Spring Reality Round Up: Drag Race enters Monsoon Season!!

Congrats to Jinkx Monsoon, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5. Jinkx is that great combination of Creativity, Uniqueness Nerve and Talent that Ru is always touting. I was rooting for her ever since she played Little Edie in the Snatch Game episode and half of the other queens didn't even know who the hell that was. They all should've been eliminated on the spot. I mean, there is not having an in depth knowledge of gay history, and then there's not ever having heard of Grey Gardens, despite documentaries, books, movies and a Broadway musical. I mean, seriously. I thought there might be a point where she'd crack under the pressure of all the pageant queens who wanted her gone, but she only got stronger throughout the competition. As my girl Latrice Royale would say, "Get up. Look sickening and make them EAT IT!"

 Jinkx's win keeps Drag Race on a nice run of  satisfying winners following Sharon Needles last year and Raja before her in seasons 4 and 3. (I still think Tyra Sanchez in Season 2 was a cray cray win over Raven or JuJuBee.) Now it's Monsoon Season, and who isn't happy when it's raining men?

It's a satisfying conclusion to what turned out to be a fairly solid season. The cast favored a very pretty (fishy, if they must, but it's my least favorite term) cast, and I wish there were larger personalities (and some larger bodies too) in the mix. Too much of the season was dominated by the "feud" between Coco Montrese and Alyssa Edwards and it just wasn't that interesting, especially when it became clear neither was going to win the crown. Once they were  eliminated, there was room for the other queens to get a word in edge-wise. And Ru, as always, seemed really engaged in the process. I always believe Ru cares!

There was also this weird underlying battle over drag philosophy this season. The "pageant queens" really seemed to look down on the "comedy queens." Roxxxy Andrews, in particular seemed to think that if Queens were trying to be funny characters instead of gorgeous women, they were doing it wrong and that comedy was a less legitimate form of drag. Now, some of this complaining be attributed to Roxxxy's own insecurities which she herself admitted. But other queens seemed to agree and looked down on Jinkx and even Alaska on what they were doing. I think that attitude is completely crazy! Firstly it's crazy, because Ru is ultimately looking for an entertainer and a tour headliner - not just a pretty girl. She needs to be a drag SUPERSTAR, bitches! And that attitude also dismisses and ignores a very rich history of drag performance. Drag is not just one thing, or one school of thought. Luckily, Drag Race Veteran and Fan Favorite Pandora Boxx, wrote a piece for the Huffington Post that addresses just this issue, much better than I ever could. You should give it a read.

I think Jinkx is a really talented performer and an interesting creative guy outside of his grad persona. Anyone who walks around with an arsenal of Death Becomes Her quotes at the ready is aces in my book. Jinkx has already started creating new projects including The Vaudevillians that will be in NYC this summer. I'm excited to see what other projects come in the future. JINKX, YOU BETTA WERK!!!!

Spring Reality Round-Up: An Amazing Race!! (...with Ho-Hum Contestants)

(Where my teams at?)

Amazing Race finished up its 20-billionth season this past Sunday, and  I still love the concept of the show and while the challenges and locations are as respectively varied and beautiful as they've ever been (and now shot in glorious HD) the overall casting for this last go-around was really kind of blah, and didn't hold my attention week-to-week. The Hockey Dudes - Anthony and Bates - won pretty handily in the last leg, and truth be told they ran a solid enough race throughout and weren't jerks or morons... but I wasn't really HOPING they'd win either. There wasn't anyone in the final four group I was really pulling for. I don't know the exact recipe for what makes a team compelling and fun to root for but there are a couple things that I am drawn to in a team. I will list them below.

1) Two people who have a sense of adventure/ joy of exploration / competitive spirit.

2) Two people who, between them, can read a map and drive stick shift.

3) Two people who are NOT "newly dating" or "newly married" or "testing their relationship on the race." 

4) Two people with an interesting history or relationship dynamic which is not based on one constantly screaming at or demeaning the other.

