2010: A Year In Review

(525,600 minutes. That's how you measure it. Also, in love.)

And so 2010 comes to a close. What a year it's been. Here's a quick look back.

Remember the 2010 Vancouver Olympics? Sure you do! That was THIS YEAR! I know, it doesn't seem like it, but it was. There were a lot of great stories that came out of the Olympics. Shawn White, Apollo Anton Ohno, Lindsey Vonn and Evan Lysacek I'm looking at you, but not only at you. So many great champions, and it was also really great to hear the Canadian National Anthem sung so many times in victory by the proud host country. OOOO CAAAANADAAAAA!!!!!

This year I saw a lot of movies. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was my favorite movie of the year, but almost nobody saw it but me. Netflix it, y'all. You're missing out. Toy Story 3 made grown ups cry on its way to becoming the top grossing movie of the year. Everyone became very focused on spinning tops in Inception. 3-D movies were all the rage. Dragons were trained. Island's were shuttered. Titans clashed. Disney called Rapunzel "Tangled" so people would go see it, and it paid off. Sex and The City 2 was universally hated. And in the end, we learned the kids were indeed all right.

"The Bed Intruder Song" Youtube video took a news story about an almost rape, and made lemonade out of some really nasty lemons. Cee Lo Green gave the world one of the most amazing songs ever written which I spent many a day dancing in and out work listening to on my ipod. The Glee Cast dominated the charts by singing songs that were already dominating the charts. They also did a fun live concert tour. Lady Gaga wore meat dresses and made long-form music videos and went from someone I really wanted to punch in the face to someone who was kinda totally awesome. Bieber Fever exploded. Miley Cyrus imploded. LiLo went about as crazy as you can go without actually dying.

Roughly 37 million Hollywood icons actually died. Betty White lived it up like no one else. Simon Cowell left Am.Idol. Mia Michaels returned to an All-Star Season of SYTYCD. I broke up with Project Runway for good. Lil Russell lost back-to-back seasons of Survivor. The first All-Female team won at The Amazing Race. Lots of people (but not me) watched Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. Lost came to a mythologically frustrating, but emotionally satisfying conclusion. After months of drama Jennifer Grey finally vanquished Bristol Palin to the mirroball trophy on DWTS in an emotionally satisfying conclusion. True Blood focused on Vampires. Twilight: Eclipse focused on werewolves. The Walking Dead focused on zombies. Tiger Woods focused on apologizing for having 18,000 mistresses. The original Law & Order was inexplicably canceled right before it became the longest-running prime time drama in history. Jay Leno stole back The Tonight Show from Conan O'Brien when Jay's horrible new show tanked. Team Coco was born, Conan went on live tour and then got a new show on TBS. I'm with Coco.

It Gets Better became a national movement to help Gay Teens survive bullying and discrimination. Don't Ask Don't Tell was repealed. The 9/11 First Responders Bill finally passed Congress. Health Care reform finally passed on Congress. Prop 8 was overturned in California but is still extended indefinitely awaiting appeal. There are still roughly 83 wars going on across the world and none of them are going well. We continue to pray for our troops in harm's way and hope they can come home soon. Mid-term elections gave the House of Representatives to the Republicans but less than half the country is aware of it. Witchypoo Christine O'Donnell lost her Senate bid. So did Crazypants Sharron Angle. Michele Bachmann remained at large and was actually named to the House Intelligence Committee (!!!). Wikileaks had a field day declassifying all sorts of documents. There was a lot Tea Party anger, right wing fear-mongering, left wing hand wringing, a huge trumped up fight over building a cultural center a few blocks away from Ground Zero and a very nice rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear organized by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held in our Nation's Capital.

The world faced horrible natural disasters with the earthquakes in Haiti, the volcano eruptions in Iceland and the Gulf Oil spill that raged on and on. This is just to name a few. The Chilean miners were trapped ungerground and eventually, amazingly rescued. To close the year out, some big ol' storms dropped non-stop rain in California and dumped multiple feet of snow across the Eastern Coastline right at the end of the year creating quite a mess for everybody who was traveling for the holidays.

This year we also learned about vuvuzelas, met Paul the Octopus and cheered for Spain's World Cup win. At least I did. Also good for Sports in Spain? RAFAEL NADAL. Our Hero fought his way back to the No. 1 ranking, winning the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open along the way to complete his career Grand Slam. I still can't believe I was at Roland Garros for the French Open Final. I went to Paris! Yay! Also the Saints won the Super Bowl, The SF Giants won the World Series, The Lakers won the NBA Finals, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, and did I mention how well Rafa did this year??? I love him so much. But credit where credit is due, Roger Federer won the Aussie Open to begin the year and the Tour Finals to end it. Roger and Rafa also made this amazing video which still makes me smile whenever I watch it.

So that was the year at large. When I personally look back at 2010, I will remember it as being one of the most artistically satisfying years of my life so far. I started things out with a Die Vampire, Die! Workshop run by Susan Blackwell. It put me in a great creative mindset going forward. I sent my play into the Fringe Festival through Mind The Art Entertainment, got to do some singing on stage, took some improv classes where I met a great girl, had The Timing of A Day get accepted into Fringe and then we were off and running from like April to September. Putting up my first show in New York was a grueling, exciting, informative, scary and wonderful experience. I feel so lucky for the friendships that were made during the production and the existing ones that were strengthened through the process. The outpouring of support from people was so so soooo appreciated. To create something and have it put up on stage was a dream I always had for myself, but one I'd increasingly felt would not happen. But now has! And the show did really well for itself. And the experience brought into focus for me for what I want to continue to pursue in 2011. Since the end of Fringe, the production team has been working really hard to bring the show back and we look forward to making that a reality in 2011. I've also taken the last couple months to write three 10-minute plays and another full length one, on top of my blogging and, you know, work. So I'm keeping the creative inspiration going and continuing to write. Also I found time to see 30 performances by friends this year, plus 16 Broadway Shows and NYC Ballets. Looking back over the playbills and tickets stubs, everybody did a lot of great work this year. Super Inspiring!

There were plenty other personal highlights: another NYC marathon run, my delightful trip to Paris, my cameo in LMM's viral wedding video and lots more. For all the good things, there were a lot of painful times too, and the thought that keeps popping up in my head is that challenging times and painful experiences should not be allowed to prevent us from seeing the many blessings around us or experiencing the joy that can still be had. I take from 2010 a sense of accomplishment and an awareness that there is so much more work to be done.

Bring it, 2011!

DADT Repealed! An Updated Look at the Oppress-O-Meter

So yesterday was a little weird. Don't Ask Don't Tell, the much derided military policy banning gays from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Forces, was repealed by the Senate. Hooray! Soon it will be off the books forever. This is an amazing development, as it seemed like a dead issue only a few days ago. To briefly recap, the legislation ending the ban on gays had previously been included in a larger Pentagon policy bill, and Republicans refused to let the whole bill go forward, like they've refused every bill to go forward, because they'd rather point to how the country is falling apart under Obama than work to improve things. Or if you want to be charitable, because they thought dealing with taxes and spending was so important they couldn't deal with anything first, even if it was ready to be brought forward. Repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell had its Republican backers, but they refused to join in cutting off a filibuster against the larger Pentagon bill. So all looked lost.

Then, in an odd twist, occasional throwers-of-the-monkey-wrench Senators Joe Lieberman (Independent "Democrat") and Senator Susan Collins of Maine ("Moderate" Republican), had Dem leaders in the House of Reps pass a measure earlier in this week that was a stand alone repeal of the ban. So outgoing House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Rep. Patrick Murphy (aka Congressman Awesome) did and it passed the House. Then Lieberman and Collins introduced the same bill in the Senate, and when it came up for cloture they had the 60 votes to end the filibuster and then it passed the Senate. It's a huge huge step in the right direction for equal rights and it's really exciting. It's a fulfilled promise by President Obama to have the ban repealed through legislation, and it's a career accomplishment for Patrick "Congressman Awesome" Murphy, a veteran of the Iraq War who worked tirelessly to see this bill get through the House (he actually got it through twice. Bravo.) Murphy lost his re-election bid this November, but it must be hugely satisfying to him that he got the job done on his watch. It's hugely satisfying to me.

