My 30 Hour Stevie Nicks Adventure

Now that I am home, I'll try to recap the entire experience.

Friday morning, I got up at 7:30, dressed, kissed Tom and Kiwi goodbye and set out on my pilgrimage. This was my 4th time to see Stevie in concert. The first time was in 1998 for the Enchanted tour. Tom went with me that time. I also saw her in 2001 and with Fleetwood Mac in 2003. I have skipped her last few 'Greatest Hits' tours in favor of waiting for a new album. I'm so glad I did.
As I hit the road, I pulled up on my iPod an interview Stevie did with Jim Ladd of KLOS about a week ago. The interview was 3.5 hours long, so it was almost long enough for the entire drive. It was recorded between midnight and 3am LA time, and you can tell. This was the perfect way to get me ready for the show. Jim always asks the good questions. There were none of the regular 'What was it like being in a band with your ex?' or 'How many times did you go to rehab?' questions. Stevie and Jim had a great, freewheeling conversation about the new album, songwriting, performing, soldiers...you name it. For those of you who think Stevie is all airy-fairy, you should listen to this. She gets very profound in places, and also very funny.
I hit Grand Prairie around 2:30 and go directly to the Verizon to pick up my ticket. I was hoping there would be some last minute ticket drop, but it was not to be. I drove to my sister's apartment. I had just enough time to catch up with her, while she got ready for work. I had planned on napping and driving straight to the show, but Nache let me know she would be tending bar. I decided it would be rude of me not to visit her at work. I showered, changed and followed her to the restaurant. I dined on crab cakes and a cosmopolitan. I was going to teach her to make me a Stevie Nicks martini, but she was kinda busy. It's all good, as she made a mean cosmo.
Time to go to the show. I drive back to Verizon, and realize...I did not bring any cash with me on this trip! The parking attendants do not accept credit cards. I have never used an ATM with my card and have no idea what my PIN is. I call the credit card company hoping for some help. No dice, they can't give PINs out over the phone. I call Tom, he has no suggestions that are feasible. I drive around and see that there is a baseball game going on at the ballpark across the street from Verizon. I drive over there, and find out there is no charge for parking. I'll have to hoof it, but I park and walk over to Verizon. I leave my camera in the car (which turns out to be a blessing)
I stand in line at the souvenir stand, and see this beautiful young girl dressed in Stevie finery. She graciously allowed me to take a pic. Armed with my shirt, baseball cap and coffee mug I take my seat, WAY in the back. I don't care, I have an excellent center view.
Before the show starts, Tom calls to check on my parking dilemma. I give him the lowdown, and he replies 'What if the game gets out first? Do you think your car will be locked in the parking lot?' Of course, I hadn't thought of that. And that's when the lights dim, and Michael Grimm takes the stage. Well, this simply will not do. I can't be worried about my car while Stevie is on stage. I'l never be able to concentrate. I grab my stuff, race down to the souvenir stand again, find someone in line, and offer to pay for her $35 shirt if she'll give me a $20 bill for my parking. She agrees. I FLY to my car (in the Texas heat) drive it back to Verizon and get parked properly. I run back inside just as Grimm wraps up his set. I am SWEATING, and thirsty, but I dare not leave my seat again.
Ok, before Stevie takes the stage, an side for the uninitiated: Stevie Nicks is my religion, and this is not an exaggeration. So, going to a concert is like a Baptist at a Tent Revival. Again, that's not an exaggeration. this was a religious experience for me.
The lights dimmed, and the crowd started cheering. The Black Eyed Peas song 'I've got a feeling' played as the band took their stations. Then The lights came up and a familiar riff filled the air. There stood Stevie Nicks, draped in a beautiful red shawl from 1976, and she launched into Stand Back. I was on my feet immediately, screaming, singing, dancing, and tearing up a little. I forget my sweat, and my thirst. From the get go, she was on FIRE. I think that song is the perfect opener, as it really gets the crowd going.
Stevie is very chatty all night, and you can tell she was very excited about bringing new songs to the crowd. At first, I thought it was rude that the audience sat through the old songs, but then I realized, most of those attending probably haven't heard them yet. Even seated, the response to the new songs was great. (one thing about being in the nosebleeds, I stood up all night and nobody cared)
