that I did that

the incomparable Jim Dale

TONY winner Jim Dale as Mr Peachum in Roundabout's revisal production of The Threepenny Opera

Drowsy & Dave

Beedow Bares Soul

Dear Reader:

I'm tired. I'm exhausted at the names I've been called. First and foremost, I am a man. I am not an elderly woman. I am not withered in appearance, nor am I an icon of the Broadway stage. I do not, nor did I ever, have a substance problem. I do not know Stephen Sondheim, nor do I intimidate Chita Rivera. They don't even know who I am. I do not have a return engagement at the Cafe Carlyle this autumn, nor do I really expect to ever have an initial engagement there.

And so, now I reveal to you my true identity. Beedow. Stritchy no longer. I am finally confident in my own being to show myself to the world and let you know who I really am. My name is Beedow. I was created in the early 90s (probably early 1993 to be precise) and am ready to be known to the world.

My ideas are mine and no one elses. I look forward to sharing them with you.

Sincerely,
Beedow

...not Lisa with an "s"

Look at this brilliant woman, here at the opening of Broadway's The Drowsy Chaperone almost two weeks ago. That's all I have to say about her.

Mimi is coming this weekend, and I'm looking forward to spending time with her, Rice, and Li'l B. I'm heading to the City next week and will hopefully have lots to blog about following a fiasco in the big apple.

Also, Elaine Stritch has announced her plans for a second stint at the Carlyle for seven weeks beginning September 12. I saw her in her first engagement there and enjoyed myself thoroughly. This time, though, tickets are $125 and dinner (no sir, not included) is required.

Bunny on the Hill?

I can't find the video, but today on national television, Trent Lott was speaking in a hallway and John McCain was passing through behind him and gave him bunny ears. If you can find the clip, please post. It's brilliant.

Samuel French Razzle Dazzled by Bronx HS

WHAT? Now I've heard crazier stories, but not many when it comes to the competence of some high school principals. Who thought this was OK, I wonder...? Turns out some high school in the Bronx has been illegally rehearsing CHICAGO since January. First off, the principal "never ever" considered obtaining the proper rights and paying the royalties for this production. What was he thinking? Apparently, it sounds as if this has been going on for years... probably xeroxing scores from the library, passing out librettos to unassuming kids and letting these highschoolers put on "broadway" musicals just like every other school in the country. Except every other school in the country applies for rights through a licensing house in the City like Samuel French or MTI. These shows cost money to put on! Holla!

So this guy has been illegally putting on shows for years, just a few miles uptown of BROADWAY. Christ. Of course, the kids don't realize it. They're not supposed to be concerned with the rights and royalties. Sheesh. AND, furthermore, it's not as if the guy couldn't afford it. The lumber alone for this production cost over five grand. That would have been enough most likely for the royalty fee.

In any case, Broadway producer Barry Weissler is allowing the kids to put on one "unauthorized" production. Kudos, cheers and hoorahs to Mr Weissler for keeping the kids in mind. I hope after this year, though, this Bronx high school is kept under close watch and Mr Principal gets a date with the lawyers from Sam French.

[picture from the nydailynews.com]

Apple Humor

Wow. I laughed so hard at these brilliant ads. Now, I'm not usually one to sit around at the tube, waiting for brilliant advertising programming to smack me in the nose. And, still I found these Mac ads somehow. Well, it was simple really, I went to apple.com and they have them playing on the homepage. I laughed a lot. You should check them out if you've got a couple of minutes, which you must, since you navigated over here today.

9/11 on the Big Screen

Saw the much-hyped United 93 last night. It was certainly interesting, and well-worth my student discounted! seven dollars. I found it to be very worthwhile to see, probably something most people won't see for one reason or another, but really should. No matter if you were downtown at the time of the attacks or on the other side of the world, I think it's an important movie to see. Check out JJ's blogging on it.

Today's thought: What's the worst part about being blind? I think it would be not knowing if there were bugs in your food.

What a perfect blendship...

Home now, I've been able to spend a few minutes with a few friends. Here's what they're up to:

Rice went to a fancy auction over the weekend and "was bidding somewhat agressively on a salad bowl."

Li'l B spent Easter in Mexico and got very tan.

Belle got a gig on the Great White Way.

Yours truly replenished his supply of multivitamins.

Home today, Hair no more

I finally landed home today at 11:12am, four minutes earlier than expected following a particularly turbulent plane ride from Atlanta. I had lunch with my parents and then headed straight for the nearest SuperCuts where a slightly rude and not altogether pleasant hairdresser cut my locks into pieces. I have a shape to my scalp again. I have perhaps half an inch of hair all over my beautiful head and I couldn't be happier! HOORAY!