You may ask, "If this is so satisfying, O, why are you not super happy?" Well, it goes like this: Even though the Senate did the right thing on this issue they are still acting like total douche bags on several other issues. And in one instance where the Senate actually got things right, The House then decided to go nutso.

We'll begin with the Senate, a body where the minority party has decided we no longer need to do any business by a simple majority. Any motion that does not have a super majority of 60 will get filibustered. This means even though the majority would vote to pass things. it's not allowed to get that far.

This is the case for the DREAM Act, that would create a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children and who then went on and completed additional requirements including attending college or serving in the military for at least two years, and passing criminal background checks. Only 55 Senators voted for it, so it doesn't go any further.

This is ALSO the case with the James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act, which failed to advance past a procedural vote in the Senate on Dec. 9th, on the grounds that Republicans didn't like how it was paid for and again because they refused to allow votes on anything until taxes were addressed. Not allowing this vote before the end of the year is just disgusting. Republican Senators invoke 9/11 all the time, but they don't want to help the ailing first responders? They dump billions and billions into foreign wars but get nitpicky about money when it comes to aiding sick heroes? It infuriates me. Hopefully, renewed pressure from Jon Stewart and other members of the media, the Senate Republicans will be embarrassed into allowing an up or down vote.

Beyond that, there is also START, the Nuclear Arms Treaty with Russia, which Republicans in the Senate may also try to scuttle for bizarre logic. They claim the treaty would limit development of U.S. offensive and defensive missile systems, despite everyone telling them that's not the case. They also aren't keen on cutting atomic weapons and don't like Obama's goal of eliminating all nukes. The START treaty would commit Russia and the United States to cut deployed strategic nuclear weapons to 1,550 for each side within seven years. 1,550 nuclear weapons aren't enough to blow up the entire planet? We have 1,551 strategic targets to aim at?

President Obama, along with our military leaders and a horde of Republicans who were former administration officials, have been arguing that it's crucial to have the new treaty so inspections of Russia's nuclear facilities can resume. The old START treaty expired a year ago. And even though nine Republicans voted with Democrats to at least allow debate on the treaty, it's hardly a lock that all of them will vote to support its passage, which needs 67 votes to pass the Senate since it's a treaty. So that may or may not happen. Scary.

And if all THAT wasn't enough, the House decided to lose its collective mind and killed the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2010. The bill would have recognized child marriage as a human rights violation, and developed comprehensive strategies to prevent those marriages around the world. The legislation had strong bipartisan support in the Senate, but was voted down in the House by Republicans who said the bill is too costly and could lead to increased abortions??? The bill had nothing to do with abortions. It's an argument with no basis in reality. But when has that stopped them from using that kind or argument before?

So just to recap where we currently stand on the oppress-o-meter:

Gays are (increasingly) okay. But still not quite equal citizens

Below them:

First Responders, who may or may not ever get a dignified response

Below them:

Immigrants, again with a DREAM deferred.

Below them:

Child Brides. So so sad.

We applaud progress when it comes. But one good vote in the face of four potential terrible ones over the course of the week does not work out to a good percentage. Our elected officials need to wake up and and allow votes on bills that protect us and improve our standard of living. These should be no-brainers. We must demand our officials stop with the partisan bullshit and get this stuff done NOW. I'm not asking you to do it, Senate. I'm telling.

O's Christmas Tree: 2010 Edition

Seasons Greetings all. It has been difficult to write this month, since I've been trying to finish up two short plays for submission, and post-writing actually takes time (it only LOOKS like it was thrown together in under five minutes.) so all writing time has gone to that. But now those are mostly under control, so I can post again. Woohoo!

It's Christmastime! Accordingly I have set up this year's tree. Here's a picture:

Nice, eh? There was very little fuss this year. The biggest drama was figuring out where my tree lot had gone. There's a good one that always sets up shop on my corner. but they had to move a few blocks down this year because the new owner of the property where they used to be decided to be a dick and not let them set up shop there again. Boo-urns to that Scrooge, I say.

Anyway, I walked right up to the lot and saw the tree I wanted. Usually I have to go back and forth between a couple, but this one I knew right away. Helping me decorate is an old friend I found over Thanksgiving weekend.

YES. It's Professor Coldheart!! Old nemesis of the Care Bears. In case you're not up on his situation, there is this:



He is the best. We had a great time decorating the tree together. The newest edition to the tree is my Moulin Rouge windmill that I got in Paris. You can see it has a place of great honor near the Shirt Tales ornament which is the oldest ornament I have on my tree.

I have to go buy some more ornaments. I love getting new editions each year. There's always room on the tree for more!

Tomorrow morning is xmas and birthday shopping for the nieces and nephew in the City. Wish me luck! Happy Holidays!

(Don't mess with the Professor!)

Loving Rudolph (For All The Wrong Reasons?)

(Nothing Says "Happy Holidays" like a Bumble and a Dude falling off a cliff!)

My favorite Christmas Holiday Special is Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. They are showing it on TV tonight. I won't be home, but I've got it DVR'ed. Can't miss it. I mean, TECHNICALLY it's still November and we could've waited a little longer into the season, CBS, but we'll take what we can get. I'm assuming they will not be showing the remastered version, and opt instead for the horribly degraded version where the underscoring sounds like it's being played on a playskool record player from 1978 and butchered editing that makes less and less sense as they continue to increase the amount of commercials they cram into the hour-long format. Maybe one day they'll release "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: Extended Edition" on blu-ray, and I can get to see all my favorite songs played out in their entirety. Today is not that day.

It should be no big shocker I like the Rudolph special. Lots of people do. But upon reflection, maybe I liked it for all the wrong reasons. Let's review my favorite parts:

1. Donner being an asshole of a father to Rudolph, and making him cover his nose.
2. The part where Hermey is (rightfully) fired from Santa's Workshop because he doesn't want to make toys, so he can follow his dream of being a gay dentist. Oooh, I hate that snot-nosed Hermey!
3. The super-sad song Clarice sings (There's Always Tomorrow) after Rudolph is nose-bashed by the other reindeer. It's the first song I listen to when it's seasonally okay to listed to Christmas carols each year.
4. The Bumble almost killing everyone throughout the story - but I was always especially delight in Yukon Cornelius's assumed death. And his stupid dogs too!
5. The totally sad opening to the "Island of Misfit Toys" Song. They make it happy at the end, but the beginning is the best. A total precursor to all the damaged toys in the Toy Story movies. And OMG aren't you in love with King Moonracer?
6. Mrs. Claus angrily trying to force feed a Skinny Santa. Eat! Eat!
7. The snow storm that almost takes out Sam the Snowman.
8. The fog that almost makes Santa cancel Christmas and disappoints everybody.
9. The pissed off face Santa makes when Rudolph's nose is blaring away in front of him, before he realizes Rudolph can guide the sleigh.
10. The singing of Holly Jolly Christmas when everyone is happy at the end. (Okay, so there's ONE nice thing I like about the show.)

So obvs. I have issues since I spend most of the hour-long show wishing failure and death upon the lead characters, and victory for the Bumble. I still count myself as being Team Rudolph, however. Maybe I don't always get the Christmas Special I want, but I get the Christmas special I need.

ATP World Tour Finals: Rafa finally wins a set - and then a match!

(Purple Shirt, Yellow-Orange Bandana and Wrist bands, Grey Shorts. Rafa never met a color combo he didn't like.)

It's been a while since I last posted about Our Hero, Rafael Nadal. There hasn't been a ton of tennis news. But now we've finally made it to the ATP World Tour Finals, the end of year tournament featuring the Top 8 men's players on Tour. The first part of the tourney is 2 groups of 4 playing against each other Round Robin style. Then the top 2 from each group play against each other in a single elimination semifinal, and those winners go on to the final.

Rafa had a terrible tournament here last year. He went 0-3 in round robin play. He didn't even win a set. Poor, Rafa. He was having a rough time physically last year. Obviously he's doing better this year, having won 3 Grand Slams in a row. Still, this is a tough tourney for Nadal. It's an indoor court and it's very fast which doesn't play well to Rafa's game. Plus, you know, it's November. And the season started way back in JANUARY. And Nadal has been winning and winning this year. So he's kinda tired. But you know, he's number one in the world, so he's there and ready to play! Having not won a set or a match, he can't really get any worse!

