Holy fuck!

Now

THAT

is

a

Star

Wars

Movie

!!!!!!!!!

Hey, sports fans. Not much to add at the moment, but I just updated my website with a couple new photos and a lot of Star Wars-centric rambling.

And I wanted to wish my dear friend Pat a speedy and complete recovery. Heal...heal...heal....and drive defensively!

First, Happy Mom's Day, Mom!!

I'm still not reading the reviews of Star Wars, but it's dang hard considering they are all over the place. I did learn that pal Maikel in Germany saw the charity premiere and gives it a big thumbs-up, and Film Threat gave it four stars, so perhaps there is hope yet. I know it doesn't really matter what the critics think of the movie--it only matters if it works for me. But then again, as a die-hard Star Wars fan, I also want it to work as a Star Wars movie, which is to say, does it effectively fulfill its role in the whole mythology of the Star Wars saga? Is it consistent with the world in which Luke, Leia and Han Solo will eventually make such an impact? This is more than a matter of pleasing me, it's a matter of pleasing an entire generation of fans, who all, naturally, have different opinions as to what the "real" Star Wars Universe should look like.

Well, anyway...

Thursday was opening night of 21 Dog Years and I have been remiss in not congratulating Mike on a job well done! I've seen this show a number of times in the last year and a half (including the first performance at the late Speakeasy Cafe in early 2001), and I have to say this opening night was one of the best--if not the best--of them all. The audience--full of friends, family, business associates and theater insiders--were excited, happy and supportive, and Michael did not dissapoint them. The show itself--that is to say, the script--was the same as always, but this performance made abundantly clear how the same words and the same actions can result in completely different experiences. With lesser performers, doing the same show over and over for months and years on end can make the whole thing feel rote and tired. But Mike seems to thrive on the opportunity to hone his show to the minute detail. It seems that by ingraining the words and blocking so deeply into his memory, it frees him to harness the energy of the audience and craft the performance directly to them. On opening night, for example, Mike came out on stage at the beginning of the show and stood, palms out to the audience, ready to deliver his first line. But when the lights came up, the theater burst into applause--something that apparently hadn't happened before. While another actor might wait for the applause to die down, or ignore it altogether, Mike simply said "Never has a man won so much applause for doing so little." It was a funny and relaxed moment, yet did not detract a bit from the show's opening.

Another place where Mike's flexibility worked well was when an audience member's cell phone rang during one of the quieter moments (even after a funny admonishment before the show to turn off all "yuppie toys"). Again, instead of ignoring the obvious, he integrated it right into the speech he was delivering. This combination of real acting chops with stand-up comic instincts is what makes Mike's performances so lively and fun, even on repeat viewings. The few reviews I've found have been very positive, and I hope the rest of New York--and the world--gets a chance to see Mike in action, it's such a treat.

More reviews:
Washington Post
Internet.com

Back to the home decor part of this blog (see top of page). I rearranged my apartment yesterday, and now my back hurts. I was worried that I wouldn't find a way for everything to fit in this new configuration, but I think it will work. It has become even more clear, however, that I have far too much stuff and far too little storage. Shelving is an absolute necessity, so I'm going to try to overcome my fear of putting things on my walls. I only hope that my ideas don't overwhelm my abililties--I've never used a drill in my life!

Lastly, I got my photos back from the Star Wars Celebration II and they SUCK! My camera got stolen the first day, so saintly hotel-roommate Matt gave me a disposable to use. Unfortunately, the quality of the disposable was spotty at best, and to make things worse they X-Rayed my checked bag at the airport, which streaked the few photos I managed to capture. ARGH! So any of you out there who got some pix of the convention, PLEASE e-mail them to me!