5) Two people who are not afraid of water.

6) Something about them could potentially make them an underdog.

That's basically it! And Bates and Anthony even kinds fit that bill, but there weren't enough teams like that around them to really challenge them. Are there not enough people in the potential casting pool to find teams fitting this criteria? I've always felt that the drama of this show should come from two people trying to complete tasks together and trying to supporting each other through the stresses of racing around the world. So it's basically Team Vs. Killer Fatigue of Travel, even more than Team Vs. Team. I HATE when it becomes Team Member vs. Team Member. And what it feels like we get a lot of recently is one team member really wants to do The Race and the other one got dragged along because at least they'd make it to ONE new place and then they'd probably get to stop. Because if they REALLY wanted to do the Race, they'd know to learn stick shift first. And if they REALLY wanted to do it, they'd have to know they'll have to swim. Or, you know, RUN.  And CLIMB. And possibly JUMP. And READ clues. And TALK TO CAB DRIVERS. Some contestants seem so shocked when presented with these things along the way. Have they ever watched this show? I just feel like the show needs to find more people who really want to travel and compete and be together, than people who like the idea of being on tv or taking a vacation.

So thanks for some fun new locations, TAR, and for bringing me my weekly does of Phil Keoghan into my living room. I especially loved when they went to New Zealand. Just gorgeous. Let's see what mix of teams you have in store for us next time. Until that time, I'll think of that almost unbelievable moment when John and Jessica were eliminated with an Express Pack still in their pocket, and John's explanation for why he was cool with that was totally insane. OY VEY!

Well played, Tommy Haas!

(This trophy looks designed to easily fall off a mantle and kill somebody. German engineering!)

I know this happened a week ago and since that time, we have had a totally crazy and exciting Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid (Novak upset! Federer Upset! Ferrer so-close-and-yet-so-far against Nadal once again!) but I have to give props to my man Tommy Haas who won the BMW Open for the first time in his 10th attempt last Sunday, beating defending champ Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-6 (3). It win the first all-German final in Munich in 48 years! It's Haas' 4th title on home turf, after previously winning twice at Halle and once at Stuttgart. Persistence in this case has paid off! Respect must be paid!

This is Tommy's 14th ATP Tour title overall and I really respect his dedication to the game and is hunger and his fitness level at this late point in his career. He's pretty much the only person on tour who is older than me who is still competitive to win tournaments! When he retires, that will be it. It will all be young-uns. I have been following tennis for a very very long time...

But clearly he's still not done, so I don't have to completely freak out about it yet! Congrats Tommy! Keep up the good fight this season (unless you're playing Rafa, then you must lose)!

2013 Tony Nominations! 3 Surprises I Love!

(We got your nominees right here!!)

The Tony Nominations came out on Tuesday and overall I was very excited by the nominees. There are some really phenomenal performances and first-time nominees that deserve recognition. Now, not everyone I know has been super-thrilled with this Broadway season's offerings. I can kinda understand - there have been a few disappointments. While there were some very strong new musicals and musical revivals, we were missing a lot of break out straight plays. That's not to say there wasn't a lot of strong work being done, but last year we had "Clybourne Park" and "Other Desert Cities and "Peter and the Starcatcher" and "Venus In Fur" all of which were very buzz-worthy shows in their own right. There's nothing wrong with this year's crop, but despite some mild controversy over "Testament of Mary" and super-popularity of Tom Hanks in "Lucky Guy," the new productions of plays don't really force you to take notice that they're there. Similarly, there were some real head scratching misfires in the play revival category with "Glengarry, Glen Ross" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," both of which had high-wattage stars that just fell very flat. So it's been an uneven season overall. But we're not here to focus on that. It's the TONYS! And there's a lot to celebrate! There were some fun unexpected nominees as well! Here are my 3 favorite surprises of this year's Tony nominations:

(Stealing that extra bow!)