And lo and behold, things have already gotten better. Nadal rallied back from a set down to beat Andy Roddick 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 today. It's a very good sign that Rafa could get over a shaky start to fight back against tough serving Roddick and get the win. That will be great for his confidence. I would love for Rafa to win the ATP Finals, but he still has a tough road ahead of him. Up next is Djokovic and that should be a very hard fought match as well. Vamos Rafa!

Also, I should take a moment to congratulate Rafa on winning the ATP Tour’s Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the first time in his career. The award is voted on by tour players. Roger Federer had won the last six years in a row. Quite a nice honor. Congrats, Rafa!


Added Bonus: Here's a little promo reel for Rafa at the tour finals. It's hilarious when his head starts bouncing around in front of the starry sky. LOL

Run Owen Run! The 2010 ING New York City Marathon (Part III - Dream Warriors)

(Me on Saturday evening outside the finish line, practicing my finishing pose. My actual cross of the line today was much more subdued.)

Thanks to everyone who sent such supportive messages and stood out in the cold to cheer me on today. My official time was 3:52:21. It was a smidge slower than last year, by like a minute, but that's mostly because when I knew for certain I'd be under 4 hours, I slowed down to enjoy the end of the race and try and find my cheering sections that I knew would be hanging out around miles 23 and 25. I missed both of them, but I don't regret the attempt to find them or the slower finish. :) I totally booked it through the first half of the course, and it's nice to know I keep chipping away at that 1/2 marathon time.

It was really a lovely day for a marathon. The weather was cool, the sky was clear and the wind wasn't strong. Shout out to my coworker Cathy who had a friend at Poland Spring who hooked both of us up with VIP bus and tent passes and VIP baggage check. It's like the difference between flying coach and first class, peeps. On the course, all us runners enjoyed had an amazingly vocal and supportive crowd throughout the entire race. It's such a special event. You've gotta see for yourself. I strongly encourage those who are considering running for the first time to go ahead and enter the lottery and see what happens. I went from not really running at all to training for the marathon my first year, and it worked out to be one of the best things i could've done for myself.

As is tradition, I am posting my marathon playlist below, as it is what carries me along the way on my journey across the boroughs of this fair city. I almost had to run without it, as I turned in my bag to the UPS trucks (they take them from the start area in Staten Island to the finish area in Central Park) with my ipod still inside. Luckily the volunteer at the truck took pity on me and fished the bag out again. I would've been lost without my tunes. (Note: I actually came in during I'm So that Guy, but the rest of the songs played as I staggered off to get my medal and then further staggered off to pick up my bag and then stagger out of the park.)

You Can't Take No For An Answer - Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Empire State Of Mind - Jay-Z Ft. Alicia Keys
Go for It - Saved By The Soundtrack
Final Fantasy IV - Main Theme
Happy Birthday Darling - Bright Lights, Big City (Studio Cast)
Vertigo (Single Version) - U2
One Minute - Kelly Clarkson
Bombs Away - Paris Texas
Breakthrough - Hope 7
I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson
The Goonies R Good Enough - Cyndi Lauper
Zip A Dee Do Dah - Dance Dance Revolution
Fake Your Way to the Top - Dreamgirls Movie Soundtrack
I'm Not That Guy - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
You Don't Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor) - Ben Folds
BTW - Write Back - Andrea Burns
Twilight Zone – Dance Dance Revolution
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Any Way You Want It / Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' - Glee Cast
Cheer Up, Boys (your make-up is running) - Foo Fighters
The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In - Hair, OBC
Mickey Mouse March - Dance Dance Revolution
A Weekend in the Country - A Little Night Music
Halo / Walking On Sunshine - Glee Cast
The Water Song - Julia Meinwald
Superboy and the Invisible Girl - Next To Normal
Barrel of a Gun - Guster
Music Is The Victim - Scissor Sisters
Chim Chim Cher-ee - Dance Dance Revolution
It Gets Better - Broadway Sings For The Trevor Project
Oh My - Mellowdrone
Rock Star - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Rent - Rent Broadway Soundtrack
Don't Rain On My Parade - Glee Cast
Don't Waste Your Time Kelly Clarkson
The Great Compromise - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Die Vampire, Die! - Title of Show
Blinded (When I See You) - Third Eye Blind
It's A Small World (Bows) - Les Freres Corbusier
Motorcycle Drive By - Third Eye Blind
Hair - Gavin Creel, Will Swenson & Tribe
Can You Picture That? - Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Buffy Theme - Nerf Herder
Populism, Yea Yea - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) - Gnarls Barkley
Homecoming - American Idiot Soundtrack
bleeding love - leona lewis
U & Ur Hand - Pink
River Deep, Mountain High - Glee Cast
Touch Natasha Bedingfield
Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
F--- You - Cee Lo Green
How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
Looking At the World from the Bottom of a Well - Mike Doughty
Take My Temperature - Kaiser Chiefs
Where Are Those People Who Did Hair - Runaways
If I Can't Have You - Kelly Clarkson
Pounding - Doves
Bastian's Happy Flight - NeverEnding Story
Who Knew - P!nk
I'm Black / Ain't Got No - Hair
Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Carnaval Del Barrio - In The Heights
Goodnight Goodnight - Hot Hot Heat
Last Of The American Girls/She's A Rebel - American Idiot Soundtrack
Bad Romance (Album Version) - Lady GaGa
Saved by the Bell Theme - Michael Damian
I Got Life - Gavin Creel & Tribe
Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon
I'm So That Guy - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Macho Duck - Dance Dance Revolution
So What (Main Version) - P!nk
The Simpsons Theme (From "The Simpsons Movie") - Green Day
My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

My Words & The Stage, Together Again in "The Hotel Plays"

I'm excited to announce that a short play I wrote, "More Than A Memory" will be given a staged reading next week at the Abingdon Theater! I was just at rehearsal on Tuesday, and I'm really excited about the cast and the director. I think they're gonna take it someplace really great, and in such a short rehearsal window! You should come check it out if you are in the city:

The Hotel Plays

16 playwrights + 31 actors + 7 directors + 2 nights = 12 new plays and 4 new monologues

Twelve playwrights take on the challenge to write a 10-minute play, four playwrights to write a 2-minute monologue, all inspired by the set from Abingdon’s current production of The Nanjing Race.

Playwrights, directors and actors are donating their talent to present these staged readings as a benefit for Abingdon’s New Play Development Program.

$10 suggested donation at the door. Call 212-868-2055 for further information.

SERIES A

Tuesday, November 9, 2010
6:30pm & 8:30pm

Playwrights:
Jonathan Alexandratos | James Armstrong | Nathalie Bates | Stephanie Keys | Owen Panettieri | Raymond A. Schaub | William Shuman | Frank Tangredi

Directors:
Catherine Siracusa | Amanda Joshi | Kate Powers | Bara Swain

Featuring:
Kim Allen* | Georgina Bates | Gail Merzer Behrens* | Dave Brown | Sheila Burkert* | Susanna A. Guzmán* | Michael Hardart* | Walker Hare | Brian Linden* | JoAnn Mariano* | Patti Mariano* | Sean Mellott | Liam Mitchell Paige O’Malley | Jennifer Rubins*

* Member of Actors' Equity Association

Birthday of Champions: The Baskin-Robbins Year

(It's a cake of legend. The mint chocolate cake by Gracie. A cake worthy of the Birthday of Champions.)

"Birthday of Champions!
BIRTHday of CHAMPions!
NOOO time for LOOOOSERS!
It's Birthday of Champions... of the world!"

- Birthday of Champions, sung to the melody of "We are the Champions" my annual birthday anthem.

Today I turned 31. I'm cool with it. I actually like the #31. It's prime. It's a number connected to Halloween and New Year's Eve. I like to think of it as my Baskin-Robbins birthday, for BR's famous 31 flavors of ice cream. It really ain't so bad at all.

30 was a good year for me. I had my first play produced, went on a solo adventure in Paris, ran my second marathon, was in a very meaningful relationship, and as corny as it might sound, really learned a lot about myself. If 31 brings the kind of opportunities that 30 presented, I'll be a happy guy. Through it all, I felt an immense amount of love and support from my friends and family. I value that above it all.