As she wrapped up the song, she kindly asked the people in the audience not to film her. The crowd roared with approval. Cameras were prohibited, and there were signs everywhere. I'm the first to tell you that I watch bootleg Youtube videos, but I think an artist has a right to ask people not to film them.
I have not been a fan of Secret Love live, I keep thinking it's in the wrong key or something, it just loses some of the drama. However she really brought it up a notch. I enjoyed it a lot. (take THAT Anthony Lower).
Dreams and Sorcerer were really good. She hit some of the high notes on Dreams, and really sold it. Say what you want, Stevie was def. not phoning it in.
Nest up was another new song. I think Moonlight is a great song from the album, I just don't know how well it translates to stage. It's a mid-tempo number with a great story, but no big dramatic stage moments. If there was a weak spot in the show, I would have to say this was it.
Stevie left the stage and a familiar, spooky musical interlude began. I knew what was next: Gold Dust Woman. This is the part of the show where my hands are raised and I am speaking in tongues, (see? Tent Revival) Stevie took this song to it's spooky depths, the vamp at the end was amazing.
When it was over, Stevie began to talk about her time at Walter Reed visiting wounded soldiers. She was very passionate and serious, so of course some drunks in the cheap seats began shouting 'I LOVE YOU STEVIE' as she was trying to speak. It was the rudest thing about the night. Even so, when Stevie began to sing Soldier's Angel, the crowd was transfixed. I was especially moved, and thinking about my friend Brad Burns, who just began an 18 month tour of duty. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed the ovation was as moving as the song.
Annabelle Lee: I love this song. I hope it becomes a concert staple. People run hot and cold on it live, but I think it was great.
The song ends, and Stevie begins to talk about the next song. I know immediately what song it is. I pick up my phone and dial Anthony Lower just as the song starts. This was my Come to Jesus moment. As Stevie began to sing For What It's Worth, I look at the phone in my hand, knowing Anthony is listening, and how special he is to me, and how much this song means to us, I fall down into my seat, crying uncontrollably. I can't even tell you how much that song encapsulates how much Anthony means to me. I was going to talk to him a bit at the end of the song, but I couldn't.
And now for a piano interlude. If you know your Stevie Nicks lore, you know what happens next. Rhiannon has come! Stevie has it all: Great vocals, batwing sleeves, and beautiful choreography. The whole crowd was up for this one!
Now, at Red Rocks, Stevie had performed another new song, In Your Dreams. This night she dropped in favor of the crowd pleasing Landslide. I would have preferred the newer song, but Landslide is Stevie's Amazing Grace. She wasn't so much performing it, as leading the congregation in song. She held the entire theater in the palm of her hand.
Stevie really got busy and sold Ghosts are Gone. I can tell she loves performing this, and it is great on stage. Unfortunately it's too new for the casual fan, she really had to work to get the crowd on their feet and it was only the grist few rows that did.
After the band intros, Stevie brought out her vocal coach for a treat. I haven't heard Leather and Lace live, ever, so this was very special.
And of course, Edge of Seventeen. I have nothing to recap here as I was WAY to busy singing along (loudly) and dancing. Do you know how hard it is to spin between rows of seats????
In 2003, Fleetwood Mac closed the Lubbock show without an encore. I was so afraid that would happen here, but Stevie did not disappoint. The couple right in front of me, a young man and his girlfriend/wife were obviously on a date night, holding hands and hugging all night, trying to be oblivious to the screaming, singing, dancing gay man behind them. They never said a cross thing to me, so as Stevie closed the show with her beautiful ballad, Love Is, I sat down and let those two have that moment. (Betty Buckley was in the audience, I hope she decides to cover a Stevie tune like Love Is on her next album)
As the lights came up, a lady sitting next to me, sarcastically (but playfully) asked me why I didn't enjoy the show more. I laughed as she asked me how in the worked I knew how to sing along to every song, even the things that were different than on the albums. I just shrugged and replied 'I've had YEARS of practice.'