1) Bring It On and Christmas Story Get Best Musical Nods! Okay, so the race between who is actually going to win Best Musical is really going to be between "Matilda" and "Kinky Boots" - as it was long destined to be. It was up in the air, however, as to who the other nominees would be. It could've been super-popular "Motown" or the more recent and well-reviewed "Hands On A Hardbody," but instead Tony voters looked back a littler earlier in the season and chose to recognize "Bring It On" and "A Christmas Story." Obviously, I'm partial to Bring It On due to my friendship with LMM, so I'm thrilled to see his work recognized, but I actually think BIO is a really fun and exciting show with a strong score and featured a terrific ensemble. It's great that the production as a whole is recognized here, as well as Andy's extraordinary choreography in that category. And while I didn't get to see Christmas Story in its limited holiday run, everyone I know who saw it thought it was really great, and I'm happy for the writing team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, whose score from "Dogfight" I also really enjoyed this past year. Speaking of which, that leads me to....

(The lady in the middle is a first time nominee!)

2) All first-time nominees in the Original Score category! It's always fun to see fresh voices get recognized at the Tonys and this year everyone's here for the first time! Not only that, but 3 of the 4 are making their Broadway debut! Amanda Green, who worked with Trey Anastasio on Hands on a Hardbody, has other Broadway credits, but this is her first nomination. I got into a conversation with a friend over Facebook about whether or not it bothered people that all the original musical nominees this season are adapted from pre-existing material. It doesn't bother me this year, because all the musicals are good. And some of the people adapting this material into original musicals have won Tonys and Pulitzers in the past for completely original musicals. So it's not like it doesn't happen. But it's hard. Certainly, I lament the practice of trying to turn any and every non-musical movie into a musical stage show just to capitalize on it being a property already familiar to audiences. I wish people with money would instead invest in the musical theater writers who are trying to create something fresh and new instead of, you know, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days: The Musical! But I don't have a problem with adapting a story that's been told in one medium and translating it to another. There are a lot of movie-to-musical clunkers out there, but when it's done right, they should be celebrated! ENJOY GOOD THEATER, and don't worry if it's adapted from a book or a movie, I say! Artists should create what they are inspired to create, whether it's an original idea or a new spin on an old tale. I'm really excited for all these first time nominees and can't wait to see which one of them adds Tony Winner to their resume!

(Patina finds her light thanks to K.Pos)

3) Kenneth Posner vs. Kenneth Posner vs Kenneth Posner vs.... Hugh Vanstone. Kenneth Posner sure gets around town. He received THREE nominations for lighting design on three different musicals - Pippin, Cinderella and Kinky Boots. His work is stunning so there's no mistaking why he's in such high demand. But can he WIN? The only competition standing in his way is Hugh Vanstone, nominated for Matilda. Will Posner split his vote three ways, allowing Hugh to sneak in and take home the trophy?? How weird must it be to have 75% of the nominations locked up in your name and still maybe miss out? Obviously, Posner's not gonna be short on work regardless. Still I'll be very amused how this category plays out. As Jesse Tyler Ferguson deadpanned when he read out the nominations, "Good luck, Hugh..."

Congrats to all the nominees! And to all the cast members giving it their all on stage 8 times a week, even if they didn't get a nomination. Tony Season is an exciting time of year here in New York. If you're living here or just visiting NYC, go catch a new Broadway show before the Tonys! Then watch what happens at the ceremony on CBS Sunday June 9th!

Hooray for May!! (And Rafa!!)

Ahh, May 1st. Finally some submissions I was working on have been sent to their respective places where they will likely be rejected -but whatever! I did my part by focusing on my writing and filling out the forms and polishing up the work to the best of my ability. Now I can come back and pay attention to my long neglected blog. The potential guilt of writing blog posts instead of working on my plays is no more, and the guilt of completely abandoning my blog is gone as well. Two guilt birds with one stone! Lovely! It's a sunny day! Spring is in the air! And since I don't suffer from allergies, at time moment all is good with the world.