I've got new goals for the next year, and I had some fun wishes in my heart and mind when I blew out my birthday candle. Here's hoping I can make 'em come true. :)

Owen's 2010 ING NYC Marathon Run for Lauren's First and Goal!

So in less than 2 weeks, I'll be running the 2010 ING NYC Marathon! This will be my 3rd year in a row! It will be my ninth official Road Runners race this year and my fifth 13+ mile race of the year as well. No wonder my legs are always tired.

(This is me finishing up my last race a couple weeks ago. That was such a good day. If Marathon Day is like that day, I'll be in great shape!)

I'm very excited about this year's race, because this time I get to run in support of Lauren´s First and Goal, a 501(c)3 charitable organization started in 2004 by my cousin Marianne Loose and her husband John Loose in honor of my cousin Lauren, a 13-year-old pediatric brain tumor survivor. The Loose family started the foundation as a way to help other families who are battling childhood cancer. And they all happen to rock.

(Ms. Lauren, looking lovely.)

Since its inception, LFG has raised more than $1 million toward its mission to provide financial support for brain tumor research and cancer services, to offer financial and emotional support to families living with pediatric cancer, and to increase awareness of the disease. These goals are made possible through the funding gained through LFG Football Camp and charitable contributions.

I'm so thrilled to be raising money for this organization and I hope you can contribute to my fundraising efforts!

Please support me by donating to the cause at this link.

http://www.crowdrise.com/owensnycmarathonforl/fundraiser/runowenrun

When you get to my page (which features a picture of my headshot since that's the only pic I had that didn't horribly stretch and distort the uploaded image), just click the big orange DONATE button. It's for a great cause and I will definitely appreciate your support!

You can also join my facebook group "Run Owen Run! Rock that 2010 ING NYC Marathon! Part III - Dream Warriors!" to cheer me on. It's a long group title, because it's a long race.

Nanny No More! RIP Barbara Billingsley

This weekend Barbara Billingsley passed away. This sort of news is to be expected. She was 94. Her iconic TV role was that of June Cleaver, of course, but she lives in my heart for her cameo in Airplane! which is undeniably amazing.

The thingsthat I didn't realize though, was that she was also the voice of Nanny on Muppet Babies. She was the loving but firm voice behind the striped socks, people. The fact that the voice of Nanny is dead really bums me out.

(The voice is gone. The socks live on.)

You rocked, Barbara Billingsley. If spirits can google alert their names in Heaven so that they know the living are blogging about them, I thank you for your artistic contributions to my life.

Rafa Takes Tokyo!!

(This is the coolest looking trophy. Well done, Japan Open.)

Congrats to Rafael Nadal on winning the Japan Open in Tokyo earlier today, for his 7th title of the season. He beat Gael Monfis pretty handily in the final 6-1, 7-5. It's a bit of a rebound for Rafa after he uncharacteristically lost to his compatriot Garcia-Lopez last week in the semi-finals of Bangkok, and then again almost lost in the semi-finals this week to Vicktor Troicki, having to erase two match points against him. Still, it's been a long season for Rafa and lapses in concentration this late in the season certainly happen. Ultimately, he was able to recover in Tokyo and win the tournament. Hooray!

Rafa now heads to the Shanghai Masters to finish up the three-week ATP fall tour through Asia. I hope after that he gets another well earned rest before dealing with the Masters Cup in London this November.

Nadal currently holds an outstanding 66-8 record for the season across 15 tournaments, and improved to 7-1 in 2010 finals. His victory in Tokyo marks his 43rd career title and his seventh for 2010. Great work, Rafa! Best of luck in Shanghai! Vamos!

One Month to the 2010 ING NYC Marathon!

(This is me running my latest half-marathon through Central Park last weekend. I finished strong! Bring on the 26.2!)

Thursday marked the one month mark to this year's NYC Marathon. It will be my third consecutive year running it. I'm very much looking forward to it. Honestly, over the summer it was very hard to find the time and motivation to get really intense about marathon training. Time was an issue as I was focused in my off-work hours on my play and motivation was an issue because it was the hottest, most humid summer ever. Who wanted to move at all for the months of July and August?

But thankfully in the past two weeks, things have improved. The cool fall air has finally settled in, and with it so has my renewed determination to run faster and stronger. I'll post more info about what race group I'm in and how you can track me online as the race gets closer. You can also join my FB group that's now titled "Run Owen Run! Rock that 2010 ING NYC Marathon! Part III - Dream Warriors!" I'll send info about Race Day through that group as well. (I was very pleased to name this year's race after my favorite movie sequel - Nightmare on Elm Street 3.)

If you're in NYC on Sunday Nov. 7th, you should come out and support all the runners in person. The NYC Marathon is an amazing New York tradition and the spectator support throughout the race gives all of us runners such a boost. It's simply incredible. I hope to see you on the course!

Blockbuster Bankrupt? Wow, What's the Difference?

(This property is condemned.)

Well, following it's moral and creative bankruptcy, Blockbuster has now gone there financially as well. I find this amusing on several levels. Once upon a time, I worked in a Blockbuster on Long Island. It was about a decade ago, back when the inventory was still 95% VHS tape! It wasn't such a horrible place to work, the staff was nice, but this was back when they still had ridiculously high late fees and customers never wasted an opportunity to yell at the cashiers about it, as if we were the ones stuffing our pockets with the extra charges. "This is why there's a class action law suit against you!" people would yell at us. "There's no lawsuit against me." I would say in my head. I don't know why they thought we were personally robbing them. People can get really angry over late fees... but they don't gotta take it out on me.

The bankruptcy filing also invokes some schadenfreude, since Blockbuster made it its business to try and kill every mom-and-pop video store in existence, so they'd have no competition. The fact that they are now being killed off by Netflix seems very appropriate to me. Circle of life and all that. Or maybe I'm thinking of evolution. Survival of the fittest? Darwinism? Or just plain capitalism? Whatever it is, it feels like Blockbuster kharmically earned it.

There's still a Blockbuster that's open across the street from my apartment building. No one is ever inside buying or renting things. In fact, whenever I pass by the store, if there are ever a couple people around me, inevitably their conversation turns toward the store, as they wonder aloud how the place remains open. It's like people HAVE to talk about this useless store. Renting actual movies from an actual store seems so arcane now. No one understands how it's still there. The place has to be bleeding money and its days have gotta be numbered.

If this particular Blockbuster does disappear I'll be sad, because I don't like closed storefronts on my block. If it does go, maybe I'll finally get the pool hall that I've wanted for so long here. A pool hall wouldn't face much of a challenge by online competition so it could certainly stay around here for awhile! Think about it, building owner. That would make me so happy!

Roger Federer: Giggle Monster?

So my friend Al posted this video to FB today about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal trying to tape a promo for an upcoming charity match they will be playing for Fed's foundation in Switzerland. They could not stop laughing so much that their infectious laughter became the basis of the promo. Take a look.



It's kind of amazing, no? It always makes me happy that these two great tennis champs and rivals know how to enjoy each other's company so naturally. This video really makes me smile. Rafa can't turn his head toward Roger without Roger breaking up. I never knew Fed could get the giggles like this. He always seems so composed.

It shouldn't be so unexpected though. I just haven't been paying close enough attention to Fed over the years. Apparently there is much recorded history of Roger not being able to keep it together once he starts laughing. Take for instance this clip when Roger needs to just sit still while the CNN dude asks him some questions in Spanish.



Is it Spanish that Roger finds so hilarious? After all Rafa is Spanish and he laughed uncontrollably at him, and then this CNN dude starts speaking in Spanish and Roger can't keep a straight face. Roger is fluent in several languages, but Spanish happens not to be one of them. Does some weird insecurity about Spanish make Fed nervous?