This morning I got up and left Dallas about 9am. It was raining most of the morning, as I listened to In Your Dreams on constant repeat, as I mentally began to compose this post. Just as I was about to hit Eastland, TX, I got a flat. I pulled over to fix the flat. I mean people get flat tires all the time right? I could fix this on my own without going into 'Pierce The Toast' mode (if you don't know what that is, rent The Birdcage). The tire and most of the equipment came out of the trunk with ease. Everything, except the jack. It just would not come out. I spent 20 minutes or more trying to get that stupid jack out, all the while taking breaks to try and wave down cars. I was veering very close to 'Toast' territory. Finally, Strapping Young Matt (or SYM) pulled over in his toyota, and offered assistance. Of course, he got the jack out in no time, and with a little help from SYM, I was back on the road.

30 hours and 750 miles later, I am back at home, grateful for the experience. I look over this and it seems like so much less than what it was, but it truly was an Enchanting evening. Stevie recharged the batteries of my soul...

10 Missed Opportunities for Wonder Woman

Over at Thirty Five Minutes Ago, my dear friend listed his 10 favorite stories involving Wonder Woman. In response, I have decided to list my 10 missed opportunities in Wonder Woman, in no particular order:

1. The Greg Rucka run - Greg Rucks did an amazing job writing Wonder Woman and set up some interesting dynamics. With the matriarchy abolished and Hippolyta dead, Themyscira was ruled by Artemis and Phillipus. Diana's ambassadorial role was played up as she frequently spoke at the United Nations or attended functions at the White House. While this was going on, Athena used Diana to stage a coup on Olympus, making her the Queen of the Gods and Ares as the Lord of the Underworld. The stage was set for some incredible storytelling. Unfortunately, Infinite Crisis got in the way and Rucka was forced to tie up all loose ends and exit the book. I will always wonder what would have happened if Rucka had stayed on another year or two...

2. Themyscira Civil War - Phil Jimenez' love of Wonder Woman is well documented. Unfortunately his run was marred by crossovers and editorial mandates. There were several times he had an arc that started off well, only to be trumped by an approaching crossover. The Civil War is a great case in point. The Bana-Mighdall amazons and the Themyscirans became embroiled in a civil war. To add to the excitement, George Perez came on board the title to lend a hand. Of course, Our Worlds at War was coming up, so we got a 2 issue arc in what could have been a year long conflict involving amazons and gods. I think that had Jimenez been left alone long enough, we would have seen some spectacular stories. His final issue has always been one of my favorites.

3. Donna Troy as Wonder Woman - although Diana will always be the one true Wonder Woman to me, when the title was relaunched after Infinite Crisis, Donna Troy had taken over the mantle. What did she do with her newfound title? Get beat up and used as a necklace for Giganta. We are led to believe Donna had been Wonder Woman for a year. What I wouldn't give to read some tales from Donna's time in the tiara.

4. The Goddess of Truth - I am not a big fan of the John Byrne run on Wonder Woman, but I did like the idea of Diana as a goddess. I would like to have seen her in that role a little while longer.

5. 52 - We knew where Bruce Wayne was, we knew where Clark Kent was. Where was Diana? I would like to have seen more of her than just that brief scene with Renee Montoya.

6. Rise of the Olympian - Read my last blog post, you will understand.

7. Amazons Attack - According to memory (and help me out if I am wrong), Amazons Attack was originally going to be a mini-series tied into Infinite Crisis, and written by either Greg Rucka or his wife. Rucka's set up would have been ripe with possibilites. The story we actually got was so out of character for almost everyone involved that it is a blemish on the Wonder Mythos.

8. Renumbering - Wonder Woman has been in continuous print since 1941. Her numbering should reflect that. Look at Batman and Superman.

9. Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman/Wonder Girl team ups - I know there were a few and most of this has to do with Donna Troy's convoluted origin, but I would love to have seen more of the relationship between Diana and Donna.

10. Of course, The Live Action Movie - GET WITH THE PROGRAM ALREADY, WARNERS!!!!!

This list is not out of spite or pettiness. I love Wonder Woman and I always will. I just wish a few things had been handled differently.