One thing that I've missed these past few months has been praising Our Hero, Rafael Nadal. He's been having a truly Outstanding Season since coming back from his 7 month injury lay-off in 2012. Since his return he's played 6 tournaments, reached 6 Championship matches and won four tournaments - the most of anyone on tour this year - and has a fantastic record of 26-2. His one disappointment thus far has to be losing to Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Final, a tournament he's won for the past 8 years. I hate to see Djokovic get any mental edge over Rafa in the clay court season, but Rafa played well and should be ready to take it to him again if the meet up again in Madrid and possibly later on in Paris.

It's still an interesting toss up where Novak and Rafa could meet up in Paris. It seems mathematically likely that Nadal will still be ranked 5th overall thanks to his injury hiatus. Presuming Novak, Fed, Murray and Ferrer all play at Roland Garros, that means if Rafa's seeding isn't adjusted, he could meet Novak as early as the quarters! It's just too weird to think of Rafa as the No. 5 seed in a tournament he's won 7 times and where he is defending champion. Right now it seems unlikely, they will adjust the seedings for Nadal, but if he goes deep at both Madrid and Rome, I hope they seriously consider it. Have Novak keep the top seed, but then Nadal should be ranked No.2 at the other end of the draw. Give Rafa the respect he deserves! 

As a Nadal Super-Fan it's been so exciting and refreshing to see Rafa have so much success this year. I know we all continue to wish Our Hero the best in Madrid and Rome this month! VAMOS!

2013 Oscar Predictions: Who Will Write the Musicals of this Year's Top Movies??

(Selling a show is less easy than bein' green.)

So the Oscars have now come and gone and the biggest question that remains as all the glitter and then the dust settles is this: which of this year's top movies are going to become stage musicals and how fast can we get them here? I love original musicals as much as the rest of you, but we need to face the financial reality that in today's production landscape, lots of what gets produced in NYC needs to be a bankable commodity. Since we cannot fight the trend, let's at least get our best and brightest theatrical composers attached to the right projects. Many have already tried their hand at converting movie properties to stage shows with great success! ...and others maybe not so much. But just because one property didn't work, didn't mean that the next one won't be a hit. Let's see what this year's nominees offer us. We'll go through the list alphabetically:

AMOUR - While I didn't think this movie was a total downer, lots of people I know just found it incredibly sad. So when looking for a comparable musical that just filled me with sadness, the first one that jumps to mind is "A Catered Affair" so I'm sure that creative team with book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by John Bucchino could really bring the goods on this source material. The musical will be performed without intermission, so there is no easy way for the audience to escape the horrors of lovers held tighter and tighter in the grip of death! If they pass, we pursue Alan Menken, or Elton John and Tim Rice. In that order. But honestly, of all the movies here, I think this is our toughest sell, folks. Put on your thinking caps!

ARGO -  A movie with Oscar-Winning Gold requires a composing with Tony-Winning... um, whatever the Tony is made out of. We need a team that really gets the movies-to-musicals process, and who's more up to the task than Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman? After Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can, I can already hear their version of "Argo Fuck Yourself!" in my head, and it's a showstopper, folks.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD - Okay, so for this a fantastical, emotional and powerful piece I'm not going to go with a tested Broadway composing team and instead go with some fresh new faces destined to make their mark on the scene. It makes sense given the youth and freshness of the movie's creative team. So I think Julia Meinwald and Gordon Leary (whose work on Pregancy Pact is so fresh and surprising and gorgeous) are certainly up to the task of magical realism. Annie might currently be on Broadway with its little girl anthems "Tomorrow" and -"Maybe" but I'm looking forward to Hushpuppy's stirring "I'm The Man!"

DJANGO UNCHAINED - Tarantino films have soundtracks that practically make them feel like musicals already, but if we were going to scrap all that and start anew, I know another collaboration between Lin-Manuel Miranda & Tom Kitt would make this project totally rad. Their score for Bring It On is engaging and fun, it really elevated the source material. Please oh please oh please, fellas? You KNOW you want to! We could even invite John Kander to come play in the sandbox this time. You know what I'm saying makes sense. It'd be crazy NOT to do it! Django Unchained could be turned into Django: Perfectly Harmonized!