Maybe, maybe not. Take for instance this other interview in his native tongue on his native soil. This video is interesting for several reasons including the fact that there is footage of Federer's sister. Federer has a sister? I've seen him win almost all of his 17 major championships and I've never seen this woman in the players box. Nadal also revealed a surprise sister at this year's US Open Final. Who is retconning these hot female family members into their lives? Could they seriously not be bothered in their lives to come watch their brothers win Wimbledon?? I am confused. But anyway, the reviewer asks Roger something about the other guys in the locker room being bigger than him and Roger of course takes it as dick length challenge and once the thought enters his head he cannot stop thinking about how funny it is. He's gone. Almost as hilarious? The end credits to the video which are inexplicably set to the music from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. They mention the posters other youtube videos. I'm really interested in checking out 4) SUNNIES (Germany).



Knowing that Fed has a giggle problem really makes me like him more. He's so super strong on court. It's nice to see he has an off-court weakness. :)

Here's Hopin' For The Open: Rafa is the CHAMPION!

(Oh, HELL, yeah!)

So Rafa won. All our dreams came true. All the history that I had discussed in my semifinal post has been achieved (well, Rafa didn't quite get through the whole tournament without dropping a set, Djokovic managed to sneak in the second set after a lengthy rain delay, so that 50 year record remains in tact. But he still did pretty good for himself, I'd say.) He's now 1 of 7 men to complete the Career Slam and one of 3 people to win a Gold Medal in Olympic singles as well to complete the complete the Golden Career Slam (the other 2 people are Agassi and Graff.)

It was a great match, expertly played by both Rafa and Novak. The win finally pushes back the conversation as to whether or not Federer is the greatest player of all time to the end of Rafa's career instead of just the end of Fed's. I think it will be an interesting debate at that time, if Rafa can muster a few more years of excellent play on all surfaces.

Right now, Nadal can just bask in the victory. Obviously, it made me very happy that he won. I got to go see his press conference in NikeTown NYC the morning after his victory and he of course was very sweet and very happy and rather exhausted (plus NikeTown gave us all free T-shirts that say Vamos Rafa! Thanks, NikeTown!). John McEnroe interviewed him and it was fun to see McEnroe gush over him so much because McEnroe always loves Fed so much, and you can tell he was genuinely amazed that Rafa so convincingly won on the hardcourts of the US Open. Great stuff. Rafa didn't stay to sign autographs afterwards, sadly. Next time he's in New York, I have to find a way for Nadal to sign the Open Tennis Ball I got from him last year. It will happen!

It's been a very successful summer for a Rafaholic like myself. The French, Wimby and The Open all went our way in amazing fashion. Now I need a small Rafa detox which I'll get while he's chillin' at home in Spain and then when he heads out for those slightly random tournaments that pepper October and November in Eastern Asia. I know my love for him is a little too strong and my talking about him goes on way too long. I get sick of myself too sometimes. But he's a great champion of his sport and a nice guy and I find his confidence and tenacity inspiring. I'll never feel to guilty for my reflexive need to shout "Vamos Rafa!" Thanks for reading my posts!

Here's Hopin' For The Open - Rafa in the Semifinals

(Jump for joy! Rafa made it to the US Open Final!)

Holy Crappola. Rafael Nadal has mad it to his first U.S. Open final! I'm so excited for him. Our Hero beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 and will now meet Novak Djokovic (!!!) who upset Federer in the other semi. That was an incredible 5 set match, with Joker finally winning it 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. The Fed loss robbed the tennis world of its much-desired Fed-Nadal US Open Final, but what can you do? Maybe next year. After his loss Fed said, "I would have loved to play against him here. I won't watch but I hope he wins." I get a little choked up hearing Roger say that. It reminds me of when Rafa hooked his arm around a distraught Fed following the 2009 Australian Open Final, and Rafa told him he was a champion and that he'd break the all-time slam record. Curiously, of the following following 6 slam titles, either Fed or Rafa has won 5 of them( and Rafa could make it 6 of 7 later today), but in all those wins they haven't played each other in a Slam since that moment. That will make it TWO YEARS when the next Aussie Open comes around for a chance to have that happen. So weird!

But back to the tournament at hand. Rafa is now just one win away from completing a Career Grand Slam. A victory on Sunday would mean he becomes the seventh man in history, to win all four grand slam titles during his career. He's the sixth man ever to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams, and the second-youngest. (Rafa's 24, and Jimmy Courier did it at age 22! Crazy!) A win would also make Nadal the fourth man ever to win the French, Wimbledon and US Open in one season that hasn't been done in over 40 years! So there's a lot of history on the line.

Rafa goes into the final with a 14-7 career advantage over Djokovic (coincidentally that's the same record he has against Federer!) but Novak has actually won their last three meetings, with all three coming on hard-courts. So even though Rafa has to be considered the favorite, the match could be complicated. Let's hope the rain doesn't wash out the match and that Rafa wins in three easy sets! Vamos, Rafa!

To Us And Our Good Fortune! Be Happy! Be Healthy! LONG LIFE!

(To Life! Love-Mob Style!)

So for his wedding LMM had a "little project" in mind to surprise his bride. A little secret song and dance number, if you will. This "little project" grew (as most LMM projects do) into a full-on wedding flash-mob. LMM took to calling it a "love-mob" since a flash mob is really a performance that grows out of strangers in a crowd, and this was a bunch of friends and family creating a special gift for V, so I agree Love-Mob is a more accurate term. Luckily, some amazing video was shot of the performance that came out of nowhere toward the end of the speeches and really did surprise everyone who wasn't involved, but most importantly, the bride and her mother. The youtube has begun to take the internet by storm - as well it should. It's kind of super-awesome. I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. It was such an expression of joy and love and togetherness that was one of many truly special moments over the wedding weekend. I'm doubly glad this video exists because while we were performing, I couldn't quite see V's reaction, and the reaction shots in the footage are really my favorite part of the whole thing. (My second favorite part? TK smiling through the terror of having to dance in front of everyone. My third favorite part? Groomswoman Sles' arm shimmy while she's singing in the quartet. heehee! so many favorite moments!)

(LMM and Father-in-Law start it off right!)

(The Quartet)

(The Groom's Peeps)

(V looking beautiful and surprised)

(V beautifully laughing with delight)

(Me and LAM as the Puerto-Ruskies)

(The bridesmaids join in for the grand finale!)

We rehearsed in secret in NYC a few times before the wedding and then once while we were on-site upstate. Special shout outs to Sles for handling the choreo and for patiently teaching it to us and to Lac for handling the music and the mics and sound. And of course to LMM for organzing it. I can't believe everyone involved managed to keep it a secret from V, especially as people started talking about it more openly after a few drinks were had during the wedding weekend. Still we pulled it off and it was a great moment of celebration with friends and family. To Life, indeed! Enjoy!



Many blessings to LMM and V as they start their lives together as husband and wife! xoxoxo!!

(Mazel Tov!)

Here's Hopin' For The Open: Rafa in The Quarterfinals

(Rafa Victorious!)

Congrats to Rafa Nadal for reaching the semifinals at the U.S. Open for the third year in a row! Despite crazy wind conditions that made for an awkward start to the match, Rafa quickly found his game and took control, winning 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 over his good friend Fernando Verdasco on Thursday night. It was not the kind of classic match they played in the 2009 Australian Open semis, but conditions were just too rough for that level of play.

Rafa lost serve for the first time in the entire tournament early in the first set, but I'm kinda glad that if it had to happen, it happened right then in this match. The unbroken streak was becoming a "thing" for some commentators, and while it might not have been weighing so heavily on Rafa's mind. I'm glad he had to deal with the situation of fighting back from behind before being in a semifinal or final situation. So despite the wind induced service break early on, Rafa came back in the first set to win 7-5. Rafa won the second set 6-3, and Verdasco just didn't have any answers for Rafa's game play. The third set was also pretty routine as it became clear Rafa was not going to lose the match, but it also featured an amusing little moment when Rafa hit a shot while at net in which he then spun 360 degrees to face his opponent again. He won the point. He's so cute.

Next, Our Hero faces off against Mikhail Youzhny in one semifinal match, while Federer takes on Djokovic in the other. Rafa looks much much stronger than he did in either 2008 or 2009 heading into this round, and I really think this is his year to make the final. He just had nothing left in the tank against Murray in 'o8 and was injured battling DelPo in '09, but those issues aren't present this year. I'm so happy for him that he's in such a great place physically and mentally going into this match. Rafa holds a 7-4 all-time record against Youzhny, but we can't take anything for granted. Rafa will need to be at his best to win. I'll be cheering him on as I do my 10-mile run on the treadmill this afternoon. Vamos!