Rise of the Olympian

I finished reading Wonder Woman #33 about 15 minutes after I purchased it on Wednesday. This issue was the last in the 'Rise of the Olympian' arc that has dominated Wonder Woman for 8 issues. It has taken me this long to decide how I felt about the conclusion of this story. In fact, I decided to re-read the entire arc this weekend to re-familiarize myself with the entire story.
Please note, there are spoilers for those who have not read it yet
I am left a little underwhelmed by the story. This was to be a story which would alter the status quo for Wonder Woman. If you judge the story just on that criteria, Gail Simone succeeded. Wonder Woman's mission, supporting cast, secret ID, and heritage have all been altered. I have to say I am looking forward to how this all plays out. I also must say that Simone has an incredible handle on Wonder Woman's character. Her inner monologue, speech, and actions are clear cut, and totally within the range of what I think Wonder Woman personifies. I love the dialogue. For that I have to give credit where credit is due.
The problems I had with the story concern the plot and the execution thereof. I think the range and scope of this arc was too ambitious for 8 issues. The idea was great, it just started to fall apart under it's own weight. To recap, we had:

Genocide - a new villain with an origin that needed to be told
The return of the Gods
The return of the Amazons
The relationship between Wonder Woman and Tom Tresser
The creation of a new race of beings and an island home for them
The Cheetah and her Secret Society
and of course, The Rise of the Olympian

Now, you can take any of these plot points and create a 4 or 5 issue arc out of them. Sandwiching them all into one eight issue arc meant that much of the story was inferred or happened off-panel. The biggest gap for me was between the end of issue 31 and 32. I had to go back and re-read the end of 31 because I thought I had missed an entire issue. It began to feel rushed. Plus, Athena began to talk to Wonder Woman through several other characters, essentially moving the plot along through large chunks of exposition. I would start to become interested in one facet of this story when the action and story was moved to another place with different characters.
The arc started out well, lots of mystery and action combined. The resolution of this arc is what has me bothered. The previous seven issues had a lot of buildup and a lot of unanswered questions. The implication was that the eighth issue would tie everything together. Wonder Woman lands on Themyscira on one of her magic clamshells, badly wounded. However, at the end of issue 32, she appears in much better health, hovering over the ocean where she had just dispatched Genocide. As amazons (including her mother, Hippolyta) gather around her, they are attacked by sea creatures. We learner in the last issue that Euphemus, son of Poseidon, has turned traitor and is assisting Ares, the God of War. When this happened is unclear, as we have been seeing Euphemus throughout this arc with no hint of his treacherous nature. Also, Ares has been in his full God of War regalia, when the rest of the Olympian Gods are walking around, partially dazed in Star Trek uniforms. Still unclear about that. Wonder Woman figures out Ares plan (with the help of Deus Ex Machina Athena) and flies to him, cutting his head off with her ax, breaking the ax in the process. Ares has been Wonder Woman's most formidable foe since her 1986 relaunch, and to see him dispatched like that just fell very flat to me. Especially when he had just masterminded this entire plan (and done it without even being seen or mentioned for 4 issues). It was not the way her most recognizable nemesis should have exited the book. It's like having The Joker slip on a banana peel and crack his head open. And I am not so sure what the big deal is about her breaking her ax. It's not like it's an everyday part of her weaponry. We already know that the lasso has been contaminated. That merits some follow up and should be interesting.
Wonder Woman's dialogue with Zeus was absolutely the best part of the story. Having been a pawn of the Gods for so long, she renounces her heritage and her pantheon. This is where the story was going and I am very excited to see what happens next.
Where Wonder Woman ended up at the end of this story was great, I am just not thrilled with the way she got there.

My Dinner with Patti LuPone

My love affair with Patti LuPone started inauspiciously, when at the age of 8, I saw this woman on tv, singing some song that for weeks, I would swear was called ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Ike and Tina.’ I don’t remember much, except that she was LOUD and had a nifty way of singing. It was one of those moments I filed in the back of my head and would remember anytime I heard the song on the radio, or at someone’s house.