LES MISERABLES - Well this one is already covered. We will see you back on the Great White Way in 2014! It will be totally new this time except will be exactly the same as before, but maybe we'll find 10 more minutes to cram "Suddenly" into the mix.

LIFE OF PI - Converting the book to a movie was really the hard part. Converting that movie into a stage musical should be a piece of cake! Since he already created a song I love about Monkeys in Speedboats, how far off could it be to write a score about a tiger in a lifeboat? Jeff Bowen - Go. To. Town. And bring along all your sexy [tos] friends for the journey too! ....However I also could be persuaded to hear a Stephen Schwartz score to Life of Pi, so maybe you boys just fight it out amongst yourselves. And this is the theater, so NO. HOLDS. BARRED!!

LINCOLN - Stephen Sondheim tackling the many speeches of Lincoln and his whole Gang of Rivals sounds like a wordsmith's dream come true. He already knows his Presidents from Assassins, so this thing will practically write itself. And you all know you want an 11 o'clock "Last Midnight"-esque number belted out by a grieving Mary Todd Lincoln. This one is a no-brainer. Start lining up the producers now, and I'll go book the Rodgers for 2016.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - I'm tempted to give this assignment to Andrew Lloyd Webber, who would undoubtedly give me the happy ending song I desire where everyone sings, "Every cloud has a silver lining!" but if we want this shit done right, we're going to have to enlist David Yazbek, whose scores for both Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels hit so many right notes both emotionally and musically.

ZERO DARK THIRTY - Okay, maybe THIS is the one I want Andrew Lloyd Webber to write. I want him to take the "Dark" in Zero Dark Thirty very literally. Perhaps Bin Laden is the Phantom of the Opera inside Maya's mind? If you don't want to go high camp with this project, I'm willing to hear what Jason Robert Brown would do with the source material. Maybe Bin Laden is moving backward in time while Maya is moving forward? It would be two very different visions of the same source , but that's what makes the brainstorming process so fun!

Honorable Mention! PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER - Not really nominated for anything at this year's Oscars, Perks is still many kinds of an amazing film and I wouldn't mind Ryan Scott Oliver taking a crack at this. No reason this movie can't be sung on stage. No reason they all can't be sung on stage!

What do we think, Friend-O's? Can we make these deals happen?? Start the whispering campaihn at Sardi's.... now!

Rafa WINS! Triumph in Brazil!

Ladies and G's - your attention please! Our Hero, Rafael Nadal, won his first tournament since injury last June - beating David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 in the Brazil Open final on Sunday. It's his second title in Brazil, having won the event in 2005 as well. Hooray for Rafa!!! I'm so happy for him. It's a pretty nifty trophy too. I LOVE when the smaller tourney's have these enormous trophies. Make your mark, ATP 250's!

It's good to see Rafa biting a trophy again. He came so close last week in his first tourney back at the VTR Open in Chile, but lost the finals in both singles and doubles.  Rafa's form is still not great. He's still shaking the rust off as he becomes Match-Ready. Nalbandian was making his first appearance in a final since he was disqualified at Queen's Club last June for kicking an ad board that wound up injuring one of the line judges. Rafa had enough firepower to take control of the match from David. Winning right now is good, but I still don't think he's ready to take a win off of any of the top players, even on clay. He'll get there though! He's moving in the right direction.

Rafa now gets a week off and then plays the Abierto Mexicano Telcel Event on clay in Acapulco. After that the two major tournaments on the horizon are Indian Wells and Miami, both on hard courts. There's a lot of speculation as to whether Rafa will play at both, one of the two or neither. Right now, I'd say skip both and keep strengthening physically and mentally on clay. But Rafa says he's not made a decision yet and is solely focused on Acapulco. That's probably the best strategy for now. And in the meantime, Rafa already has a title trophy for the year! VAMOS!!