Here's Hopin' For The Open: Rafa in the Round of 16

(Another Impressive Victory!)

Congrats to Rafa on his super-late-night 4th round win over Feliciano Lopez, taking the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. It didn't get started until after 11pm because all the other players on yesterday's schedule decided to take their sweet time either winning or losing, resulting in me falling asleep on my couch somewhere in the middle of the third set. Thank goodness, for DVR!

Rafa has now gone through 4 rounds of play not just without dropping a set, but without even dropping a service game. That's incredible! His serve has been such a weapon during this tournament and it used to be the weakest part of his game. Rafa is looking incredibly strong and increasingly motivated. You can tell he believes he can take the title this year. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but things look very good right now for Our Hero to make the final. He faces fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the Quarterfinals and Rafa has a 10-0 record against him. If he maintains his top form, he will be unstoppable! Vamos!

Here's Hopin' For The Open: Rafa in Round 3

(Rafa's better positioned than ever for a shot at the title!)

So Round 3 happened, and I was so involved with Wedding Weekend, I didn't even check the scores until Monday morning. I mean, I was highly confident Rafa won, but I honestly didn't think about it because so much was going on. That says a lot about what was going on.

But the weekend is done, and now it's time to get back to Rafa. Our Hero won in the third round, making short work of his opponent Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Simon was too preoccupied with his newborn son to put up much of a fight (honestly, who can blame him?) and Rafa was in control the whole time. He now faces Feliciano Lopez in the 4th round on Monday Night.

Even if Rafa's win was pretty uneventful, what happened in the rest of his draw is worth a look-see. Rafa's path to the final has opened up pretty darn wide. 4th Seed Andy Murray, an early tournament favorite this year, just lost 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-3 to Stanislav Warwrinka. That's a huge weight off Nadal's shoulders. Nadal was also going to possibly face David Nalbandian, Ernests Gulbis and the very formidable Tomas Berdych in his quarter. All of these guys are already out of the tournament! This odd situation leaves a lot of Spaniards still in the conversation - especially in Nada's quarter. Nadal is the best of all of them and should have no problem winning these matches. As long as he stays focused and keeps playing his best he has a really great chance at reaching his first US Open Final! Vamos!!

Here's Hopin' For the Open: Rafa in Round Two

(I'm not around to watch this weekend, Rafa, but I'm still keeping tabs!)

Greetings all! I am currently enjoying the Labor Day weekend celebrating the wedding of good friends LMM and V and we are staying at a very lovely establishment that does not have TV's in the hotel rooms. So I can only watch round 2 and round 3 highlights on my computer when I have internet access in the main building. S'alright. Rafa can wait while we dance and eat and drink until our fancy clothes no longer fit us when it comes time for the actual ceremony. There's a lovely pool here too. Finally swimming - right before the summer ends!

But here's what's happening for Rafa back in the city: our hero won an impressively strong battle against Denis Istomin from Russia. He took him out in three tough sets, winning 6-2, 7-6, 7-5.

This was a really strong match in which Rafa saved 7 of 7 possible break points. It looked especially dire in the second set when Rafa had been down 5-1 in the tie breaker. Istomin hit an amazing point when he sprinted to hit a return off a drop shot from Rafa that landed inside for a winner. Rafa immediately responded by winning the next six points to take the set. The two men then played a tight third set until Rafa finally broke Istomin's serve in the last game.

Rafa next plays Gilles Simon, a man who just missed the birth of his child who was born a few weeks early. I'm not saying Simon is gonna throw the match or anything, but if he lost I think he'd be just fine to hop on a plane and head home. Hopefully Rafa will win quickly and send Simon back to his brand new baby. Vamos!

Note: Tomorrow evening I will be going to the US Open! Taking the GF with me. Very excited. The last two years I was lucky and got to see Rafa while I was there, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards this year. The US Open is a great experience nonetheless and I look forward to seeing who will be listed on the Night Schedule. Good times!

Here's Hopin' For The Open: Rafa in Round One

(Look who's happy now?)

Congrats to my main man, Rafael Nadal, for a strong and convincing win in his 1st round match at the US Open. It was a tough match thanks to great play by his opponent, Teymuraz Gabashvili from Russia. Sill Rafa won in straight sets - 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.

At this year's Open, Rafa is bidding to become only the seventh player in history to complete the career Grand Slam. If he does so, he'd be the youngest man in tennis history to achieve such an incredible task. He'd also have a 9th Grand Slam title, and have won three of four slams for the year which is pretty amazing. It's not gonna be easy, but it's obvious Rafa really wants it. He's in the best physical health he's ever been this late in the season. He's had a so-so American hardcourt run this summer, but seeing him play tonight, I gotta like his chances to at least make the semis again this year.

Rafa's also outfitted this year in black and florescent yellow. His shirt looks a little armor-plated. His fashion sense is always a little out there, but this one seems more normal than other looks he's had in the past. I have tickets to the Open on Monday, and I really hope Rafa is playing in the night session. That would be AMAZING. Vamos, Rafa!

2010 Emmys: We're All A Bunch of Bucky Gunts Here

(Ricky is thrilled with how the awards are going on Sunday night, and i can't say I disagree, even if I picked almost none of them. Not even Bucky Gunts.)

It always seems a little silly to comment on an awards show days after it happened. At this point in time everyone has forgotten about it, except the people who won (and, I guess, the people who lost) . This year's show, however, turned out to be especially amusing, because of my early predictions. Before the show started, I jotted down who/what I thought would win in the major categories and it looked a little something like this:

Outstanding Drama Series - Mad Men
Outstanding Comedy Series - Glee
Outstanding Lead Actor, Drama - John Hamm, Mad Men
Outstanding Lead Actor, Comedy - Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Outstanding Lead Actress, Drama - Juliana Marguilles, The Good Wife
Outstanding Lead Actress. Comedy - Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama - Terry O'Quinn, LOST
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy - Chris Colfer, Glee
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama - Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy - Jane Lynch, Glee
Outstanding Reality Competition - Amazing Race

Of these 11 categories, I was correct only 3 times. I predicted Mad Men, Edie Falco and Jane Lynch. I was wrong about everything else. Damn, Emmys. Usually you are so predictable! This year there were so many first time winners. You really spread the love around. Well played.

I must say well played to Jimmy Fallon too. It's not like everything he did worked. The internet inspired intros were a bust and he relied on his guitar too often, but the Glee-inspired opening sequence was so awesome he built himself enough good will to carry him through the rest of the show. Plus it ended on time! So good work, Fallon. I was impressed.

And before we move on from this forever, I must mention the fun appearance by Ricky Gervais who delighted so much in the name "Bucky Gunts" as a nominee, that he pretty much jumped out of his skin when Bucky actually won. I hope Gervais brings that enthusiasm and humor to his return gig at the Golden Globes. That would be delightful!

Timing is Everything! With Donnie & Angela - The Owen Panettieri Interview!

(Angela isn't flipping me off here. She's just moving her hand really fast. She's very excited to talk to me.)

Yes, it's me! I sat down with Donnie & Angela and they raked me across the coals for not being able to talk about my play in simple sound bytes. It's awesome. I'm so glad I got to spend time with them. Enjoy!

Timing is Everything! With Donnie & Angela - The Justin Anselmi Interview

(Donnie and Angela ask Justin all the right questions in all the wrong ways.)

Donnie & Angela are at it again. This time interviewing Justin who plays Matty in the The Timing of A Day. I love Justin. He brings exactly what I was hoping for with his portrayal of Matty. In this wide ranging interview the trio discuss what it's like not being a lead, the potential pitfalls of playing a spoiler agent and the salacious art of fanfic. Enjoy!

Timing is Everything! with Donnie & Angela: The Nik Kourtis Interview!

On this Opening Night Eve, we have a special treat for you: Donnie & Angela's interview with Nik Kourtis! Nik plays Doug in The Timing Of A Day. Both Donnie and Angela are very taken with him and they have a hard time remembering to ask him questions about the show instead of just grilling him for personal information. Stay on task, you two!