Flash forward to June of 1991. I had just graduated from High School. As a graduation present to myself, I went to Los Angeles for Gay Pride and stayed with my friends Ron and Jim. Coming from the same hometown, Ron knew that my Gay Education was lacking. He promptly began screening films (All About Eve, Auntie Mame, Dark Victory), giving me books to read (Surprising Myself, How Long Has This Been Going On), and educating me on Theatre. One of the cds he played for me was ‘Patti LuPone Live.’ By that time, I had heard ‘Evita’ a couple of times and was vaguely familiar with Patti. However, from the moment I heard the opening bars of ‘I Get A Kick Out of You’ I was hooked. Ron began to tell me all about Ms. LuPone and her storied career. The rest of my time in LA was punctuated by the music of Patti. As soon as I got home I went out and bought ‘Patti LuPone Live: Highlights.’ It took about 5 minutes to realize that simply would not do, returned it, and got the 2 disc version.
Patti stayed with me, and I with her through every high and low of my life: She was there when I went through my first relationship and break up. I was there when that bastard Andrew Lloyd Webber replaced her in ‘Sunset Boulevard.’ As much as I love Madonna, I can’t listen to her rendition of ‘Argentina.’ She just doesn’t have Touch of Star Quality.
As the years went on, I yearned to see one of her shows live, but we were like ships passing in the night. I was in NYC 2 weeks before she opened ‘Master Class,’ visited San Francisco right after she performed ‘Sweeney Todd’ there. I began to think that I would have to settle for the odd tv Guest Appearance. In the meantime, I got myself a wonderful relationship. Tom loved me, and didn’t mind that I bought an Argentine flag while we were on vacation in Mexico. (Why an Argentine flag? Well, how else am I going to demand to be buried like Eva Peron?)
A couple of months ago, I got an email alert from Ticketmaster. Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin would be in concert in San Antonio on April 5, 2009. I pulled up the tickets, and there it was: Front Row Center. I took a deep breath, and told myself that if that ticket was still there when I got home from work, then Maria Calllas wanted me to see Patti. Sure enough, there is was. I ran to Tom, my arguments at the ready, and made my case for going to San Antonio on my own. To my great surprise and joy, Tom wanted to go as well, and suggested we make a long weekend out of it. Within 30 minutes, we had our tickets, flight and hotel booked. For 42 days, I counted down by playing every Patti LuPone cast recording and album over and over again (and just for good measure, my Ipod playlist entitled: Shut UP! Patti LuPone). Did I mention how understanding Tom is?

Finally, it’s time to go to San Antonio. The flight is horrible, overbooked and delayed, but I don’t care. I plug in my Ipod and crack open ‘Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever’ by Joel Derfner. Obviously, with a title like that, I assumed it was an unauthorized biography on me. To my chagrin, it was actually about Joel Derfner.
The Watermark Hotel is situated in downtown San Antonio, a scant 2 blocks from the Majestic Theatre, where we would be seeing the show. That was one of the criteria for picking the hotel (the other being it’s highly rated spa). We checked in, and grabbed a late dinner with Pedro, an old acquaintance from Odessa.
Saturday morning we get up and meet up with Gianna and Natasha, our two favorite lesbians in the whole world. They have driven over from Austin just to see us. Naturally, we dragged them all over San Antonio looking for the perfect pair of jeans. For Tom, this is easy, as he finds a pair 5 minutes into looking through the sale rack at the Lucky store. The fact that I can’t find any starts to become a sore point as I begin to throw jeans around at The Buckle, The Gap, and A&F. Finally, as the girls wait in the car, I find what I want at Hollister. Tom and I get a laugh out of the looks we get from customers because we shared a dressing room. The four of us pile back into Gianna’s sweet new ride and dine on the Riverwalk. Dinner is good, conversation is better, but the people watching becomes unbearable as we watch mothers and fathers dragging very unhappy children up and down the river. Gianna mentions that she will be seeing some guy called Bruce Springsteen on the same night we see Patti. Apparently he’s very popular with the college crowd. I hope he gets a record deal.