The Timing of a Day opens Wednesday 8/18/10 at 2pm, at the 4th Street Theatre - 83 East 4th St @2nd Ave in NYC! Tickets for the opening performance are still available for purchase at the the theatre 15 minutes before showtime! See you there!!

Timing Is Everything with Donnie & Angela: The R. Elizabeth Woodard Interview!

(Where does the interview end and the jealous sniping begin? Tune in to find out!)

Hey guys! Donnie & Angela are at it again, bringing you the next in their series of cast interviews from The Timing of A Day. This time they are talking to R. Elizabeth Woodard who plays Paige, the one girl in the show. Donnie is rather smitten, but Angela's opinion of Beth is... well let's just say their exchanges become "contentious." Enjoy! The Timing of a Day opens TOMORROW 8/18/10 at 2pm, at the 4th Street Theatre - 83 East 4th St @2nd Ave in NYC! Tickets for the opening performance are still available for purchase at the the theatre 15 minutes before showtime! See you there!!

SYTYCD 7 - It's the Finale, Pippin! The Finale!

(YOU LOOK MALEVOS. Lauren proves she had the right amount of Showmentum to overtake fan favorite Kent and take the title of America's Favorite Dancer #7. Congrats, Lauren!)

So yes, this finale might have happened like... two weeks ago? But the lateness of the recap is not my fault, see? Ok, it is, but there's good reason. My play opened! And it got very nice reviews here and here. So I've been busy. But I finally got to finishing the recap. In the interim between the finale and right now, the Creative Arts Emmys were given out and SYTYCD won two. Congratulations to Soyon An, Costume Designer and Grainne O’Sullivan, Wardrobe Supervisor for their win in "Outstanding Costumes For A Variety, Music Program or a Special (JURIED AWARD)" as well as MIA MICHAELS “Outstanding Choreography” as choreographer of "Gravity/Addiction," "Koop Island Blues" and "One." Nice job, Show.

Okay, on to the task at hand. It's the Finale, y'all. We've got 2 contempos, and 1 jazz hands left! How far they've come. Remember when the entire season happened? Cat will narrate as they play you a montage of top moments. Each dancer will be dancing roughly 300 times tonight to fill two hours. No need to worry about injuries now! Welcome... to So You THINK You Can Dance!

No guest judge this week. Let's get to the dancing!

Kent - with All-Star Lauren in a Bollywood number by Nakul. It's a fun routine. In truth, I think this is Lauren at her sexiest, and I can't take my eyes off of her. I can see that Kent has his mega-watt smile next to her, but I notice it just barely. There are no mess ups though. I'm sure he's doing well beside her. The judges all love Kent in the routine and think it's a great start to the show. There's a bizarre moment during the judging when All-Star Lauren runs off stage and maybe smacks into a post? They all comment on it, but you can't see what happened. I'm curious how she can dance so well and then not be able avoid a post on her way into the giant wings of the stage.

Lauren (contestant version) - hip hop with Twitch and NappyTabs supplying the choreo. It's election themed and it's a little bit if Obama was running against Tracy Flick. Lauren does a couple of athletic back flips at one point and it strikes me how versatile she really is. She's great at hip hop, she's great at ballroom, she's great with gymnastics, great with contempo and, of course, Jazz. The judges all love Lauren. They just dump as much praise on her as possible. She's earned it though.

Robert - dancing with Mark in a Tyce jazz routine. They gave Robert Tyce choreo?? NO!!!! Unfair! The dance to "Whip It" by Devo. They look very similar, Robert and Mark, especially in their matchy matchy suits. It's a better routine than what Tyce has been giving us in Broadway lately. One thing that bugs me is that for most of the dance Mark is positioned one step downstage of Robert and since Mark is so damn good, i feel like it pulls focus from Robert. Nigel congratulates Robert and admits he doesn't really care who wins tomorrow, he loves all three of them so much. Mia loves Robert too, and Adam notes Robert finally jumps up and not down which was an issue for him earlier in the season. That has been his JOURNEY.

Next Cat interviews Kent in a pre-recorded segment. I always like these at the end of the season because you really do feel like Cat went on this journey with them and they are reflecting on shared experiences. He talks about making faces a lot and Cat laughs at him/with him. Then back live, Kent does a solo. I think the solos have been much better this season. I actually think a lot has been much better this season.

Robert and Contestant Lauren - dancing contempo with Dee Caspary choreo. There's a pillow involved, and props can get tricky, but this dance really rocks, and the pillow is used well including this one part where Lauren throws the pillow to Robert and then jumps after it and Robert catches both the pillow and her so cleanly. The judges all hate it. I kid! The judges all love it. They are kinda going out of their minds with love and praise tonight. We're not even halfway done with the show yet!

Kent and Lauren - jazz with choreo by Mandy Moore. They are dancing to "Hip to be Square", and they are dancing nerds. It's cute but I feel like Mandy could've brought us something a little better for the finale. When they finish, Cat makes it known that Lauren gave Kent a black eye during rehearsal. Heeheehee! Accidents! The judges don't love the choreo either (they actually kinda sorta hate it), but still love Kent and Lauren. Mandy Moore is all "oh really, judges? F U." Sorry Mandy Moore, this underwhelmed. Quite adorably, Kent and Lauren come to Mandy's defense.

Cat sits down to chat with Robert. His favorite routine was the "broken mom dance" by Travis Wall with Allison. He never expected to make it this dar. If he wins, he's buying something for mom. Then he dances a lovely solo! Go Go Roberto!

Kent- partnered with Allison dancing contempo by Stacey Tookey. It's about a troubled couple. I think it's very lovely and emotional. Kent gets very emotionally affected by it. During critique, Mia gets Kent to admit he said "get off of me" to Allison toward the end of the routine. Mia loved the commitment. Adam asks Kent what's going on for him, and Kent starts to say he was so invested that the steps didn't even matter, but Adam freaks the eff out, scaring the shit out of Kent in the process. "Kent, you just became an artist!" Kent couldn't care less at the moment about what Adam is ranting about, even if Adam means well. Kent and Allison share a tender moment where Allison clearly shared the emotion that is washing over Kent, but she's older and more mature and knows how to process it internally. It's a very sweet reassurance on her part. Why did Adam have to freak out on Kent like that? Was he really not paying attention to Kent at all?

Lauren's time for an interview. She liked her prom dance with Kent the best. Then she does her solo. It's very good, as her solos are always home runs.

Robert - partnering with Kathryn to Broadway by Spencer Liff. Kathryn is a sexy interrogator and Robert is the suspect in custody. They're dancing to "Cool" from West Side Story. It's so good! Maybe my favorite of the night so far. Kathryn and Robert are super-sexy together. The dance is so sharp and the music of course is amazing. Robert's pants rip a big hole in the butt halfway through. Nigel tries to talk about how the song is in the movie but not the play, and Adam bitch-hisses that he's wrong. Adam's done this play a million times! What is Nigel talking about??? Mia amazingly pushes back on her chair and rolls out of their direct line of fire wanting no part of it. Nigel and Adam argue about it for a minute, as Nigel tries to find a way to backtrack since he's clearly wrong. He turns his attention to Robert and compliments his great work in the routine. Both Adam and Mia were not sure about this routine before it started because they are Jerome Robbins purists, but the fresh take won them over and they loved the actual dancing. Really "Cool" is one of the best dance songs ever on Broadway.

Lauren - Back with Pasha AGAIN for a Tony and Melanie choreo'ed Cha-Cha. She's really fantastic. She looks like a ballroom dancer. Pasha is the a super-amazing partner, but she looks damn near flawless in this routine. Lauren has really shown herself to be the most adaptable dancer this season. Good for her. The judges love her and Mia actually tells her that if she was still dancing she'd want to dance like Lauren. Damn. Is there higher praise? Adam can't top that and babbles on about something or other.

Robert and Kent doing a Malevos fight routine. The choreo is by Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo (who now?) and they tell us "malevos" means "gangster." So it's like two dudes training for the tango or something. I don't like it. It's a weak dance to end the evening and the season on. The boys just don't have the technique to make this work. They give it their damnedest though. The judges all breeze over the technique and don't care about slamming anyone at this point. They loved it, they lie. Well at least they love Kent and Robert and at the end of this long evening of dancing for both guys, they're gonna give them a pass.

I think this is a very even horse race, but I'd say it's between Kent and Lauren going into tomorrow. I'm only voting for Robert, my season-long favorite, but I think making it to top 3 was his biggest victory and it will end there. He had a great night though. Here's my order of preference for tonight's dances:

Robert & Kathryn Broadway
Robert & Lauren Pillow Contempo
Lauren & Pasha Cha-Cha
Robert & Mark Jazz
Kent & Allison Contempo
Lauren & Twitch Hip Hop
Kent & Lauren Geek Jazz
Kent & All-Star Lauren Bollywood
Kent & Robert Malevos

FINALE RESULTS!! It's two hours of TV but we are gonna slam through this thing right now.

The previous winners go Nick, Benji, Sabra, Joshua, Jeanine, Russell and soon somebody else. The opening number is not the original Garden party awesomeness from the start of the season, but a new number that's all over an Inception motif. I'm down with it. Alex Wong is pushed out on stage in a chair and he gets huge applause, and does some cool choreo with just his arms and hands. The whole routine is great and I love the army or All-Stars and Top 11 dancers tearing it up together. At the end it's just the three finalists standing on stage among the bodies of the fallen and those three look MEGA-INTENSE. Seriously, adrenaline is pumping, y'all.

The judges' table is filled to the brim. We've got Nigel, Mia and Adam per usual, and then Tyce, Stacey Tookey, Kenny Ortega (back again??), and last but NOT LEAST, Mary Murphy. Say what you will about the screaming, the show sorta missed her ballroom knowledge and her hot tamale train energy this season. I hope's back in a more regular capacity next season.

We go through all of last night's performances, which i thought really rocked, especially considering how many of them they had to do. Now it's time for the judges to select the season encores! Kenny Ortega is up first, and he chooses the Kent and Neil Broadway routine from Damn Yankees. Very good energy in this routine. Kent and Neil really complimented each other so well this season.

Nigel's choice is the Billy and Ade "Mad World" routine. Certainly one of my favorites this season. Billy seems to have some trouble getting the hat on right this time. he lets his eyes show more than when we saw it first. Still it's beautiful.

Then Quest Crew comes out, featuring SYTYCD alums Ryan (Season 1, I don't know him) and Hok (Season 3 - awesome!). They're grrrreat!

Mia's first pick is from NappyTabs (why are they not at the Judges' Table tonight?) with AdeChike and Comfort. It's not my favorite AdeChike dance, but Comfort deserves to be highlighted in this Finale for her excellent work all Season, and this is where she gets her due.

The next routine is Kent and Anya Teacher-Student love affair routine, to that annoyingly catchy song by those folks who can't really sing. This is another one that I don't think is a real classic, nor is it Kent's best work, but Anya was effing ANYA! this season, and again deserved to be highlighted somewhere in the finale.

Tyce's encore choice Robert and Dom's clown hip hop. This one I might have liked even better the second time through.

Nigel said for several weeks that he'd dance in the finale, but now that we're here, he's poking fun at the Season 7 curse with a phony injury, and gets a little boy to tap in his place. The kid's good! Then two other people tap. Then we're done with that.

Upon return, we get Nigel's pick. He goes with Lauren and Pasha's Argentine tango, which I again think is better than the already awesome original performance. If Lauren wins, she should thank Pasha for all the awesome routines he partnered her in, showcasing her versatility.

Adam's choice - Robert and Allison in Travis's Fix You Dance. This, along with Alex's "Outta Your Minds" routine really was the routine of the season. It's a very emotional dance, even if this encore feels juuuust a smidge off the original.

Then Russell comes out with Lil' C and they krump like nobody's business. I love Russell!! It's so awesome. He's basically there to remind people why he's on tour this year, but I for one had not forgotten.

Mary Murphy picks Jose and Dom's Excalibur routine for her encore choice. I thought she'd go ballroom. Hmph. This is not one of my favorite routines but it's probably Jose's best routine and this could not be a finale without judge favorite Jose! He's a sweet guy. He does good in the encore.

Charlie Bruce is a girl, despite her manly name. She is also the winner of SYTYCD - UK, and Nigel had her brought over to dance with Neil in a Mandy Moore routine. Charlie is amazing and Neil is so fucking good too. He's really grown so much since his season. It's so impressive.

Now it's time for Final 3 to become Final Two. it's Robert who's out first and I'm at peace with it. I'm glad he made it to the final. Robert thanks everybody who voted for him and loves his SYTYCD dancer family. You rock, Robert! Good job!

Adam gets another pick, and it's Lauren first hip-hop routine with Twitch that was cowboy-themed. I still can't get over Lauren's reverse tumbleweed somersault.

Then Cat gets a pick, or maybe just none of the judges want to pick a video. So Cat picks Alex and Allison in the Sonya routine from top 11 week that was SOOO good. It's great to see it again, but I still wish those stupid girls weren't screaming his name throughout the routine.

Stacey Tookey picks Bollywood with Billy and Robert, but her delivery is so slow, Cat cuts her off and throws it to the dance which is hilarious. The boys are super cute again doing this number. Bollywood was represented a lot this season. This one was my fav.

Mia next chooses Neil and Kent's "we are in a relationship but let's pretend we're just friends as we break up" routine. Neil throws Kent SO HIGH. I really dug this one. Good emotion from both of these guys. Rock solid.

Then we get another season-long montage on the screen while the audience in the theater gets a live performance of "Shine" by Black Gold, the group that's been serenading us all season to the exit packages of the top 11. The lead singer is kinda odd looking. Not like you'd picture from just hearing his voice. But I have really come to dig this song and his live performance continues to grow on me until I actually like it by the time we get to the end.

Then Ellen DeGeneres comes out to reenact The Alex&Twitch hop hop we love so much. I get what they were trying to do with this, but seriously, as I've said before, if it wasn't Baryshnikov showing up to do this dance, they should just have shown the video because nothing else would live up to it. Ellen does her best, but it's still weird for me.

Time to announce a winner. Cat gets both of their journeys out of the way, because this show always ends without talking to the winner at all, just because there's no time and everyone goes crazy. Finally Cat rips open the envelope, and tells us that America's Favorite Dancer 2010 is LAUREN! OOOOOH!!!!!

Then instantly a ton of awesome shit happens which makes this the best ending ever. Lauren's head almost explodes, confetti actually explodes (scaring everybody). Kent is given a ton of flowers and is led away and it's such a WTF moment. I mean the flowers are HUGE. Russell appears and he's super cool as he presents Lauren with a giant Gatorade bottle that says DANCE! Cat tries to get Lauren to say anything - ANYTHING about her win - after all, Cat worked damn hard to get the show in on time so she'd be able to say something right at the end. Lauren comes up with nothing and then her chance breezes by as the other dancers engulf her. In a wide shot, we see that Robert decided to aim for Kent first instead of Lauren and wraps him up and swings him around and around and your heart leaps at the sight of it. Then as everyone jumps around, Lauren continues to lose her mind with happiness, dumping the Gatorade over her head with wild abandon. Then she and Rob find each other and embrace and laugh with delight as if they're the only two people in the world, let alone on stage, and then Twitch and Dom join the party and hoist her up on their shoulders. And everyone is so so happy. It's amazing! It's the best thing ever! Lauren is radiant in her victory! Cat Deely lovingly bids us adieu for another summer. See you next year, my beloved!

In conclusion, I thought All-Stars was a great change this season. It was a good way to shake up the format, I really liked seeing all the former contestants coming back and totally rocking it week after week, and i thought it resulted in a much higher level of dance routines overall. Some people missed the relationships that developed in seasons past from contestants staying together until Top 10, and I get where they are coming from, but I like it this way too. I would not object if they did it again next year. I also liked that it didn't matter if all the girls got eliminated first if they got the lowest overall votes. I don't really blame the show for those three weeks of injuries. It did make voting basically unnecessary for almost a month, but it was just some bad luck that led us down that path. I hope Alex and Ashley recover quickly and completely. I hope everyone has a great time on tour. I will see this show, the panel of "jidges" and the eternally delightful Cat Deely back here next May. It's been a pleasure. Thanks for reading the recaps!