Sunday: Concert Day. Tom and I spend the day lounging around. Pedro comes back to the hotel for lunch on the rooftop café. At 2, we amble down to the spa for our massages. Tom gets a therapist named Hubert and I get Paul. Paul is adequate, but just barely. He makes small talk during the massage, which I hate. He asks what we are doing in town, so I mention the concert. After he is done and I feel like I was just manhandled by a trainee, Tom walks into the lounge with Hubert. Tom smiles the smile of one in bliss. Hubert looks at me.

‘Paul tells me you are in town for the Patti LuPone show.’

‘Yes, I am so excited.’

‘Did he tell you she was just in the salon getting he nails done?’

At this point, any muscles that had been relaxed, stiffen up as I try to decide if it’s appropriate for a man in a bathrobe to burst into the ladies spa. Hubert solves that dilemma by informing me she has already left. I weep silently and curse Paul.

Around 5pm, Tom and I meet my friend Roman, who has also driven from Austin to see the show. Roman has seen many LuPone shows and has pictures of him backstage with Patti. We have a lively dinner conversation and Roman tells me to turn my phone on as soon as the show is over, in case he can get me backstage to see Patti. Tom and I make our way to the hotel, shower, change and have a cocktail at the bar before walking to the theatre.

Taking our seats, I am so close to the stage, I can touch it. Promptly at 7pm, the lights dim. Onto the stage walks Mandy Patinkin…and Patti LuPone. They immediately launch into ‘Another Hundred People’ from Company. The show is an incredible showcase of two legendary talents. Mandy Patinkin is his usual frenetic self, seamlessly going from his lower register to that tight, controlled and emotive falsetto he is known for. Patti…what can I say? Where Mandy played out to the rafters, Patti played to everyone: from the front row all the way to the back of the theatre. Most reviewers talk about her voice, so I won’t go into that, except to say it was as magnificent in person as it is on record. What was so enchanting was her use of body and facial expression. She could make you laugh with a look, make you cry with a gesture. Anyone who calls Patti a singer is doing her an incredible disservice. She is an actress of the highest caliber, and oh yeah, her voice is pretty good.
Near the end of Act I, the stage empties and goes dark. The piano begins to play a familiar tune. A single spot open up on Patti, alone on stage…’It Won’t Be Easy, You’ll Think It’s Strange…’ I have heard ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ millions of times, so I was not expecting the tears to well up in my eyes. But they did. (They also welled up in Tom’s but he’ll deny it).
Act II opened with another signature Patti song. Alone again, Patti delivered her Tony Winning Mama Rose singing ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses.’ Yes, I cried again.
Patti and Mandy are known for their interpretation of the works of Stephen Sondheim, so it was a pleasant surprise that most of Act II was represented by the works of Rogers and Hammerstein, specifically Carousel. Not one of my favorite shows, but Patti and Mandy made it fresh and new.

Too soon, the show was over. I flipped open my phone and waited. As I walked around the theatre, I notice they are selling cds. My keen eye spots the hard to find Patti solo cd ‘Matters of the Heart.’ I scoop it up as the phone rings. Roman informs me that they are not going to allow me backstage. I expected this, so I wasn’t too disappointed. He did however get a program autographed for me. I met him at the front of the theatre and thanked him profusely. This was more than I ever expected and was such a generous thing for Roman to do. We parted ways with promises to meet up when ‘Wicked’ rolled into town later in the Summer.

Tom and I walk back to the hotel in a daze. That was a theatrical moment that I would never forget. It’s now around 10:30pm and we both realize that we are starving! We look over the room service menu, and decide we don’t like any of it. After 20 minutes of indecision, we decide to hit the hotel bar and hope the bartender can recommend a good place to eat. In the lobby, Tom stops to talk to the concierge. She tells us the hotel restaurant is open for another half hour and they make a great burger. That pretty much makes our decision for us. We walk down to the restaurant and stand at the reservation desk. As we wait for someone to seat us, I hear a familiar voice. Sitting at the bar, eating a salad is Patti LuPone. I bite my lip before I can shriek, and turn to Tom.

(Aside: as you read this next exchange, please picture Elle Woods trying to get Brooke Wyndham’s alibi in Legally Blonde)

Me: that’s patti lupone

Tom: What?

Me: that’s Patti LuPone

Tom: Huh?

Me (through clenched teeth, and hissing hysterically): THAT’S PATTI LUPONE!!

Tom: Oh hey, It sure is. Is that Mandy Patinkin with her?

It’s amazing how stressed your body gets when you can’t decide if you want to faint or hit your boyfriend on the head with a frying pan.
The waiter comes up to us at that point to take us to our table. Tom looks and me and says:
‘Pull yourself together, hang out here a couple of minutes and see if you can’t at least say hello. I’ll wait for you at the table.’
I loiter at the bar until Patti and Mandy get up to go to their table. I lightly call out, ‘Ms. LuPone?’
She turns to me and says ‘Yes?’
I don’t know if any of you have ever met someone you admire, but I got very light headed, wanted to throw up, and cry. Your brain gets all foggy and you aren’t really sure what you are saying. I extended my hand and she held it, and held my gaze as I mumbled something about how great the show was and how much I loved it. She replied that it was such a treat to perform for people who really enjoyed it. She then walked off to her table.
I turned to follow the waiter to our table, even giddier that I was before. And then it got better. We were seated at the table right next to Patti, Mandy and their entourage. I laser locked my eyes on Tom, knowing that if I did not concentrate, I would stare like a freaky stalker all night.
As great as that encounter was, I was disappointed that I didn’t have a pen or the concert program with me. That’s when my boyfriend, the greatest man alive said:

‘I’ll go to the room and get your program and the camera. We’ll just sit here until they are done with dinner.’

Over the next two hours, we picked at our food like sorority girls on a diet. The upside is that I heard a lot of conversation about the tour. They were to leave the next day for a week long break before heading to Detroit. The best part was when the conversation turned to The Muppet Show. Apparently Mandy Patinkin had never heard the song ‘Mahna Mahna.’ Patti asked the waiter to turn the music off so that she and the table could sing to Mandy. You have not lived until you have heard Patti LuPone and her entourage sing ‘Mahna Mahna.’ As they finished one bottle of wine, Tom tipped our waiter to bring us the empty bottle.
Finally, about 1am, I see Patti and Company get up to leave. I get up and walk over to them. Immediately, I apologize for bothering her again. I can feel a little bit of tears as I explain that this wonderful man standing next to me flew me all the way out here to see the show, and how much I loved it, how great their chemistry was, and what a treat this was. Patti and Mandy are incredibly gracious. They both sign my program, and Patti signs my cd. As we get grouped up for the picture, Patti looks at Tom and tells him that he needs to get in the picture too, for being so nice to me. Her assistant takes the camera, and snaps a picture. I thank them so much as they exit the restaurant. The entire encounter takes less than 2 minutes, but was something I will never forget.
Tom and I review the picture on the way to the elevator and it turned out perfect.

It’s sometimes very deflating to meet people you admire so much. They cannot possible live up to the mental picture you have of them. I am happy to say that Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin are the exception to that rule. I was in the right place at the right time, and it made all the difference.

The Cheese Monkeys

My baby sister gave me this book over the Christmas Holidays. I adore Chip Kidd's work as a graphic designer. In fact, the cover to Soon I Will Be Invincible was designed by him. I was a little leery of Kidd as a fiction writer, but Nache loved the book, so I gave it a try.
Cheese Monkeys tells the story of Happy, who goes to college in the 1950's and through a set of circumstances, ends up in a graphic design class. It is not, by any stretch, what you would expect a tale of school life to be. For starters, I would not classify this as a novel, more like a series of vignettes. That is not a knock on the work. It actually makes it easier to read, and not so concerned with where you left off when you take a break from reading. (Although this book is such an easy read, most will read it in one sitting)
The problem lies in the fact that even in 270 pages, you don't really get a feel for the characters. Everyone comes off as two dimensional. Again, that would be fine, except, without much of a plot, there is nothing much to hold you to the story.
When you get to the big climactic scene at the end, you find yourself not very invested in the resolution (which is weak and a cop out in my opinion). The story doesn't end so much as it just stops. I admit, the idea at the end is very clever, it's just not fully realized, and to be honest, has been done before with more success.
As I think back on this book, I have to remind myself that I did enjoy it for the most part, with the exception of the ending. This is the biggest trap authors can fall into: Writing a good (or even great) novel, and ruining it with a sub par ending. I shouldn't have to remind myself that this was a good read. You are supposed to just know that when you close the book.

Soon I Will Be Invincible

Translating one genre into another is difficult, and more often than not, you end up turning off the fans of genre one while failing to capture genre two. Instead of crossover appeal, you have lost an audience. This is especially true with cult genres like comic books. Comic fans are very protective, and wary of outsiders. Likewise, the general reading public gives little weight to the literary merit of the ‘Funny Papers.’
In the last few years however, comics have attracted the talents of established fiction writers like Brad Meltzer and Greg Rucka. The comic fans have found their way to sample fiction works by these authors and fiction fans have begun to pick up their comic work.
Austin Grossman has taken this a step further in Soon I Will Be Invincible, his debut novel. A work of fiction with no interior art, the story is none the less a perfect comic caper. Invincible is the story of Dr. Impossible, the world’s greatest villain, and the superhero team known as The Champions. Grossman employs a first person narrative, but from opposing sides; half the novel is told from Dr. Impossible’s perspective, while the other is told from the point of view of Fatale, the newest member of The Champions. Zigzagging back and forth between the two, the plot is tight, and fast paced, sucking the reader in from page one. The action sequences are superb and show Grossman’s command of language.
Grossman’s secret weapons, however, are his characterizations. People with ridiculous names like Damsel and Blackwolf (and crazy outfits to match) are revealed to be all too human, with inner conflict, socialization issues and occasionally a sense of humor. Damsel and Blackwolf come from the Fleetwood Mac School of Relationship Adjustments. They are divorced (from each other) and still fighting on the same team, while they try to adjust to working with someone you don’t want to be around anymore. While there aren’t any Top 40 hits penned by them, the duality of their situation does permeate the exchange they have, and create a more realistic portrait of both of them. These are the things that will appeal to the general reader, a great story told through a fast paced plot and excellent characterization.
Invincible does not abandon its comic roots though. Many comic fans will rejoice in the plot itself (the team is trying to thwart Impossible’s latest scheme to take over the world) and the wry wit comics are becoming known for. Without spoiling a major scene, there is a hilarious exchange between Impossible and his arch-nemesis CoreFire.
A tough balancing act is accomplished as the novel winds to its inevitable conclusion. The reader cannot help but marvel at how completely Grossman has created a new world. It’s kind of jarring to come back to reality when it is all over. That is the hallmark of a great writer. One hopes Soon I Will Be Invincible will usher in a slew of new books by Austin Grossman in the future.

Annie Wilkes, misunderstood fan

The first few times I saw 'Misery' Kathy Bates scared the living Hell out of me. This movie was scarier than any horror flick with monsters and goblins, because it was totally plausible in my mind. I would watch it over and over again, holding my breath while James Caan plotted his escape.

I recently watched it again just the other day, and my my my, how my feelings have changed. Some of the authors I have worked with have been so unpleasant, and condescending. I began to see Annie Wilkes in a new light.

About 4 months ago, I worked very hard on an author event here in town with a very famous author (We'll call him Paul Sheldon for continuity's sake). Paul was out promoting his new book which was due to debut on the New York Times Bestseller List at #5 that week. I got him interviewed by the local paper, and made sure the local literacy foundation would reap some benefit from his appearance. TV stations came to cover the story, and there were radio spots as well. I was also working on a handicap: The only time his schedule would allow the signing was on an afternoon in the middle of the week, when most people are at work.
The day of the signing came. He was gruff and not very personable. Showing up 45 minutes early, he got bored and left less than an hour into his signing scheduled time, as soon as there was a gap in the line. As you can imagine I was mortified. Almost as soon as he was out of the door, more people showed up with books in hand. I went right back to my office and called his publicist (who sounded like Lauren Bacall). I will say she was great, as was the head of publicity, who made a generous donation to the literacy foundation and sent a box of autographed books for them to use in fundraising.

It is now very easy for me to watch the 'hobbling' scene in 'Misery' because I can super-impose my own Paul Sheldon over James Caan's face...